Monday 19 July 2010

Akamas

Akamas is a cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus.  The dive centre where I worked offered day trips to the "protected" Marine Park in this area.  The first dive was normally at St George's Island - a interesting dive from 3 to 30m on a wall.  We would then go for lunch and a swim before continuing onto Fontana Amorosa for a second dive.









Monday 5 July 2010

Cydive, Cyprus - Divemaster

I worked as a Divemaster in Cyprus with Cydive from 4th July until the 30th of September in 2010.  I kept a Word document of the daily dives which I completed as well as the other jobs which were part of my Divemaster respnsibilities.

In total I did 131 open water dives during my time in Cyprus (",).
This took my total number of dives to 219.

 
WEEK1

Mon 5/7/10:  Morning – Roman Wall 5m DSD Head dunking with Mick.  Saw: Brittle Star, Damsel Fish, Rainbow Wrasse, Fire worm, Scorpion fish, Sea Urchin, followed by Sea Bream.

                     Afternoon – Vera K.  10 min from harbour.  Lebanese freighter that ran aground in 1972 and subsequently blown up as a hazard to shipping in 1974.  It is still in four main sections and the bridge is fairly intact.  Lies completely submerged in a crater at 11m.  Swam through a nice archway.  Amazing visability. 

Tues 6/7/10:  Morning – First solo dive!  Refresher course at the Roman Wall.  Went OK but must get better! Later driving around in pick-up truck dropping off clients and buying bolts.

                Afternoon – Wreck of the Achileas. Greek vessel lying on sandy bottom which mysteriously exploded in 1975.  Composed of 3 main sections at around 11m.  Best preserved part was propeller.  Saw first little Nudibranch!

Wed 7/7/10:   Morning – Roman Wall assisting DSD.
Afternoon – Demonstration at Aphrodite Hills.

Thurs 8/7/10: Morning – Double dive with Mick at Amphorae Caves and Vera-K. 
Found bullet at Vera-K.
                        Afternoon – Dive at White Star
Night dive – Vera K!

Fri 9/7/10:      Morning – Refresher at Roman Wall with Karin, very good.

                        Afternoon – Open Water Course assisting at Roman Wall & DSD at Roman Wall.

Sat 10/7/10:   Day Off

Sun 11/7/10:   Morning – DSD at the Roman Wall (with Sally?)

                        Afternoon – Water park with Jonathan

Dives = 13

WEEK 2

Mon 12/7/10: Morning – Lofos with Chris.

                        Afternoon – Bubbles with Chris.

Tues 13/7/10: The Zenobia (x 2)! AMAZING.

                        1st dive – 10:09 entry, 32 metres max depth, 44 minutes, 21°C.
                        2nd dive – 12:51 entry, 29.6 metres max depth, 44 minutes, 23°C.

Wed 14/7/10: Day Off

Thurs 15/7/10:  Morning- Refresher at the Roman Wall then DSD assisting with Micky at the     Roman Wall.

Afternoon:  Vera K – Polish guys and German/Scot.  Polish guy shot up after problems with mask.  REMEMBER TO FILL BCD WHEN DEALING WITH PANICKING DIVER AT SURFACE.

Fri 16/7/10: Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall, Richard & Pete (UK & Belgium).
                                       Saw Squirrel/Cardinal Fish

                     Afternoon – Vera K with Finnish dive pair, father and son.

Sat 17/7/10:  Morning – Two tank dive St George & Manijin

                       Afternoon DSD assisting

Sun 18/7/10:  Morning – Coral Bay

                        Afternoon – Water Park

Dives = 24

WEEK 3

Mon 19/7/10: Latchi & Akamas daytrip
                        1st dive St Georges Island - Pipe fish
                        2nd dive 5 Crevices

Tues 20/7/10: Zenobia (x 2) Hugh, Stevie, Kathrine + 3 Russians

Wed 21/7/10:  Day Off

Thurs 22/7/10: Morning – Wall Street.  Chaotic morning.  I was dive guide even though I wasn't very familiar the site.  Not much to see!

                        Afternoon – Amphitheatre shore dive and £5 tip!  Really nice dive site.
Entered on left of Moray Cove with Kris.  The amphitheatre is actually a spectacular geological feature at 9m.  Great for watching the waves crash overhead.

Fri 23/7/10:  Morning – Bream Bay
                                         Popular for rock formation.  Mixed sandy bottom in 22-27m. 

                        Afternoon – White River
                                            

Sat 24/7/10:  Morning – DSDs at the Roman Wall.

                        Afternoon – Dive lead the Vera-K.

Sun 25/7/10:  Morning – DSDs at Roman Wall.

                        Afternoon – Dive at Vera-K with Adam.

36 dives


WEEK 4

Monday 26/7/10:  Morning – Refresher at Roman Wall then DSDs as surface cover.

                               Afternoon – DSDs at Roman Wall with Luciano.

Tuesday 27/7/10:  Zenobia (x2) with Mick.  Pick-up at 6:45.
                                Mix between low-on-air divers and photographers.

Wednesday:28/7/10: Day off.

Thursday 29/7/10:   Morning - Bubble Maker at the Roman Wall with Micky then DSDS with Luciano at the Roman Wall.

                                    Afternoon – Dive at the Vera-K.  Weight belt problems.

Friday 30/7/10:           Zenobia (x2)

Saturday 31/7/10:      Morning – Two-tank dive
                                    St George – Decompression Sickness for T!
                                    Manijin

                                    Afternoon – DSD at Roman Wall with the Fifers.

Sunday 1/8/10: Morning – Dive with Adam and the Fifers! Wreck of the Achilleas.

                          Afternoon – DSD surface cover

49 Dives

WEEK 5

Monday 2/8/10: Morning – Dutch DSDs Roman Wall.

                           Afternoon – The Shoals.  Miki saw a Remora fish at the Roman Wall!
A remora (pronounced /ˈrÉ›mÉ™rÉ™/), sometimes called a suckerfish or sharksucker, is an elongated, brown fish. They grow to 30–90 centimetres long, and their distinctive first dorsal fin takes the form of a modified oval sucker-like organ with slat-like structures that open and close to create suction and take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals. By sliding backward, the remora can increase the suction, or it can release itself by swimming forward. Remoras sometimes attach to small boats. They swim well on their own, with a sinuous, or curved, motion.  Remoras are primarily tropical open-ocean dwellers, occasionally found in temperate or coastal waters if they have attached to large fish that have wandered into these areas. In the mid-Atlantic, spawning usually takes place in August and September in the Mediterranean,


Tuesday 3/8/10: ZENOBIA x 2. Pick-up at 6:30

Wednesday 4/8/10: DSDs in the morning, Roman Wall.
                                 Afternoon dive at the Valley of the Caves, one diver.

Thursday 5/8/10: DSDs all day Roman Wall x2.

Friday 6/8/10: Day Off! (with Gloria!!!:)

Saturday 7/8/10:  DSDs shore cover

                             Afternoon – Pafian Sun hotel dropping Glo off at Coral Bay

Sunday 8/8/10:  DSDs at the Roman Wall with Adam and the poles.

                           Afternoon – Vera-K with 29 divers.

59 dives


WEEK 6

Monday 9/8/10: Akamas - 2 dives. Ali being Awkward.
Tuesday 10/8/10: Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall
Snorkelling trip to Amphorae Caves and Vera-K.  Argument with Ali, meeting with Photos after.
                              Afternoon – Amphitheatre with George

Wednesday 11/8/10:  Day off!

Thursday 12/8/10: Morning – Assist DSDs.

                               Afternoon – Vera-K, 19 people.  Fairly strong currents and swell.

Friday 13/810: Morning: Morning dive, Airport Reef.
                           
 Afternoon:  DSDs assist.

Saturday 14/8/10: Morning – Boat dive

                               Afternoon – DSDs with Adam, great group.  Roman Wall.

Sunday 15/8/10: Morning – The Valley with Tara and other.

                             Afternoon – DSDs assist.
68 dives

WEEK 7

Monday 16/8/10: Morning - Pasquals reef.  Back down for the anchor with Richard.

                              Afternoon – DSDs

Tuesday 17/8/10: ZENOBIA- disaster! Boat and bus problems… and then the dive watch.

Wednesday 18/8/10: Morning – Open Water confined and open dive at Roman Wall x2

                                   Afternoon – DSDs assist with Micki, missed turtle again!

Thursday 19/8/10: Day off! Safari

Friday 20/8/10: Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall with four (Mozambique and Manchester)
                                            DSDs Snorkelling
                          Afternoon – White River

Saturday 21/8/10: Morning – Two dives at the Roman Wall, Open Water dives.

                              Afternoon – Cynthiana, Jono’s last dive.

Sunday 22/8/10: Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall then Coral Bay Bubble Maker.

                           Afternoon – Boat dive at the Vera-K
80 dives

WEEK 8

Monday23/8/10:  Morning – Lofus. Dive with Pascal, Simon and Tara. 
Downstream from dive site in strong currents.  Lost and found DSMB.

                              Afternoon – Bubbles. Girl swept away!

Tuesday 24/8/10: Zenobia.

Wednesday 25/8/10: Day Off – Beach and Tomb of the Caves.  Grouper fish? Hmmmm

Thursday 26/8/10: Refresher with Dutch girl at Roman Wall.
                               Diving with Adam DSDs at the Roman Wall.

                                    Afternoon:  DSDs with Micky at Roman Wall.
                                    Evening: Night dive at Roman Wall.

Friday 27/8/10: Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall.
                                             Diving with DSDs at the Roman Wall.

                           Afternoon – Dive ?

Saturday 28/8/10:  Morning – Two tank dive, St George & Manijin
Afternoon – DSDs a Roman Wall with Sally. Disaster, short surface cover, dad out, son weight belt probs.  

Sunday 29/8/10:  Hotels all day with Monica.

94 dives

WEEK 9


Monday 30/8/10:  Akamas day trip – 2 dives

Tuesday 31/8/10: Morning - Cynthiana Dive with David

                              Afternoon - Shore dive at Church Bay, found the swim throughs!

Wednesday 1/9/10: Morning – DSDs

                                 Afternoon – DSDs

Thursday 2/9/10: Day Off

Friday 3/9/10: Morning – DSDs, tank delivery.

                        Afternoon – Shore dive, White River with Micki

Saturday 4/9/10: Morning – Elysium

                            Afternoon – Water Park

Sunday 5/9/10: Morning – Dive Church Bay.  Finally saw Loggerhead Turtle!!!  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING!

100 dives

WEEK 10


Monday 6/9/10:  Akamas Snokeling Trip – no diving.

Tuesday 7/9/10:  Morning – Amphiteatre from Coral Bay

                            Afternoon – Church Bay from Coral Bay.  Went through 4 swim throughs :D

Wednesday 8/9/10:  Morning - DSDs sea portion at Coral Bay.

                                  Afternoon – DSDs sea portion at Coral Bay.

Thursday 9/9/10: Day Off! Jewellery shop

Friday 10/9/19:  Pool demos Coral Bay.  Afterwards in the shop then one hour at Ascos.

Saturday 11/9/10:  Morning – Amphitheatre with Tony.  Bubble Maker at Coral Bay.

Sunday 12/9/10:  Morning- Mayfair and King Jason hotel with Alberto.  3 DSDs and 2 Akamas.

Afternoon – White Star.  Very bad conditions.  Sending divers down shot line one-by-one.  Extremely strong surface current.  Glasgow George bought 6-dive package.

106 dives!!! :D

WEEK 11


Monday 13/9/10: Morning – Pool demo Coral Bay.

                             Afternoon – Amphitheatre with Frenchy.

Tuesday 14/9/10:  Morning – Cynthiana

                               Afternoon – Manijin Island shore dive.

Wednesday 15/9/10:  Welcome meetings – Laura Hotel & Kefalor Hotel. 
Elysium in afternoon.

Thursday 16/9/10:  Day Off

Friday 17/9/10:  Morning – DSDs at Roman Wall

   Afternoon – White River with Mike

Saturday 18/9/10:  Scuba Review all day.

Sunday 19/9/10:  Morning Dive – Church Bay with Simon.

                             Afternoon Dive – Vera K with 8 divers.

114 dives

WEEK 12

Monday 20/9/10:  Akamas day trip with Kris – 2 dives.  Saw common stingray or bat ray?.

                              Night dive at the Roman Wall.  Finally – an octopus!!!!

Tuesday 21/9/10:  Pick ups

                               Hotels

Wednesday 22/9/10:  Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall then DSDs at Roman Wall

                                    Afternoon – Dive at Amphorae Cave

Thursday 23/9/10:  Day Off

Friday 24/9/10:  Morning – Church Bay with David

                            Afternoon – Water Park

Saturday 25/9/10:  Morning – Refresher at the Roman Wall

                                Afternoon – White Star

Sunday 26/9/10:  Morning – Amphitheatre

                             Afternoon - Hotels

124 dives

WEEK 13

Monday 27/9/10:  Morning – Cynthiana Shore Dive.  Excellent visibility.

                              Afternoon – The Shoals.  Excellent dive, found the tunnel with no problem.

Tuesday 28/9/10:  Morning – Coral Bay refresher

                              Afternoon – Amphitheatre with Kruki

Wednesday 29/9/10: Morning – 2 tank dive, Manajin and the Achilleas

Thursday 30/9/10: LAST DAY! :D  Akamas

Total Cydives = 131

Roman Wall – 39
Vera –K – 11
Wreck of the Achilleas – 3
Amphorae Caves – 3
White Star – 2
Lofos – 2
Bubbles – 2
Zenobia – 14
St George – 4
Manijin – 5
Akamas – 10
Wall Street – 1
Bream Bay – 1
Amphitheatre – 7
Church Bay – 5
White River – 5
Cynthiana – 4
Valley of the Caves – 1
Pasqual’s Reef - 1
The Shoals – 2
The Valley – 1
Coral Bay - 4
Airport Reef - 1