News
One month to go… till DIVE 2018
Have you got your tickets yet? It’s just over a month to go until DIVE 2018 – the UK’s biggest event for scuba divers, taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on 27 and 28 October 2018.
What a line-up of guests the DIVER Group is assembling for DIVE 2018! Highlights include:
On the DIVER Stage
- David Jones (& DIVE 2018 Panel, Sunday)
PLASTICS’ POLLUTION: WHAT CAN DIVERS DO?
Long before Blue Planet 2 hit our screens, A Plastic Ocean was described by Sir David Attenborough as “the most important film of our time”. David Jones, the man behind the camera, has been advocating for action on plastics since 2009. What does he have to say now that we’re all listening? Hear him on Saturday, or attend his forum on this hot topic on Sunday. - Monty Halls
MY FAMILY AND THE GALAPAGOS
If you enjoyed Monty Halls’ recent Channel 4 three-parter My Family and the Galapagos, with its impressive underwater content, here’s your chance to get the deep background from the man himself. President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, Monty took his wife Tam and daughters Isla and Molly along to spend three months in what he describes as his “favourite place on Earth”, getting involved tagging whale sharks and bullhead sharks along the way.
Dive Show favourite Monty Halls will be talking about his hit Galapagos TV series
- Paul Rose
MORE PRISTINE SEAS
Paul is one of the Dive Show’s regular star turns, because his talks are always entertaining and he dives the parts of the underwater world most of us can only dream about. This year he received the Royal Geographical Society’s Founder’s Medal, one of the highest honours of its kind in the world, for his scientific expeditions and enhancing public understanding – which he will continue to do at DIVE 2018. - THE DIVER AWARDS (Saturday)
Don’t miss the 21st DIVER Magazine Awards in which the prized 2018 trophies will be presented to scuba diving’s favourite suppliers and operators, as voted on by UK divers.
Paul Rose is one of the Dive Show’s regular star turns
On the CENTRE Stage
- Nick & Caroline Robertson-Brown
WILD DIVES
Described by great white shark specialist Rodney Fox as “fellow adventurists”, Scubaverse’s Nick & Caroline have spent the year looking for wild dives to include a book due out early next year. Defining “wild dive” proved a challenge, they say, but their adventures included many shark dives, a search for an elusive nudibranch and a submarine ride (on top – not inside!). - Ellen Cuylaerts
DEEPER CONNECTION
The Belgian photographer based in the Cayman Islands says her objective is to “bridge a deeper connection” between humanity and nature, and to capture how it feels to be behind the camera at special moments. “I try to shoot from the heart”, she says. She travels the world recording animals and the challenges they’re facing. Find out more about her special brand of photography at DIVE 2018. -
Photographer and documentary film-maker Doug Allan
Doug Allan (Sunday)
THE IMPORTANCE OF AN IMAGE
Described by Sir David Attenborough as “the toughest in the business”, multi-BAFTA and Emmy-winning wildlife cameraman Doug worked as a pearl-diver, diving instructor, commercial diver and biologist before becoming diving officer on an Antarctic research station in 1976. Ten years later he became a photographer and documentary film-maker, specialising in polar wildlife. Now he invites us to dive beneath the surface of conservation images and short films, critiquing their styles, considering their uses and their impacts. How can one image make all the difference while another leaves us indifferent? And can an image ever be too shocking? - Richard Smith
CRITTER-HUNTING: FIND YOUR OWN CRITTERS!
Richard, underwater photographer, marine biologist and part of the team that recently identified Japapigu, the seventh-known pygmy seahorse, knows that macro enthusiasts and photographers lean heavily on local dive-guides to track down their tiny quarry. In the world of the critter the sharp-eyed are king, but should we all be able to spot our own critters? Are these the short-cuts to success?
Plus, The TekDeck, coordinated by Mark Powell, who is assisted by nine other well-known technical divers. Closed-circuit rebreathers loom large, of course, with presentations on four individual models as well as a panel discussion on Saturday afternoon – which might help if you’re not sure which direction to take.
Admission to DIVE 2018 costs £14.50 on the day – but just £9.50 if you book online in advance. Children under 14 with an adult go free, and there are special offers for recently-qualified BSAC divers and BSAC Instructors.
Don’t delay – order your DIVE 2018 tickets here today!
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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