News
LIDS plus TOATS: Fun for February
Be where all the pre-diving action is this February – be at London’s ExCeL Centre for LIDS 2016.
If you and your friends and family enjoy not only diving but outdoor activities in general, you’re in for a big treat. The London International Dive Show (LIDS) is back at ExCeL but with a whole new look.
Now the event stretches over four days, from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14, and becomes a full part of the huge festival of outdoor activity to which visitors flock at ExCeL every year.
Your ticket provides admission not only to LIDS but to Europe’s biggest sport & leisure event – the Telegraph Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show (TOATS), the London Bike Show and the Triathlon Show.
The combined event with its multiple attractions for active people is expected to attract more than 60,000 visitors.
FACES OF LIDS
Guest presenters are lining up to appear on the DIVER Stage and Ocean Theatre over the four days of the Show. Some, like TV presenter Andy Torbet, cross over with other spheres of outdoor activity, so even if you miss them on the DIVER Stage you may be able to find them speaking elsewhere on the day of your visit.
Popular speakers Mark Powell (“Training Doesn’t Work“) and Louise Trewavas (“All-Time Top 10 Diving Mistakes“) will be back on stage, as will Alex Mustard, whose advice is regarded as gold-dust by underwater photographers.
Many other top photographers will be offering their own pointers based on extensive experience.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST DIVE GEAR
Masks, fins, wetsuits, drysuits, torches, BCs, regulators, cameras – and more!
The New Scuba Products Showcase is where visitors can check out the latest scuba-diving and snorkelling gear before visiting Dive Show exhibitors to find out more about items of interest and make their selected purchases at typically keen prices.
GET STARTED IN SCUBA TALKS
Visitors to the popular Try-Dive Pool at the 2016 London International Dive Show will be able to get under water with an aqualung under the guidance of expert scuba-diving instructors. Located at the entrance to The Dive Show, the pool will also boast an adjacent Theatre where newcomers to the sport can find out more about what scuba diving has to offer – including exciting training opportunities in the UK and overseas.
TOATS AMAZING
What of the other attractions around the hall? Here’s a taste of what to expect:
The Superbloc Climbing Wall, Discovery and Climb & Adventure Stage presentations with big-name speakers, Expeditions That Changed the World and Outdoor Photographer of the Year exhibitions, Wild Britain Bushcraft & Survival Zone, Outdoor Photography Photobox, Cycling Performance Theatre, Air to the Throne freestyle mountain-bike demos and competition, Surrey Human Performance Training Hub for one-to-one assessments, Bikes Etc 500m and Kids’ Test Tracks, Street Velodrome, Extreme Action Sports Tour, Triathlon Expert Theatre and Event Village, swim-coaching, wetsuit-testing and a range of themed bars and cafes.
To purchase tickets for LIDS, click here.
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 3
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 2
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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