News
PADI Launch PADI Adventures App with the Ultimate Dive Vacation Sweepstakes
New app enables divers to book scuba diving holidays anywhere in world; will award dream getaways in 2021 to lucky users.
To celebrate the launch of the PADI Adventures app, PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is giving away incredible prizes in a series of weekly individual sweepstakes, now until 29th December 2020.
Available through the new PADI Adventures app, the Ultimate Dive Vacation Sweepstakes offers divers of any skill level a chance to win amazing dream dive holidays in 2021 at PADI Dive Centres and Resorts around the world. Divers from eligible countries can enter by registering for the free app, or booking a dive, snorkel excursion or scuba course through the app.
From Baja Mexico to Bali, Fiji to the Philippines, Malta to the Maldives, lucky divers of all experience levels and interests may indulge in one of numerous prizes, including a seven-night stay at Barefoot Cay Resort in Honduras, a boutique resort overlooking the Caribbean Sea; seven nights at Papua Paradise Eco Resort in Indonesia, a dream escape for dive enthusiasts and those looking for natural adventures; a two-night stay at W Maldives, a luxury private island stay in a wonderland of white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and breathtaking reefs; and seven nights at Paradise Taveuni Resort in Fiji where a unique deep water shoreline allows guests to dive, snorkel and swim from the lava flow edge into pristine warm tropical waters.
How to Enter:
- Create a free account on the PADI Adventures App for iOS or Android, and opt-into the sweepstakes. You will be entered in the sweepstakes that accepts entries on the date you created the account.
- After the creation of the account, each booking made for an activity taking place in 2020 and with a value greater than zero (“a Qualifying Booking”) gives additional entries in the sweepstakes that accepts entries on the date you made the booking.
- You can also get additional free entries by entering the sweepstakes.
The new PADI Adventures app enables divers and non-divers alike to conveniently find and book diving or snorkelling activities online with PADI Dive Centres and Resorts near home and around the world. Users can enable notifications to receive information and recommendations about upcoming activities, trips or events with their favourite dive shop. Users can book their experience with PADI Dive Centres and Resorts 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the app.
For additional information and Ultimate Dive Vacation Sweepstakes rules, visit https://travel.padi.com/the-ultimate-diving-vacation-sweepstakes/.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the world’s largest diver organisation with a global network of more than 6,750 dive centers and resorts and 137,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 1 million certifications each year, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, maintaining its high standards for dive training, safety and customer service, monitored for worldwide consistency and quality. With a longstanding commitment to environmental conservation, PADI is leading the way for millions of people to actively explore, steward and protect the ocean through its course offerings and partnerships with like-minded, mission-driven organizations. PADI embodies a global commitment to ocean health with its mission to create a billion torchbearers to explore and protect the ocean. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM
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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