News
Dive Systems Malta celebrates 40 years of diving excellence
One of Malta’s largest and best known dive centres, Dive Systems, located on the water’s edge at Exiles in Sliema, has recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
During the event to mark the anniversary, Mr Paul Sciberras, founder and president of the company, spoke about its origins and how it had evolved over the years. Mr Sciberras spoke about the major milestones in the company’s history and also the evolution of the diving industry:
“I still recall the first time I tried to apply for a Police Licence to operate as a Dive School. After a one-and-a-half-year wait, I was presented with a licence which required us to report each day how many divers we took diving and how many returned, that each diver had to be tied up with a 1 inch manilla rope, and we had to have a boat in attendance on each and every dive. Obviously, we refused to work with these conditions.”
Mr Sciberras said that from then they had started working with the Health department to draft proper regulation for the Diving Industry.
“Today Malta has a very robust regulatory framework for the Diving Industry and the Professional Diving Schools Association – PDSA works very well with the authorities and the diving industry continuously to move forward,” he continued.
Also addressing the audience, which was made up of clients, collaborators, staff members and suppliers, was Simon Sciberras, the current Managing Director of the Company. Mr Sciberras spoke about the quality leap that the company had embarked upon in the last 10 years, as well as explaining that the company was now focusing its energy on making Dive Systems a greener company.
“We are the only dive centre on the island who completely separates its compressor oil waste at source. This year we have completely eliminated plastic bottles from our centre and we are supplying our clients with re-usable aluminum bottles and free water. We have also dedicated recycling stations at the centre. Whilst we always were involved in underwater cleanups this year we are also the main sponsor of Malta’s largest NGO against waste Zibel and we are making it a point to collect debris whenever we go diving and teaching our clients. We believe that even in this sector we can lead by example in the hope that others in our sector, and in similar sectors, will join us in making Malta and especially our waters better than they already are. Through the PDSA we are working with the Ministry for the Environment and the MTA to designate areas as Marine Reserves. We believe that this is the only sustainable way forward for our industry. We note with satisfaction various initiatives being taken in this regard, however we must point out that the weak link remains enforcement, or the lack of it.”
In his concluding remarks Simon Sciberras said that he hoped that the company would continue to grow and evolve and thanked all those involved in making Dive Systems what is is today.
“To another 40 years of Diving Excellence…” concluded Mr Sciberras.
Find out more at www.divesystemsmalta.com.
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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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