I never realised that a hobby would take over my life and become a passion… some say an obsession! I was always unsure about my career after finishing school and after muddling my way through university, I decided to enrol on a scuba dive instructor course at one of the local dive stores in Palmerston North. It changed my life.

Over the past 18 years as a PADI Instructor I have been able to share my passion with over 2500 students from swimming pool experiences to certifying as a speciality instructor.

It is such a buzz when you catch up with someone you taught 15 years ago and you can see where the underwater world has taken them, compare stories and talk about great dive locations.

Thankfully I found scuba diving early in my career so I have been able to learn many things and I am still learning now; – I am currently completing courses as a student to build my knowledge and keep my enjoyment and passion alive.

You too can love your adventurous life and become a diving instructor with Dive HQ Christchurch. Enrol now in the Diploma in Professional Scuba Instruction, starting February and find your way in life, having fun, meeting great people and diving.

There are so few industries where your hobby is genuinely your work. It’s such a thrill to be paid for something you truly love

So pop into the shop, have a chat and see where scuba diving can take you!

Desirable Dive Buddies have many important qualities, of course there is the fun factor, but really the reason for a dive buddy is simple – Safety!

Finding the right person to share the adventure of diving with can make a huge difference to your experience. Learning to be a good diver should include learning to be a good buddy diver too, however too often it seems the more experienced a diver becomes, the more they forget some of the fundamentals of diving safely and considerately with your dive buddy. Do you still remember to do a Buddy Check?  Dive your Plan and Plan your Dive? How about doing a dive brief and a de-brief?

One of the best ways to find a good dive buddy is to be a good one in the first place!  Another tip is to consider how they behavior out of water, and you should get a picture of what kind of dive buddy they will be!

Want to Meet New Dive Buddies?
Joining onto a dive trip, or enrolling in a dive course are some of the best ways to meet a dive buddy. Enquire with Dive HQ Christchurch for trips to Akaroa Peninsula, Kaikoura, Motenau, as well as the Solomons in 2018!

The Best Buddies are:

Patient – Are they a patient person, or do they hurry through tasks and take short cuts.  Will they wait for you if you have a problem or will they make you feel rushed? Diving with someone who tells you to hurry up, can lead to stress and mistakes.
Aware – Are they aware of their environment and others? Will they be able to spot dangers, or attractions and avoid getting lost.  Will they be aware of you, or will they ignore you under the water and go into their own world!
Positive  – What attitude do they bring to your dive? Are the positive and do they enjoy diving, will they be enthused about similar things to you and want to share in the enjoyment.
Good Communicators – Do they take the time to talk about the dive plan with you, and plan who will lead, or will you dive side by side. Do you plan what you will do if you lose each other?
Respectful – Are they a respectful person, to others and to their environment?  Or do they only think of their own needs, and do as they please during a dive rather than consider you and the surroundings.

Buddies to Beware of:

Buddies who won’t do a buddy check!
Buddies that go down or surface without you!
Buddies that don’t dive to plan.
Buddies that don’t dive close to you
Buddies that get into underwater arguments!

Why Bother with a Buddy?

Aside from the enjoyment of sharing the dive experience with someone, there are a number of scenarios where you would count your lucky star fish that you have a buddy to help, including:

Worst case – Out-of-air emergency
Low on air
Getting trapped in ropes/seaweed/net
Equipment failure
Illness or medical emergency
Getting caught in a current
Leg cramps
Getting lost
Feeling narked and making poor decisions
Feeling panicked

HAVE YOU EVER?

Lost your dive buddy while taking photos or spearfishing?
Had cramp in your leg while diving, but had no one to massage it for you?
Surfaced without your buddy?
Started a dive without doing a buddy check?
Spent a whole dive chasing your buddy’s fins just to keep up with them?
Forgotten to turn on your tank – clear sign of forgetting the buddy check!
Come to the surface after a dive and found only one of you saw lots of cool stuff while the other missed it?
Had an underwater argument?
Felt that your buddy has put your safety at risk while diving?

Let’s keep the Dive Buddy standard a high one and enjoy safe diving together.
To find out more about dive trips and courses contact:
Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South
Sydenham
Christchurch
Call 0800 DIVEHQ (348347)
www.diveskiworld.co.nz

Are you considering enrolling on a scuba diving course, but not yet entirely sure whether it is for you? Breathing underwater is not a natural human trait, but once you have experienced it – believe us – you won’t want to go back.

Here, we aim to answer some of the questions you may have before jumping into the deep.

• I really want to learn to dive, but know nothing about scuba. Is this a problem?

You do not need to have any knowledge about diving prior to starting your PADI course. The theory and practical sections are designed to teach you everything you need to know!

• I am not much of a reader. Will this make the theory difficult for me?

The PADI Open Water Course caters to students from the age of 10. The book is designed to be an easy read for all students. It isn’t just text, but images, quizzes, and schematics too, along with a series of videos on DVD. There is also an online version (eLearning), if you prefer to be computer or tablet based. If you are worried about the theory, you can always leave yourself plenty of time, and discuss extra sessions with your instructor.

• Do I need to be a strong swimmer?

You do not have to be an Olympic swimmer to learn to scuba dive, however you will have to pass a swim test at the beginning of the course. You do not have to know how to swim well, you will just have to be able to go 200m without stopping. You also have to be able to tread water/float for 10 minutes.

• How long will my certification last?

The great thing about a PADI certification is that it never expires! However, once you are certified, if you go a long period without diving, we recommend you take a refresher to go ever your skills with a trained professional. Or you could consider the PADI ReActivate program!

• How long does the course run for?

At Dive HQ Christchurch, the course runs over two weekends. The first is a theory and pool weekend, the second is for the four required open water dives. All are full days. This may differ in places.

• I wear glasses/contacts. Can I still dive?

There is no reason why your eyesight should prevent you from diving. If you cannot go without any form of corrective lenses, there are several options for you. You can wear contacts while diving. It is important to find a mask that fits you well, to avoid any leaks (purchasing your own would be my advice). During the course you will have to flood and remove your mask. Inform your instructor that you wear contacts, and you will be able to perform the skills with your eyes kept shut.

If contacts are not an option for you, it is possible to get lenses suited to you prescription fitted in most masks. We can organise this in store. We also have a few masks with a selection of prescription lenses that we can fit on the spot, such as Oceanic’s ion 4 mask.

• What about sharks?

Sharks are awesome! Chances are, you won’t get to see one on your open water course, but if you are that lucky then enjoy the experience! Sharks are generally very passive and peaceful creatures, and you have no reason to fear them.

If you would like to experience breathing underwater before enrolling onto the Open Water Course, we offer try dives where you can trial the gear, take your first breath underwater, and attempt some skills with an instructor. Inquire for more info!

 It is completely normal to have queries before learning to dive. If there is anything you are wondering about, or any questions you would like answered before enrolling on an Open Water Diver Course, then do not hesitate to get in touch with us! We can talk you through how the course will be run, and everything it will entail. 

Call us on (03) 379 5804, email us at sales@diveskiworld.co.nz, or visit us in the Dive HQ Christchurch shop at 103 Durham St South!

One of the most common issues for Divers is equalizing your ears.

There can be many reasons for this such as congestion due to a cold, swimmer’s ear, narrow Eustachian tubes, or other pre-existing issues and damage from barotrauma.

I have always had sensitive ears, and after suffering a barotrauma I worried that this would stop me diving, but after doing some research and trials at the deep end of the pool, I found an equalizing method that works for me.  I’ve compiled a list of tricks and tips, the first 4 are pre-dive and the rest apply to the dive itself.

Hopefully there’s one or a combination of tips that work for you, and remember don’t push it – there’s always next time.

Here are a few other tips, these are things to thing about before going diving:

• Avoid milk and other dairy products that may increase your mucus production.
• Avoid tobacco and alcohol: like dairy they can increase your mucus levels.
• Start clearing your ears early – even hours before you dive.
• Chew gum before diving, this keeps you swallowing which is opening your Eustachian tubes.

 Once you’re in the water think about these pointers:

• Equalise at the Surface – this can help you get down the first metre and can also inflate your Eustachian – remember, be gentle!
• Descend feet first – it can be much harder to clear with you head down.
• Look up as you descend. This stretches the tubes, I often stretch my neck from left to right as well to help extend the stretch.
• Use a descent line – this will help you control the speed of your descent.
• MOST IMPORTANTLY – STOP IF IT HURTS! Your Eustachian tubes have been blocked by the pressure differential. Ascend a metre or two and try equalising again gently.

Clearing Methods

The most common method is the Valsalva Manoeuvre – this is the most common method, you pinch you nose then blow gently. Be aware of how hard you are blowing as too much pressure could rupture an ear drum. Never blow for more than 5 seconds before taking a break. The problem with this method as it doesn’t open the Eustachian tubes, instead air is forced up into them but this won’t work if the tubes are already locked due to a pressure differential.

Another common one is the Toynbee Manoeuvre – you start with pinching your nose, and while holding it – swallow. The motion of swallowing opens the tubes while the movement of your tongue forces compressed air against them.

The Lowrey Manoeuver combines the Valsalva and Toynbee and this is one that works well for me. While holding your nose – blow gently and swallow at the same time.

The Frenzel Manoeuvre requires you pinching your nose and closing the back of your throat (as you would do when straining to lift something). Then try making the sound of the letter ‘K’, closing you throat is opening the Eustachian tubes and making the ‘K’ sound forces air against the opening.

The Edmonds Technique involves tensing the soft palate – this is the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth – and your throat muscles, while pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva manoeuver.

This next one requires a bit more practice – Voluntary Tube Opening. Again start by tensing the muscles of the soft palate and throat while pushing your jaw forward and down as if you starting to yawn and this will pull the Eustachian tubes open. With a lot of practice some dives can learn to control these muscles and hold the tubes open for continuous equalization.

Do you struggle with equalizing? What methods work best for you? Share in the comments below!

In August of 2014 the Hikurangi marine reserve opened off the coast of Kaikoura along with a few other protected areas. These included a Fur Seal and Whale sanctuary and also some areas that are off limits to commercial fishing. The areas were designed to protect marine species and the environment that they live in. This marine reserve drew a lot of attention among the diving and fishing community. It’s on the South side of Kaikoura on a popular stretch of the shoreline which was ideal for Christchurch people to stop to Free Dive or Scuba Dive. When we had dived there pre marine reserve it was beautiful but there weren’t a lot of fish, and size crayfish were getting harder to find.

I had dived here many times before it became a marine reserve, and every dive I did there I really enjoyed, but what I was about to see would change how I looked at the coast of Kaikoura forever.

A group of us had decided to head up to Kaikoura for a couple fun dives one Sunday a few months back. I was in charge of deciding where we would dive which is always a tough job. We were driving up the coast and I still had no idea where we were going to stop. When we saw the water it was so flat I knew where we were going to dive. We pulled over at the lay-by by Barneys Rock and I proceed to tell them we were going to surface swim out to the big white rock and dive around it. So we all geared up and started to head out with our dive buddy. We dropped down on the shore side of the rock and had planned to head around keeping it on our left. As soon as we got to the bottom we noticed the visibility was more than 10m and we knew it was going to be an awesome dive. We started kicking and there was a school of Moki right in front of us. We sat and watched them for ages, they were so curious. There were a few blue cod and butterfish hanging around as well. One butter we saw was massive you could see the long silver line down its side and the bright blue on its fins. I decided to look in a crack in the rock and there would have been about 10 crayfish peering back at me. They were not worried one bit that I was there. We continued swimming around the rock reaching depths of about 20m. All of sudden out of nowhere was a black shape with big eyes. It was a seal who had come to check us out. He played with us for a while and then swam off.

We had now got round to the back of the rock and came across a split in the rock face. I signaled to my buddy to come and have a look. What I saw in front of me is something I never dreamt of seeing. There was around 70-80 cray fish in one hole. They were lined up in rows like they were an army ready to fight. The smaller cray fish were in the front and the big breeding stock were far back in the hole. These were some of the biggest crayfish I have seen. I didn’t want to leave this hole. It was unreal and what if I could never find it again. We had to start heading back, we had been out for a long time and the other divers would be finishing their dive soon. As we swam back round to the front and headed back to the shore under the water there was Paua all over the rocks. There was so many there that they were almost on top of each other. Before we made it back to shore a school of Kahawai quickly swam past us not stopping to see what we were doing. We decided it was time to end the dive and head up. When we got to the surface my buddy and I were so excited about what we had just seen and couldn’t wait to hear how cool everyone else’s dives were.

Every time I think about this dive I want to go back and do it all over again. The difference in the amount of aquatic life in just the first two years of this marine reserve being open is unbelievable. I cannot wait to see what it will be like in another two years!

Read more about how marine surveys are performed in this article.

An article from when the marine reserve was first put in place can be found here.

With winter now upon us, the air temperature has started to drop and the ski fields are finally open. Most of you have probably hung up your dive gear for the season and swapped it for a nice warm fire place, or a jacket and beanie when you dare to head out and about. The water is definitely getting chilly – I will not argue with that, but it could be a lot colder… Imagine if you were diving in somewhere like Iceland, in the Silfra fissure where the water is a freezing 2-4 degrees all year round. You would be crazy to do this without a dry suit.

The Silfra is known as one of the top dive sites in the world because of its crystal clear water and the crack in which you are diving. When you head down into the water you are between two continental plates; the North American plate and Eurasian plate. The water visibility between these two plates can be up to 100m, as clear as drinking water. The water comes from the Langjokull glacier and is then filtered through the ground for up to 100 years until it reaches the Thingvellir Lake. There is not a lot of life in this ravine other than trout, but it is beautiful none the less. The rock walls at some points almost meet, and you can touch both sides on the plates. There is a crazy green algae that grows on the bottom which they call ‘troll hair’. This UNESCO world heritage site is unlike anything you will have seen before.

So the next time you are thinking it’s too cold to go diving in New Zealand, remember it is about 10 degrees at the moment and that there are a lot of colder places in the world where you could be getting in the water! Also, some of the best diving around the South Island can be done over winter. The weather normally calms down and we get a constant Southerly swell rolling through. Think of all those amazing dive sites on the North side of Akaroa or Kaikoura that you missed out on diving over summer and do them now!

Remember we are having a Drysuit Demo Day on Saturday 30th July, so if you want to experience the toasty warmth of drysuit diving, let us know!

Give us a call on (03) 379 5804, or email us at sales@diveskiworld.co.nz. You can find us from Monday to Saturday, 8:30am until 5pm at Dive HQ Christchurch, 103 Durham St South!

“Been there, done that” and you know what? It doesn’t matter. I could have dived the same site a hundred times, and yet I still feel that same bubbling excitement as I gear up for the dive. The drive or boat ride hums with anticipation as everyone discusses what we might see this time. I will grab a tank and set up my equipment – a comfortable and familiar procedure. The sound of waves on the shore, the salty sea wind on my face; the feeling of going home. People are spitting in masks, swilling them out. It isn’t elegant, and we don’t care! Others attach strobes to cameras, and buddy teams help each other gear up. Buddy checks complete? Let’s go.

It begins. Wading out through the waves, letting the cool water wash over you, or back-rolling into the blue. Looking down at that whole other world that lies beneath us – just waiting to be explored!

70% of the planet we live on is covered with water, making it hardly surprising that some of the most spectacular spots on earth lie under the ocean’s surface. Non-divers only get the chance to experience 30% of what is on offer – imagine what you are missing out on!

Regulator in – my lifeline that will supply my air during the dive – I start my descent. Deflating my BCD, I’m in free fall, I can twist and turn in any way I please. I am weightless, I defy gravity, I am flying! Lying face down, arms and legs splayed slowing my descent. I am sky-diving in slow-mo, watching as the sea bed rises to meet me. I will twist over to lie looking up at the surface, as it slips slowly away from me, or maybe let my whole world flip upside down as I plunge – Superman style – onwards; one of my favourite moments of a dive is the descent. It is that sudden sense of weightlessness, when the laws of physics exerted on us on land no longer apply. Ever wanted to experience zero gravity and what it feels like to fly unaided? Then diving will give you a pretty good idea.

Seconds before making contact with the bottom, I take a slow, deep breath, stabilising myself, stopping me inches short of the sea bed. I hang momentarily, then begin my dive. Learning to control your buoyancy is the key to ‘underwater flying’, and you will find that once you have it mastered, you can perform impressive underwater gymnastics with next to no effort. You think it, you do it – your body unquestioningly following your brain and imagination’s orders. Honestly, there is no other feeling quite like it! (You can perfect your buoyancy with a Peak Performance Buoyancy Course!)

Now that you are here, it is time to look around. The whole universe has gone quiet – something else that I love. All you hear is the sound of your own breathing. In, out, in, out… Slow and steady, you are in total control. Every now and then you may hear the unmistakable sound of a parrotfish chomping on nearby coral, or maybe the annoying whine of a boat engine, but you relax, knowing it will soon pass and fade.

How many of you like to spend ages in the shower because it is your ‘thinking place’? Somewhere you can be alone with your thoughts and finally make those decisions that have been hanging over you for a while? Being underwater is kind of like that, but a hundred times better. Your troubles, worries, and problems all fade for that time you spend out in the blue.

No matter where you are diving, there are always a million sights to distract you.

“Whoa! Look at that giant crayfish, right there” *frantic hand signals*

“Seal! Seal behind you!” (What is the signal for seal, anyway?)

Sharks, turtles, pretty colourful fishes… The kelp and coral itself a delight for the eyes. The light playing through the water, floating rainbows, sparkling off the sand… Everything about our underwater world is mesmerizing.

I have been diving for almost fourteen years and yet even now, nothing can match the feeling I get before and during a dive. I still catch myself in complete wonder, halfway through a dive, as I realise I am breathing underwater (a look at my dive computer confirms that yes, I have been breathing underwater for a full 45 minutes now). So I will grin and perform a series of flips, just because I can.

Diving is so much more than a sport; it is a passion, it is true love, it is a life-style! Once you learn to dive, enter into that whole new world, and join the community made up by scuba divers, you will never want to turn back.

If you would like to learn to dive, or continue your diving education, get in touch so we can help you pursue your passion!

Dive HQ Christchurch 2013 Ltd

103 Durham Street South

Sydenham,

Christchurch,

New Zealand

Phone: 03 379-5804

Email: sales@diveskiworld.co.nz

www.diveskiworld.co.nz