Meet Akita Kees, who works for Dive HQ Christchurch as a Dive Instructor and Dive Shop Retail Superstar. 

Akita qualified as a Dive Instructor with Dive HQ Christchurch, completing her Diploma in Scuba Diving in 2016.  Akita enjoys taking new divers out for their Open Water and follows  them through their Advanced Open Water and on to their Dive Master courses.  Akita is especially talented at teaching younger divers.  Akita’s  cheerful smile and technical expertise are always available to our dive shop customers.

 Akita’s favourite dive site is Barney’s Rock in Kaikoura, which she first dived in 2015, at the start of her year-long Diploma course, here at Dive HQ  Christchurch.  A manageable 200m swim from the shoreline at the Hikurangi Reserve, Akita describes Barney’s Rock as having ‘a crazy amount of sea life!’

Huge Blue Cod, Moki, and Butterfish are to be found swimming amongst the playful dolphins and seals.  Climb onto Barneys Rock to view the seabirds,  or explore the massive crevasse for Crayfish.   Barneys Rock is Akita’s number 1 dive spot.

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.

Done your Open Water and now ready for your Advanced Open Water?

We have courses running all year.

Kaikoura Advanced Open Water 16 August (local theory) and 19/20 August (Kaikoura)

Kaikoura Advanced Open Water 27 September (local theory) and 30/1 September/October (Kaikoura)

Interested? Then call us on 0800 348347 or call in to the shop.

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.

Fabulous Canterbury Dive Sites

The past few months have provided Canterbury divers with some wonderful diving conditions and warmer temperatures.  Dive HQ Christchurch always enjoy sharing with their customers their favourite dive sites around Canterbury of which we have many to enjoy.

Canterbury dive sites are centered off Kaikoura coast and Banks Peninsula with visibility often only 2-3 meters but on occasions you will get up to 15 meter. The poor visibility can put a lot of divers off. But when you have some of the most amazing marine and mammal life that New Zealand has to offer this is definitely a destination you should have on your bucket list. Kaikoura is 180 k north of Christchurch and is where two ocean currents meet. The warm waters of the north and the cold water from the sub Antarctic. The rocky coastline offers some great diving and has an abundance of crayfish. Sperm whales are often in this area giving you a between dives experience- whale watching.

South east of Christchurch is Banks Peninsula with a number of dive sites in t    he many sheltered bays around the peninsula. A marine reserve is situated at Flea Bay where you could well have the opportunity to meet with the Yellow Eyed Penguin, White Flippered Penguins, and New Zealand Fur seals. This is also home to the very rare Hectors Dolphin and you may well encounter these delightful creatures.

Find the following sites on the Dive HQ Christchurch Dive Site Map.  Land Information New Zealand, also provides Chart NZ 63 of Kaikoura through to Banks Peninsula, which you can zoom in on to see the reef locations.

Chart NZ 63 Available from LINZ website

Kaikoura

Davidsons Reef-  is an ideal dive for the beginner diver with the chance to practice catching Crayfish and enjoy meeting playful seals. Maximum depth is 12 meters.

Lynch Reef-  A nice dive with great forests of kelp in red , green and brown. Crays at the base of the rocks and butterfish, banded wrasse, spotties, and also the playful seals. An intermediate dive at max 18 meters. Good photography with many sea tulips and kelp as subjects.

Pinnacle Rock – On a clam day this is a great dive. Rated as at the intermediate level with a depth up to 15 meters. Some nice cracks with crayfish. Really great for photography especially of the seals. Spear fishing is also good in this area.

Bushett Shoals- Not a common dive site as conditions dictate this site but if conditions are right this is an amazing dive. Colourful walls, crayfish, wrasse, blue moki, and dog shark. There is even a chance of seeing schools of groper. An exceptional dive site.

Banks Pennisula 

Pigeon Bay – This is rated as a beginners dive. Protected from wind and swells on outside coast. Depth up to 12 meters with the chance to get a crayfish under the kelp. Common fish  red cod  leather jackets. Sea tulips are also found here and a few paua on the rocks for the snorkelers.

Flea Bay – You will see many of New Zealand’s most charismatic marine animals at Pohatu Marine Reserve, which hosts both penguin and seal colonies. The drive to Pohatu is rough and should only be attempted by 4WD.  Kayakers and boaties can explore a more dramatic landscape of sheer cliffs and sea caves not visible from land. Divers driving to the reserve need to be aware that the road reaches nearly 800 m above sea level so they need to plan dives and surface times. Yellow eyed penguins appear at dusk and in summer Hectors dolphins are common. A delightful dive and a great photo opportunity.

Snuffle Nose – An intermediate dive depth up to 15 meters but is not diveable in a southerly swell or strong winds. A crayfish dive and great walls for the photographer with anemones, zoanthids and a few nudibranchs. A good dive with often visibility better than 3 meters.

Organised Dive Trips  with Dive HQ Christchurch  are an opportunity for you to meet other divers and get organised to do some great diving.  You can also join their Dive HQ Club on their website for notifications on upcoming organised Dive Trips

Dive Shop – Operator 

Dive HQ  Christchurch

Julie and Richard Chitty

Richard@diveskiworld.co.nz

www.diveskiworld.co.nz

03 379-5804
0800 DIVEHQ (348347)

Shop Hours:
Monday to Saturday: 8.30am – 5pm
Sunday: Closed

When you see a seal clambering over rocks they look uncoordinated and out of place. However once under the water these seals become playful puppies with BIG beautiful eyes and graceful movements making it look so effortless.

Working as a Dive Instructor, has given me the opportunity to experience this first hand,

As I giant stride into the water the splashing sound catches the attention of the seals lazing around on the rocks. Just like humans curiosity of what you are doing draws the seals into the water to investigate. As I start to descend and exhale out, my bubbles slowly make their way towards the surface. It starts to attract the seals playful behaviour and the interaction begins.

Twisting and turning as they move through the water showing off their flexibility and speed. Some seals start chasing each other, darting left and right, up and down occasionally leaping out of the water and even making strange sounds as the play fight in front of you. The heart starts beating fast when a seal races towards you only to whiz off in the opposite direction. During the dive we keep our distance and allow the seals to approach if they feel comfortable, this way we can interact with the seals without putting stress on them

.

Just two and half hours north of Christchurch you will come across a town called Kaikoura. It is home to large population of New Zealand and Australian fur seals which are there all year round. You will find them all over the coast line usually chilling out on the rocks or splashing around in the water, sometimes playing in the kelp.

Here at Dive HQ Christchurch, we offer dive trips out of Kaikoura where you may have the chance to encounter these majestic animals in the water. For more information on our dive trips check out our website or facebook page

Some of our learn to dive courses will also take you to Kaikoura to experience diving along this unique coast line.  Inquire with Dive HQ Christchurch about our beginner and advanced dive courses.

Zoe Fowler
Dive Instructor
Dive HQ Christchurch
www.diveskiworld.co.nz
0800 DIVEHQ