Now the Open Ocean ! – Scuba Divers Olivia and Ilse

The first dive in Miracle Waters (which during this time of the year is always low visibility dives) went very smooth.

Despite the leaky mask, the weight belt that just don’t want to stay and BC’s that does not want to tighten, they completed their first dive, then dive 2, 3, 4 and 5 came and went, each easier and better than the first.

At first it was easy to find our way home through the trail of silt and mud kicked up…lesson learned....if your BC does not keep you afloat even if fully inflated, then you are overweight. But even this problem was soon sorted and buoyancy control now comes as natural as anything else.

Olivia with her “claustrophobia” seemed to have lost it magically when it came to swimming through the sunken bus, she was even willing to take on the pitch dark cement silo! Fortunately the entrance was too small to enter.

Despite the bad vis, murky water Ilse and Olivia did great to complete all their qualifying dives to certify as Scuba Divers. Congratulations! A dive in the ocean where the visibility is 20 meters not 2 meters, will be a breeze now!

Master Diver Badi at your service

A big congratulations to Badi, who is now known as Master Badi. After some serious huffing and puffing in pulling “unconscious divers” from the dam during his rescue diver course,

he is now qualified to completely take off all his kit at the bottom of the sea and recovering it later if ever required ! (A little dof and don trick for the Master Divers)

Badi has completed his Rescue Divers Course, his First Aid course (for those of you that need any patching up) and has shown his proficiency in under water navigation, observation, night dives, deep dives etc. to complete his Master Diver qualification.

So next on the tick list is…Dive Master…I am sure Badi cannot wait to drag that buoy line through the sea trying to control all the Open Waters ! Ha – ha ha.

Advanced Divers: Jeanine & Vanessa Congrats !

Vanessa did not trust this course a bit, everything sounded too easy, she suspected, like usual that sis Jeanine is trying to catch her with a "slap riem" yet again. What skills must I do...what exactly are we going to do on the grid...what about ...mmm?? Most importantly...what about our hair, who will do our hair ?

The search and recovery dive, turned out into one serious low visibility, or should I say zero visibility dive. Almost to the extent that certain ladies could not see their SPG for air availability. Well after this dive there was no stopping them, no deep dive or night dive will scare them.

Not sure if they were trying to get focused for the night dive ahead, or just simply the 'narcs' kicking in. Never seen nitrogen narcosis on a depth of zero meters before though.

What a fun weekend it turned out with potjie after the night dive.

OW Course: Marras & Josua

This course started with obstacles from day one.. you see Josua has an ear condition which will normally disqualify you from diving. The tough young man braved the water first using some swim seal and other remedies, but you could see he was in pain and it was not working.

Marius, his dad eventually found a solution on an overseas website, a specially designed dive mask allowing your ears to stay dry and equalised....after some serious bill paying the mask arrived in South-Africa..

The story ended happy in Mozambique - Ponta Malongane where this fire side photos were taken. Josua did all his dives like an expert!

Advanced Divers:Liana, Inus and Ian Qualify

It is now official, the last lady of the "3 muscateers" did her NAUI Advanced Diver course, with a night dive and all!
Off-course Inus and Ian insisted on a full dof and don of all gear, but she did it !
We just could not get a warm enough wetsuit to fit Inus...so we had to compromise with two suits..check the boep !

Then there is the matter of Inus and his "voue" which causes his leaking mask, but for detail on that you will have to talk to Liana, I say nothing !

Ian can kindly remind her of her air checking on the deep dive....a story for another day..
Liana did teach us a neat trick on how you keep your hands warm when diving...you just stick them up in the air, out of the water..and yes..it actually works ! ha-ha-ha

Die girls duik Zanzibar

And while the guys have to stay at home making money to put bread on the table, the girls go diving.

DM Debbie our local dive photographer, with the island scuba gear loading truck.


Ok ok, so there was 1 guy on the trip...

Joggie, Badi, Debbie - March 2008

Badi ! ke ? En die sterk Joggie...dit is toe hy nog sy finne gehad het...
Waa my koene....NB. duik sonner vinne issie lekker nie...
Debbie se scorpion fish...can you spot it?
My Zambesi shark...ok ok ask Debbie...maybe NOT ! I stand by my case !

Some Mozambique Dive Photos

Lion fishes showing off at "Doodels" reef

Our resident morray eel: And my favourite always the big eyes of the porcupine box fishy

and then what will a coral reef be without the little macho 2Bar's defending their anemone fearlessly

Ponta Malongane - March 2008

Debbie our friend and DM as well as Aletta took some photos on our trip to Malongane early this year. We were diving “Aquarium" for those who know Ponta Malongane reefs, suddenly out of nowhere this whale shark appeared, fascinated by our bubble, he swam through our air bubbles. Buoyancy, deco times and ascend rates went for a ball for a few minutes as the cameras flashed. Then as he appeared he graciously departed again into the deep blue.

OW Course: Jeanine, Vanessa & Sonia

Congratulations to Scuba divers
Jeanine, Vanessa and Sonia!

Jeanine, Vanessa, and Sonia went diving....their first dive in the ocean, but what a weekend, snow all over SA, storms , rain, icy winds. This did not scare the 3 rambo ladies though. Congrats to the trio who was willing to brave serious swells and bad dive visibility to have a glimpse of the ocean life.

The ladies just completed their NAUI Scuba Diver course at Miracles Waters in well, 17 Degrees Celsius water. The only reason being that I promised them the most beautifull warm waters and diving when we get to Mozambique.
Well that was not meant to be, but what great sports they were, and with courage to brave the elements! You can take these ladies diving anyware!

What was awesome is how the turtles and dolphins just seem to appear from nowhere during our dive trips to help settle the nerves. Yes, Jeanine saw her "Tuuurtle" , and no more night mares of Morray eels . Ha ha ha

PS. By the way, the big guy in the photo is Herman who just went along on the trip for moral support.


And then the pop quiz...mmm too much Nemo movies..

At least here is the real Scarface..photo taken by Debbie.