European Divers!

[dutch-scuba-kid]

Btw... hope I could help you with the info I posted.
I hope some other dutchies will be giving they're own perspective on this thing soon. Cause now you've just been hearing my side of th story. hehe.

Ramon

 

[andros]

Maybe not all of this belongs to europe but might give you some ideas for your next trip outside europe.

The past
Diving since 1992 I have been to some very nice places with really nice dive sites

After my OWD at the end of 1991 I started with a 2 week trip to Kuredu Island (Pro Divers), Maldives

The next trip took me to for one week on a wreck dive specialty to France. I dove at the Donator, Le Greg and some other WW-vessels and civil freighters. But no penetration.

After this first contact with wreck diving it was time again for fish. So I spent a week shore diving in Safaga, Egypt plus a week live aboard with Sinai Divers to the south aboard the Ghazala Voyager.

Due to business reasons I had a little break before the next trip. In 1996 I went to Egypt again. Friends seduced me to do a live aboard safari to the south again. This time aboard the Ghazala Explorer.

After two times Red Sea I thought it is time for a different location. Someone in our group said Philippines. The sound of this word made us dream of white beaches, romantic bays, ie. To come to the end - 1998 we spent three weeks at the Coco Beach resort at Mindoro island, Philippines. Very nice relaxed diving. You might think boring - Not one day, some days current but not too much. Just enough ti drive you along the coral walls.

Between 1998 and 2002 I did a lot of diving in Germany and Austria. Especially in Austria diving in most of the lakes offers you a viz up to 50m, 100m and more. Attersee, Fernsteinsee, Samaranger See and Blindsee are here the top spots.

2002 I came back to the Philippines and back to Mindoro island. But this time - due to a special offer during the BOOT 2002 exhibition - we stayed with Cocktail Divers at the Garden of Eden Resort. Three top class wrecks just in front of the beach (500m to snorkel). Top class not because of their size but the native animals. Pipefish, frogfish, moray eels, stonefish, dragonfish all at a place of less than 5000 square metres.

And finally in 2003 it had to be Egypt again. This time we made our decision on a one week trip aboard the safari boat Ghazala Voyager to the north (Sinai peninsula) where all the big wrecks are. Ghiannis D, Carnatic, Thistlegorm, ie. On an early morning dive friends of mine spotted a tiger shark. Stuff for hours of chatting. Unfortunately on the fourth day on board I had my little toes broken and was unable to wear boots or fins without boots.

The future
And now ??? Only 2 days and a few hours left over to our departure to Hongkong, transfer via Cebu to Bohol.

 

[dutch-scuba-kid]

Philippines again!!! hahaha, great.
Surely makes me wanna go back. And I will for sure.
You also made me very curious about the lakes in Austria. 50 - 100 meter viz??? unbelievable. And I'll probably be going to Egypt as well... like everybody has!
Anyway, sounds like you have a great diving history. Hope there's more good stuff coming your way. Have fun diving the Philz again!
Surely you'll let us know how everything went, right? hehehe.
Happy diving!

Ramón

 

[Sylvie]

Greutzi Andy

Thanks for all the tips. You’ve been lucky with your travels. The Philippines was one of the places I was considering. It’s competing with Malaysia, and Indonesia, and possibly Thailand as far as Asia is concerned. I’m also interested in Mauritius & the Seychelles, but not just for diving. Last but not least, a one week live-aboard in Egypt would not be bad either. I just have to figure out where is the best place to go during that time of year. We also plan to do local diving this summer in places like Bodensee, Zurichsee, Zugersee, Valle Versasca perhaps even the Rhine. We have an accumulation of six weeks holidays this year and can only use them between mid May till Mid July and then again in late November and early December.

The trip to Sharm just got confirmed this afternoon, so I'm pretty excited. It will be my second trip to the red sea. I was in Marsa Alam in October. It was great, but I was disappointed after hearing so much about it. I had expected so much more. I actually preferred the Great Barrier Reef and even the Maldives, despite coral bleaching for over the top five meters. The dive buddies we made in Marsa Alam suggested we’d like the wrecks and the national marine parks around the Sinai Peninsula, so that's were we're off to next month. Now my next task is to find a good dive school that offers Nitrox courses, before we go on our major diving holiday this spring or summer. I heard that both Sinai Divers and The Crab are close to my hotel at Sharks Bay. Has anyone on this board had experienced with them?

Time to get ready for Malta. I’ve been procrastinating all day. So much for my idea of any early check in tonight.

Sylvie

 

[andros]

I heard that both Sinai Divers and The Crab are close to my hotel at Sharks Bay. Has anyone on this board had experienced with them?

Yes, I do. Because I always dove with Sinai Divers when I was in Sharm or Dahab or on a live aboard. Not only because of Rolf Schmidt (the owner of the company) is a friend of mine, but they do keep up with a high standard on diving. Gear, guides, diving itself, boats, etc.

When you are there give Toinne (female dutch guide) a hug from me. She was in Dahab for quite long time and has now moved to Sharm - as far as I know.

Unfortunately she did not want to come with me to germany. :-(

 

[Sylvie]

Hi Andy

I'm glad to get some first hand feedback about Sinai divers. I'll definately contact them before leaving. Sorry to hear about Toinne. I'll say hi to her if I meet her.

Tschüüüüüüüüseli

Sylvie

 

[El Orans]

Anyhow, it's nice to see some more Dutchies on here! It's cool to see El'Orean's (spelling?) suggestion to go diving here in the Netherlands! Perhaps I'd come along if you organised it in the summer time! (hehe...)

Watersprite aka Holiday Diver! :ne_nau:

I'm always looking for another opportunity to get wet.
What date do you suggest?

 

[mobymark]

Hey Sylvie and Ramon! Thast water temp is below my freeze level! The water temp here is 16, which is just okay! But getting warmer! Soon we will be diving naked! If you believe that one, you will believe anything! Great feedback commimg in!

 

[dutch-scuba-kid]

Hey Sylvie!

If you're still interested in diving over here this summer, you could use this link. I was talking about 2 diving centers as you could read in my previous posts. First one was about Waterworld (www.waterworld.nl <--- so stupid, didn't realize they had a website. Totally slipped my mind. hehehe. not sure if it's in english though) And later I told you about De Kabbelaar. Well, found their website too, but don't thank me, thank ElOrans for posting it in a different thread. (http://www.de-kabbelaar.nl/english/Default.htm) Hope this will help you.

Ramón.

 

[Sylvie]

Thanks for the info Ramon. I'll get it in mind during my next trip to NL.

Sylvie