News
Pro Dive Mexico designs PADI Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen Distinctive Specialty
Pro Dive International, one of the Caribbean’s most established PADI 5 Star Dive Resorts and recognized Career Development Centers recently announced the introduction of their newly designed PADI Bull Shark Diving in Playa del Carmen Distinctive Specialty Course, right on time for this bull shark season (December – March).
Jo Armitage, Pro Dive International – Mexico’s Platinum Course Director says, “Playa del Carmen is famous for its annual visitors the bull sharks, and for many years people have come to dive with the sharks. This course has been created especially for diving with these majestic creatures in and around Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Its aim is to provide you with information about the Bull Shark, as well as dispel many myths associated with these animals and sharks in general. We also hope to raise awareness of the threats posed to sharks and what you can do to help. With the open water dives we hope that you will get the opportunity to see these animals first hand and that this Specialty course will enrich and improve the experience.”
The course consists of a classroom session and two open water dives, and successful students will receive their certification card from PADI.
Jo adds: “There will also be the option to further enrich the experience by being able to listen to the instructor underwater, using OceanReef Full Face Mask and Underwater Communication units. The instructor will wear a full face mask and the students use a receiver on their normal mask so they can listen to what he/she says, to point out identifying features of the sharks for example, and other interesting facts.”
Renowned for excellent quality in providing first class adventures including diving in the CENOTES, with BULL SHARKS, at WRECKS & FAMOUS WALLS at COZUMEL, SAONA & CATALINA islands, as well as Safaris with WHALE SHARKS, SAILFISH & HUMPBACK WHALES, Pro Dive International, founded in 2003, is the official onsite water sports service provider for several 4-5* RESORTS along the RIVIERA MAYA & COZUMEL/ MEXICO, and in the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
Everything under one roof, Pro Dive International´s head office in Playa del Carmen/ Mexico features a multilingual reservations team taking direct bookings for diving, hotel accommodation, the VIP stay & dive concept ULTIMATE DIVE EXPERIENCE at Allegro Cozumel – unique in the Caribbean!, transfers and cultural tours, but also providing services to international travel agencies, an equipment maintenance department, excursions team and own competitive transportation system available to provide airport and hotel shuttles.
For more information, please visit Pro Dive International’s website www.prodiveinternational.com, or inquire by email at info@prodiveinternational.com.
To enquire about their GoPro programs contact info@idcmexico.com or visit www.idcmexico.com.
Pro Dive’s Facebook Pages with lots of pictures and info is located at:
www.facebook.com/ProDiveMexicoOfficialFanPage
https://www.facebook.com/prodivedominicanrepublic
https://www.facebook.com/Pro-Dive-International
Pro Dive’s Twitter Account is https://twitter.com/Prodivemexico.
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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