The dives were great, but it was a bit chilly. Conditions underwater were better than above... With near freezing temperatures and a cold wind coming from the polders, along the dikes.
The good thing, though:
---
---
Showing posts with label scuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scuba. Show all posts
28 October 2012
Returned from Zeeland. Great dive weekend
I just returned from a great diveweekend in Schelphoek, Zeeland. I'll blog more about it .. but the most important stuff first:
The dives were great, but it was a bit chilly. Conditions underwater were better than above... With near freezing temperatures and a cold wind coming from the polders, along the dikes.
The good thing, though:
We spotted some divers that spotted a seahorse. This particular one was found at Zoetersbout (/Zijpe) and was already around for three weeks. The great thing is, I stayed there long enough to even do some video. It is relatively low quality, but it gives a good impression on what we saw.
updated... now with vimeo video
The dives were great, but it was a bit chilly. Conditions underwater were better than above... With near freezing temperatures and a cold wind coming from the polders, along the dikes.
The good thing, though:
28 April 2012
First Calamari Zeeland Weekend
Sorry for the delay in posting .. but: I returned from my divetrip to Zeeland last Sunday. I have blogged on the Dutch blog but I did not find time to do this in English
Last week I went on a divetrip with Calamari, a biologists student diving club in Groningen. I am donor and as one of the benefits I can join the camps they organize. Great! First camp this year was last week .. windy, rainy and cold with morning temperatures not much above freezing.
The Calamari weekend was quite a busy weekend, with 30 to 40 divers present many of whom were trainee's.. so there were lot's of instructors needed to get them certified.
My goal for this camp was to get myself certified for drysuit diving. I bought myself a used Procean Technical suit, and hoped to get the training arranged before I went on camp, but unfortunately the planning of the training changed ... so I went to Zeeland with only my swimming pool training done. To bad, now I had to dive without. (without training .. not without drysuit) This meant I had to be extra careful. I decided only to do the easier dives and only opted for Grevelinge locations.
This weekend I dove at
- De Kabbelaar
- Kerkweg
- Den Osse Haven
- 't Koepeltje
- Zoetersbout/Zijpe (hmmm.. not a Grevelinge location)
24 October 2011
Season closes: Calamari Schelphoek kamp 21-10-11
OK, as I blogged earlier on my dutch blog, the dive season was at it's end somewhere in September... or so I thought. Weather was getting worse and diving in rainy weather makes all but the underwater-part of diving a bit less appetizing so I ended my diveseason.
What actually happened is that I ended up joining the Calamari diveteam for their autumn dive weekend in Zeeland at the 21st.
Although the weather was "not good" for wetsuit divers, there was no rain but much sunshine. The temperature was a bit low, though, being only 8-13 Celcius in the late afternoon, with some mild frost at night. I've only managed to make 4 dives as on sunday I was having a bit of a cold myself and opted for doing the dishes etc. instead.
The dives I did were very nice since the light from the sun managed to get thru to at least 5 meter without losing too much intensity. This meant light was good... but visibility was good too. on the four dives I have had moments where sight would be close to 8 meters.
Dive photo's can be found here.
What actually happened is that I ended up joining the Calamari diveteam for their autumn dive weekend in Zeeland at the 21st.
Although the weather was "not good" for wetsuit divers, there was no rain but much sunshine. The temperature was a bit low, though, being only 8-13 Celcius in the late afternoon, with some mild frost at night. I've only managed to make 4 dives as on sunday I was having a bit of a cold myself and opted for doing the dishes etc. instead.
The dives I did were very nice since the light from the sun managed to get thru to at least 5 meter without losing too much intensity. This meant light was good... but visibility was good too. on the four dives I have had moments where sight would be close to 8 meters.
Dive photo's can be found here.
02 May 2011
The Dive Holiday - day 0
Starting with an early flight at 5 AM is not ideal... it meant I needed to travel the evening before, so I left home at around 10PM to take the last possible connection to Schiphol that day.
Arriving just after midnight I noticed how most shops and bars were closed with the exception of the standard hamburger "restaurant". Check-in was not open yet... I had to wait at least 2 hours until I could drop off my bags. I just found a quiet place at the airport and dozed for a bit.
Then finally I could check in... having a bit of bureaucratic nonsense with the Martinair Overweight/Divegear policy meant that I needed to check in my overweight bag at a different counter... that should open at 02:30... but did not open until 3. I figured I needed to wait anyway so I was not really worried, only a little frustrated as I had not really had any sleep. Then finally all was settled, emptied my waterbottle went thru the final check before boarding, refilled my bottle and got on the plane.
On the Martinair flight I could not really sleep either, a baby in the row before me and some noisy guys behind me (I got to know them quite well, later on) meant I remained awake for the first hour or so. After that I managed to doze a bit again.
We arrived during day time, which was new to me. I got to see desert, Nile and Luxor from the air. Great. We landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule or so, also good.
Arriving just after midnight I noticed how most shops and bars were closed with the exception of the standard hamburger "restaurant". Check-in was not open yet... I had to wait at least 2 hours until I could drop off my bags. I just found a quiet place at the airport and dozed for a bit.
Then finally I could check in... having a bit of bureaucratic nonsense with the Martinair Overweight/Divegear policy meant that I needed to check in my overweight bag at a different counter... that should open at 02:30... but did not open until 3. I figured I needed to wait anyway so I was not really worried, only a little frustrated as I had not really had any sleep. Then finally all was settled, emptied my waterbottle went thru the final check before boarding, refilled my bottle and got on the plane.
On the Martinair flight I could not really sleep either, a baby in the row before me and some noisy guys behind me (I got to know them quite well, later on) meant I remained awake for the first hour or so. After that I managed to doze a bit again.
We arrived during day time, which was new to me. I got to see desert, Nile and Luxor from the air. Great. We landed 10 minutes ahead of schedule or so, also good.
Canon Powershot G12 and WP-DC34 - leak
This was my first holiday with my new Canon Powershot G12 - The camera performed very well. Yet I have had BIG problems with the housing. At the moment I am preparing to send the housing to the dealer, as it has caused me much grief.
On my 5th dive with this housing, the one where I shot the video of the turtle, I noticed the housing started leaking. I could not believe my eyes... several droplets at the bottom of the new underwaterhousing. On this long, shallow dive about the last third of the dive I have been in stress on if the thing was going to flood or if it was going to be save.
At 17 meters max depth there was absolutely no reason for this to happen and as I had been using similar housings from Canon since 2004/5 (with the great Ixus 430) I could not imagine user error...
I returned to shore washed and cleaned the housing opened it and removed and dried the camera as fast as I could. Finally a lucky brake, no water inside the camera .. only a few drops on it.
After the whole housing was dry enough, I cleaned it some more, checked everything for possible damage, did not find anything... and decided to take the housing with me on the next dive. No leakes on the first two dives, so I decided to have the camera in the housing. Next two dives, still no issue, I was able to take some pictures again.
Then, again, leaks .. just about 5 drops. No problem with the camera, cleaned the housing, tested it again .. no issue, rinsed and repeated... after a few dives .. exactly the same issue. This lasted until my last dive in Egypt.
The WP-DC34 is now on it's way to the dealer. I took about 450 pictures, about 800 less than normal. I still won't trust this housing, probably not even when it is repaired.
update: 5-5-11
Today I received the mail that Canon has sent me a replacement for the housing, under warranty arrangements. I guess they came to the same conclusion: there must be something wrong with the housing... I cannot wait to test the new housing this weekend (if it arrives on time) Great, THANKS CANON, GOOD service!
On my 5th dive with this housing, the one where I shot the video of the turtle, I noticed the housing started leaking. I could not believe my eyes... several droplets at the bottom of the new underwaterhousing. On this long, shallow dive about the last third of the dive I have been in stress on if the thing was going to flood or if it was going to be save.
At 17 meters max depth there was absolutely no reason for this to happen and as I had been using similar housings from Canon since 2004/5 (with the great Ixus 430) I could not imagine user error...
I returned to shore washed and cleaned the housing opened it and removed and dried the camera as fast as I could. Finally a lucky brake, no water inside the camera .. only a few drops on it.
After the whole housing was dry enough, I cleaned it some more, checked everything for possible damage, did not find anything... and decided to take the housing with me on the next dive. No leakes on the first two dives, so I decided to have the camera in the housing. Next two dives, still no issue, I was able to take some pictures again.
Then, again, leaks .. just about 5 drops. No problem with the camera, cleaned the housing, tested it again .. no issue, rinsed and repeated... after a few dives .. exactly the same issue. This lasted until my last dive in Egypt.
The WP-DC34 is now on it's way to the dealer. I took about 450 pictures, about 800 less than normal. I still won't trust this housing, probably not even when it is repaired.
update: 5-5-11
Today I received the mail that Canon has sent me a replacement for the housing, under warranty arrangements. I guess they came to the same conclusion: there must be something wrong with the housing... I cannot wait to test the new housing this weekend (if it arrives on time) Great, THANKS CANON, GOOD service!
11 June 2008
liveaboard
You just might want to start at the bottom... first blogs are there ...
Arriving on the MV St(r)arlight One, somewhere after midnight again... shoes off, having a welcoming drink, and then to bed. The good news: there are enough huts onboard for everyone to have their own. (The bad news would off course be that the group was all male... so there would not be any fun reason to share a hut, anyway.)
We would leave port around 5:00 in the morning, as soon as it was light enough to do so. First dive of this liveaboard was to the Salem express, a ferry that sank some 17 years ago, after hitting a reef. Quite a ghostly, eerie location to be diving, if you know this wreck still contains human remains and personal belongings... some 600 people never got out of this ship alive. Still, the wreck looks nice and is a challenging dive. When we surfaced again, we had some other boats next to us, one of which had divers bringing flowers to the wreck. This is still a grave.
Next dives: at Abu el Kifhen, joined up with my buddy Tamer to do an easy dive with the reef on our left, 100 bar turn around, 60 minutes divetime. We had a good dive, spotted a resting turtle, posed for the camera with it and moved on... returned with a good story and had a good dive.
--- story is to continue but:
I managed to get the photo's online:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27408834@N05/
I will be working on editing the video, but at least I have already managed to get the hammerhead online:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQuPF4enLA
Have a look. Comment, and await the next blogs...
Arriving on the MV St(r)arlight One, somewhere after midnight again... shoes off, having a welcoming drink, and then to bed. The good news: there are enough huts onboard for everyone to have their own. (The bad news would off course be that the group was all male... so there would not be any fun reason to share a hut, anyway.)
We would leave port around 5:00 in the morning, as soon as it was light enough to do so. First dive of this liveaboard was to the Salem express, a ferry that sank some 17 years ago, after hitting a reef. Quite a ghostly, eerie location to be diving, if you know this wreck still contains human remains and personal belongings... some 600 people never got out of this ship alive. Still, the wreck looks nice and is a challenging dive. When we surfaced again, we had some other boats next to us, one of which had divers bringing flowers to the wreck. This is still a grave.
Next dives: at Abu el Kifhen, joined up with my buddy Tamer to do an easy dive with the reef on our left, 100 bar turn around, 60 minutes divetime. We had a good dive, spotted a resting turtle, posed for the camera with it and moved on... returned with a good story and had a good dive.
--- story is to continue but:
I managed to get the photo's online:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27408834@N05/
I will be working on editing the video, but at least I have already managed to get the hammerhead online:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZQuPF4enLA
Have a look. Comment, and await the next blogs...
Hello World 2 -- from Egypt
OK, so I created a blog... not to be doing what the new internet hords are doing, not to keep up with the newest hypes or to be an exhibitionist... I have done this just to be able to share my latest things with you.
Last Friday I returned from Egypt where I spent a bit more than a week on diving, enjoying the sun, and generally being lazy. (which off course is a natural thing for me.) I have had a real good time!
Travel to Egypt went as planned and smooth, we left at 14:25, just a bit late but no worries. Arrival in Hurgharda was 9ish... so on time, but then the real travel started, moving from the airport to my first accomodation somewhere below Marsa Alam a good 3 hours drive, I was told ... later to be discovering that these are Egyptian hours... so I arrived well after midnight at my camp. My suitcase and me were hastily moved to the hut that was prepared for me (mental note: get a new diving bag, I have known for ages suitcases do not work for my kind of traveling.)
... I had barely touched down on my bed when the generator was stopped, and the only small light in the hut was extinghuished. (A thing I would grow accustomed to, over the next view days anyway.)
Lights on (because I did not switch them off) at 5:15. I dozed for a couple of hours and then got out of bed at around 8:00... time to start preparing for the first dive. Today I was supposed to do 2 dives on the location. First for some carefull first lunch and then got my gear ready.
First dive was at 10:08 hrs on Torfa Mekki, somewhere on the house reef of this location. A dive from the Zodiac. It was a good first dive, we did not see many special things but the water was warm, the dive gear had survived the trip intact and I still knew how to dive.
Second dive went just as good... but 3rd dive that day was the best: a nice night dive, starting at the beach of the diving center. We had to hurry a bit, I was diving with my buddy/divemaster/guide, we were alone, but there was a large group of French divers preparing as well...
Second day: better, still .. To Elphinstone; up at 4:15; sleepwalking to the boat... waking up again around 8:00 for some breakfast and preparing for the dive. This was a bit more challenging, deeper, with current etc. but still, one of the good locations to be diving. (compared to my local training pool/puddle in Holland)
We did not spot much of the sharks etc, that are supposed to be here... but I guess we just were not lucky. We had this guy do a swim by, though.
When we returned to shore, I got the message from Henry, that I was supposed to leave... I had 30 minutes to get packed, so I could join Henry and the others to join in the bus... Instead of leaving from Marsa Alam, the boat was still mored at Hurgharda.. we had to go there by bus.
next blog...: links to my photos; Arriving in Hurgharda and leaving port ... to go on safari/liveaboard.
Last Friday I returned from Egypt where I spent a bit more than a week on diving, enjoying the sun, and generally being lazy. (which off course is a natural thing for me.) I have had a real good time!
Travel to Egypt went as planned and smooth, we left at 14:25, just a bit late but no worries. Arrival in Hurgharda was 9ish... so on time, but then the real travel started, moving from the airport to my first accomodation somewhere below Marsa Alam a good 3 hours drive, I was told ... later to be discovering that these are Egyptian hours... so I arrived well after midnight at my camp. My suitcase and me were hastily moved to the hut that was prepared for me (mental note: get a new diving bag, I have known for ages suitcases do not work for my kind of traveling.)
... I had barely touched down on my bed when the generator was stopped, and the only small light in the hut was extinghuished. (A thing I would grow accustomed to, over the next view days anyway.)
Lights on (because I did not switch them off) at 5:15. I dozed for a couple of hours and then got out of bed at around 8:00... time to start preparing for the first dive. Today I was supposed to do 2 dives on the location. First for some carefull first lunch and then got my gear ready.
First dive was at 10:08 hrs on Torfa Mekki, somewhere on the house reef of this location. A dive from the Zodiac. It was a good first dive, we did not see many special things but the water was warm, the dive gear had survived the trip intact and I still knew how to dive.
Second dive went just as good... but 3rd dive that day was the best: a nice night dive, starting at the beach of the diving center. We had to hurry a bit, I was diving with my buddy/divemaster/guide, we were alone, but there was a large group of French divers preparing as well...
Second day: better, still .. To Elphinstone; up at 4:15; sleepwalking to the boat... waking up again around 8:00 for some breakfast and preparing for the dive. This was a bit more challenging, deeper, with current etc. but still, one of the good locations to be diving. (compared to my local training pool/puddle in Holland)
We did not spot much of the sharks etc, that are supposed to be here... but I guess we just were not lucky. We had this guy do a swim by, though.
When we returned to shore, I got the message from Henry, that I was supposed to leave... I had 30 minutes to get packed, so I could join Henry and the others to join in the bus... Instead of leaving from Marsa Alam, the boat was still mored at Hurgharda.. we had to go there by bus.
next blog...: links to my photos; Arriving in Hurgharda and leaving port ... to go on safari/liveaboard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)