News
Italy Dive Fest: a great success courtesy of organising partners DAN and PADI
320 scuba divers, 4000 dives in the Marine Protected Area, 84 medical visits performed, 36 official partners, 9 diving centres. And then professional workshops, conferences, evenings… Here are the impressive numbers of Italy Dive Fest, an event organized by DAN Europe and PADI EMEA in Ustica, the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean, from August 28th to September 3rd.
The island quay, a meeting point for all divers, hosted the Dive Village, where organisers and technical partners showed the 2017 news, interacting with the public and collaborating with diving centres. Those who dived had the chance to conduct physiological tests performed by DAN Research – 125 monitored dives, with 105 Doppler and 80 echocardiographs – actively contributing to important studies on decompression mechanisms. DAN doctors also conducted numerous free ENT visits, as part of an international campaign to prevent barotrauma.
After diving in the morning, divers could choose between a range of training and leisure activities. These included technical workshops conducted by Beuchat, Coltri, Scubapro, the PADI Business Academy, and even EFR first aid courses and DAN crossover instructor courses. The events were distributed in various locations, thus involving also the Island locals, while special conventions were signed with hotels and restaurants.
This year Italy Dive Fest matched the 58th International Diving Expo (whose logo was sponsored by PADI through a scholarship), with its historical charm, exhibitions, guided hikes and, above all, Golden Trident and the International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques Awards. The ceremony was hosted by the social event offered by PADI and DAN, in the striking coastline behind the lighthouse Punta Cavazzi. And here are the awards: Golden Tridentto Dr. Danilo Cialoni, recognition of the research carried out on the immune pathophysiology; Academy Awards 2017 to DAN, in its 5 world components (America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Japan and South Africa), for the tireless help provided to scuba divers since 1980; special Academy Award to PADI, for its effective action in promoting safety awareness in diving, diving sustainability and in particular for launching an international program (Scuola d’Amare, ndr) targeted to students of primary and secondary schools, to promote knowledge on the ocean and diving among young people.
However, the best show was enjoyed by the divers who dived in the breathtaking waters of the first Marine Protected Area in Italy: the sun, visibility up to 30 meters, barracudas, amberjacks, salemas, dentex, troopers and other marine creatures, in waters teeming with life.
Italy Dive Fest has been the climax of an underwater season full of events and initiatives, featuring the Ustica scene, with its history and tradition, and has reasserted the vitality of the Italian diving world.
“This was a unique event,” commented Massimo Casabianca (DAN Training Manager and PADI Instructor Trainer), “a full and articulated one, where a training agency and an organization devoted to diving safety have involved key players of the diving industry. In so many years of experience, I had never seen anything like it.”
Thanks to those who wanted and organized the event (PADI team, DAN team), to the numerous technical partners, the flagship of the diving industry (Aqualung, Beuchat, Coltri, FInclip, Mares, Nauticam, Scubapro, Suex, Suunto, Y-40 the Deep Joy), to the institutional partners (Soprintendenza del Mare-Regione Sicilia, Comune di Ustica, AMP Isola di Ustica, WWF, Università di Bologna/Sea Sentinel, Reef Check, Clean Sea, Green Bubbles), to the logistics partners (Gesap/Aeroporto di Palermo, Liberty Lines, PMO Travel), to the diving centers (Altamarea, Blue Diving, La Perla Nera, Lustrica, Mare Nostrum, Mister Jump, Orca, Profondo Blu, Ustica Diving) and to Claudio di Manao, who presented his book “Io sono il Mare”, animating an interesting round table on the protection of the marine environment and its future prospects.
Find out more at www.daneurope.org.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
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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