Where did you solo dive today?

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Back to Chapel Rock, Larnaca District, Cyprus yesterday. Everything felt more organised on my part and sea conditions calmer. Had my GoPro rig with video lights this time. Like a pig in ****!

Images are just GoPro video grabs with a quick and dirty edit. Not expecting to be on the front page of National Geographic.

Story continues. Did my first dive with a local dive centre today. That didn't go quite as smoothly! I'll write something tomorrow.

The lionfish is worrisome as the Med is overfished as it is.

 

[MB NZ]

The lionfish is worrisome as the Med is overfished as it is.

Yes, as per my original post which I linked above, they simply weren't here the last time I dived Cyprus in 2012. Now they are everywhere! I'm a keen underwater hunter. My first move was to email the Department of Fisheries to gain permission to harvest them using a pole spear. The answer was a flat no. There is a blanket ban on spearfishing with SCUBA in Cyprus, but I thought they might make an exception for lionfish as they are such a cause for environmental concern. Freediving is not an option in the spot I've been diving. You would very quickly find yourself decapitated by a tourist boat, plus I've seen most of them at 20+ metres which is a little beyond my skills. On the plus side, they are very photogenic and since the Mediterranean is lacking in other fish life, may as well make the best of a bad situation.

 

[MB NZ]

This is a bit long, sorry!

Birthday dive on the Zenobia, Cyprus. I decided to go with a dive centre as I couldn't be bothered to organise it myself.

A little background. The wreck needs no introduction to European divers. A 172m car ferry which sunk in 42 metres and lays on its port side. I've done 93 dives on the wreck previously and am familiar with most penetration routes. I worked a full season as a guide in the area in 2003 and visited regularly up until 2012, so feel confident that I can swim around the wreck and return alive. I have a solo diver qualification and some entry level technical qualifications, as well as a divemaster ticket.

I emailed the dive centre in advance to say that my preference was to dive solo among other discussion related to meeting times and cylinder requirements including pony hire etc. No specific response to the solo diving request, but no issues raised either.

Got to the dive centre, transfer by road to boat. Short boat ride to the wreck and everyone started kitting up. No dive briefing at any point. Asked the young dive guide if it was OK to jump in the water. Got the OK, but he requested that the small dive group descend to the "top" of the wreck at 18 metres together. I said no problem. We descended together, then the group did their thing while I did mine. In short, the pig in **** feeling returned. It was so good to be diving the wreck again. My maximum depth was 30 metres with a conservative, no decompression profile. Very different to the good old days which was straight down to 42 metres! At 70 bar, I was thinking about my ascent close to the shot line when I felt a tug on my fin. Looked around to see the older dive guide from the boat signalling furiously for me to ascend which I did, doing my safety stop in the way up. Total dive time 60 minutes.

Once on the boat, got a full on lecture about the dangers of solo diving and I think the younger dive guide had got a bollocking. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife! Obviously, no communication between the office and the dive crew. I just smiled, what can you do in this situation?

Got my orders to stay with the group on the second dive which I dutifully did. It was a terrible plan for the second dive. Descent to the propellers at 30 metres which meant the rest of the group was close to their no decompression limits. I hovered above them watching with interest. Total dive time 40 minutes, if we'd stayed in the shallower parts of the wreck which are more scenic anyway, we could have had a decent length dive.

Anyway, not a rant. I'm too old and jaded to get in to that, just reporting what happened. The dive guides were just doing their job. It was a failure of communication between the guides, their managers and myself. First dive was awesome, second dive less so from my point of view.

Not sure where my diving is going, but I really don't enjoy guided day boat diving.

Pictures to follow.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Once on the boat, got a full on lecture about the dangers of solo diving and I think the younger dive guide had got a bollocking. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife! Obviously, no communication between the office and the dive crew. I just smiled, what can you do in this situation?

That's where I could have helped with some rather "colorful" Greek phrases to the captain that would have diffused the situation.

 

[MB NZ]

That's where I could have helped with some rather "colorful" Greek phrases to the captain that would have diffused the situation.

I could have done that, but couldn't be bothered with it all. Καπετάνιος was the worst of the bunch. It was obvious he just wanted the trip over as soon as possible. Divers doing long dives were not compatible with his goal.

 

[BoltSnap]

I could have done that, but couldn't be bothered with it all. Καπετάνιος was the worst of the bunch. It was obvious he just wanted the trip over as soon as possible. Divers doing long dives were not compatible with his goal.

Is diving in Cyprus worth a trip just for diving overall?

 

[MB NZ]

Is diving in Cyprus worth a trip just for diving overall?

For you, I would say no, but a lot of British divers and other Northern Europeans (and this NZ diver) enjoy the clear, warm water. Wreck diving is good, but there is little in the way of history. Fish life is sparse, but can be good on the wrecks at times.

 

[MB NZ]

Some GoPro video "grabs" from my day on the Zenobia.

 

[BoltSnap]

(and this NZ diver) enjoy the clear, warm water.

Is diving in NZ all cold dark water no tropical like they have in Australia?

 

[MB NZ]

Is diving in NZ all cold dark water no tropical like they have in Australia?

It depends. In summer in the north of NZ where I live, water temperature can reach 22 degrees C (I've actually witnessed 26 degrees C way offshore) and we get an influx of tropical visitors including turtles, whale sharks and mantas. They are unusual sightings though. Fishermen get excited by the arrival of tuna and marlin. It is classed as sub-tropical. Visibility can be 25 metres, but the sea is rich in microscopic life, so visibility 10-15 metres is more normal. Obviously this depends where you dive. If you're in a harbour after heavy rain, visibility can be less than 2 metres. There's lots of fish including sharks, but it's rare to see sharks unless you are spearfishing, then you see too many! There's a few wrecks dotted around the north too. Water temperature falls to below 15 degrees C in winter and there isn't as much life around. It can certainly be cold and dark! Whether winter or summer, the weather and sea conditions are highly unpredictable. You'll often get a good day in winter and a terrible day in summer. The Pacific Ocean is treacherous and it is essential to pay close attention to weather and sea forecasts. The further south you go in NZ, the colder it gets in general. Most diving is done on the east coast as the west coast is pounded almost relentlessly by heavy swells.

Australia is a huge country, a continent. You can experience everything from the conditions I've described in NZ (and colder!) in the south to the tropics in the north with everything in-between!