Sunday Catch Up

Having just got back from the Red Sea this morning, we will have reports on the trip next week! Suffice to say, everyone had a great time! Lots of divers came out for the first time, feeling anxious and nervous but came away confident, looking forward to their next trip. Young and old alike enjoyed the atmosphere on board The Sea Wolf Soul. Excellent food, fantastic staff and amazing dive sites all added up to a great trip for all!

Note from Gary:

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There’s an old saying, all the gear, no idea – unfortunately I saw evidence of this on the wreck of the barge on a night dive. There were two divers on rebreathers with side slung bailout cylinders on a 14-metre night dive. As well as this, both divers had comprehensive camera units including long-arm strobes. Some would say that rebreather and side slung was an over-kill on a 14-metre night dive, but I understand logging up hours on a new unit is an essential part of training as well as logging hours with a camera unit is essential to know how the camera works properly in different situations. BUT!! Having all the gear and not being able to dive in a safe manner and being aware of the environment in which you are in, is a fundamental skill divers must earn. One diver used a steel rod and inserted it into the middle of coral head to steady himself while he proceeded to lay on top of other coral and used the side slung tank as a battering ram to smash the coral, which was to aid his new camera equipment to achieve the photo he desired. Having then asked the diver to ascend slightly so he was not in contact with the coral itself, destroying the environment we came to see, I received a blank look and the signal used above and below water to tell me to mind his own business! Unfortunately this happens all to often. I admit that I am not a perfect diver, and have accidentally made contact with coral in the past but reality says I will do it again in the future. However I always try to minimise the effect I have on the environment around me, and also teach this to my students at Orca.

At times it seems some people forget the very reason why we go diving. It is not to play with expensive scuba units, rebreathers, camera systems, etc. but to visit a part of our world that most people never see. We are privileged to have this opportunity and as divers, we have a responsibility to look after the environment we go into and preserve it for others. This is the first time I have been on a liveaboard out of Sharm El Sheik in the last five years, visiting many familiar dive sites which I have dived many times before. But I have noticed a marked improvement in the condition and quality of the reef there. One of the nicest things to see was many young Gorgonian fan corals returning to shallow waters. As a very delicate coral these can be easily destroyed. With the general downturn of tourism in the Red Sea, and fewer divers going there, the reefs are starting to recover. But if we continue to allow divers with all the gear and no idea, to destroy the very thing we go to see, it will soon revert back to the devastation that we caused before. This is something we will elaborate on in Orca, using this example and others, to help educate old and new students and how to preserve, help and understand the environment we dive in better.

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While Orca were away for the week, Janie held the fort in England. Being a short week due to Easter weekend, we were closed on Monday, so Janie opened up bright and early Tuesday morning to tidy up the mess Gary left before departing for his trip at the weekend.

On Tuesday night there was a deep pool session, with Carol instructing an open water course. A few DSDs were also in the pool, which were being looked after by the dive masters and there was also a few divers in just to get wet! Nick was also working with Calum on an express rescue course. Thursday night at South Woodham Ferrers pool was cancelled as Gary and some of the staff were away on the Red Sea trip, and courses don’t start until 16^th April! The whole week was generally rather quiet with many people away on holiday due to the Easter break.

This coming week we are back in the pools both Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Gary is back mentoring at Basildon Academy and on Friday afternoon, Gary will be working with Basildon Academies’ BTEC Sports students in confined water. Also Basildon Academies’ After School Dive Club restarts on Monday, which Gary will be running. This upcoming weekend, we are back in open water with open water advanced and dry suit courses running.