Scuba Diving Training, Trips, News and Blog
Archive for September, 2008
Time to upgrade
03 years ago
OMS BCD
My Scubapro Ladyhawk BDC is up for sale.
I bought her off Marcia not long after I completed my Open Water certification – I’d been told that if you are going to dive regularly, you’d want your own gear and its so true!
Shes been to Fiji with me, as well as the Knights and all around Auckland.
But now I am doing my Divemaster, I need more pockets and more clips.
So I am buying OMS – Ocean Management System complete with IQ pack.
I love the fact that the backplate can slip in and out – this means that I can reduce my weight pockets by about 4 kg if need be!
Plus, I can surround myself in Drings and extra pockets if I want to. Oh and its red. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! We all know red goes faster.
Sunday Scuba Special
03 years ago
Sunday was Craigs open water scenario day for his PADI Rescue Diver course.
We met at the shop at 8.30 and got all our gear ready, then Anna (Instructor), Alex and I (Divemasters), Craig (the Student) and Jakob (very keen diver) headed off to Mathesons Bay which is near Leigh about 45 minutes north of Auckland. This was also the site were I did my Rescue Diver course just over a year ago.
What weather!! If this is an indication of summer to come, then spank my ass and sign me up!
We stood on the hill surveying the dive site and looking at the water flow.
Mathesons Bay
Alex, Jakob, Anna and Craig surveying the dive site
We geared up, completed our buddy checks and went into the water to complete our weight checks. I was ploughing on with getting comfortable in the DUI drysuit and when i completed my weight check – booyah – i sank like a stone. We snorkelled out to the channel and prepared to descend. Before we had even descended, Alex hit Craig with his first rescue scenario.
We dropped down and swam into the channel, 7 metres of depth, sunshine hitting us and dappling through the water on to the rocks below; sea hares, brittle stars, gem nudibranchs, clownn nudibranchs and leather jackets all over the show.
We cruised around the channel and then boom .. I ran out of air (well not really) and starting tugging at Craigs regulator, pulled it out of his mouth and pretended to freak out. You just cant phase this guy though!! We swam some more and then turned around to head back in the bay and Alex cut her leg badly (again not really). Craig pressed her leg and completed the ascent and we began our surface swim back. Anna got me to pretend I’d seen a shark with all the “blood” in the water – Craig told me it was a vegetarian shark. Smart arse!
We’d been to the Matakana Bakery on our way to the Bay to pick up lunch. And now it was time to feed. Matakana Bakery has a reputation as a bloody good reason to take a 45 minute drive north. We’d prearranged that Jakob and I would decide to go for a quick dive – to show him some stuff. hehehe. We didnt really go for a dive, Jakob had an aluminium tank and was a bit light on weight so I dived and he snorkelled and then he shot back to the beach screaming that he’d lost me. I lay on the bottom of the Bay writing my shopping list and listening to the dolphins singing. 32 minutes later, I felt a tug on my arm and saw the hands in front of my face and then I just lay back and let Craig and Alex do all the work.
What a great day. Awesome dive, beautiful weather, brilliant fun – and a great start to summer!
