Newsletter: Christmas diving rush

Hi divers

The last week has been very hectic with a lot of students signing up, so I will be diving nonstop until Christmas – at which point I will enjoy a dry day featuring some turkey and a nap! I have seven Open Water and two Advanced students on the go with some DSDs thrown into the mix and hope to certify most of them before the end of the year.

On Thursday we did two amazing dives in the freezing (8 degrees) Atlantic. The first was on the SS Maori, which sank in 1909 with a diverse cargo including large iron water pipes, porcelain and railway sleepers.

Gerard impersonating a manta ray on the SS Maori

The wreck is in a small, sheltered bay about 7.5kms from the Hout Bay slipway and we enjoyed the incredible 20 metre plus visibility as we explored the large wreck.

Tony congratulating Cecil on completing his Open Water course

The second dive was in the same bay, on a more modern and intact wreck of a floating crane called the Bos 400. It ran aground in the winter of 1994 while under tow by a tug. It was outfitted with no expense spared, with a state of the art hospital, bridge, and helipad. The helipad collapsed within the last three months and the wreck is far more stable now than it was last time we visited Maori Bay.

This has to rate as one of the best dives I have ever done. The wreck is huge, unbelievably impressive and you could spend a lifetime exploring it. Again, the visibility was for miles. A large portion of the crane sticks out of the water and we took a drive around it on the boat before dropping into the water.

Cecil drinking and diving on the Boss 400

I am hoping that the dive charters will launch on the Christmas weekend (boxing day or the 27th) and I will let you know if boat dives are planned.

Congratulations to Corne who has just finished his Rescue course, and to Tami and Clare for completing their Wreck specialties. Also to Cindy, Cecil, Koen and Francine for Open Water.

See you in the water soon!

Regards

Tony Lindeque
076 817 1099
www.learntodivetoday.co.za
www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog
Diving is addictive!

<strong><a href=”https://www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/small-colour-e1284626229322.jpg”><img class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-486″ title=”Learn to Dive Today logo” src=”https://www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/small-colour-e1284626229322.jpg” alt=”Learn to Dive Today logo” width=”73″ height=”67″ /></a>Tony Lindeque</strong>
076 817 1099
<a href=”http://www.learntodivetoday.co.za” target=”_blank”>www.learntodivetoday.co.za</a>
<a href=”https://www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog” target=”_self”>www.learntodivetoday.co.za/blog</a>
<em>Diving is addictive!</em>

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Tony