Friday 21 October 2016

Guest Blogger Gavin!

My friend Samirika and I have had about 28 open water dives each; ranging from Stoney Cove, Nemes, Swanage and the Maldives and we have both achieved our Dry Suit, Open Water and Advanced Open Water certifications.

I began thinking about how serious diving can be, with, for me, the emphasis on safety. Both of Sam and I have had scary experiences in the open sea since we started out, and both have learned our lesson.

I was thinking to myself, if anything happened underwater to my buddy (Sam), would I be able to do anything when put in a serious situation? And would Sam know how to react if something happened to me?

If the unthinkable did happen and I didn't know what to do, I would not be able to live with the guilt. The next logical step was to embark on the Rescue Diver Course.

One Saturday, we spent about 6 hours in the classroom, practising our knowledge review for the Rescue Diver Course; going over everything until it was all understood. We all sat our final written test (which was multiple choice), at the end of the day and thankfully, all passed.

Sunday was spent practising EFR (Emergency First Response), which is essentially a first aid course which has to be done before the Rescue Diver Course. This valuable course covers the basics of first aid for use in everyday life, not only diving. We went through the manual, covering all aspects and doing multiple choice questions, with a lot of hands on procedures including bandaging, CPR, and what to do in regards to controlling the scene of an accident, etc. It is good to now think I could be of some help if anything ever happened in everyday life.

The following Saturday we spent 4 hours in the deep pool, practicing all the rescue techniques and scenarios that we would take to open water to complete the course in real life situations. Having completed the course now, I believe it is vitally important to have practiced the skills in the pool first in a more relaxed environment. This enables you to complete the skills and perfect them the best you can with good visibility and little stress.

Sam and I now both feel confident in our abilities to get an unresponsive diver up to the surface, and get them back to shore. Every technique learned was so invaluable and will remain in my memory. You also learn what to look out for in other divers who may be in difficulty, not only yourselves. And you are much more alert to what is going on, learning what the potential hazards could be.

The next day, we were off to Nemes with Rhonda as our instructor for the day, meeting up at Nell's café, where a nice fry up was devoured by myself and Sam. We spent at least 5 hours in and out of the water putting our techniques into practice. Visibility was OK. There were a few sly strokes pulled by Rhonda and the other helpers. But all of a sudden a panicked diver would show up on the surface when you least expected it to happen and you had to act, both on your own and as a team.

Being in dry suits made it more of a challenge. It is not a simple course and it does test you rigorously. Having a good fitness level is definitely an advantage. The best part of the day was when we had to go out and find an unresponsive diver on the bottom, bring him up and then back to shore, taking both his equipment off and yours while still giving breaths while towing him back. You then have to continue rescue breaths and CPR when on shore.

I for one will be much more alert wherever I dive now, and if something happens to myself or my buddy, I will know that I can do everything I can to help, and Sam would have done everything she could if I was in danger; which may save a life.

We will both dive from now on with a new level of confidence. It really is the best PADI Course to do and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Gary, Rhonda, Sharon, Joe Vanderson, and everybody else who helped out and made the course what it was!

Saturday 16 July 2016

Guest blogger Hollie!


Last weekend I headed to Open Water for the second time and despite the mild panic and uncomfortable level of anxiety, it was significantly more successful this time around. Not to mention, it was much more fun!

I have an issue with my mask. Taking it off, breathing without it and clearing it, all fill me with dread. It is without doubt a completely irrational fear, but no matter how many times I remind myself of that fact, it's a battle to stop my heart racing and my hands trembling.

It's a mental block and I have come to realise that only time and persistence can get rid of it. 

I went to Open Water for the first time back in November, alongside a voice in my head saying I couldn't do it. I panicked when I thought I had gone wrong and bolted for the surface - which was the worst thing I could have done - and in the end I jumped out of the water and refused to go back in (probably the second worse thing I could have done).

I have spent the last few months in the pool, taking my mask off every week to prove to myself that I could do it. As I swam around in South Woodham Ferrers I could feel the panic set in every time Gary's eyes would catch mine. I knew he would call me over and watch me until I accomplished a mask removal. There was no getting out of it and that sort of persistence was exactly what I needed.

I went to Open Water the second time more prepared, physically and mentally, and I persisted. There was no pressure, apart from that which I put on myself, and I knew Gary would have me at the surface in a flash if I went wrong, which I did... a few times.

I cannot fault his patience. He sat on the surface as I mentally prepared myself and simultaneously doubted myself, providing words of encouragement every time I had to come up and persuading me to keep giving it another go. 

Overcoming fear is a process, but nothing beats the feeling of walking out the water with a spring in your step because you had an incredible dive... And the incredible dives make the whole thing worthwhile. Besides, nothing boosts your confidence quite like facing your fears head on.

I left Open Water for the second time, the difference being that I was now a qualified diver. I also left this time knowing that the world wasn't going to end if I got a little water up my nose.

Bring on advanced!! 

Friday 13 May 2016

Farewell Orca.

As I'm embarking on a new chapter in my life, I'm going to be finishing one too, my job at Orca. Working here for the last two years has been amazing. I've learned how to do business administration, finances, social media and obviously a lot about diving. I've learned how to fix regulators and how to clean BCD's properly. I've also learned that life is what you make of it and you can't pass up an opportunity. When I think of how little I knew about the diving industry and how shy I was to even answer the phone, it seems so far away. I can really see how far I have come as a person and that's all because of you.

So thank you to all of the Instructors for showing me guidance and helping me out when we were desperately short for staff. To the Dive Masters for having a joke and a laugh with me, for annoying me and always being there. To the Rescue divers for carrying a ton of kit around and doing everything you can to help out. To the shore support and to all of the people I've made an impact on. You have all shaped me into the person I am today, somebody that I'm proud to be.

Thank you to Gary for giving me the opportunity that nobody else would. Not only did he give me a passion for diving, a social group, a place where I felt safe, he gave me a reason to believe in myself and a reason to keep on fighting every battle. Nobody has ever taken a chance on me like Gary did. I'm so so so grateful to him for that.

I'd like to thank Rhonda for always being there when I need her and for all of her effort on my OW-MSD courses. Thank you to Jamie for being the DM on my OW and for bringing out my inner -weirdness...and for giving me abuse over the phone every week. To Nicole and Katie for being good friends who I can trust and be girly with. Thank you to Nick for calling me and Gary every day and cheering us both up. Thank you to Steve and Carole for inspiring me to be who I want to be. Thank you to Gill and Marcia for making me laugh so much on Thursday nights and for making me believe that everybody is worth something. Thank you to every single person at Orca. I can't say it enough. There are so many of you that have impacted my life and made me feel happy, loved, annoyed, frustrated and part of something unique and special. I'm truly going to miss working here everyday.

So what now?
I'm going to be working as a Section Planner at Network Rail. Then hopefully I'll be able to fund a few months travelling next year. I'm going to find the thing that I'm meant to do, something that drives me and something that I'm passionate about. I'm going to live my life in the way that I want, where I can look back when I'm 80 and think "wow I had some adventures". I'm want to inspire people and help then. And definitely dive in as many countries as possible.

But don't think that you've seen the last of me. I'll be back diving as much as possible so until then, farewell Orca.

Tuesday 10 May 2016

May Catch Up!

CATCH UP!

After not writing a blog for the last few weeks, we thought we'd give you a big catch up on what we've been up to!
We've so far certified 22 Open Water divers, 100 DSD's, 36 specialty courses and 12 continuing education courses(AOW,Rescue,DM) as well as 8 EFR's! Our Master Seal Team of 8 have all completed their course and will be missed! The new Seal Team started last Thursday and they're all looking forward to the aqua missions!


Over the weekends, we've done:


  • Full Face Mask
  • Drysuit
  • Wreck
  • Deep
  • Search and Recovery
  • EFR
The week days have also been jam-packed as we've been working with Purleigh Primary, Cold Norton, Basildon Academies, South Essex College, Writtle College and we've been to meet a few new schools including Castledon Secondary! As well as this, the US Air-force have also been working hard to complete their Open Water courses! 


We went to the Red Sea to do Reefs and Wrecks liveaboard! Gary, Rhonda, Pete and everybody else had a lovely time. The dives were beautiful and the staff were very nice. We're now looking forward to the Maldives trip in August! There's still space if anybody wants to book onto it!

We've been to Scuba Fest in Cornwall and had an amazing time, the visibility was better than ever! 12+ metres on both days! We say lots of Cuckoo Wrass, Spider Crabs, Lobsters, Octopus', Starfish, Sun Starfish and even some Lesser-spotted Catsharks! As usual, we all went out for dinner on the Saturday and congregated at Gary's caravan on the Sunday! The weather was great on both days but there was a fair bit of rain on Sunday. So after a fantastic weekend of good food, even better diving and great company, we all headed back home on the Monday, ready for work the following day!

Image result for scubapro carbon black techAs the season is starting, a lot of people have been starting to buy new kit so we're always getting deliveries! We've now sold 2 Bare dry suits discounted from £1200 to £700!! We still have some dry suits on sale at all different prices so for more information, give the centre a call!

The new Carbon Black regs from Scubapro have also been a hit! They do look very nice and are some of the best regs on the market. They're designed for cold water but can also be used in warm water.

What have we got coming up?

July 9th/10th- For all of our staff and volunteers, we'll be heading up to Gillwell 24 to do DSD's for the whole 24 hours! We need as much help as possible so anybody willing to lend a hand, give Janie a call!

July 16th- we've got PADI's international women' day! Which means that we'll be in the pool from 12-5pm doing DSD's and plays with a twist! We're using the underwater speakers to have a little boogie underwater! As well as this, Chrissie is going to prepare some girly themed refreshments for afterwards! All proceeds go to Cancer Research Uk! So book your space today!

August 6th-14th- MALDIVES! We'll be jetting off to the beautiful Maldives on a boat of 7 so far! Where we're hoping to see plenty of sharks!

August 19th-21st- SWANAGE!! We're travelling up to Swanage to do some pier diving and boat diving! There's definitely a lot to see at Swanage, from wrecks to reefs, from Spider Crabs to Nudibranches!





Thursday 5 May 2016

Guest Blogger Lucy Renaud: Scuba Fest.

My name is Lucy, I'm currently studying Marine and natural history at Falmouth university, but my home town is Essex where I first learnt to dive with Orca scuba diving academy. I have only been diving for a year, but studying here in Falmouth is the perfect place to develop and improve my diving. I absolutely love the life I live here, just a completely different world from back at home. Relaxed, breath taking scenery, down to earth people (mostly hippies) and no better place to explore the mysterious underwater world.....

This is my first year living down here in Cornwall but also my first experience of the dive festival. It is held at Pentewan Sands holiday park, situated on the coast of St Austell. The whole campsite is taken over by us crazy divers !!!!
It's not just for the divers though, there were many activities and entertainment going on over the weekend: A blues band, a marquee full of dive equipment and lots of freebies, experience dives for the newbies to the diving world, photo and a fancy dress competition and of course lots and lots of shore diving. Or if that didn't take your fancy you could take a ride down to Porthkerris and grab a boat dive off of the historical wrecks or the reefs that are full of life.

As a dive group we did 2 boat dives on the Saturday and 2 on the Sunday. I actually only got round to doing one of these boat dives, unfortunately sometimes we all can be nervous when it comes to diving, there are many things we have to take into account when diving, especially a place you have never dived before. As the main man Gary says, if you are not going to enjoy the dive, leave it for another day. Diving is for enjoying yourself, being free and following your passion, its not to be panicked and make you stressed. So I sat out on Saturday, however still loved exploring the dive site and the down to earth people that worked there. I mean that's what its all about diving. Meeting new people that have the same love as you do, learning and teaching them stuff that either you or them may of not known. Getting to know different techniques and experiencing the diving together as a society.
Although I didn't dive on the Saturday I loved hearing from my friends, about there dives and how happy they were after, it filled me with joy. I did get a dive in on the Sunday though, which I'm happy in myself, as It was the first boat dive I have done. It is a lot different to a shore dive. But once you're under, it is so so much more exciting, the life down there, colours and growth makes you realise how important it is to protect our nature. It's what makes our planet keep going. It's not just about the marine life you see, the plant life down there is just indescribable, the Mermaid's glove the shapes it makes and the way it gentle moves with the current. The transparencies of the many anemone's you find on the coral reefs. Even coral alone is a wonderful exotic sight, especially when the light hits it. I saw lots of pink sea fan, which is usually common at depths greater than 10 metres. They are colonies of tiny creatures, so although they may just look like a plant, we must protect them too.

I truly agree that diving is an escape for many of us, and has changed many lives also, I mean myself I would of never of dreamed of living a life down here. In my eyes it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe. But I guess that is why it's important we do follow our dreams, and what more than a better way to do that by spending a whole weekend with like minded people, just exploring the deep blue. I would really recommend  to any of you new or well experienced divers to not miss next years dive festival, come join the life of being a scuba diver, I tell you, it's certainly a better way to life than any other.....

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Fit to Dive: Entry 4!

Weight: 18.7

This week has been successful. Jay has stepped up the workouts and brought in much more balance on the Bosu & Ball. This helps to strengthen my core and work my abdomen. Each session starts with a 5 minute warm up and then goes straight into legs or arms (depending on the week). Leg workouts consist of squats, lunges, moving up and down a small step and often squatting on one leg (definitely great for a laugh) - I find the slow movement while remaining balanced hard to control, not to mention causing a lot of soreness the following day. 

Arm work outs include push ups, triceps push-ups (really tricky and currently I have to do them from my knees). Slam ball is another arm work out that is surprisingly hard. Throwing the ball to then run, pick it up and repeat for 1 minute is exhausting.

This week Jay undertook a brief check to measure my progress. The first time we met I could do 20 push-ups in 1 minute. This week I was up to 31. Step ups were also up, going from 30 to 45. I can also see improvement in my breathing, managing not to get out of breath as quickly and feeling generally fitter and stronger. It's definitely a great motivation to keep going. 

Next week I am off to the Red Sea for a week’s diving. Normally I drop some weight while diving for a whole week so hopefully I can keep on track while I'm away. Jay has already given me a strict workout to do while I'm on the boat! 

When I look back to a year and a half ago when I was 20 stone 6lbs, I realise how far I've come. Now I'm almost two stone lighting, running up the stairs and thinking about what I'm eating - it's a life change for the better. 


I'm still going out for meals and having the odd Big Mac but everything is in moderation. A balanced diet with exercise is helping me achieve my goals. 

Saturday 2 April 2016

Catch Up!!

This week has been very busy! With the Tuesday pool night where Ian H finished his Open Water course with Chesney and Adam who will be going to Open Water on 11th/12th April! DCY was working with Ryan and Rhonda started a new Open Water Course with Lawrence and Michael who decided to do the E-learning and then come to us for the pool work. It was great to see James Smyth back helping out as well. We also had a lot of students in from South Essex College who are doing their Open Water courses. https://youtu.be/JdSt8qDbt68

 Then on Wednesday we were in South Woodham Ferrers as part of our holiday program which we will be running throughout the school holidays. Thanks to John who helped out! One of the kids decided she really liked it and came back the next day to join in with the Seal Team. They were doing Search and Recovery using lift bags and search patterns. This is one of the many aqua missions that the kids can do.  Rhonda finished her Open Water course with Gaynor and Tracey. Rachel completed her swims and Nicole and Janie did their kit exchange. Janie has now completed her Dive Master course and is waiting for her cert card.

On Friday, we had a busy day in the Dive Centre checking all equipment and organising Gillwell 24 which is an event we do every year for scouts. This year we’re aiming to complete 600 DSD’s. Thanks to all of the staff who have agreed to help~!
Then onSaturday, Ian H and Levi were moulding some more lead whilst Ian.S was in the pool with his student on a 1:1 basis. Janie was in the shop sorting through all of the admin. Rhonda was in Open Water with her 3 students who did very well!

Here’ the link for PADI E-leaning, just in case some of you are interested! https://apps.padi.com/scuba-diving/elearning/

Fit to Dive: Entry 3

The goal at first was simply to lose weight, but slowly the goal has expanded. I want to be able to walk upstairs without having to stop half way for a break… and of course get into my dry suit a little easier. It’s less about weight loss now and more about my general health and fitness.
When diving, I have always been the one using more air than my buddies, resulting in me giving the hand signal to turn the dive around and head back. With some dedication, this could be the year that changes. 
Being a master instructor, I should be setting an example of how to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This is not to say that you have to be active to dive… quite the opposite. One of the great things about diving is that anybody can take it up. At Orca, we have taught individuals with various disabilities and it has never stopped them getting in the water. However, setting a good example is conducive to encourage other divers to live a healthier life.
With regards to the weight loss, this week was less successful than last. I lost 1lb, but with a big weekend full of food, it’s still 1lb in the right direction. The fitness sessions with Jay are progressing. The pain the following day is no longer as unbearable and Jay mixing up the work outs make them much more engaging.

One incredible progression I’ve made this week, is that I can now tie my boots up without straining. I’m sure for those of you that are similar to me, you’ll understand this… but it really is a milestone.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Fit to Dive: Entry 2

Fit to Dive Update: Week 2
Weight: 18 stone 11lbs
Lost: 9lbs



Changing what I eat on a day-to-day basis is hard. My body is used to the routine of drinking 2ltrs of coke and eating half a loaf of bread each day, plus dinner at night. A large chunk of this is due to boredom, spending the day sitting in the centre will result in multiple trips to the cupboard to get something to eat, usually a packet of crisps or a sandwich.
My first task was to change what I was eating. I found that the best thing for me was not to eat first thing in the morning. As soon as I started eating, I wanted more.
I used to have a sandwich at lunch time if I was in school, sometimes with a flapjack and a bottle of water. Instead I’ve made the move to wraps and salads. On the way home, I used to make a pit stop to pick up a sandwich and possibly a pork pie – this had to stop. I also now make myself dinner, minus the three rounds of bread. It’s easy to see the pattern here, lots of bread, chugged down with a can of coke. The only time I drink coke now is with Jack Daniels at the weekend, or possibly a few beers instead.

As for the work outs. They are still occurring with Jay twice a week. Pilates on way to build up my core strength, whilst also working on my legs, arms and abs. Although the exercises are mixed up, I'm finding movement easier and the stamina is starting to come back. I'm finding it easier to breath. But as soon as I think @I've mastered an exercise, Jay outs an add-on or changes it slightly often using the BOSU which helps with balance.

Catch up!

We've been doing a lot over the last couple of weeks....
On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th we were in Open Water with the help of Ian S, Nick, Rhonda, Joe and Graham. Our students, Luke, David, Heidi and Rob who are reservists and Callie & Eric who are with the US air force all did very well despite it still being very cold.

On Monday we had a LOT of clearing up to do, including washing wet suits and filling cylinders. It's very important to us to maintain and clean all of our kit so that we know it's all working well. On Tuesday, the pool night was very busy with South Essex College starting their Open Water Courses with several different instructors. They're all very quick learners and will be through their course in no time at all!

Wednesday morning, Gary went to an open day at Writtle College where a lot of students showed interest in the Womens Dive Day as well as doing their Open Water Courses. Later on that day, Ian Herbert took a group of people to Nemes with the help of Rhonda and Andy H. 4 students qualified as Night Divers even despite the chaos and terrible visibility! Massive well done to Vince, Connor, John and Rachel!!

Thursday night entailed 15 scouts! Janie had organised this night especially for the scouts as they had been before and were itching to get back in! Everybody had a great time and enjoyed it. A bit thank you to all of the staff who ran around and helped pack up the trailer that night. It made it a lot easier to unpack on Friday morning!

Saturday morning, Ian H was at Stoney Cove doing Wreck, Deep and Search and Recovery. Then on Sunday he was down at Nemes doing Navigation and Drysuit. His student did very well and is looking forward to going diving again.

Lastly, on Monday, Rhonda and Janie went to Nemes for their Easter Egg Hunt and won a fluffy bunny and an Easter egg. It was shocking weather but still a good day! Gary was in the shop clearing out all the mess and doing a stock rotation. It's now nice and fresh!

Thursday 17 March 2016

Fit To Dive: Entry 1.

A few months ago, PADI issued a statement from the HSE regarding the BMI of instructors. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on your weight in relation to your height.
My BMI, is kind enough to tell me that I’m overweight… So how can I fix it?
I could go on a diet. This will no doubt result in two days of not eating, followed by one night of gluttony in which I devour everything I can find. FAIL.
“I’ll go to the gym,” I told myself. However, before every gym session I’ll find countless more important tasks to occupy my time. FAIL.
At age 54, height 6ft, weight 19.6 stone and a BMI of 36.1, it’s certainly no easy task to motivate myself. 
I get out of breath easily and am getting stiffer by the day. At the same time I have two instructors complaining about equipment no longer fitting them.  
After spending the last few weeks thinking about my physical predicament, and heading to teach open water only to find that my dry suit had shrunk over the winter, I decided now is the time to do something about my situation.
The priority is getting fit to dive.
I concluded a personal trainer was needed, which I knew would help conquer my lack of motivation, as well as take care of old injuries (bad knees, lower back and arthritis).
I’ve found in the past that different gyms offer different advise, often leaving you with no idea of how to make the best use of your time.
A call was made to Jay, a personal trainer that dives with us, and a meeting was set up.
Day 1: Measurements were taken and then straight into a pilates based workout (Jay doesn’t mess around). Finding all of those muscles that were hidden under layers of fat. Stretches, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges and various other exhausting exercises including balance work. The idea was to get my body moving again before upping the tempo.
As part of this effort, Jay wanted to know everything I had eaten over the last week, and had asked me to keep a diary that we could look through together. Considering my diet is based mainly on bread and coca cola, and large quantities at that, it became clear that had to change. 

So as I embark on this journey, I will keep you up to date with my progress, which will hopefully help in holding myself accountable as well as keeping me motivated to continue. 

Monday 7 March 2016

Nemo 33

After just returning from our trip to Brussels, I thought I'd fill you all in with the pros and cons of everything we did, including Nemo 33.

The weekend started off when we opened the shop at 5:30am on Saturday morning. Everybody arrived on time and we headed to Nemes Diving Academy in Kent. We then left there at 7am and drove through to Folkestone where we all got some breakfast and headed onto the tunnel. Being my first time on it, I guess it did feel a bit weird but we had a fantastic driver who made everything feel safe. The only con I have on the tunnel was that the toilets smelled atrocious. Other than that, it was pretty fun trying to amuse ourselves.

Calais! As we got to Calais it was raining! but we still had another few hours on the road so most of the passengers went to sleep whilst the rest of us chatted. Having had no traffic, no accidents, nothing getting in our way, the journey was actually very pleasant. On arriving at our hotel, we booked in and I gave out room combination numbers. The facilities in the hotel were lovely however the staff weren't very helpful. Once everybody had settled in,  we arranged to meet in the lobby at 2:45pm. We then drove to Nemo 33 where the real fun began.

After all of the boring paperwork, I took a look around the shop, the bar and the restaurant to find it was very nice but small. Our pool session was at 5pm and we were not permitted to get changed until 4:45pm. This meant a lot of rushing around as we thought we were getting in at 5pm. We were wrong! We waiting for the last session to finish, then were instructed to get fins and masks and get into the pool. This was to allow 10 minutes for free divers. So after this period was up, we got out of the pool, got our kit together and got back in! We finally descended at 5:25. My buddy and I decided to go to the  deepest point first just to be safe and luckily there was only 4 people down there as the amount of bubbles was astounding. As we ascended, there was a tunnel that you could go through, at either end there was a hole where you could stand up and talk to each other. I can't stress enough how dangerous this is and would advise that NOBODY does this. It's so dangerous, I don't know how there hasn't been a casualty yet. It's basically all carbon dioxide.

After this, we just poodled around at different depths and made it back to the surface at 5:55 giving us a 30 minute dive when essentially we thought it would be an hour! Nevertheless, the experience was good. Now that I've been, I probably wouldn't consider going back.  The changing rooms afterwards became full of water and there were no private cubicles. So after awkwardly shimmying out of our wetsuits, we dried our hair and got out! The next stop? THE BAR!! I definitely needed a drink after the 4am start! I ordered a cocktail which was essentially a glass full of vodka. People form Brussels can definitely handle their drink! When the coach turned up, we headed back to the hotel, got changed and then headed to the Italian restaurant down the road!

On arriving at the restaurant, we discovered that they didn't speak a word of English but they were very nice and helpful! There was a lovely man playing music live, he was very talented. After stuffing ourselves with pizza, pasta and everything else on the menu, we headed back to the pub! A very cheap pub too. I was told that we made it back to the hotel at around 12:30am. After a good gossip and a lot of good food, we all slept like babies.

On Sunday, we all grabbed breakfast (which may have included cake and donuts) and took our seats on the coach, where serious games of eye-spy, guess the animal and 21 questions began. Then we arrived at Brugge! Despite the absolutely freezing whether, Brugge is beautiful! Full of churches and chocolate shops which were thoroughly inspected by most of us! We then took shelter in several different restaurants whilst the rain blew over. After eating our entire bodyweight in food, we went to yet another pub! Although it looked like we wouldn't make it out alive, it was surprisingly friendly. At about 4:30pm we started walking back to the coach with bags full of chocolate and alcohol. We headed back to England an hour later.

The journey home was full of karaoke, pranks and general silliness but it was great to unwind in a coach full of fun people. We headed to Nemes first then to Orca and made it back for a late dinner at 9:30pm. I'd just like to thank everybody for making it such a fantastic weekend. Although we all come from different backgrounds, everybody was friendly and there wasn't a single problem!













Tuesday 1 March 2016

A little bit chilly....

This weekend we were at Nemes doing the first and second dive for the Wreck Specialty, the first and second dive for Full Face Mask specialty and the Search and Recovery scenario for one of our Dive Masters. Rhonda came back with ice hanging from her nose! It was absolutely freezing. Our students managed to do very well despite it being so cold.

In the centre, Gary and Janie have been having a spring clean! They found a few snorkles that have been left behind so if you think you've lost one, tell us the make and colour & it's yours! We've put a lot of old stock in the bargain bucket so if you're looking for a cheap pool bag, a knife or a wetsuit, get down to the shop before it all goes! 
We're now stocking childrens' kit! Blue and pink sets are available as well as yellow masks! Fins are available on order. We also have a lot of new Scubapro stock! Including BCD's, regs, fins, masks torches!

Gary was in Chelmsford County High School on Friday so we'll hopefully be starting courses with them in September. This is a great addition to the list of schools that we work with in Essex. We also recieved this lovely 'thank you' card from a nursery in Essex that borrowed our equipment!





We'd love to feature some stories from other divers' in our blog next week. So if you have any funny or frightening story, email us! 

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Quick Update!

Well this past week has been busy to say the least! I have a feeling it's going to be a fantastic year. We kicked off the week with a meeting with James from Scubapro! We have lots of new stock now, so if you're thinking of upgrading before the start of the season then pop down and see one of us! If we don't have what you need, we'll help you find someone who does!


We also had two very busy pool nights! Tuesday was full of DSD's and lots of different courses starting. The Seal Team did very well on Thursday learning some new skills. We also had DM's practicing their swims and even a few friendly faces popped down to say hello!


We then had a lot of prep to do for the weekend where we had 12 men & women from the US Air force who were at Nemes doing their Open Water dives! A huge thank you to all of the staff that helped out, it was a very challenging but enjoyable weekend. All of the students did very well considering it was extremely cold. We hope to continue our work with the force over the coming years.



We still have two spaces left on the Nemo 33 trip due to cancellations, if anyone would like to book onto the trip then please contact Janie or Gary immediately.






Friday 12 February 2016

Dive Show 2016!

"After parking in the Excel London car park, we started walking up towards the ticket sales and found that we were at the wrong side of the building! So we carried on walking to the other side & bought our tickets. We happened to over-hear a very annoyed man telling somebody that he'd pre-booked tickets but left them at home! So he ended up paying an extra £20. Couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy but it was quite amusing.

Entering the Dive show, we went to see Emma, Matt and Terry at the PADI stand! We always like to catch up with PADI and ask a few questions. Shortly afterwards, we took a look around what must've been about 20 stalls at most. One of which was The Manta Trust. They do a fantastic amount of work and have now helped put a law into place in Peru to save our beloved Mantas! It's lovely knowing that one of our Dive Masters, Kanina, contributed to the project! We're very proud. We then went to see Scuba Travel, Lee is a star and took a bit of time helping us plan a few last bits for the Egypt trip this April. Next, we turned around a saw a giant inflatable whale! Without a question, myself an Gary darted towards it! Inside the land stall, we found about 20 more inflatable whales and a few mermaids! This was the Whale Fest! Unfortunately, they won't be hosting an event this year but hopefully with the help of new volunteers, there will be one next year! After this, there wasn't really much that we took an interest in. There was a few travel companies, a couple of dive centre's but the rest was mainly for the outdoor show. To be completely honest, most of the divers that attended the show probably spent more money in the outdoor department.

We did however, meet Luke from Basking Shark Scotland. We're looking into having a trip there this August so keep your eye's out! We have a lot of trips on the cards so it's going to be a fantastic year.

Overall, it was great to network with a few people and even see a few old friends but the Dive Show seems to be getting even more disappointing! My advice would be to focus on the Bristol Dive Show. It seems to have a lot more coverage and a lot more merchants attending.

Monday 18 January 2016

Weekly blog: New year!

The new year has started with a bang! It's three weeks into January and we've already run an enriched air course, an open water course, a drysuit course and all of our trainee dive masters have passed their final exams- just a few more bits to do before they qualify!

We've been back at The Basildon Academy mentoring as usual but we've just started up the after school club for our new students doing their open water course! As well as this, we've started a new course with their sports BTec students. This is the fourth consecutive year that we've worked with the academy and it's a delight. We've also held an evening at South Essex college where we recruited 15 new students! We've been working with the colleges for three years and all of the students have been outgoing and great to work with.

There was a Staff Instructor update last weekend that Rhonda attended. It was informative and gave an update on new techniques, materials and tips for teaching.

In the next few weeks we've got a few courses coming up:
January 30th-31st- EFR and Rescue
February 6th-7th- Rescue Open Water.
We've also got /night and wreck courses scheduled and we're confirmed dates next week!

Our first trip this year? NEMO 33!!!
We're doing a big deal on March 5th-6th! £100 including coach, hotel and 1 dive! On the Sunday, we'll be stopping off at Bruges for a few hours to explore and hit some hypermarkets! Feel free to bring a partner for just £75!
There's only 17 spaces left so book yours now!




Tuesday 12 January 2016

2015 in a nutshell.

In 2015 we have moved forward as a dive centre. Milestones were achieved by us, our staff and many of our students.  At the start of the year, we were back don in Cornwall for the annual Dive Fest, diving with Porthkerris Dives on the Mohegan and Vase Point Pinnacle. Ending the weekend with a bbq at our caravan.
Moving on with the season, we were working with Writtle college preparing them for the Red Sea trip to Marsa Nakari. We worked through the theory first and then went to South Woodham Ferrers to do the pool work. After mastering all of the pool skills, the Writtle students went Nemes Open Water centre in Kent. After which, they all went to the Red Sea where a great time was had by all.
As well as this, we were  working with The Basildon Academies; Sport BTEC and after school club. Having spent four years working with the academies, it's always great fun and enjoyable to work with dedicated staff at the school, I look forward to carrying on the partnership with them.
We had the good fortune to work with great people like Lucy, who is studying photography at Falmouth university. As well as Faith and Ben from Writtle (amongst many others) who did their Rescue courses with us!
Using Nemes as our main Open Water location has been beneficial for us. Being able to get there with just a short drive and home for tea. We have used Nemes for two years and look forward to keeping the relationship over the coming year.
Without the goodwill of all the staff, all of this would not happen. The staff at Orca work hard all year to help new students get started and build up their skills, confidence and the also help past students continue their diving.
We now have 11 Instructors, 3 Assistant instructors, 5 Dive Masters and 10 Dive Masters in training. This means we are well equipped for the upcoming year.
During 2015 we had trips to Cornwall, Swanage, Farne Islands and 3 trips to the Red Sea.
In 2016, we've planned some old and some new. Starting with Red Sea liveaboard April 9th covering reefs and wrecks. Then we're down to Cornwall for the Dive Fest. Porthkerris diving has been booked for the first weekend of May. Then the Maldives liveaboard in August. Then a trip to South West Ireland planned for the summer.

As well as USAF, scouts, youth clubs, colleges, universities and anything else that walks through the door. So we'd like to say a big thank you to all the staff that helped us throughout the year and look forward to a bigger and better year in 2016!