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How to… Dive like a Girl! (Watch Video)
In celebration of PADI Women’s Dive Day on July 20th, here at Camel Dive Club & Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, we thought that we would use the opportunity to answer some of the common questions that our female instructors and reservations team receive from our female guests.
With more and more women getting in to scuba, there are certain factors that just aren’t an issue for our male counterparts and are not covered in many training agency curriculums. (Disclaimer: this article is for entertainment purposes only.)
So here we go with our answers to the questions:
- I have recently had a breast augmentation (boob job), can I still scuba dive or will they burst?
This was a bit of a tricky one to answer as (as far as I know) none of our current female instructors had this procedure so I didn’t have a willing staff member to try it out on. However, the common consensus is that, yes you can dive and no they won’t burst! Just make sure that you are fully healed and that you have a medical practitioners clearance to dive and off you go. Just don’t forget that you may need to purchase a new wetsuit.
- How many pairs of shoes do I need to take with me on my diving holiday?
This depends very much, as to whether you will be enjoying a Liveaboard or a shore based diving holiday. One of the great thing about Liveaboard diving is that you get to take your shoes off once and not put them on until the end of your trip. The girls at Camel would recommend only take the shoes that you need to arrive and depart in.
A land based diving holiday will be a little different, even though usually you do not wear shoes on the boats, the recommendation for this is to take one pair to match at least every different outfit and not to forget the super high stilettos for your final night.
- Can I dive during my period or will I attract sharks?
Girl, do you not remember all those feminine hygiene product advertisements? You can do anything whilst you have your period from roller blading, sitting on sofas with friends in white trousers, sky diving and scuba diving.
Unfortunately, having your period whilst scuba diving will not attract sharks. If it did, it would make female dive guides exceptionally popular with regard to guiding dives at certain times of the month.
- How much extra weight do I need to add to the basic weighting guidelines if I have big boobs?
1 kg per breast! If only it were that simple. The recommendation is to follow the basic weighting guidelines and set up your weights accordingly. Then once in the water complete a weight check like you would whenever you change your equipment, environment or if you haven’t been diving in a while.
- How many bikinis/swimsuits do I need for a day diving?
If you are completing three dives (which you better had as the third dive is when the big stuff shows up), then you will need at least two depending on the air temperature.
The logic for this is that you wear your first bikini for your first dive, then change into a dry one for the surface interval and second dive leaving the one that you wore on your first dive to dry. By the time you have completed your second dive, your first bikini should be dry for you to change into. Then you simply repeat the process. Jokes aside, this is a top tip from our female guides as you don’t want to be sitting around in a wet bikini all day as it can lead to all kinds of interesting problems down there as it is the perfect environment for bacteria. The plus side is now you have an excuse to bring as many cute bikinis as possible on your dive trip.
- What is the best hairstyle for scuba diving?
If you have been lucky enough to dive with us at Camel, you will notice that our female dive guides sport a variety of different hairstyles. One of the most popular is the French braid if you are able to complete this challenging feat. Failing that, you can’t really go wrong with a low bun so that it will not interfere with your mask strap, it will even help to hold it in place. Top tip from the girls at Camel: don’t forget to use a slap strap to avoid being hair free by the end of your dive trip.
- Am I allowed to dive without my significant other?
Definitely, in fact it is even encouraged and that way you will have more to talk about when you do spend some time together. I would even go as far as to say why not book a complete dive trip alone – that will give you conversation topics with your partner for a very long time, perhaps even a year.
It is a scientific fact that solo travelling, scuba diving females are the coolest people at on the planet. Places like Camel Dive Club & Hotel are an ideal choice for a Solo Traveler as our integrated facilities embody all aspects of a dive holiday combined in a club (or “Tribe”) atmosphere, meaning that as a Solo Traveler it is easy to meet likeminded people.
I hope that you found the above information a little useful and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the fabulous female divers out there, a very happy bubbling PADI Women’s Dive Day.
Check out the video here:
For more from Camel Dive Club & Hotel please visit www.cameldive.com.
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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