News
Caribbean Dive Operators collaborate to Launch Saba’s First Trimix Course
Located in the Northeast Caribbean, just 28 miles southwest of St. Martin, the small island of Saba is just the tip of an undersea volcano. With a land mass of only 5 square miles, you might think that not much happens there, but in actual fact, there’s lots happening in Saba – most of it underwater.
Beneath the surface, Saba is a labyrinth of lava flows, caverns, deep sea pinnacles, sea mounts and mind blowing wall dives. If you like big marine life, Saba has it. Hammerheads, whale sharks, mantas, eagle rays, turtles, eels, huge schools of fish, and much more. With so much great deep diving available, two local dive operators Octopus Diving and Saba Deep have decided to get together to run Saba’s first Trimix course.
Tony Waterfield of Saba Deep and Chris Davies of Octopus Diving and Caribbean Technical Diving first met when Tony hired Chris to service his scuba compressor. Tony was delighted to find out that not only was Chris a great compressor mechanic, he was also a certified IANTD Technical Diving Instructor. What cemented the partnership was that Chris is located on the nearby island of St. Martin, just a short 1 hour ferry ride away. As luck would have it, Tony was looking to do a Trimix course and Chris wanted to do a Trimix Instructor course.
To teach the course, Chris brought in his diving mentor Rich Stevenson of Diving Marine Solutions in the UK. Rich, a certified Trimix Instructor Trainer, also an accomplished underwater cameraman, has been quoted by CBS news program “60 Minutes” as being the “world’s most accomplished underwater cameraman”. Together they conducted Saba’s first Nomoxic Trimix Course. With private villa accommodations in the “Haiku House” provided by the Queen’s Garden Resort, not only was the course a great learning experience, it was great to experience some of the best accommodations and the finest cuisine that Saba has to offer. During the course both Chris and Tony soon discovered that Nomoxic Trimix is the idea gas for diving Saba’s plunging walls and deep coral pinnacles.
“The beauty of Nomoxic is that with 20% oxygen in the mix, there is enough oxygen to sustain divers on surface and due to its helium content, at 60 meters, Nomoxic has an END (equivalent narcosis depth) of only 36 meters where nitrogen narcosis isn’t a problem. Diving this gas will allow our customers to comfortably experience the deep walls and pinnacles of Saba and the deeper wrecks of Saint Martin,” says Chris Davies.
For further information on diving in Saba or St. Martin contact Octopus Diving at:
info@octopusdiving.com www.octopusdiving.com or phone +1-914-487-1315.
Dive Worldwide has recently introduced Kenya to its portfolio of dive destinations, making it a new must-visit for divers. The company has chosen Temple Point Resort, located in Watamu, a small town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean Coast. The resort embodies the spirit of Kenya, with thatched roof buildings and bright white interiors, complemented with local art. The Creek Deluxe rooms enjoy a creek view and sunset vistas, whilst Boutique Garden rooms offer peace nestled in lush greenery.
An abundance of activities such as golf, stand up paddleboarding and kite surfing await those looking for action; while those in search of rejuvenation may partake in a range of yoga classes, or indulge in the spa. Spend evenings dining poolside dining or lazing in hammocks suspended over the creek; there is no detail missed at Temple Point.
The waters surrounding Temple Point Resort are bustling with life, however, there is also an opportunity to explore on dry land. Tsavo National Park is close enough for a day safari, allowing guests to double up on the wildlife experiences Kenya has to offer, from elephants to whale sharks.
Suggested Dive Itinerary: Dive and Discover Kenya
Embark on an adventure to one of Africa’s finest marine parks, Watamu, the first of its kind in the continent. Created in 1968, Watamu offers excellent diving and snorkelling for those of all experience levels. Lively coral reefs and the surrounding waters are home to over 1,000 species of fish, devil rays, mantas, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles.
DEAL: Stay 12 nights for the price of 10 at Temple Point Resort
Price: Dive and Discover Kenya now costs £2295pp, saving £150 per person. Including international flights from the UK, 12 nights’ B&B (for the price of 10), transfers, 5 days, 10 dive pack, tanks and weights. Based on travel in September ONLY. https://www.diveworldwide.com/trip-ideas/dive-discover-kenya#details
For more information visit: diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302 087
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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