Good question. Monkey’s answer is simple. DIVING ON WRECKS!

Wrecks are usually too far from shore to access from land – I know I hate long surface swims – what about you? A boat is needed. The bigger the better in my opinion.  I know that I want a nice place to spend my surface interval, because let’s face it, you aren’t going to do just a single dive are you? You want to look, find, explore and take your time. Slowly slowly, catch the monkey as they say!

Divers are such a community of like-minded people from all walks of life that when you book a boat dive on the Zenobia Wreck  you know that you will be going to your form of church. You may dive with your dive centre, or you may have a group of friends who you buddy up with on a regular basis – whoever you dive with, boat diving is totally awesome in the sense that you know it will not just be your group on the boat ready for your next adventure.  You will arrive early in the morning, set up your gear and find a spot. Then you can chat, have a coffee and socialize!

The energy on board before a Zenobia Wreck dive in Cyprus is electric. A start of the engines is like a starter pistol at a very relaxed race, everyone starts getting into their wetsuits, donning their gear and making their final safety checks. The Zenobia Queen makes her way out of Larnaca Marina into the sunrise. In just ten minutes we are there, and the ocean at this time of the morning a so flat it looks like a mirror. Then, all lined up like penguins, we jump off the boat in our groups and make a slow controlled descent to the top 3^rd wreck in the world! Wow.

The dive is over, you exit the water. You change your tank and check your air or nitrox. You drink a glass of chilled water and relax – the surface interval is here. Watermelon is passed around – big happy chunks of the stuff transform our faces into huge, red seeded smiles.  Beautiful. The boat rocks gently and cameras are passed around, sharing our visual bounty. Stories are swapped, new equipment is stroked and sun tan lotion is applied.

Before you know it, it is time for your second dive. Your equipment is happy to be climbed into – it has been waiting for you! Checks are made side my side and you jump in two by two – hurrah! Bubbles form rings around the boat lazily, as exhaled gasses reach the surface – the noise is eerily relaxing. You descend, you dive, you surface, you smile. As you surface the smell of fresh barbequed chicken fills your nostrils. Your stomach makes a noise and you mouth fills with saliva. You get back on board, de-kit and make your way to the full buffet that has been prepared while you have been underwater. Yum. Us divers love 2 things – good diving and good food! Within minutes the boat is back in the marina, hungry cats that are waiting for a prized piece of leftover chicken are all mewing in the sunshine. You exchange email addresses with new friends and slowly your diving day starts to wind down. A perfect end to a perfect day.  http://www.scuba-monkey.com/

What’s your favourite Wreck Dive? Have you met a life-long friend or even a partner on a dive boat? Tell us in the comments section below!