Archive for the ‘Scuba Diving’ Category

Diving in the Bahamas is a must for anyone serious about scuba diving and an incredible treat for any new comers. With more then 700 islands making up the Bahamas and only about 30 being inhabited, there are literally acres of undersea life to explore and you will almost never encounter a crowd. There are a number of tours available for anyone hoping to learn diving in the Bahamas, as well as chartered boats and yachts available for travelers who want to plan their own Bahamas scuba diving trip.

One of the most popular spots for diving in the Bahamas is the water off the coast of Andros Island which boasts the third largest barrier reef in the world. The area is full of tropical fish and other fascinating aquatic life. Freeport, Abacos, the Berry Islands, and San Salvador are also excellent places for scuba diving in the Bahamas and frequently visited diving spots.

In addition to plenty of great locations, there are also a number of different types of Bahamas scuba diving options. One of the most exciting Bahamas scuba diving trips is the shark adventure. Tourists will have a chance to free swim with groups of sharks, monitored by the Bahamas diving company. Participants will also have the chance to help feed the sharks as well as take pictures with underwater cameras.

Classes for scuba diving in the Bahamas are available through any company specializing in scuba diving. In order to become certified to scuba dive on your own, you will need to complete a series of dive classes that will last about five days. Classes for such certification are available through the Bahamas. For anyone who simply wants to dive for the day or afternoon, however, a simple class with instruction on the day of the dive will suffice. You will of course be accompanied by certified dive instructors.

The video below from StefanAveyUK shows Caribbean reef sharks which do not attack unless provoked or they mistake your hand for a fish. Depth was  15ft to 20ft and shark size up to 6ft. This video was  filmed with a Canon s80 and no extra lighting. It certainly gives a crowd a new meaning – enjoy!

We have done several articles on scuba diving around Europe recently, so I thought I’d go off at a tangent today and take you somewhere a lot further away, but somewhere absolutely glorious and completely unspoiled. It also has seriously fantastic diving…

… Mozambique, Mocambique or, simply, Moz.

Most dives in Mozambique are run to South African standards which means, generally, PADI dive centres catering for all levels of experience including the beginner. If you are a true lover of this extreme sport you will be glad to know that Mozambique is an ideal location for obtaining your open water or advanced  diving qualification license.

“I learned to dive here and many of the people I dived with were very experienced and they all agreed that it was the best diving they had ever seen. Better than the Red Sea, better than Australia… the best”, says one contented visitor, and thanks to 2flyndive for this vid. of diving in the Inhambane/Tofu area, surprisingly not as clear as the sea can be but still abounding with marine life.

“Tons of tropical fish, honeycomb eels, parrot fish, turtles, and beautiful coral. I also saw two Humpback Whales up close at this site. There is a great swim through here too.” says Tiffany from the USA, about Paradise Island or Santa Carolina as it is also known – a particular favourite of ours. It is part of the Bazaruto Archipelago, a proclaimed marine national park.

There are numerous sites for diving in Moz. and most of them can guarantee crystal clear and uncrowded waters. It is a very special place. Prices on the whole are great – small change compared to the rest of the world. Friendly people, seriously addictive way of life!

The Bazaruto Archipelago is one area we know well and there are dive sites everywhere – in fact the marine life is so prolific that you can just walk into the sea off the beach and spend many contented hours snorkeling or scuba diving. But 2 Mile Reef is a favourite spot for scuba diving. It is neither 2 miles long nor 2 miles away from Vilanculos on the mainland, but it is the name that has been given to the reef lying outside Benguerra Island and Bazaruto.

The site is actually a long barrier reef that breaks the water at low tide and can be dived at various depths down to around 20 meters. Due to its length there are numerous dive locations offering a variety of different environments, including swim through walls and coral outcrops. There is a great chance of seeing one of the 5 species of turtle that live in the area along with a friendly reef shark, an inquisitive dolphin or a skulking nurse shark. There is a wide abundance of reef fish and big Game fish and Devil Rays regularly swim in from the deep. If you’re very lucky you might even see an elusive Dugong.

The lure of Mozambique are the unspoilt crisp squeaky-white beaches, the warm azure sea, and the vast proliferation of marine life from Nemo to manta rays, from seahorses to whale sharks and dugongs. There is an immense variety of hard and soft corals which provide a diverse and productive ecosystem. Marine life includes many brightly coloured tropical fish, sea anenomes, starfish, crustacians, triggerfish, wrass, Moorish Idols, Parrot, Angel and Butterfly fish and many species of gamefish, sharks and rays – and that’s only a few of the hundreds you will see.

Five of the world’s eight turtle species are found along the Inhambane coast and around the Bazaruto Archipelago. Green turtles are the most common here with leatherbacks and hawksbill being spotted occasionally. They are still relatively common here although their numbers are threatened worldwide.

“Lots of small stuff and big stuff. Nudis, so many, leaffish, Potato grouper, turtles, jacks, shrimps. Everything but sharks……..for them do Pinnacles, but no guarantees,” says Edwin from the Netherlands in 2008.

And he is right. Diving at Pinnacles in 2008, Melinda had this to add: “Pinnacle at 35 m with Shark on every dive; Bull, Tiger, silver tip, Hammerheads, Manta, devil rays.” as did Richard in 2009 “Hammerheads and tons of mantas. 40 m viz and 28 deg C water temperature.”

If this is the sort of excitement you seek, then you can find Pinnacle at Ponta do Ouro in southern Mozambique just 10 kms from the South African border. It is a brilliant deep reef dive at 28 – 40 metres and is renowned for its sharks, and “Bass City”. where “Bert”, a huge Potato Bass, has made his home. It’s about 20 – 30 minutes out from Ponta do Ouro and is a difficult dive to find, so don’t waste time trying to find it on your own. The beauty of this dive, apart from the adrenaline kick of swimming with sharks, is that it is very very uncrowded.

And if you’re wondering what else you can do in Mozambique, get an eyeful of this video from pipasforjaz.

If you’ve got some time on your hands you could do both a dive and a safari tour of Mozambique… now THAT’S something to think about isn’t it! And quite apart from that, check out the wind in the first video – at Tofu… great kite surfing area too.

p.s: I’ve only mentioned a handful of places to scuba dive – the whole coast is a gem… and it’s a very long coast.

And another postscript… most of these beautiful photos come from Odyssea Dive in Mozambique. If you’re looking for someone to organise the perfect diving holiday for you, please contact them directly at: www.odysseadive.com

For viz this has to be the place – Norway – just don’t expect the adoring fan club welcoming you out of the water to be wearing their itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow poker dot bikinis for the best time to dive in Norway is in the winter months and with part of the country extending north of the Arctic Circle it’s more than a wee bitty cold.

Dry suits are highly recommended although a semi-dry suit may suffice in summer – but lets face it who wants to be uncomfortable when doing something they are hoping to enjoy, and if you are cold you ain’t going to enjoy it.

Coastal currents run continually around the islands and fjords of Norway, pumping the nutrient-rich, deep Atlantic Ocean waters in among the maze of islands, creating the foundation for an intriguing marine world where rich forests of kelp give way to reefs covered in bright orange corals.There is every kind of dive to be found in Norway but due to the temperatures and depths some experience is required. Check with your dive operators to make sure your are appropriately qualified.

There is some fantastic wall diving, wreck diving in abundance, night diving, drifting/current diving and kelp forest diving. And if you go up to the Lofoten Isles in the winter there is a chance of diving with killer whales – seriously hard core!

We visited visitnorway.com who gave this useful list of where to go if you are planning a trip to Norway. But first here is a map to give you tour bearings.

Norways main diving areas

Saltstraumen – the world’s strongest maelstrom and an abundance of marine life – experience essential – in the National Geographic’s top ten

Gulen – great wreck diving with the most famous being the Frankenwald

Southern Norway – Sorlandet – MV Seattle lies just off Kristiansand and is one of the best wreck dives in this area. It has many World War II wrecks to dive

Naeroy – walls and kelp forests to amaze you

Lofoten – north of the Arctic Circle, incredible viz, amazing marine life, kelp forests – one for the memory banks

Lake Lygnstoylsvatnet – mmmm, difficult to pronounce, difficult to spell – inland dive in a flooded valley where lies a village submerged in 1908 after a landslide

Trondheimfjord – WWII wrecks and a very rich marine life

Narvik – Norway’s wreck diving capital with many wrecks from World War II

Finnmark – great place to catch a king crab for your supper

More – canyon dives, wreck dives and an abundance of fish, great drift dive.

The great visibility can be seen in the videos – the first at Hitra from wwwturutno

and the second is of Narvik from helitroxdiver3

The Emerald Isle has over 5,600 kilometres of coastline which not surprisingly offers the diver, from the most experienced to the beginner, the opportunity of some fabulous memories. The Atlantic coasts of Ireland are washed by deep, clear oceanic waters, warmed and fed by the Gulf Stream. Unpolluted and full of marine life, this is temperate water diving at its best.

There are more than 70 scuba diving clubs and 30 dive centres spread about the country with many operators offering a complete package including flights, transport, accommodation and a fully serviced dive operation.

The predominant features of Irish diving are dramatic underwater scenery with a myriad of colours that blanket the rock faces, along with many species of fish, shellfish and invertebrates. The marine life is hugely varied, from macro masterpieces such as jewel anemones, to seals, dolphins and basking sharks, in summer.

On the Atlantic coasts, visibility will generally be in the 15 to 30m range, though in good conditions it can reach a staggering 40m. Clean waters mean a healthy environment and indicators such as plentiful sea urchins, crustaceans and fish life are a reassuring sign. It has been illegal for scuba divers to take shellfish since the 1960s, which is probably why a good population of lobster and crayfish still exists.

The kelp forests and richly populated waters make it a great location for photographers. Tides and currents mean local knowledge is often essential, so ask skippers or dive centres before you get in the water. There is an abundance of wreck diving and in the Cork area alone there are believed to some 20,000 wrecks. Due to the winter storms breaking up the shallower wrecks you have to dive a little deeper in order to find a more intact wreck. Wrecks of more than 100 years of age are protected by law and permits may be required to dive theses wrecks.

The most infamous of these is the Lusitania. A victim of a German U boat RMS Lusitania was a trans Atlantic passenger liner – more than 1900 people were killed. She was sunk in 1915 some 10 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, Cork. However as she lies in 100m of water it is a specialist dive. There is speculation that she was carrying several priceless paintings when she was sunk.

Temperatures will range from 7°C (45°F) in winter warming up in early spring to a maximum of about 15°C (59°F) in August and September. A drysuit is recommended, although a 7mm semi dry can also be worn.

Below is a video from watchxinxyou of a wreck dive in Loch Garry, Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland.

Some other places to mention follow below but we urge you to do your research to find what best suits your demands.

Tory Island – located 14kms off the north coast of Co.Donegal. There are many dive sites around the island which you reach by ferry. Fabulous marine life including a chance of seeing whales, dolphins and basking sharks. Book well in advance as there is great demand.

Diamond Rocks, Kilkee – superb dive off Ireland’s west coast in a bay sheltered from the prevailing winds – masses of marine life, rocks and gullies

Carraroe and Fanore - fantastic clear water and abundant fish life and reefs

Rutland Sound, Burtonport, Co. Donegal – a drift dive to a maximum depth of 23m which depending on the tide can move you 1 km in about 20 minutes so a good boat man is essential. Be aware that the Aranmore Ferry runs up and down this channel.

This last video from ddniUK shows a dive on the north west cliffs of Rathlin Island.

The British coastline has thousands of historical shipwrecks to discover, you may encounter playful seals or experience beautiful drifts through glorious underwater scenery full of soft corals and plentiful marine life. Always go well prepared and do the research required. One of the biggest factors to take into consideration are the huge tidal variations. Visibility can be very good but it can also be fairly diabolical – like the weather we cannot control that element.

With so many sites to dive all around the country we have chosen some examples of what you might experience.

Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, Scotland

35m- 50m

Scapa Flow is a natural harbour providing shelter to the worse of the weather and one of the hotspots for UK diving. It is visited by divers from all over the world who want to explore the sunken World War 1 battleships of the German fleet – puposefully scuttled under command of the German admiralty in 1919 to avoid surrendering the ships to the British.

It was not only the German fleet that lost ships in Scapa Flow – there were successful German U Boat raids in World War II with the loss of many British lives and as a result the British also scuttled vessels to prevent further submarine attack. One example is the blockship Tabarka, a 2000t steamer built 1909 with boilers and reciprocating gear intact. It is covered inside with marine life, anemones, lobsters, starfish, urchins and wrasse. This is an easy penetration dive with the hull very open and many access points, light streams in and is a wonderful dive

The video below from Diverstime shows what wreck diving at Scapa Flow is like.

The Hispania, Sound of Mull, Scotland

15m-32m

There are many wrecks off Mull but it is perhaps the Hispania which is the most famous.

The Hispania was built in 1912 in Belgium and traded for 32 years until 1954.  Whilst passing up the west coast of Scotland on a voyage from Liverpool to Gothenburg she attempted to navigate through the narrow stretch of treacherous water that separates the island of Mull from the mainland, the Sound of Mull.  A fierce winter storm of driving wind, rain and sleet had reduced visibility practically to nil and in these atrocious conditions she ran onto a notorious reef, the Sgeir More or Big Rock where she stuck fast.

Strong currents provide excellent visibility and there is loads of life on every inch of the wreck. This is still a very intact wreck and the superstructure can be explored as though you’re walking down the corridors (assuming you and your rig are small enough). The Hispania had a weather deck so there are interesting overhangs in the holds and some swim throughs for the more confident diver.

Here is a quote from a divers recent experiences of the Hispania:

‘I’ve been diving for a few years in various parts of the world and if you don’t mind the cold then you could do much worse than dive the wrecks of the Sound of Mull on the west coast of Scotland. There are lots of dive operators and lots of dives for people of various experience. Lots of wrecks: The Hispania, Thesis, Shuna and Rondo just to name a few. The best part is even if you’re not into wreck penetration the life on the wrecks is just as worthwhile.’

The video from scubadooby shows the action from the Hispania

The Persier, Eddystone Reef, Plymouth, England

8m – 50m

Eddystone Reef lies several miles offshore from Plymouth and is a series of pinnacles, ledges and gullies. The viz here is usually over 15m and can be 25m. This area is covered in life with sea fans, jewel anemones, dead men’s fingers and plumose anemones and it was here that the Persier ran into some unwanted attention.

The Persier was a 5000 ton British merchantman, built in Newcastle in 1919 and then sold to Belgium shortly after. She traded all over the world, and even took part at Dunkirk in 1940. She nearly sank while on convoy duty from America to Britain in 1941. She remainded stranded off Iceland for over a year until she was towed back to Britain to be repaired. In 1945 she set off from Cardiff on convoy duty. Off Eddystone she met her nemesis from a couple of torpedoes from UB-1017.

From Plymouth you can also dive at Scylla and Hands Deeps Reef. The video from inspodiver shows a dive on the Persier.

The Farne Islands, Northumberland, England

5m- 25m

Moving on to the north east coast of England you can find one of the best places to dive with friendly seals. The Farne Islands residents may not be quite the same as dolphins and the water may not be quite as blue or warm but it is an unforgettable experience as this lucky person recounted from a recent visit to Knivestone – the furthest of the Farne Island pinnacles

‘At the end of my right leg there was a plump young seal chewing thoughtfully on my lime green Mares Planar’.

The video from carlrachelboslem shows the action.

Amazing and exhilarating no doubt – we shall continue with this theme of where to go diving – perhaps its time for some warmer waters!

Greece is in the news at the moment due to financial problems with their monetary system in collapse but we are pleased to try to present this beautiful and ancient country in a rather different light. There are of course many places to dive but the one that is often quoted on the various dive sites is Chios Island. You can see it below on the map – on the eastern side of the Aegean Sea right up against Turkey. The Aegean is of course a smaller sea within the Mediterranean Sea.

We will continue with this series on dive sites around Europe looking at where to go around the British Isles as our friends from Switzerland were so enthusiastic about the cold and clear British waters.