Blog: Action woman

Under the sea

Next on my list in the Action Woman series was Scuba Diving, so I approached Turtle Bay Dive Centre based at the Sempati Hotel in Lapta, to see what they suggested. The Discover Scuba course was the answer and since my 19 year-old goddaughter, Emma, was over on holiday with her family, I decided it would be an ideal opportunity to do some god mother/daughter bonding.
We were met at the hotel by Caroline Brash and Drew Anderson, joint owners of the dive centre and introduced to our “buddies� for the afternoon, three Scuba students who were taking their Divemaster course, whilst we filled in the medical questionnaire.
Drew introduced us to the sport of Scuba diving, firstly by telling us what the course would consist of. He explained that underwater it wouldn’t be possible to talk and taught us the required hand signals to be able to communicate with each other. Next we learnt about how we would be breathing underwater. Then we were told which safety procedures we would learn in the swimming pool, before we would be able to take to the sea. It was also made clear to us the importance of never holding your breath, especially as you are ascending, since the air in your lungs will expand.
Ben Boothroyd, from Wales, one of the Dive Master students then took over and went through in more detail, the equipment we would be using. Dive tanks filled with air would enable us to breath under the water. They are attached to a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), which, well as it says, controls your buoyancy and a Regulator, which is what you actually put in your mouth and breath through. There are in fact two of these, just in case anything goes wrong with the Primary Regulator, the Octopus, coloured yellow to distinguish it, acts as a backup. There are also two gauges, which tell us how deep we are diving and most importantly, how much air we have left. Ben demonstrated how all the equipment is put together, not something we would be required to do ourselves for this dive, but imperative to learn for anyone wishing to take their PADI Open Water course. Finally we were introduced to our masks and fins (NOT flippers – that’s a dolphin!) and shown a drawing of where we would be diving, once we had completed our safety procedures.
Kitted out and in the pool, I was paired with Ben, whilst Emma was appointed Nick Howland, recently moved to Zeytinlik, as her buddy.
Drew explained clearly each of the procedures that he would first demonstrate and then ask us to perform. We had to learn how to lose and recover our regulator, how to exchange our Primary regulator for our Octopus and how to clear our mask underwater. Once we had managed this successfully, Caroline took over as our guide and we slowly circled the pool getting used to using our BCD and controlling our buoyancy in the water, either by adding to or expelling air from the buoyancy aid.
Once everyone had mastered the art of neutral buoyancy, we were handed wet suits and along with all the equipment, made our way to the sea. We were to dive Aphrodite Reef, a small reef accessible directly from the beach and just five and a half metres deep, ideal for a first timer.
A few more weights were added to each of our weight belts, with both salt water and a wet suit, buoyancy is increased. We donned our air tanks, mask and fins and clumsily entered the water, well all that equipment is pretty cumbersome and heavy on land! However, once in the water, with arms tucked in, we gracefully followed our dive buddies, responding to their regular “OK?� gestures with a grin and an “OK!� back.
We spent 29 minutes exploring the reef and saw Parrot Fish (Turkish Wrasse), Damsel fish, Sea Bream, Sea Bass, black brain coral and Nudibranches. Our visibility was about 15 metres, reduced a little due to the plankton filled water, the sea temperature was 30C and I personally went to a depth of five and a half metres.
The Turtle Bay Dive Centre regularly dive at seven other locations and have spotted Barracuda, turtles and Squirrel fish in addition to the sea life we witnessed. They also have dry suits so they can dive all year.
Discover Scuba is a safe and fun way to be introduced to Scuba diving, after which anyone wishing to take diving further, can start with the Open Water dive course. This is a four-day course, at a cost of £240, which includes classroom instruction, pool and sea dives. On passing the exam the PADI Open Water certificate, an internationally recognised qualification is awarded. Turtle Bay Dive Centre also offers Rescue Diver and Divemaster courses. For those under 10 years-old they run a Seal Team in the swimming pool and for the 8 – 10 year olds, the Bubblemaker, involving dives to a depth of two metres in the sea.
For details contact Drew Anderson on 0533 849 6266 or Caroline Brash on 0533 847 3860
PADI Scuba Diving is also offered at North Cyprus Scuba Centre, based at Alagadi Beach contact Cengiz Bergun on 0533 868 3165, Blue Dolphin Scuba Diving, Girne, contact 0542 851 5112 and Amphora Diving Centre, Alsancak contact 0542 851 4924.

by Claire on 15:14 on 8th May 2007