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.

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

The Suunto Cobra3 – “Maximise Bottom Time and Safety”

Another step along the path to designing the perfect dive computer has been taken, with the Suunto Cobra3.  This week Colin from Dive HQ Christchurch details some of the beneficial features of the popular Suunto Cobra3 Dive Computer.

The Display

• Large Screen
• High Definition electro-luminescent display with dot matrix.
• Display is adjustable to be on from 5 – 30 seconds
• Display lights up automatically when an alarm activates
• Simplified four-button operation which can be used even wearing gloves.

Air Integration Design

• Your tank pressure is monitored and displayed
• Rate of air consumption displayed
• Remaining air time continuously calculated
• Visual and audible alarms for depth and pressure
• Warns you when you are running low on air

Nitrox and Gauge Modes

• Programmable for mixtures between 21% and 50% oxygen
• Also adjustable for oxygen partial pressure between 1.2 and 1.6 bar.
• Can be used as a depth gauge and timer with profile memory.
• Can accelerate decompression by switching to a gas mix with a higher oxygen percentage.

Maximising Bottom Time and Data and Graphs

• The air integration design allows for calculations to be made for maximum bottom time.
• The Deep Stop option adds protection with a series of deep stops between your maximum depth and ceiling.
• You can test upcoming dives, to see the no-decompression and decompression time data for different depths before getting in the water.
• Graphical logs and dive data is logged onto your computer using Suunto DM4 software
• Movescount tracks your activity.

3-D Compass

• The Cobra3’s unique electronic 3D compass can be tilted up to 45 degrees.
• Guided calibration and declination setting so you can dive worldwide without needing multiple compasses.

Compatibility with other Suunto Products

• With the Suunto quick release, you connect to the cylinder pressure gauge with one quick move.
• With the Suunto RGBM algorithm, continuous decompression for optimal ascent time

So if you are still diving using gauges and tables, with short bottom times and long surface intervals, why not consider upgrading to a computer and dive safer for longer!

Come into Dive HQ Christchurch dive shop and Colin or one of the team will help you find the perfect computer for your dives.

Located on 101 Durham St, South Christchurch.
Ph 03 379 5804

On May 29th 2015, 11 intrepid souls headed north to the Lermontov lodge, which is situated on the remote tip of the Queen Charlotte Sound, to embark on a 3 day adventure, diving the wreck of the Mikhail Lermontov.

For those who don’t know, the Mikhail Lermontov was a Russian cruise liner which unfortunately sank after taking the wrong channel whilst navigating around Cape Jackson. The ship wreck is now lying in 35m of water, on her starboard side, in the beautiful but remote Port Gore.

Day 1

After a long drive the day before we awoke early to an overcast morning. After breakfast, we setup our gear, loaded the boats and set out for our first dive of the day. Our 10 min boat ride to our dive site was filled with excited chatter. On arrival, over the side we went and down the line to the wreck. The visibility on the top side of the wreck was about 3m, no too flash. After 40 minutes of sightseeing, all divers were back on board. Back to the digs for a spot of lunch!

2 pm saw us heading out for our second dive of the day. Conditions had improved slightly, yielding 5 m visibility. Another epic dive. More sightseeing, with some of our divers taking in such sights as the winter garden and swimming pool. Others went to investigate the props, conning tower and bow thrusters.

That evening, there was lots of excited talk about what had been seen, and what to look at the next day.

Port Gore – Mickhail Lermontov Wreck Dive Site

Day 2

Starting much the same way as the previous day, we set out early after a hearty breakfast. Conditions top side were a little rougher than the previous day, but this was not going to deter the expedition.  Divers split into 3 groups this time, with eagerly prepared dive plans. This time, some were checking out the Boishoi Lounge, others were going to inspect the bow thruster and hull damage. Another excellent dive.  Back to the lodge for some lunch me thinks!

Again, at about 2 pm we set out for our second dive of the day. Just like the previous dive, groups had their own agenda, as to what to see and do. Again, after about 40 minutes, everyone was back safely onboard the boats, and heading back to the lodge.

That evening, divers talked about what they had seen, others about what they wanted to see, and the rest just crashed!!!

Beautiful Dive Site Port Gore New Zealand

Day 3

Same start to the day as the two previous days. Breakfast, gear up, on the dive boats and into the water. Again, another fantastic dive. Just when you think you have seen it all, something else jumps out and shouts ‘Look at Me’!! Again, another 40 minutes of some breath-taking diving. Back on the boats we went and headed back in again for yup, you guessed it, Lunch! This time, lunch was served on the beach. A little different to the other days, but we were keen to get another dive in before having to travel back home.

Tanks were swapped, food consumed, and off we went for our second dive. Again, epic is all I can say. Words cannot describe what lies under the sea in the picturesque location of Port Gore. After a brief 30 minutes, again, all divers were heading back to the lodge to wash our dive gear, pack away and ready ourselves for the drive home.

A big thank you goes out to Brent Snr and Brent Jnr for a fantastic and monumental few days.  Also a thank you to all those whose who joined me for the trip. I can’t wait for the next trip, to Port Gore, which is being held over Show Weekend in November.

Laurence

Call 0800 DIVEHQ and ask the team at the Dive HQ Christchurch dive shop about joining our next trip to the Lermontov

Heading back to Christchurch after the most amazing weekend diving the Mikhail Lermontov.

Heading back to Christchurch after the most amazing weekend diving the Mikhail Lermontov.

Heading back to Christchurch after the mpst amazing weekend diving the Mikhail Lermontov.