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Oyster Diving’s PADI Specialty Of The Month: Boat Diver
I have many fond memories about the goings on the dive boats I’ve used in the last 15 years, and the people I’ve met on them; it’s not all about what’s underwater, it’s the banter and lifestyle that goes on before and after the dive too. I’ve met Caribbean Skippers who are so laid back that they are barely breathing (I’m not sure if there wasn’t some herbal substance involved), dive guides who are reminiscent of a famous Fascist leader and divers from all walks of life who are interesting, fun and witty. Without dive boats I’d have missed out on many of these colourful characters, including ‘Dry Suit Ken’.
I’d say that 90% of all the fun dives I’ve done have been from a boat. To me you can’t beat a Liveaboard where you wake up in the morning and you’re already at the dive site with the added benefit that the ‘day boats’ haven’t even left port yet. Through blurred eyes you don your kit and plunge in to the cool refreshing water – is there any better way to wake yourself up?
Boat diving tends to be much simpler than diving from the shore as you don’t generally have to haul your kit long distances, worry about surge and the boat can drop you off right on top of the dive site. If you’ve ever had to carry a steel tank as well as your dive kit in the midday sun to the Blue Hole in Gozo, then you’ll know what I’m talking about!
There are lots of different types of dive boats too. These go from small inflatables (RIBs), speedboats, and converted trawlers to large luxury Liveaboard boats mentioned above. Each of them has different considerations and dive procedures that can even change from area to area.
The PADI Boat Diver Specialty is ideal for novice divers or those with little or no boat diving experience. The course will increase your knowledge from diving safely from boats and includes boat terminology, procedures for entering and exiting the water, how and where to stow your gear and where the safety equipment is located.
To complete the course there is some basic theory and 2 open water boat dives which can all be completed in as little as a day.
Oyster Diving are running a boat diving day in Shoreham-by-Sea on the 29th August where the course can be completed. Shoreham is located close to Brighton in the UK so is easy to reach from London and other areas in the South East. Their boat for the day, Buccaneer, is a hard bottom boat that can comfortably accommodate 10 divers and their kit. There are many local dive sites close to Brighton which include many wrecks and reefs. The last trip in July had decent 7-10m viz which surprised many of the warm water divers who decided to join the boat for the day. They were also pleasantly surprised by the variety and abundance of marine life.
Oyster Diving are offering £20 off their next PADI Boat Diving specialty course on 29th August. You can find more details on the trip here. To sign up to the course you can BOOK NOW using the code ‘20offboatdiver’.
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.
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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