Underwater Centre and MCSS work together

pre dive briefing on coral nursery cleaning activities by  program leader Chloe

 Underwater center have worked with Marine Conservation Society for many decades now and this year there is more work then ever to do.  Dive equipment is required daily ( free of charge ) for coral reef surveys, coral nursery inspections and cleaning activities.  We also have a LOBSTER Survey program underway requiring 2 nigh dives .............. and we are always happy to assist

Seychelles Maratime student assist UWC

We are lucky to have regular students assisting us at the Dive Center .  They do all kinds of jobs......go out on the boat to assist the skipper, go snorkeling as a Snorkel guide and become an
in water  safety personnel. Help with compressor  tank filling , general cleaning etc . etc. Always lots to do at the Dive Center 

Verona has a great artistic ability

cleaning equipment is never ending

Happy Family complete the OW course today

Dennis, Karine and the  2 kids Jana and Keanu have been training for the PADI  OW certification for the last 4 days and today completed the last 2 boat dives

Meet Jana, Keanu, Dennis and Karin .well done guys !

Daniel Hugelmann takes a perfect photo

Daniel has been diving with us in May . His Mum Dagmar is one of our weekend Dive masters  and they regularly dive with Mike Landon . See the  brilliant photo of Mike taken by Daniel

''HELLO''

Private charters for our family from Russia

We had a wonderful time with our family from Russia  who liked to dive.both boys!  and snorkel .both girls!

Several trips and a night dive  as well

Introduction to SCUBA courses very popular

It has been a month  of whole families taking the introduction to SCUBA course  . All seem to be very happy  with the training and boat dive to follow

Everyone getting ready for the pool training

Frank completes his OW course

Frank arrived from Belgium with a desire to  becom ean Open Water Diver . So today he completed his course

Open Water Diver FRANK

Now he is free to complete the remaining part of his holidays!!

Still busy !!!

It has been busy at the dive center with little time for taking photos . But see a few of our guests below enjoying themselves

Kris has been sending us lots of photos...see FACE book

Marine Conservation Society Seychelles having briefing before coral research dive 

We support MCSS with FREE rental equipment for all their research dives

Two dive boats ...another busy day

Welcome to Dmytro and family enjoying a morning boat charter for diving and snorkeling 

Again two boats for the morning  dives !!!

QE 11 visits today 13-04-2018

 QE 11 offers a round the world tour and visits every 2 years . Today she was docked alongside and we took 5 divers out on a 2 dive trip . The ship is huge and looks most impressive tied up to Port Victoria dock

Wreck diving is popular

We often have a request for  wreck diving and we are lucky to have 4 different wreck sites .
 3 sites are within the Beau Vallon Bay area . These artificial reefs are :
* Twin Barges suitable for all  certification levels  @ 12 - 24 meters
* Dredger wreck @ 27 meters  are  experienced divers  or AOW deep divers
* Aldabaran wreck @ 30 - 40 meters .......definitely experienced deep divers

Aldabaran Wreck

Aldabaran

Aldabaran

Extra long distance is the  wreck of the ENNERDALE .......a British Tanker that floundered in 1970 when only less than a year old!  She has been in the water a long time ......nearly 50 years  and lies on her right side facing Praslin Island . She is 30 meters on the sand and was 19 meters at the highest point but with age and collapse this is now 20+ meters . We will be able to check this  accurately when we visit on Saturday 14th April with a boat of 10 local divers keen to do this dive .
 Hopefully lots of new photos for you to see

Ennerdale Wreck .....The massive propeller  at the stern end

Things to see underwater

We have had requests  for diving both long distance and short distance dive sites with plenty of marine life to see :

Granitic rocks are a haven for fish 

 a collection of open mouthed mackerel

Scorpion fish by the plenty

Barbel ells often seen around the wrecks

Geometric Morey ells seen on the twin barges wrecks

Snorkeling is very popular

We have many good sites for snorkeling... .both granitic  rock and most popular is the Bay Ternay Marine National Park. Catalini took the whole family for a boat snorkeling trip

The snorkeling family

Lots of Introduction to SCUBA courses today 05-04-2018

Lots of visitors and fantastic weather has meant that lots of people are interested in the  1 day Introduction to SCUBA course with afternoon boat dive. Sabrina and Stella did a training course with 6 students today

Theory completed it is now  the practical training session before the pool training

 

Bye Bye to Harold

Harold has been a regular visitor since 1986 and is now on his 32nd visit to Seychelles. He is one of the Underwater  Center's  first Dive Master certifications way back in 1997  !!! 
He promises to be back in 2019 for hopeful a longer stay and more dives with his dive buddy Horst

Regular dive visitor Harold leaves tomorrow 

Mad March

Just like February we have had a very busy March ...MAD MARCH!!!!!  .Lots of divers, snorkelers and courses to keep us out of trouble . Indeed it has been so very busy that no time, to take photos of to blog!!!  Sorry guys!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Easter

Easter weekend was soooooooooooooo  busy !!!!  Lots of divers and snorkelers. Weather perfect ......Seas clear , clam and warm  and lots of fish life to keep everyone happy

Dive board for the Easter weekend

Skipper trainee DEAN passes his exams and takes out dive boat

Dean has come to us from Seychelles Maritime  Academy and has been training  as a boat skipper .
 On Monday he passed his 10 miles skippers exam and took the boat out today to Grouper Point and
Bay Ternay Marine Park

Congratulations to DEAN

Today's dives

View of the dive boats from the Dive Centre

Yesterday was a beautiful day and we have 2 morning boats . The afternoon had both divers and snorkelers on board

A gentle stroll up the beach and back to the Dive Centre

Dive Boats'' REEF DIVER'' and ''REEF DIVER 111''

Meet Terry and his side mounted equipment

We do not get side mounted equipment requests very often so when Terry decides to come  for a second visit we are ready !

2 tanks each dive 

Meet Instructor Terry who likes to dive with 2 tanks each dive

Christianne and Andreas return with the kids

We have known the Kinsky family since before Christiane and Andreas got married . Now they are a family of 6 children and all  are great swimmers  ( excluding the new baby!) . snorkelers and slowly all becoming divers.
 Last visit it was Carlotta's ( Lola's)  turn to get certified .This time  it is Max and Philipp's  turn . Next will be Nicolas and  then Otto

Meet Max

Meet Carlotta

Meet Philipp

 

Great time for diving

At last we seem to be in the  between  Trade Wind seasons and the Doldrums are just perfect ..........flat calm seas and good visibility with lots of marine life around.
 We are also lucky to have lots of returning  guests   as they know its a good time to be a diver and to be in Seychelles !!

Terry Maxwell returns for 15 dives 

Horst and Harold go diving almost every day for the 3 to 4 week holidays. Dagmar is a good understanding wife of Horst!

The Kinsky family are back

New Open Water students

We have two classes running . One in English for Diane  and 1 in German for Karl. However they do cross paths when it comes to learning water skills in the pool and going on dives

Meet our OW student  Diane

Meet our OW student  Karl 

Diane has competed the theory with just the Dive Tables to master .................. Karl gets this part to do tomorrow!!

3 tables to learn . 1st dive, Surface Interval and Repetitive dive table  

The wedding party decide to try SCUBA

The  new husband and wife decided to get all the guests to try SCUBA , first in the pool and then on the afternoon boat dives .
 So Sabrina  and assistant Earon were busy yesterday morning  with a class of 10

Meet some of the brides girlfriends  

I'm happy! 

We are ready!

Such a lot of equipment, mask, suits etc .  Sabrina and Earon  helping everyone in to the gear 

 The afternoon dive went to Corasire reef  and all 10 did really well with the assistance of Instructors Sabrina, Darius and Stella

St Particks Day 17-03-2018

Saturday was St Patrick's Day ...the national day of Ireland . Although we had no GREEN divers we had our morning divers  help to celebrate the day

The days activities  on 17-03-2018

Morning divers visit   Grouper & Bay Ternay Marine National  Park

Wolfgang and Armin wish a Happy St. Patrick's  day to all