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Beautiful Egypt
Egypt was the first place I ever went abroad, on a Scuba trip in I think around ‘94. I fell in love with the relaxed atmosphere, the warm sun, the distinct colours of the mountainous background, the food, the people, the bustling stalls all selling the same items, the sunsets and most of all, the clear water teeming with life. It has meant I have gone back 8 or 9 times since; I have lost count. It is widely recognised in Europe as the closest destination to travel to for truly beautiful exceptional reefs.
Many amazing memories have been created for me in this place over the years. Listing them doesn’t fully do them justice, but I’d like to share. I’ve stood and looked up in true awe, and entered the great pyramids and wondered how they were ever created all that time ago; I have been humbled by the size and stature of the sphinx at Giza…
I have been mesmerised by the treasures and artefacts within the halls of the museum in Cairo; placed my hand on a sarcophagus in complete darkness alone and listened to absolute silence in a tomb within the Valley of the kings; stood aback at the greatness of the Queen Hatshepsut’s temple in the midday sun and climbed the steps to turn and see the vista of the Nile delta; I’ve watched the bright orange glow of the setting sun, amongst the hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple; I’ve attended two World Freediving Championships; I’ve laid back on a moonless night and stared at the milky way and glimpsed shooting stars for hours; I’ve been relaxed enough to dive my deepest Freedives in Sharm el Sheik in a cool evening breeze; put fallen plates back on the table inside the Thistlegorm; I’ve swam with dolphins; sailed between the land of the living and dead across the Nile; and I’ve driven through the towns watching everyday people go about their lives. There is so much more I can’t begin to explain. I still see social media posts from my friends living and travelling there with a true fondness of the place.
My most recent trip was in November 2015, my wanderlust getting the better of me again, and despite recent tragedies in the area I’m a firm believer in travelling your path no matter what is put in front of you. It isn’t possible to plan to avoid all of the tragedies in the world; in fact another tragedy unfolded in Europe whilst we were abroad. At home I returned to some madness in the news about an incident on the tube in my own capitol city that earned its own hashtag. For anyone reading, do you know what? Whatever will be, will be.
This latest trip saw our small group fly into Hurghada and stay at Makadi Bay which is a very sheltered area from the rest of the hustle and bustle of Egyptian towns and cities. It’s a horse shoe shaped bay with shallow reefs, with access to deep water after only a short swim out, so we used buoys to dive from the shore to Freedive. Makadi Bay hosted the AIDA World Championships in 2006, a competition of which I was proud to be a part of. We stayed at the Hotel Fort Arabesque which is a fantastic hotel with attentive staff and good food.
Some of the fondest memories from the trip were visiting the El Fanous reef by boat over slightly choppy seas, and having a wild Dolphin encounter, a very wonderful and emotional experience. I’ve swam in the vicinity of dolphins a few times, but these ones really interacted and stayed with us for quite a period in time.
Makadi Bay has a fabulous house reef which we dived every day (apart from the one day we visited Luxor). The reef is home to all sorts or wonderful underwater life – the colour change Octopus, squid, moray, lion fish and all of the usual suspects. We also took our own underwater life too, some mermaids to swim the reefs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t8KnZv2AaA
Having returned home and showed this video of Octopus swimming and changing colours, one of my spearfisherman friends vowed never to eat one again!
All is well in Egypt, although a little quiet. The people of Egypt just want to go about their business. I dedicate this article to my friends who still reside and work in Egypt trying to earn an honest living. Insha’Allah – I will be back in due course with more friends. Until then, raise a glass of cold beer to the next sunset for me.
http://www.freediveegypt.com/ Suzanne Pugh
http://www.immersion.nu/ Pim Vermeulen
http://www.discoveryourdepths.com/ Sara Campbell
http://freedivingworld.it/en/ Andrea Zuccari
http://www.idivedivingcenter.com/welcome.htm IDive diving centre
Blogs
EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
News
Charting New Waters; NovoScuba Goes Global with the Launch of their Revolutionary Dive Training Agency!
Discover a New Era of Dive Education: NovoScuba Brings Innovation to the Surface! Fully ISO Certified and Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology.
With a combined experience spanning over a century in the diving industry, a team of accomplished dive store owners, managers, and professionals unveils NovoScuba, a ground-breaking dive training agency poised to redefine the benchmarks of underwater education. Launching in May 2024, NovoScuba promises a revolutionary approach to dive training. Their vision is to make diving accessible to everyone, share success within the dive community and emphasise positive interactions with the planet.
NovoScuba’s global debut marks a significant milestone in the dive industry. Driven by a vision to challenge convention and harness the power of technology, NovoScuba aims to revolutionise the dive training landscape through its innovative business model, which is digitally native, making it the most technologically advanced dive training agency to date.
“We recognised the need for change in the dive training industry and saw an opportunity to leverage technology, and redefine existing business models to create something truly innovative,” said Mark Spiers, CEO of NovoScuba.
NovoScuba’s platform offers state of the art training programmes ranging from introductory up to professional diving, including various specialties. All programmes meet international standards and ISO certifications are in place. This commitment to shared success, accessibility and positive results for the planet, all at a cost effective and affordable level, is what will make NovoScuba stand out.
“Our deep understanding of traditional pain points for the industry, combined with our digitally native approach positions NovoScuba as a game-changer in dive education. Offering unparalleled initiatives such as student subscription, open access to all course materials, pay as you certify, no stock required, monthly membership payments, payment in local currencies, one-click certifications, and membership freezing, NovoScuba is set to redefine the industry. Available in 13 languages, at launch, the NovoScuba courses are written for the modern divers, with a focus on up-to-date content, interactive learning, and an engaging platform,” Mark Spiers concluded.
NovoScuba is challenging a change in the industry, redefining established traditional systems, and ushering in a new standard of excellence, support, and partnership. Their collaborations with dive stores, pros and underwater enthusiasts won’t demand exclusivity, prioritising earned loyalty, and an understanding that their Member’s success is key to their own.
NovoScuba
Diving Redefined.
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