Oceanic Geo 2

The Oceanic Geo 2 is a great entry level wrist mounted computer. So stylish you could wear it in and out of the water. The wide selection of colours will allow you to match your outfit whether it be on a tropical beach or penetrating a wreck at 30 metres under torch light. A simplistic menu orientation and 4 buttons allow for ease of use. Capable of adjusting for enriched air levels right up to 100% O2 with separate gas mixes. For the first-time dive computer buyers, not being restricted to where the high-pressure hose can reach gives you an unfamiliar feeling of freedom.

The display itself is simple and easy to understand (paired with a lovely laminated instruction for use card). Getting in the water needs no effort aside from securely attaching it to your wrist. (or leg we won’t judge you for it.) Whilst in the water, reading the display is very straight forward, everything important is right in front of my eyes. My depth, bottom time, no decompression limit, ascent rate meter and tissue loading graph. Probably my favourite thing is not having to scroll through the entire list of dives or options like those single button operation computers. If I just happen to miss what I’m looking for because I hit the button one time too many I can scroll backwards! Get rid of the console computer and your old G-Shock at the same time and purchase one of these gems.

Features Include:

• The Geo 2.0 Dive Computer is powered by Oceanic’s Exclusive Dual Algorithm™ – Your choice between Pelagic DSAT (Spencer/Powell data basis) or Pelagic Z+ (Buhlmann ZHL-16C data basis)
• Operating Modes: WATCH (Alternate Time, Chrono, Daily Alarm, Countdown Timer), NORM (Air and Nitrox), GAUGE (with run timer) and FREE (tracks calculations to allow switching between NORM and Free)
• User-Friendly Interface with “Step Back” – allows forward and backward navigation through menus and settings
• Switch between up to 2 Nitrox mixes to 100% O2 with no restriction (Gas 1 may be up to 100%, and may be less or greater than Gas 2)
• Stop times <3 minutes – displays minutes & seconds Deep Stop with Countdown Timer – Maybe turned on or off. 2-minute countdown at half your max depth, for dives greater than 80 ft / 25m
• Single button access to “Last Dive” display (max depth& bottom time)
• Data Retention – maintains calculations indefinitely when the battery is changed
• The Geo 2.0 dive computer has an audible alarm with flashing LED light
• 24 dive on-unit log book
• History Mode includes total number of dives, max depth, total dive hours, and lowest temp
• The Geo 2.0 comes with optional PC Interface with OceanLog Download and Settings Upload
• Firmware Auto-Update: download and install the latest firmware – these may be operational improvements or even new features

Spend $100 in store and go into the draw to win one of these awesome computers! Competition running for different prizes, each month, for the next 12 months! Score!

“When are you going to get a real job?” It’s a question that has followed me for my entire adult life. The question was often heard from well-meaning friends, who were sure that I was wasting my life by not pursuing a “career”. Spending my nights pouring drinks for well to do businessmen in dark bars and filling my days with sleep and various hobbies.

Much of my experience thus far has pushed me into doing something that most found, to put it politely, “non-traditional.” Most of the adults I’ve known in my life work at jobs that they hate. Fulfilment, if ever considered at all, wasn’t something the folks I grew up with got from an employer. They were satisfied with a pay check; the thought that one should actually enjoy what they did for a living never occurred to them. I, on the other hand, came under the influence of my father. He felt the idea of preparing someone for a vocation, and then only after they finished training, hope that they liked what they were doing was an embarrassingly dumb idea. He insisted that the secret to a happy life was to first find the thing you love, and then figure out a way to get paid for it. Never did I dream that the thing I loved would be diving.

My first dive was at the age of 14, on a family holiday in Fiji. I remember it like it was yesterday, for all the wrong (or right?) reasons. After completing an orientation in a tragically shallow resort pool, the following day dad and I set out for a “real” dive in the ocean. The sea was black, wind howled and whipped us around like kites on the boat ride to the site. Upon arrival I was nauseous and terrified. After a traumatising backwards roll we made our descent down the line. Unfortunately the dive itself is a foggy memory at this point. We made our ascent, upon surfacing I looked my father straight in the eye and, I’m told in a very impassioned manner, said I “was never (*insert expletive here*) doing that again”.
Its 11 years later and I look back on my first experience in the majesty that is the ocean with a smile. I imagine myself reliving that specific dive with the experience I now have under my belt, the wind wouldn’t worry me, and the waves would excite me. The black of the water would enthral me. Descending into the quiet beauty that waits for us below the surface every time we dive would have been a relief, not a terror.
Between that far off memory and now, I have my dad to thank, being a PADI certified diver himself he’s always had a thirst for the adventure that comes with SCUBA diving. Me being the eldest and least stubborn of his children I was (somehow, and thank goodness I was) swindled into making several more dives with him over the years. Slowly my fear faded and morphed into awe. Soon, beneath the surface of the water, in any form, was the only place I ever wanted to be. With his encouragement, endless support from friends who know me and my family, 9 years after that first dive, I began my journey to becoming a PADI diving instructor and haven’t looked back.
Now, I get to take those experiencing the same fear I once did and introduce them to the unfamiliar. Watching uncertainty slip away, to be replaced by excitement, has become a normal part of my day. We, as divers, face the unknown on the daily, explore the unexplored and know not to be afraid of sharks.

If you’re considering giving the sport a go, just do it. If you’re already a diver considering becoming a part of the PADI professional community, just do it.
Who needs a “real job” anyway, right?

Meet Henry Thorp, who works for Dive HQ Christchurch as a Dive Instructor and Dive Shop Retail Superstar. Henry qualified as an Instructor with Dive HQ Christchurch, completing his Diploma in Scuba Diving in 2017.

 Henry can regularly be found teaching our Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Spearfishing  Students both locally and at Kaikoura.

When he’s not teaching, Henry will be found working in our dive shop and providing his technical  expertise and unending enthusiasm to help our customers make the best choice of gear to suit their  individual diving  needs.

Henrys favourite spearfishing site is off Banks Peninsula in the many bays both North and South of ‘The Heads’.

Henry dives from shore and from boat in order to access a wide range of dive sites.

The Bays around the Akaroa Heads provide a range of habitats with boulders and cracks on the bottom for Crayfish, weed beds for Butterfish and exposed pinnacles for Moki and Blue Cod.

The challenge of getting the visibility right makes these dive sites even more rewarding.  Henry loves the peacefulness of spearfishing.  Asked about his  favourite aspect of spearfishing, Henry explained that he likes the selectiveness spearfishing provides, which fish to spear and when and where to spear… It’s a good days diving for Henry when everything comes together and everyone goes  home with a feed.

Check out our spearfishing courses on line Here     http://www.divehqscuba.co.nz/spearfishing

Interested in making diving your job? 

Our August intake of the Diploma of Scuba Diving is filling up fast. This is a full time, one year course that provides everything you need to work in a dive related industry or to become a dive expert while you decide on your next move. You can find out more about this Here  https://www.diveskiworld.co.nz/tertiary-courses

Interested? Then call me on 0800 348347 or email me at richard@divehqscuba.co.nz or my mobile 0274 348347, and we can organise a meeting to chat it though.

Meet Louis Kimber, who works for Dive HQ Christchurch as a Senior Dive Instructor, and teaches our full time Diploma students.

Louis qualified as an Instructor with Dive HQ Christchurch, completing his Diploma in Scuba Diving in 2014.

Louis is an experienced Senior Instructor, and his recent group of full time Diploma students all passed, achieving a 90+% pass rate.

 Louis’ favourite dive site is a wreck dive, the Mikhail Lermontov in Port Gore.

  The Mikhail Lermontov is a 180m long Russian cruise liner, which sunk 30 years ago when the

  Marlborough harbourmaster, Captain Don Jamison who was piloting the vessel, misjudged Cape

 Jackson and hit  rocks.

A wreck dive, with boat only access, this beautiful dive is

14m to 35m in depth,  with visibility of 4m to 15m.

The Lemontov has created its own mini ecosystem,

with an amazing and diverse variety of fish to see.

Blue Cod, Octopus, Leather Jackets, Kahawai, and a resident Eel,

make this an amazing dive experience.

  Louis says that he most enjoys swimming through the Winter Gardens and on

  to the swimming pool.

  It is a favourite dive for many of our full time Diploma Students too, who

take a trip to this dive site as part of their Dive Master training.

Interested in making diving your job? 

Our August intake of the Diploma of Scuba Diving is filling up fast. This is a full time, one year course that provides everything you need to work in a dive related industry or to become a dive expert while you decide on your next move. You can find out more about this here http://www.divehqscuba.co.nz/tertiary-courses

Interested? Then call me on 0800 348347 or email me at richard@divehqscuba.co.nz or my mobile 0274 348347, and we can organise a meeting to chat it though.

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!

Waking up in the morning to leave for a job that you love is everyone’s dream. Not dragging your feet, no dreading feeling in your stomach – they say that ‘he who loves his job never works a day in his life’ and I’d say I would have to agree. However, finding a job that you are passionate about, and can remain so, can be a bit of a challenge.

It seems that jobs such as diving instructor, ski instructor, crewing on yachts, and working for the likes of Lego, Google etc. are often classified as ‘dream jobs’. I would say any arrangement that combines your favourite hobby with a profession could be said to be a dream job. But maybe we can broaden our horizons and think even more outside the box? If it is a career in diving that interests you, there are more opportunities out there than you might think!

Obviously there are the jobs that spring to mind immediately, such as underwater photographer and commercial diver, however whatever your interest may be, there is a subject for it: marine life, education, construction, conservation… Here are a few of the wackiest ones for you to choose from:

1. Underwater Pizza Delivery Boy

Yup, you read that right. There is an underwater lodge in Florida – a converted research lab – where the services include a delivery service! It is not uncommon for guests to request their dinner be delivered. The job involves collecting dinner (or whatever needs delivering) and placing it in an air-tight box, gearing up, and heading the 6.4m down to the air-lock hatch situated under the lodge. Voila! That’s one deep dish for you.

2. Marine Archaeologist

Are you interested in both history and science, along with a passion for diving and the ocean? Then maybe this is the job for you! Explore shipwrecks and lost underwater cities in order to gain a better understanding of the past. You need to have studied archaeology (duh) and be a proficient diver in order to land a job in the field… but if you do, you could end up doing some seriously awesome research, like scrutinizing the remains of pirate/privateer shipwrecks to establish more facts on their era!

3. Underwater Model

Looking amazing underwater definitely requires a significant amount of skill. You need to be relaxed, comfortable in the water, and constantly aware of your positioning to make it in the underwater model world. Although it does not require any specific qualifications to get started down this career path, being a qualified diver is a start. Getting in to freediving and breath hold is a plus, as you will need to be able to hold your breath without looking like a puffer-fish! If this is a profession that interests you, start practicing in a pool until you comfortable with your surroundings. Soon you could be posing as a mermaid/merman!

4. Underwater Criminal Investigator

A UCI diver is primarily trained in recovery, be it a bullet, gun, knife, body, or vehicle. Once they have located their target, there are steps to follow, ensuring that correct evidence handling and chain of custody procedures are adhered to – even though you are underwater! Conditions are almost always deep, cold, and in near to zero visibility making a career in underwater criminal investigating a challenging yet fascinating one.

Learn more by reading PADI’s interview with Public Safety Diver, Mike Berry.

5. Underwater film crew

Lots of movies involve submerged scenes. No matter where it is shot (unless it is 100% CGI) there will be divers involved; safety divers, underwater videographers, stunt divers, and models (see above). Regardless which aspect you are involved in, it would be an incredible way to partake in such a production. If you have an interest in the medias, and a love of the underwater world, you may well have found your niche. If this is something that interests you, PADI does an Underwater Videographer course.

There is a dream job out there for everyone, we just hope yours involves diving too! If you haven’t quite found the ideal career yet, keep honing your diving skills by working your way up through the courses, and expanding your knowledge base by enrolling on some PADI specialty courses!

We would love to hear about your dream job! Tell us all about it in the comments.

If you have a diving profession in mind but are not too sure what the best path is to take you there, get in touch so we can point you in the right direction. If you are dreaming of becoming a dive instructor, click here to learn more about our Diploma in Scuba Instruction. Visit us at Dive HQ Christchurch at 103 Durham Street South, call us on (03) 379 5804, or email us at sales@diveskiworld.co.nz

“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

The age limit for the PADI Open Water Course is set at 10 years old – opening the doors to the underwater world to the younger generation. The skills taught are transferable to everyday life, helping young people to grow. It also inspires a passion in many, opening up new career opportunities that may otherwise never have been considered. That was the case with 17 year-old Riley, who began his diving career with Dive HQ as a foundation student at the end of last year. We asked him a few questions to get an insight into how diving has become part of his life, and how it is shaping his future.     

Diving is classified as an extreme sport – it is exhilarating, offers an awesome adrenaline rush, and also comes with its risks. However it has a characteristic that sets it aside from other sports of the extreme variety; it is accessible even to those who are quite young. PADI accommodates divers ages 10 and up onto their Junior Open Water Course, with 8 year olds being given the opportunity to enroll in a Bubblemakers confined water session. At a younger age, we have fewer inhibitions, adapt easier, and have better memory retention.

Here is what Riley had to say about the impact diving has had on his life:

Dive HQ: What made you first interested in diving?

Riley: I always was interested in diving. During the holidays I did my Open Water Course and was instantly hooked! Being a confident swimmer, it was no problem and all go.

 DHQ: When did you go for your first dive?

R: I did my first dive at Lake Coleridge in December 2015, as part of my Open Water Course.

DHQ: What was your first diving experience like?

R: My first diving experience was in a pool. I was a little nervous to begin with, but when I finally relaxed and took that first breath, I was instantly hooked. It was so much fun.

DHQ: What diving qualifications have you completed so far?

So far, I have completed my Open Water and Advanced Open Water Courses.

(The part time foundation course will take Riley through to becoming a Rescue Diver)

DHQ: What do you like about diving?

I like everything. I like being weightless and floating upside down – it is the closest thing to being in space. I like seeing the fishes swimming around… it feels like a whole other world!

DHQ: Who has encouraged you with your diving?

Since my first dive, I’ve been encouraged by my parents, friends, and by myself.

DHQ: What experiences have shaped your learning? 

Learning buoyancy skills was so much fun, I ended up floating upside down for most of the advance course! Studying – I’ve never been too confident in book work, but I still get it done.

DHQ: What would you like to do in the future within the diving industry?

I would like to do anything and everything, but after becoming an instructor, I would love to join the Police Dive Squad.  

Thanks, Riley!  

If you too are interested in becoming a diver, or wish to embark on a new adventure and turn a passion into a career, get in touch with us about our courses and our Diploma of Scuba Instruction or Foundation program.

Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South
Sydenham
Christchurch
03 379 5804
www.diveskiworld.co.nz

Thanks Dive HQ Christchurch, for a fun few years working as a Dive Instructor with a great team.
Here are a few highlights and memories we have shared that I will be taking with me as I head off on my next adventure as a Dive Instructor in Vanuatu.

Dive Instructing in Kaikoura

There have been so many great students, and being able to share my passion for Diving with you has been a lot of fun.  Kiwi’s sure do love their diving, and on a perfect day in Kaikoura you can tell why!

Project Aware

When you love the ocean, you want to protect it.  Project Aware is a great organisation, set up to help do just that.   I have enjoyed organising Project Aware Clean Up Dives, with the support of Dive HQ Christchurch.  For all you like minded people, you can also show support by contributing to Project Aware.

Clean Up Dive…look at this treasure!

The Dive Shop

Dive HQ Christchurch Dive Shop has been the place where many of our customers have become familiar faces.  It’s great when other divers come in and share their excitement for diving.  Through Dive HQ ChCh, I’ve also had the opportunity to learn about and trial some fantastic dive equipment.  Having the right year and knowing how to use it can really improve your dive experience.  I’ve become a much more skilled and confident diver by gaining so much knowledge about equipment.

Incredible Diving

I’ve had some great dives during my time with Dive HQ Christchurch.  Diving all around Canterbury, right up the coast and to the sounds.  The Lermontov wreck and the Marlborough Sounds are a favorite of mine.

From the Coast to the Mountains

I have not just loved diving the depths of the New Zealand coastline, but have made the most of the incredible mountains too.  There are not too many places in the world you are so close to great diving and great skiing!

Big Thanks to Dive HQ Christchurch!

I’m sure I’m going to miss you all and this beautiful country.  The good times and great experiences I have had, have set me up to continue my Dive Instructing Career. Thank you to all the team at Dive HQ Christchurch, keep on sharing your passion for diving.

I would recommend learning to dive with Dive HQ Christchurch, not only I study to become an Instructor here, I enjoyed it so much I continued on to work here once I was qualified.  Whatever your level of diving, the team will look after you and find the right course for you.  You can find more about the courses on the www.diveskiworld.co.nz/dive-courses

Colin Wadeson
Dive Instructor Dive HQ Christchurch

Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South
Sydenham
Christchurch
03 3759 804
www.diveskiworld.co.nz

There are many exciting career options for those who love the ocean and are passionate about Scuba Diving.

Our Diploma of Professional Scuba Instruction, here at Dive HQ Christchurch, has been the ticket for many of our graduates, leading them into a wide range of jobs, all over the world.

One of the most popular career paths is to become a Scuba Diving Instructor, where you teach others to dive.  This is a job that can be done all over the world, where you are able to explore some of the most beautiful parts of the world – underwater!  Scuba Divers often become specialists in different types of diving, may it be wreck diving, cave diving, ice diving, or diving with new technical equipment.

Cave Divers explore and map parts of the world, where very few go.

There is no shortage of Dive Instructor Jobs being advertised internationally, from working on Live-aboard dive ships, cruise ships, managing dive centres to dive instructing in the tropics.  We also have a strong Dive Industry in our own beautiful country, with such an incredible coast line which offers spectacular diving as well as being a haven for hunter and gatherers.

Working on a live-aboard and having access to some of the most beautiful dive sites

Being a professional Scuba Diver also opens up potential for all types of work that involve working underwater, to name a few:

Underwater actors and stunt divers.

Scuba Divers with The 007 Submarine from “The Spy Who Loved Me”

Underwater Photography and Videography

Capturing images of our beautiful underwater world.

Marine Science, Marine Biology and Research Diving

Studying our underwater ecosystems

Commercial Diving – Engineering/Welding/Construction Underwater

Commercial Divers, Weld, Build, Maintain and Monitor underwater sites

Police Dive Squad – Search and Recovery Diving

Search and Recovery in Ice

Navy Diver

Navy Diver

Technical Diving

Maritime Archaeology

Marine Aquaculture

Seafood Hunting and Gathering

We also know there are many other sides to the Dive Industry, and our Diploma of Professional Scuba Instruction graduates use their knowledge gained with Dive HQ Christchurch to also work within areas such as:

Dive Equipment Sales

Dive Equipment Servicing and Repairs

Tank Filling and Testing

Dive Centre Managing

If you are thinking of a career, that lets you live a more adventurous life, exploring and working in our beautiful underwater world, then get in touch with us at Dive HQ Christchurch.  We have part time and full time study options, for our career courses, for which student loans and allowances are available.

Call 0800 DIVEHQ (348347)
www.diveskiworld.co.nz
Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South
Sydenham
Christchurch

Academy of Diving Trust is registered as a Private Training Establishment by NZQA and has approval to sub-contract to Dive HQ Christchurch.