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Get ready for DIVE 2015 – the 25th Anniversary of the Birmingham Dive Show
Set aside as much of the weekend of 24/25 October as possible, because the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in the UK will be awash with divers – and you and your friends and family need to be there with them.
DIVE 2015 is the Show of the Year, and it’s an extra-special event because it marks 25 years of successful Shows organised at the NEC by the DIVER Group in that time.
Booking ahead brings significant cash savings but every ticket sale brings with it the chance to win a fortnight’s dive trip for two to the Mexican Pacific worth £8000 in the Grand Prize Draw.
ON THE FLOOR
DIVE 2015 speaker Paul Rose
Get your bearings at the New Product Showcase, a snapshot of the diving-equipment market’s latest offerings, and decide which kit you want to look at in more depth around the aisles.
You might even decide to try some of it out in the Technical Pool, especially if it’s one of the new generation of rebreathers.
You don’t have to be a CCR diver to get wet, of course – for beginners the Try-Dive Pool awaits, with Stoney Cove dive school divers standing by to introduce you to the joys a regulator, tank and BC can offer.
As usual, one of the pleasures of the Dive Show is the chance to meet the people who have hosted your dive holidays in the past or who will welcome you on trips in the future.
DIVE 2015 speaker Mark Powell
Whether you’re catching up or looking for information, check out the Asia-Pacific Showcase, Caribbean Village, British Isles Experience and all the other parts of the diving world represented around the hall and find out where your next dive-trip will take you.
Kit ticked, holidays ticked – and the third part of the equation is skills development, with a number of training agencies represented at DIVE 2015.
The PADI VILLAGE and SSI ZONE offer a further swathe of training and travel ideas, while the British sub-aqua club, which is holding its annual conference at the NEC, will be present in force with its branch pods.
Then there is the Photozone, where kit, holidays and training combine in a magnificent outpouring of underwater photographic talent. Take part in judging the British Society of Underwater Photographers’ annual prints competition and get involved in the constant exchange of tips and ideas flowing between speakers, exhibitors and visitors.
DIVE 2015 speaker Monty Halls
ON THE STAGES
DIVE 2015 speaker Louise Trewavas
The 25th Dive Show line-up of diving presentations take place on the main DIVER Stage, the Centre Stage and in the two Ocean Theatres, and although it’s early days yet, we can promise you treats in store:
Paul Rose: “What will you be talking about, Paul?” “I’m here at Pond Inlet about to head north to establish camp at the northern tip of Baffin Island – how about ‘Diving the Wild Places’?” Sounds good!
Mark Powell: “Training Doesn’t Work” – some of the problems with current scuba-diving training and what we can do to fix those problems. Controversy alert – not for the first time with this popular Show presenter.
Monty Halls will be back from an exciting top-secret expedition “and doubtless I’ll be blithering on about it at the Dive Shows,” he said in last month’s column, so stand by for hot news! Monty’s custom Land-Rover Defender and Humber RIB will be back too, and with him at the Show. The trip? We hear that sharks may have been involved…
DIVE 2015 speaker Alex Mustard
Louise Trewavas: “The All-Time Top 10 Diving Mistakes – And How To Survive Them.” We’ve all been there – more advice you can’t afford to miss.
Alex Mustard is the man who straightened us all out about the contents of our favourite Red Sea wreck, and he’ll be back with a new twist on “Thistlegorm’s Cargo” which requires you to get involved.
Alex will also be talking in the PhotoZone alongside Martin Edge – and talking of the PhotoZone, drop into the audience at the Centre Stage to see some of the finest double acts since Eric & Ernie, including Saeed Rashid & Nigel Wade, Nick & Caroline Robertson-Brown and Jane Morgan & Gill McDonald.
Win an £8000 trip to the Land of the Giants just by turning up for DIVE 2015!
A landmark show, a landmark prize: By entering the DIVE 2015 Grand Prize Draw, you and a chosen companion have the chance of winning a trip of a lifetime.
Your jumping-off point will be the bustling marina resort of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. From there you will join a luxury liveaboard to dive in the eastern Pacific. Your trip will take in some of those dive-sites that make even the most experienced divers go weak at the knees – the spectacular Socorro Islands, San Benedicto and Roca Partida.
Expect to dive with the super-friendly giant Pacific manta rays (their wingspan has been known to reach 9m!), dolphins and sharks often in their hundreds, whale sharks, seals and ( from January to April, subject to availability) humpback whales. This area isn’t referred to as “the Mexican Galapagos” for nothing.
The prize, organised by UK tour operator The Scuba Place, comprises flights from London to Cabo San Lucas, one night all-inclusive hotel accommodation in the suite-only Dreams Cabo San Lucas Resort & Spa; nine nights on board either the spectacular Nautilus Belle Amie or Explorer on a full-board basis, and two further nights back in Cabo to get your land-legs back! All airport transfers are included.
Socorro is one of the hottest dive destinations on the market, so don’t miss this or any opportunity to dive it! All this could be yours and a buddy’s – just buy a DIVE 2015 ticket! Terms & conditions apply.
Buy tickets to DIVE 2015 here.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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