Scuba diver help

Renee

Hi Chris

We've only done the confined water dives in the pool. We can do the open water ones in Egypt. The open water dives in England are done at Stoney Cove which is supposed to be very good but very cold. Not sure if I could dive into water where I can't see the bottom.

Hope you have a great time in Aqaba

Renee

Jays

Hi Renee and spirit

We dive in Egypt too, we go to El Gourna, near Hurgarda, which is alot further south than Nuweiba. El Gourna is great and the reefs are fantastic, but we've done it twice on the trot now so would like to hear about your trip when you get back.

I struggled with the mask taking off bit too, and the clearing it once you put it back on. I did mine in the open water test with my eyes shut in Jamaica as the water was so salty and I knew it would sting my eyes, when I cleared my mask I didn't realise and the instructor out there had to tap on the glass to get my attention to let me know I had done it! :rotfl:

Anyhow, since then, my husband has carrried on and now teaches all the PADI courses, and uses Stoney Cove! I'm just happy diving in warm water, abroad and Advanced Open Water is where I'm at and happy. Call me a tourist diver lol

Anyhow, congratulations and enjoy your holidays.

Jays

Murphy_The_Cat

Jays wrote:

Hi Renee and spirit

We dive in Egypt too, we go to El Gourna, near Hurgarda, which is alot further south than Nuweiba. El Gourna is great and the reefs are fantastic, but we've done it twice on the trot now so would like to hear about your trip when you get back.


Jays

Everything was going great on this thread until I read the words "El Gouna".

El Gouna is one of my favourite places in the world, you lucky, lucky, lucky so and so going there twice. The diving was really good there to, although we found the diving from Hurghada to be very good as well - it's just that El Gouna is a MUCH nicer place than Hurghada.

As for your mask problems - I found having a instructor that I trusted, respected and enjoyed being with hugely helpful. Please stick with it as it's worth it in the end.

MTC

ahhhhhhh El Gouna, happy times, the memories flood back.

Jays

Thanks Murphy the Cat

Yeah, we loved El Gouna. Interesting what you say about Hurghada, I wondered what it was like. Have you dived anywhere else?

El Gouna always seems really good value for money, IMO. Even the 5star hotels - we don't stay in that sort of luxury anywhere else!!

Jays

spirit

I didn't ever get to go to Stoney Cove, but used to read about it occasionally in Diver mag - cor, that takes me back, I've not bought that in a wee while!

In fact I didn't really want to learn to dive at all in the first place, but bought the course as a pressie for - the then husband. I was talked into it and am glad I did it now. I toyed up at the time with doing the qualification dives (open water ones) with my instructors here or to do it in Turkey where we had a holiday booked. I was told that if I got my qualifications out of the way then it wouldn't eat into valuable 'proper' dive time when away. So that's how I ended up doing it down at Port Solent - forgotten the name of the naval place there?? then I did the 20 metre dive (BSAC Ocean diver) at Portland supposedly on a wreck but the water was like chicken soup and couldn't see a darned thing!

I then went on to do Sport Diver in Turkey - and more mask clearing! Just after that time I got divorced and my super dive instructor and her husband invited me to Malta on a dive holiday with them. That was really great, it was like something out of a Enid Blyton - Five go on an adventure - type holiday!

that was in 2001 and haven't dived since, just because I moved house really and didn't have time or inclination. the Jordan holiday is not a diving holiday as such although there is a dive school attached to the hotel. I'm just looking forward to having a float in the Dead Sea.

Jays

Have a great float, Chris

Jays

nearlyrich

Wow well done you, have a great holiday and make the most of warm clean water. I learned to dive with BSAC in 1980 and most of my dives have been in dirty holes around the northwest, you don't care when you are 19 do you?

I remember Stoney Cove well and one or two places that MTC will probably know in the lake district, quarries and lakes, we used to dive Capernwray (sp) before it was developed as a dive centre as one of our club worked for the quarrying company.

My best experience was snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef almost 3 years ago, I hadn't dived for 18 years at that point (since I had the children) so I wasn't going to try scuba diving without some training etc.

Murphy_The_Cat

Jays wrote:

Thanks Murphy the Cat

Yeah, we loved El Gouna. Interesting what you say about Hurghada, I wondered what it was like. Have you dived anywhere else?

El Gouna always seems really good value for money, IMO. Even the 5star hotels - we don't stay in that sort of luxury anywhere else!!

Jays

Hi Jays

you asked so here goes

Devils Bridge Kirkby Lonsdale in a dry suit, bad experience - I'll never dive in a dry suit/In cold UK waters again.

Mrs Cat dived in Coniston Water and qualified here, she'lll never dive in a dry suit/In cold UK waters again.

S'algar, Menorca, where I qualified and came face to face with an eel for the first time.

Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt June. Qualified as an advanced Diver - the best diving holiday ever.

Cozumel Mexico. Skin diving, the water was that warn I didn't need a wetsuit.

Varadero - Cuba. An all inclusive holiday where the diving was included in the price.

Hurghada in Jan. Great diving, but less variety due to the colder water.

Kusadasi in Turkey. Diving was really boring.

Malta - rubbish diving, abysmal holiday (I'm getting cold sweats thinking about it)

ElGouna - in Jan. Diving was great (went on the Thistlegorn again) but less variety due to the cooler waters with it being Winter.

MTC

p.s. nearlyrich - capenwray is a really popular dive place now, for the people who INSIST on diving in the UK.

Jays

Wow Murphy

I'm not as experienced as you.

I did a trial dive in Barbados about 6 years ago, thought, great, tried that, got the T-shirt etc. Husband got absolutely hooked, as he does. Swapped gliding (bad back after sitting in cot-pits for too long) for diving.

He did every PADI course available, including the instructing as he had instructed in gliding (I think it's a sort of 'taking control' thing).

Then my eldest son who was 14 at the time joined him. Great, they went off for days leaving me by the pool with my younger son.

Then younger son reached 10, yes, you guessed it, straight into diving. What was I to do, feel abandoned for days on end on holiday? So I did the course with my youngest son, but was clever enough to do the Open water dives in Jamaica.

I've since had two wonderful diving holidays in El Gouna, as I've said. I was interested in your list as we had considered Turkey - don't think we'll bother now.

We want somewhere as good as El Gouna, but now we are paying for 4 adult fares, in school holidays, and the cost becomes phenominal (sp?). I would love to do go to the Barrier Reef, or the Maldives, or the Phillipines, or Goa.

I think we'll wait for the 'great' diving sites until the kids are old enough to be doing their own thing, and go as a couple.

As for hubby, he'll dive anywhere here, just about anytime - madness. Comes back saying "I could'nt see my hand in front of my face". Complete madness. Has to wear layers of thermals under his dry suit....

But he also get to go aboard on diving holidays with his courses, on livaboards in wonderful places - without me (sulk).

Anyhow, nice to chat.
Take care
Jays.

Murphy_The_Cat

Jays wrote:

Wow Murphy

I'm not as experienced as you.

I did a trial dive in Barbados about 6 years ago, thought, great, tried that, got the T-shirt etc. Husband got absolutely hooked, as he does. Swapped gliding (bad back after sitting in cot-pits for too long) for diving.

He did every PADI course available, including the instructing as he had instructed in gliding (I think it's a sort of 'taking control' thing).

Then my eldest son who was 14 at the time joined him. Great, they went off for days leaving me by the pool with my younger son.

Then younger son reached 10, yes, you guessed it, straight into diving. What was I to do, feel abandoned for days on end on holiday? So I did the course with my youngest son, but was clever enough to do the Open water dives in Jamaica.

I've since had two wonderful diving holidays in El Gouna, as I've said. I was interested in your list as we had considered Turkey - don't think we'll bother now.

We want somewhere as good as El Gouna, but now we are paying for 4 adult fares, in school holidays, and the cost becomes phenominal (sp?). I would love to do go to the Barrier Reef, or the Maldives, or the Phillipines, or Goa.

I think we'll wait for the 'great' diving sites until the kids are old enough to be doing their own thing, and go as a couple.

As for hubby, he'll dive anywhere here, just about anytime - madness. Comes back saying "I could'nt see my hand in front of my face". Complete madness. Has to wear layers of thermals under his dry suit....

But he also get to go aboard on diving holidays with his courses, on livaboards in wonderful places - without me (sulk).

Anyhow, nice to chat.
Take care
Jays.

Hi jays

yep I've done a few dives but none for a little while since Murphy The Kitten came along.
One of the nicest things about diving is that the best dive sites are in some of the nicest places in the world and are great for combining with a holiday.
One of the worst things about diving is that the best dive sites are in some of the nicest places in the world and are great for combining with a holiday but are expensive to get to.

Don't be put off Turkey by my comments, the diving was poor, but Turkey itself was OK (ish) - it just wasn't my cup of tea.

If my son was older (he's 21/2), we had some holiday time coming up & we had some spare cah kicking around - I'd be looking at taking my lot to Egypt again on a multi centre holiday - so long in (ahhh) El Gouna and so long in Cairo or Luxor soaking up some mega history.

MTC

p.s. I don't envy your husband diving in the UK, I'd rather have piles.