A week to Go

Well just over a week to go before I fly out to Sharm in Egypt for a week on a liveabord, we are going to be diving some of the best wrecks and reefs in the area.

This is going to be the first time that I'm taking the DLSR camera can't wait to see the pics and video at the end of the trip.

My new toy: AP Valve Inspiration Classic Rebreather

Well after months looking round for a secondhand unit, I found one close to home, well from a local club member.


So after a little time to think about it(10 seconds) we arranged a try dive on the unit, just a quick check out dive at Holborough lakes.

Well colin and myself checked the unit on the saturday, topping up the cylinders with air and oxygen, packed the scrubber. and then switched the beast on, to calibrate it and make sure all the cells was working correctly.

On the sunday I drove to Colin's and we shared the journey up there, I was feeling a little bit nervous trying out the new bit of kit. As Holborough is only just of 10m in depth this wasn't going to be a problem. For extra protection I took a 7Ltr stage with air in which was also attached to my drysuit.

We unloaded the car and put the rebreathers on the benches and kitted up, drysuits on and stages all ready to go. Well it was now or never!


Dive1: This would allow me to get the weighting correct and make sure that I could breathe properly before we went out to the 6m platform. Well I needed 12kg og lead and had another 2kg's on the pouch at the top of the rebreather. This amount of weight allowed me to sink easily however not to fast. We did a surface swim out to the 6M platform, making sure the mouth piece was always on my mouth. So time to descend, this is where my problems started , with the rebreather you need to breathe out of your noise to reduce the air in the loop, well becuase my hood was far to loose everytime I breathed out my hood filled with air and started to pull my mask off, however I was descend to 6m. I thought this was a mask issue, so off with the mask and straight on with the backup and full mask clear. Sorted my bouyancy and was hovering over  the platform no problem at all. We then completed a bailout to the 7ltr stage making sure I closed the mouth piece of the rebreather, and then swapped back.

We was about to go for a swim when my hood filled up with air again and the mask was being pulled off my face. I signalled to Colin that I was going up and that ended the dive.

Dive2: Well thanks to Dave from Holborough Lakes who lent me a nice snug hood backup mask on we entered to water for dive2. As my weighting was right we swam back out to the 6m platform , desended down to platform, what a difference no mask problems and no floaty hood, again I completed a quick bailout, Colin checked for bubbles and we was both OK. I then started to hover over the platform, and things were good.

After a couple of minutes swimming round the platform, it was time to test it for a bit more of a dive, so we set off for a circuit of the lake. We had a good luck around the Sweet Mystery wreck, and then followed the ropes over and round to the 10m platform, where I completed another bailout drill. and then swam back to the 6M platform where we had started from.

You just have to love these rebreather things for being so quite.

I now have an AP Valves Inspiration Classic.

Tec Trimix Gas Blender Instructor

Has finally become a TEC Trimix Gas Blender Instructor, which allows me to teach people how to blend there own nitrox and trimix blends.

At the Hastings club we have a full mixing panel for nitrox and trimix fills.

If you fancy doing the course and become a gas blender then let me know.
Email: info@southcoastdiving.co.uk

Where Next............!

Well having recently returned fron Greece on the island of Zante , I managed a few dvives into caves and cavens.

I now think this is where I should venture with my diving, it's some hard to explain what appeals to myself with caves and cavens but it just does.

What I can say is that you need to join me on a trip over the Zante if you don't enjoy the diving I'm sure you'll love the island.

Thomas Canyon 67.3m

This was my first trimix dive after becoming a certified PADi Tec Trimix 65 diver, and what a dive to do Thomas Canyon the 3rd Arch.

Well Thomas Canyon is a famous tec diving place out in Sharm, it's 150m long and nearly 100m deep making it an ideal place for tec divers.

My buddies on this dive was Jilly and Dave, we planned the dive to a depth of 60m(PPO2 1.39), with a deeper plan of 70m(PPO2 1.6) this would allow us to do the 3rd arch, something not to many people at Blue Ocean Diving had done so far.

Kit wise I was using a twin 12's with 20/11 trimix back gas and had 32% and a 70% for my deco gases.

Anyway our boat for the week Seaflower arrived at the site to say the least I was a little excited and also nervous as this would be the deepest I'd ever been, I was ready to jump in, the skipper lined up and then we was in the water, a quick bubble check and s-drill and we started to descend. It was funny as the hole didn't look that big it was more like a small crack in the seabed. We got down to the opening this is around 35m.

Tec Trimix 65

Well after completing my Tec 50 course I some how ended up going straight onto the Tec Trimix 65 course.

This comprised of 4 dives building on the 50m depth and getting towards 65m.



Dive1: This was completed at Maidstone pool as this had all the main skills set, without going into all of them, which wouldn't leave any surprises for people doing the course, some of these were no mask swims, stage cylinder games of carrying four 2 on each side was some fun.

The next 3 dives was going to be done over in Sharm in some nice blue water

Dive2:White Knight

Dive3:Eel Garden

Dive4:Blue Hole Dahab

PADi Tec 50 Course

PADi Tec 45 Course

PADi Tec 40 Course

Having completed the first dive in the pool to conduct most of the skills it was off to Stoney Cove for a couple of days midweek.

Having never dived there before it would be a mini adventure for myself, we had 3 dives to complete with the final dive being completed on the hydrobox down at 37.9M.

Vobster weekend doing a PADi Advanced Open Water Course

Well it back to one of my favourate inland dive sites this weekend Vobster Quay. Hotel booked, space reserved at Vobster, dive gear packed already.

The weather looks good for both days. Going to be some good diving

PADi Tec 40/45 Course

The first weekend of the Padi Tec 40 & 45 is over and I'm aching all over, after 3 hours in the pool each day and classroom sessions all completed.

Dive 1 is completed on both courses and also some of the skills for Tec 50.

Were off to Chepstow on the 14/15th April to complete Tec 40 dives and also start the second of Tec 45.

Master Scuba Diver Trainer Instructor

Well finally made it to MAster Scuba Diver Trainer Instructor after nearly 6 months of being and Open Water Diving Instructor, got to say a big thanks to all the students for making this happen.

Now this helps me lead onto the begining of doing my TEC Instructor Course later in the year. Giving  a maximum depth of 50 meters

DiveMaster Trainee's at Holborough

This was one of the first sundays to be arranged to help the DiveMatser trainee's get through there course.

The first part of the day was for exams in which Paula and Kieron managed to complete 4 exams each and pass all of them also. Only another 4 to go now.

Kieron wanted to complete his 100m diver tow also and as they was getting in the water to preform there Rescue assesment it was a good time to have a go.

First up Paula towed Kieron and managed a very good time of 2minutes 33 seconds which gave her 4 points, next up was Kieron who completed it in 2 minutes and 6 seconds which is an amazing time and a massive 5 points.


So onward to the Rescue assesment, Paula had the first go, and struggled with the rythm however this dodn't put her off, next up was Kieron who started well but then lost the rythm half way through.

So they both kitted up again and go number 2 with Mark on of the Instructors in the water guiding them, Paula up first this time it was alot better however she wasn't happy with her self so she's going to have another go another day. However Kieron managed it completely with only some slight errors and we was all happy with his progress however we might make him do it again for a laugh. 

A big well done to all that turned up, more to do next sunday hope your ready

PADi's New Tec Rebreather Courses are coming..............!

Just been reading that PADi are launching new set of rebreather course later this year. Can't wait for this even down to 100 meters on the tech side.

Looking forward to review this course