Included here is a brief resume of our diving around the world over the past 8 years.

 
Apr 2009

Malaysia - Bali Hai Divers, Panuba, Tioman

The Most rewarding places to dive these days are often the harder places to get too. Pulau Tioman lies 60miles off the east coast of the Malaysian main land is one of those places. Fantastic shallow reefs, current swept rocky Islets, remote pinnacles and plenty of wrecks combined with good vis (sometimes) and excellent marine life makes this dive location one of the best all round locations we have visited, it has something for everyone from open water novices to technical divers. We spent 2 weeks here diving most days. Bali Hai dive center was quite busy at the weekends when there is an influx of divers from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, but are generally quiet during the week. Diving here is very flexible with 3 dive boats of varying sizes allow up to 4 day dives and a night dive if you were so inclined. On a normal day 2 – 3 dive boat trips are available as well as shore diving on the fantastic house reef which is home to a number of Hawksbill Turtles.

From our point of view Bali Hai Divers were our perfect hosts for our stay here. We could dive by ourselves (we were always first in the water and last out) and when ever possible took us to the more advanced sites. 1 min from our room to the dive centre, 1 min from the dive centre to the boats and most of the dive sites were 5 – 20 mins from the dive centre. A big thank you has to go out to Sonja and Eone who never stopped during our stay but always had a warm welcome to new guests, despite not having a break while we were there. A special thank you as well for all the work for my birthday bbq way beyond the call of duty and a great night. All in all a fantastic dive holiday and one we would totally recommend.  (23 Dives)

Sep 2008

Kenya - Diving the Crab , Diani Beach, Mombasa

Bliss to be underwater again, but not where we intended to be as we should of been enjoying the delights of Emperor Divers in Nuweibia and instead are in Kenya, South of Mombasa on Diani beach with "Diving the Crab". So we were very pleasently supprised with the quality of the dive centre and the diving. Some very nice reef systems lay 5-15 minutes boat journey from the dive centre with some excellent macro life, not to much larger fish life on the reef but quite good on the Wreck of the Funguo, with large Travelies, Sweetlips and a solitory Giant grouper in the rear hold. Diving was based on 2 tank morning dives with the afternoons back by the pool.

Plus points here were interesting Fish life, Good local guides, Very quiet dive sites with fish that are curious rather than scared of the divers and reefs that although are quite shallow sites are in excellent condition. Minus points if I was being pickey would be diving seemed to be confined to a few dive sites nearer to the dive centre and i would of liked to try a few of the farther a field sites. Also the diving was probably a little expensive than most areas in the world but this was mainly due to them being priced in Euros. Well worth a visit if you want to get away from the hoards in Egypt. (8 Dives)

Feb 2008 - Sea King Divers - 'The Witch' Liveaboard

When you do your instructors course one thing they tell you is to make sure you still go diving for fun. Well 14 months after our last "fun dives" we were diving together again, this time both armed with underwater camera's in our regular stomping ground of the Similan Island's. It was probably some of the most enjoyable diving we have done together. We were fortunate to get some excellent weather, Fantastic visability at Richelieu Rock, dived a new dive site with Pu at Elephant head pinnacle (which was a huge highlight of the trip) Had 2 excellent manta dives at Koh Bon, Found a cool Red Frog fish at East of Eden, Harlequin Shrimps at Richelieu, finally

found the Grey Seahorse (i have been looking for the last few weeks), Loads of Ornate ghost pipe fish. A few swiming Leopard sharks and maybe best of all No night dives, bliss.

(11 dives)

Nov 2006 - Sea King Divers - 'The Really Wicked Witch' Liveaboard

Holiday after all that hard work. Of course, that meant diving and the beautiful Similan Islands was our destination. We were on the Really Wicked Witch, owned by Alistair of Seaking Divers who we became friendly with during our DM course. An excellent price was arranged (perks of being a pro) and 4 days of diving just for the fun of it was too good to miss. The trip did not disappoint, good vis, fantastic fish life and the best single days diving ever when we had Whale sharks, Manta Rays galore on back to back dives. We thankfully had the camera with us to record the event. Totally cool. Although that day was amazing Richelieu rock is still my favourite. (14 dives)

Oct 2006
Instructor Development Course (IDC) (About 2 weeks long, felt like a lifetime during the course)
How to teach - Its all new stuff again! Our course director is Chris Owen, an English expat who has been here for the last 14 years or so. Very nice guy and knows how to run his courses. We have completely doubled our PADI library in the past few days. Dread to think how much this all costs in sterling but there are a lot of ,000 when it's thai bhats. So Pool sessions (how to teach),Class room presentations and a few days open water sessions off Kata Beach. Along with Rachel and myself we have another 3 candidates in the English class, they were:

Swinney - Ex Padi MSDT who had to resit the IDC (but not the exam) as he had spent the last 6-7 years as a Harry Krishna monk, it takes all sorts. Once you got to know him he was a top bloke, very amusing with his lookout on life and so laid back. Strange diet though.

Christopher - Mr Cool from the Seychelles. The baby of the class (Only 21) but always had a grin on his face. The mango tree story in the Himalayas could only work for Christopher.

Ian - Second IDC, nice guy but always got alot of stick. But then he got lost on a night dive off Kata Beach on the speciality course, took the jokes well though.

Also Richard - IDC Staff, Amazingly worked for free so he could get the assistant Instructor Credits towards his Master Instructor badge. Obviously years of nitrogen narcosis build up. Was a really nice guy and helped us all loads.
So all in all a mixed bunch thrown together somehow. Had a great time. good new friends, and 5 instructors ready to go.  The world a big place.

Sept 2006
Thailand - Sea Bees Diving, Phuket
Divemaster Course
Wow!! lets go pro, Padi never put this in the brochure. Our internship started with a shock to the system the first two weeks felt a bit like boot camp. Duke was our instructor for the duration of our course (six weeks). We meet him when we did our rescue course in May. Ex military/commercial diver, knew everything about everything and when he told you something you listened but you learned as well. Didn't feel like it at the time but when you look back it was a great course. Most of the time was spent in the water doing various tasks, split 50/50 between the pool and the sea . By the end we got to know when to do what, when and how. It was really hard work with only a couple of days off in six weeks, but every now and then you would have a moment when you got the reminder why you want to do this job as a pro.

It could be a fantastic dive, or a great boat trip back to the bay, the best are probably the peoples faces when they complete an open water dive for the first time. By the time we had completed the course we were well and truly ''Duked'' and I am sure a lot of things will stay with us for the rest of our dive careers. (30 dives, got wet most days though)

May 2006
Thailand - Sea Bees Phuket
EFR & Rescue diver courses and a good look at the set up at the Palm garden Resort in readiness for our forthcoming 'Pro' training. First was a very enjoyable days diving with South Siam Divers, Chris Owen did us a deal (Thank you) and King Cruiser, Shark point & and a new Dive site for us at Kho Doc Mai. Vis a generous average but after a good days diving we awaited the next days courses.

EFR Course - Our Thai Instructor Born made this course a lot of fun for a very serious subject. We were joined on the course with Chris & Paula who are also on the Rescue course the next day. Michael (the plastic dummy) who was our victim for the day had a bit of a bum steer. After Electrocution, Tripping over a chair and death by fan he had to put up with our ham fisted first aid efforts. My initial CPR gave him 3 or 4 broken ribs but our bandaging skills were excellent.

Rescue Diver Course
Our Instructor for this course was the excellent Damian Smith - Ex BSAC Techy now a warmwater Instructor, what would Diver magazine make of that one in letters page? As you would expect as we were in the classroom the weather was beautiful. Another dose of PADI Video or Carry on diving? was always amusing, but that could of been Damian's efforts of setting up the video on his laptop. Pool session was a lot of fun. Everyone became panicked very convincingly which is quite understandable in a 3 meter deep end with quite a swell coming from the open water students at far end of the pool. Next Day we were on 'Excalibur' super efficient German dive boat, but when there was a Canadian/Scot called Duke (I thought that was a dogs name) in cahoots with Damian there were more accidents and incidents in the next 2 days than a full season of diving. Instructors running out of air? Lying motionless between the coral and half the tanks empty it could give a dive centre a bad name. After 3 days of this and the obligatory exam we are now Padi Rescue divers. Congratulations all round.

Back with South Siam divers again for a days diving in the sheltered waters of Rachai Yai, well it had been like that on Saturday and it looked like a fantastic place for a relaxing bimble and time for a good photo session. Unfortunately King Neptune had other ideas. A hell of a swell, strong winds from the wrong direction and a boat load of puking Japs made the outward journey an experience to say the least, but old sea dogs as our self (Glad I gave the eggs a miss this morning) had no troubles. 2 nice dives drifting with the current and last on the boat both times. Thankfully the wind had dropped for our return trip. (8 dives)

Sep 2005
Gozo - Atlantis Diving, Marsalforn.
An introduction to the Dark Arts - By Deco Jack
Gozo, stunning underwater topography, visibility outstanding, 40m plus most days. Sod all to see in fish life (not quite true but compared to the Similans it's like a desert), so wrecks and caves were the order of the day. 30 metres was considered a shallow dive with Jack at the helm and a more likeable diveguide you could not want to meet. A retired BSAC Instructor who now spent his time clocking up deco minutes with the more experienced guests of the dive centre. A very well run and professional dive centre with very experienced staff (older than us) who know how to have a good laugh. Marsalforn, by the way, is a beautiful small resort on Gozo's north shore, with the most excellent range of restaurants 2 hungry divers could ask for. (14 dives)

Mar 2005
Thailand - Paradise Diving, Nai Yang.
Well, back where it all started.  The dive centre is under new management but it still feel like coming home.  A day trip to Koh Wao, a small islet about 1 mile from Nai Yang, near Nai Thorn beach. Nice dive sites even after the tsunami, most of the large plate corals were still intact and very impressive. Our first dives as underwater photographers following a stopover in Singapore. (2 dives)

Thailand - Mermaid Liveaboard, Similan Islands.
Joined the liveaboard at Patong, we were quite surprised how full it was but definitely a first class boat. Similan Islands were as good as we remembered, Richleiu Rock was something else with 3 fantastic dives there. This was then balanced by one of the worst dives at Koh Tachai on a site called the Dome. We christened it "The Thunder Dome" due to the freezing thermocline and ripping current. Combined this with the dive starting at sunset made it a bit hairy on the safety stop when its pitch black and your mask is trying to come off with the current. Great crowd on board from around the world, excellent diving and good food . Five stars and a definite recommendation. (14 dives)

Thailand - Aonang Divers, Krabi.
Next stop off on our diving mini tour was Krabi at Ao Nang. We had been looking forward to this leg as we had been talking to Andre the owner of the Krabi Seaview Hotel and Aonang divers during the few months following the tsunami.  The hotel and dive centre were a credit to him. Our first 2 dives were around the limestone islands around Krabi. Outstandingly beautiful above water, under water vis of about 2 -3 metres. Still had a great laugh with Patrick one of the Dive centres Swedish Instructors. Robbie perfected the now famous giant trip entry, a method he has now used on more than one dive. Our last day diving was somewhat disappointing. We were visiting the King Cruiser, Shark Point & Anemone Reef about 45 minutes from Ao Nang. We were informed that they had left our kit back at the dive centre. I feel we should have checked our kit ourselves, but the staff said they would do everything only they didn't. They did however redeem themselves and came up with 2 sets of kit so we made all 3 dives.(5 dives)

Oct 2004
Indonesia - Ecodivers, Manado.
Diving for the lazy. This has to be the blue print of how to run a great dive resort. Staff at the resort and dive centre were fantastic, always friendly whatever time of day. Excellent day boats, top class wall diving, sharks, mantas (our DM saw her first Manta with us, extremely rare to see them on the walls) and muck diving. I know it's in all the magazines and all the photographer journalists rave about it but muck diving gives me the feel of a flooded pit in February. Besides this a fantastic dive destination, one we would definitely recommend to any diver. (22 dives)

Mar 2004
Egypt - Reef 2000, Dahab.
Another windy destination which made apres dive a bit chilly. There are some excellent shore dives here in what is definitely a water sports town, if you're not diving or windsurfing you're a bedouin. Well orginised dive centre with the oldest most battered land rovers and jeeps ever seen, doors and floors sometimes optional extras. With this in mind we opted for a Camel dive, very different, loads of fun but you can't sit down for the next week. The Blue hole and canyon's are excellent dive sites. Hardwork on the entries but the diving is very good. (11 dives)

Oct 2003
South Africa - Coral Divers, Sodwana Bay.
After 2 weeks of animals above the water the southern end of the Mozambique Channel called us. Cool beach hut at Sodwana Bay with diving for 2 people for about 15 a day (with food), amazing value. Very laid back but efficient, quiet in the week but mayhem at the weekend when hoards arrived from Durban and Jo'berg. Diving ok, vis average, no sharks and it's windy season which means that it can be somewhat rough on the rib launches off the beach. Imagine white water rafting and diving combined, made enjoyable days but you had to work for it. The diving was Ok, the most amazing encounter was with humpback whales on the rib back from a dive one day, and a turtle decided to buddy up with me on one dive, cool! (10 dives)

March 2003
Barbados - Underwater Barbados, Carlisle Bay.
Another operation aimed at the American cruise ships but excellent when you get to know the staff. All Bajan (which I believe is unusual) but very professional, the night dive on the wrecks in Carlisle Bay is still my favourite night dive, no Americans (all the cruise ships had left) and a wonderful BBQ with the dive centre staff and their families afterwards. Excellent dive centre. (11 dives)

October 2002
Maldives - Rani Liverboards, Male Atol.
Invested in our own kit for this holiday. We arrived via Dubia on time our bags stayed in Manchester, they caught up the next day but we missed the first 2 dives. Arrived only 9 divers on the boat, 2PADI Instructors, 2 Assistant Instuctors, 2 BSAC Instructors & Frank a German with 150 dives and us. Learned more on this dive trip than the OW & AOW Courses put together. Sharks, mantas and ripping currents. Fantastic diving to be recommended to any diver. (16 Dives)

March 2002
Egypt - Marlin Inn Dive Centre, Hurghada.
AOW Course. Ahmed, owner and instructor of the divecentre. An Egyptian brought up in Australia who looked after us really well as the majority of his customers were Russian. Used a separate boat for our dives and always seemed to miss the dayboat crowds with his choice of sites . Very enjoyable also did TDI basic nitrox course. Good diving but watch out for the Russian Mafia. (9 Dives)