Issue 53 October 2012 Dive Times

Recreational CoursesDIVE OTAGO WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR NEW DIVERS!

Sarah Hight, Tim Pope, Philip Huntley, Mark Perniskie, Claire Stuhlmann, Morgan Jones, Scott Kimes, Sam Robertson, Rebecca Elmslie, Brooke Cox, Gareth Schieving, Cecelia Chambers, Che Masina and Ben Jenkins.

NEWLY CERTIFIED ADVANCED OPEN WATER DIVERS

Kane Freeman, William Carruthers, Matthew Desmond, Kieran Hyslop and Ethan Pryde.

STAR SECONDARY SCHOOLS PROGRAMME

These holidays we have loads of students from all over Otago and Southland completing their Open Water Training! We have students from Catlins Area School, Gore High School, South Otago High School, Otago Boys’ High School and Wakatipu High

School in the first week, and John McGlashan College, Columba College, Dunstan High School, South Otago High School, Otago Boys’ High School, Roxburgh Area School and Taieri College in the second week. We have had 6 meters visibility at Wellers Rock so far and it looks like they too will have great conditions when they learn to dive.

A big congratulations to Connor Harwood from Verdon College who completed his Open Water Certification and Ethan Pryde from Blue Mountain College who completed his PADI Advanced Open Water course in September.

PADI ADVANCED OPEN WATER COURSE REPORT By Emma Young

On the August Advanced Open Water Course we had Kieran Hyslop, William Carruthers and Matthew Desmond. After leaving the surface we slowly descended to 6 metres to check our gauges and then continued downwards to 20 metres. On our descent, I turned around and thought I had a fourth diver

• Discover Scuba- November 7th• Open Water - November 3rd• Advanced - October 25th

Adam Illingworth having fun with some STAR Open Water students at the mighty mole!

COURSES COMING UP

Kia Ora, Welcome to spring, warmer water and whole lotta wind. Adam and Garrath took Sea Horse and a few clients to Fish Reef recently and had a wonderful day. The visibility was 15 metres and sea life prolific. Check out the photos on the Dive Otago Facebook page.

At this time of the year it is often best to sacrifice a little sleep to get the best conditions which are generally in the morning. After a couple of dives, a fish and a clean-up you can be home by midday – then siesta. Daylight saving also allows us to use the extended light at the other end of the day. Be sure you are making the most of any opportunity to dive over the coming months. Due to a the celebration of a milestone in November, Dive Otago will be closing on Saturday 3 November at 2pm. If you are in the Moeraki area call in to the Moeraki Tavern around 4pm and enjoy some music for a couple of hours – Dave Watson

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but it was Snoopy our resident Wellers Rock sea lion! After investigating, all of us continued downwards to compare colours with our torch. Snoopy didn’t like the torch beam and just played with our fins as we did this skill. We made our way around the beacon and up the other side of the rock wall with about a metre visibility and Snoopy in tow for most of the dive. It definitely made our safety stop hover difficult when he was playing with your fins! Awesome dive and lots of entertainment.

DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING

We have had a number of groups experience diving in the pool. The Kawa Dolphins Swimming Club and Otago University Recreation Services both came in and they are getting really confident in the pool, playing games and even trying a bit of night diving!

Well done to all Discover Scuba Diving participants, Andrew Malloch, Andrew Macaliffe, Wayne Lippert, Alex Lippert, Geoff Burrow, Rosie Finigan and Frances Geddes, Charlotte Williams, Brent Muir, Griffin Hill, Kim Storey, Naash Kanan, Nicki Dixon, Hannah Gee and Shane De Bruyn. We look forward to teaching

you to dive in the open water some day soon!

EventsSEA LION TALK Jim Fyfe - Department of Conservation.

In late September Jim Fyfe, from the Department of Conservation, came to Dive Otago and shared some of his extensive knowledge on the behaviour of sea lions. He mentioned that the interactions our divers are experiencing are positive and playful, and that the sea lions are just exhibiting a sea lion to sea lion behaviour. He recommended that divers continue swimming in a slow relaxed manner, avoid giving the animal’s attention and eye contact, and if they start to be a bit too ‘playful’, to slowly exit the water.

We, along with Jim Fyfe, would like to keep a record of anyone’s encounters with these fantastic animals. So next time you are popping in to the shop to hire gear, come for a dive, drop off tanks to get filled, or just popping in to say hi after a dive, take the time to fill in a wee questionnaire on your diving experience with them.

PROJECT AWARE DIVE AGAINST DEBRIS - MACANDREW BAY CLEAN UP 2012 By Emma Young

Since the first Project AWARE International Cleanup Day events in 1993, AWARE divers have organised thousands of cleanups to protect underwater habitats and marine species. Cleanup dives from the past 18 years have been a true inspiration, placing scuba divers in the spotlight and are key to addressing debris issues on a global scale. This year Dive Otago organised

DEBRIS MONTH OF ACTION

KGS or LBS

STOP THE OCEAN’S SILENT KILLER

TRASH REMOVED

PROJECTAWARE.ORG© Project AWARE Foundation 2012

270KGSof trash!

Dive Otago and Friends

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an underwater and beach clean up event at Macandrew Bay, Dunedin.

Our divers met at Dive Otago at 8am and it was super busy from the word go! Jen and Vic took charge of our divers while I went out to Mac Bay to prepare our station at the yacht club. It was an overcast day, but no wind, so perfect for collecting rubbish. After a dive briefing our divers were dropped of at various points around Mac Bay, from Glenfalloch Gardens to Company Bay. Our shore helpers started to arrive at 10am, with lots of families, locals, a group from Kavanagh College and even the pet dog! After everyone filled their bags, all the helpers had a well deserved free sausage or two (courtesy of Mac Bay Café) and some delicious chocolates (kindly donated by Cadburys). Our divers also replenished their food stocks after a mammoth effort.

In total 270.80 kgs of debris was collected, including some weird and wonderful items that certainly didn’t belong in our beautiful harbour! We recorded our clean up data and sorted all that we had collected into a skip, that had been kindly donated by Envirowaste. The data we gathered was then sent to Project AWARE for them to collate with info from other clean ups around the globe in a effort to understand how we can better combat marine debris.

It was an awesome day, we got some amazing photos in the paper of Jen on the Friday prior to the day and then again on the Monday, all of which will help raise awareness in the wider Dunedin community. Hopefully this increased awareness will make people a little more conscious of where their trash is ending up. Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who helped out - it was truly an awesome effort.

We must also extend an extra big thank you to our sponsors Mac Bay Café, Cadburys and Envirowatse.

Philip Huntley with one of the items that definitely didn’t belong in our beautiful harbour.

Plastic materials bags-grocery/retail 55Bags-trash (plastic) 28Beverage bottles - 2 liters or less 20Plastic caps and lids 65Plastic cups, plates, forks, knives and spoons 7Foam insulation and packaging 27Plastic food wrappers 75Straws and stirrers 23Tobacco packaging and wrappers 5Plastic fragments 40Glass and ceramic materials, beverage bottles (glass)

43

Cups and plates-tableware/dishes (glass & ceramic)

109

Glass fragments 250Cans-food/juice, other (tin) 16Metal fragments 12Rope and string (cloth) 15Paper, cardboard fragments 14Mixed materials, bricks, cinder blocks and chunks of cement

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TripsSolomons Islands June 2013 The Dream Trip.

The Solomon Islands is the third largest archipelago in the South Pacific and comprises 992 islands ranging from large landmasses with rugged mountains and virgin forests, to low lying coral atolls. They are scattered in a double chain of islands covering 1.35 million sq km of sea and extend for 1.667k, in a south-easterly direction from Papua New Guinea. The country’s capital, Honiara, is situated on the north-west coast on the island of Guadalcanal.

The climate is tropical with average daytime temperatures around 29-34°C and high humidity. Evenings can be as cool as

TRIPS COMING UP

• Boat Spearfishing Trip - October 14th

• Milford Sound – February 2013

• Northern Delights – Hauraki Gulf, Poor Knights, Rainbow Warrior. March 2013

• Solomon Island – 12 days of diving bliss. June 2013

Dive Otago Graduates Josie, Wayne, Bradley, Glen and Anthea with some off the debris found at Macandrew Bay during the annual clean up.

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22°C. There are no defined seasons but November to April are wetter months and squalls and cyclones may occur. Whichever way, there can be a lot of rain so bring a rain coat or jacket.

During the Second World War, the Solomon Islands became the key turning point in the desperate and bitter struggle by Allied Forces to repel the Japanese advances in the South Pacific. Most of the fighting was concentrated off the mainland Guadalcanal area and around Tulagi in the neighbouring Florida Islands. Thankfully, the violent days are long gone now.

Today soaring mist enshrouded mountains preside above dense, abundant rainforest and waterfalls and rivers cascade to an intricate coastline. Villages and sun soaked golden beaches fringed with coconut palms lie scattered around lazy lagoons.

Mother Nature weaves her watery spell amongst the wrecks of World War II. The machines and relics of destruction now form artificial reefs that have attracted masses of fish and an incredible variety of coral. You will experience an extraordinary array of differing structures and bio-assemblage including shallow and deep coral gardens with magnificent drop-offs, ledges and gutters, sharks, all manner of light game fish and an enormous range of reef fish. Turtles and mantas and eagle rays are common sights, together with friendly hammerheads. As a dive destination, the Solomon Islands has gained a world-wide reputation that’s unsurpassed. Throughout these magical islands is an endless variety of dive sites to suit all tastes and levels of experience!

So who’s coming? Emma is taking a group to the Solomons on what we think is one of the best trips we have ever organised. 12 days of history, cultures and some of the best diving in the world.

Email: info@diveotago.co. nz for more information

Tertiary Training August DiplomaA big welcome to the new August Diploma in Professional Scuba Instruction / National Certificate in Diving (Foundation) students to Dive Otago: Kevin Piere, Lance Cameron, Campbell McIntosh, Jaden Beange, Kepa Grant and Kate Hornblow.

These students began in August and have just completed term one of their training and are already certified PADI Rescue divers! They have had some really cool dive experiences so far and even better, some great visibility! They really enjoyed their rescue training as did their instructor Chris Zinsli who made the scenarios as realistic as possible for the students (evil laughter). They are now on holiday for two weeks but are excited to begin their PADI Divemaster training next term when they will be developing their knowledge of dive theory, demonstration skills in the pool and dive briefings.

New August Diploma students - Left to Right during Advanced Open Water Training: Kevin, Jaden B, Lance, Kepa , Kate and Chris.

February DiplomaThe February Diploma students spent the last few weeks of their 3rd term learning Advanced First Aid, completing their

Big congratulations to the team for another great award!

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Online Video ReviewDIVING WITH FUR SEALS, MILFORD SOUND, NEW ZEALAND. By Adam Illingworthhttp://www.youtube.com/user/DIVEOTAGO?feature=mhee

Adam has developed into quite the video man. This collection of video clips of fur seals swimming in Milford Sound perfectly captures the graceful playful nature of these amazing creatures. The soundtrack is just right, with cheeky reggae tones that are sure to get you dipping your shoulders at your desk as you watch the show.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC) scenarios and starting the Instructor Development Course (IDC). This year we tried to make the PHEC scenarios as realistic as possible by using fake blood and even setting up pretend car crashes! This made the training heaps more fun and these guys are now qualified First Aid Instructors!

When they get back from their holidays they will begin preparing for their PADI Instructor Exam. This is a two and a half day exam and the students will be assessed by a PADI examiner on theory, ability to teach in the classroom and train students in the confined water and open water. They get assessed on their rescue skills as well as their general dive skills and professionalism. Once they pass their exams, they will be certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors and almost be ready to dive into their new career!

Our Tertiary Courses are about getting you to where you want to go, with the best possible instruction in the time you have available. We have a selection of courses coming up that should fit into most people’s lives and get you organised to achieve your goals.

WHAT ARE YOUR DIVING GOALS?

I want to be a Scuba Diving Instructor • February 2013 - December 2013 (FT)

I want to be a Divemaster• November 2012 - July 2013 (FT over Summer and Part time

during 2013)• February - July 2013 (FT)

I want to be a Rescue Diver • November 2012 -January 2013 Summer School(FT) • February 2013 - May 2013 (FT)*If you are looking to study part time we have few more options for you and we can work out a timetable to suit your goals and current schedule.

Tertiary Student ReportsMIKAELA MASON Current February Diploma in Professional Scuba Instruction/Certificate in Medic First Aid Instruction student

My first day was like the start of a new chapter in my life. Moving from little ol’ Wanaka to the big smoke was a giant leap in my world. Away from the comfort of mum and dad and the small town where everyone knows you and who you belong to.

I had no idea what to expect and was super nervous meeting the other 16 students and the scary instructors. But after just a month of being together we turned into a big Dive O family. The instructors became more than just the people who told you important information and what to do, they were more our friends, our mentors who would go out of their way to help in whatever situation as much as they could.

Before I knew it, I was a Rescue Diver and off for my week’s practicum in Milford Sound. 6 students, 2 instructors and the Sea Horse packed up for our adventure. Challenged physically and mentally doing 3 dives a day aboard the Sea Horse, the nice cosy boat, was the most memorable week yet. Shut off from society, just the 8 of us doing what we love doing best, every day. The coolest part is experiencing things you didn’t expect, like Black Coral living at 10m instead of 50, swimming with dolphins, being so narked you decide to start break dancing at 25m or watching the graceful movements of a giant Sting Ray go past just metres away. The Instructors really keep things interesting too, like when we had to practice giving our first dive briefings to warm water divers from Jamaica!

Everyday Dive Otago surprises us with a new challenge to overcome. Being stalked by a sea lion that seemed bigger than a bus and even rescuing an unconscious patient from a van crashed into a pole. We have all learnt so much this year like not

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Graduate Stories NEW APPOINTMENTS

A big congratulations to our recent graduates who have secured new dive jobs! Shannon Jopson landed a great job in Port Villa, Vanuatu, Clive Cox secured an amazing opportunity at Dive Jervis Bay, Australia and Michelle Field has commenced some exciting work in Fiordland for Real Journeys.

SHANNON JOPSON

Hey guys, just a few words to give you an update of what I’m doing here in sunny Port Vila, Vanuatu. I arrived here at Nautilus Watersports just over a month ago and had a couple of weeks to learn how the place runs (a lot different than what I was expecting) before getting straight into running courses and taking Discover Scuba Diving sessions. The diving here is awesome! Some sites have up to 40m visibility, heaps of wrecks to dive, a half a dozen different reefs and a giant cavern to explore too. There’s a heap of different nudibranch (Adam would love that). I’ve been diving with lionfish, sea snakes, cuttlefish and my personal favourite, the dugong. The turtles seem to evade me despite being seen by everyone but me (now I know how Tracey feels!).

I’d recommend any of you newly qualified dive instructors looking to gain some experience to get your MSDT and apply for a 3-4 month job here. It’s a great way to get some certifications under your belt and dive Port Vila.

Graduate Map Dive Otago Graduates taking on The World!

Put Yourself on The Map!

We are taking applications now for our Summer School and Diploma Progammes. Places are filling fast, so if you think you might want to be considered for one of these progammes email us your name and address we will send you some more information.

“ I’ve been diving with lionfish, sea snakes, cuttlefish and my personal favourite the dugong.”

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peeing in your wetsuit (or people will look at you funny), how to write the date and sign your name 50 million times over and how to successfully recover a lost non-breathing diver underwater. Doing the Diploma course has widened my knowledge of the underwater world and my passion for diving is still there. Each member of the Dive Otago team has helped me along the way and I can tell this will be my job for a long time yet.

LANCE CAMERON Current August Diploma in Professional Scuba Instruction/Certificate in Medic First Aid Instruction student

We are coming to the end of the first term, which has been an exciting adventure into the unknown for me personally. The PADI Open Water Diver Course was the start of my diving journey and I have learnt the basic scuba diving training from the excellent staff at Dive Otago. The first amazing experience I had the was in my first week out diving Wellers Rock - a great big sea lion turned up to play with us! It was a mad thrill even if you like them or if you are scared of them. Through this term we have learnt about shipwreck dives, deep dives, boat dives and night dives with each of us logging nearly 40 dives and finishing the term as rescue divers, which has been lots of fun. I have had lots of laughs and and love learning the new skills. I am really looking forward to term two and the career path I’ve chosen! Living the dream!

The ShopTwo new underwater camera set ups in store now!

We have just got a couple of new great cameras in stock. Firstly the Canon G12 with a matching housing (the one all our staff love and have) and secondly a fun little travel, every dive type camera called an ISAW, that you can even mount on your head! If you are unsure about what model you should go for ask Celine and she will explain all the megawhatsits and giggabits!

(See the next page for a full list of features and pricing)

Hassle free purchases at every price point!

If you haven’t been in the shop for a while, it is well worth popping in to check out some of the new brands we have on offer. We have found a supplier with good quality product, that supplies us with dive gear, that competes with INTERNET PRICES. For example, we now have masks from $40 and fins from $129. We will always offer the best service and advice, together with full warranties, that are few and far between when purchasing on-line. We still stock a top-of-the-line range, that is the most durable, comfortable gear you will find anywhere. So whatever your needs and budget, we have it covered!

If it’s the same price what’s the point in driving to Dive Otago?

When money is tight it is even more important to make better buying decisions. When you can touch the product, see it at work and try it on, you will ensure that you have the correct fit and the right product.

There is also much to be said for having a close up look at the materials and workmanship. Believe us, not all gear is created equal. I think it is sometimes easy to forget how truly tough our conditions are compared to the rest of the diving world. Gear that is deemed acceptable in Thailand’s conditions wouldn’t last 5 minutes at the Mole or out at Green Island! We make sure you buy wisely by only buying in gear we would wear ourselves.

What is the price of piece of mind?

Dont forget, you can always try any of our products in the pool and if you have any issues with your purchase you know exactly where we are and that we are here to help.

The Drysuit Promotion in August was a huge success. Thank you to all the owners of new drysuits. The promotion will be repeated in February next year.

The Engine Room (filling and servicing)

The latest news is that Aqualung is changing its business model for New Zealand. I am not sure of the details but it will take effect from 1 January 2013. For those of you with Aqualung products, Dive Otago will continue to provide the high level of service support it has in the past. Just this week, I have had four Aqualung regulators in for servicing so the Service Department is getting busier as summer approaches. Make sure your gear is safe to use over the ensuing months. Look out for Sea Horse with its new livery – impressive! - Cheers, Dave.

The EndWe say this every time but we would REALLY REALLY love to hear your feedback on our newsletter and anything else you would like to share. From all the team at Dive Otago, we do hope to see you again soon. If you haven’t been diving in a while, no worries! Come in and we will get you in the pool for a wee refresher and it will be like you never stopped. Life is too short not to dive and explore!

Big Congratulations to Tracey Channon who has just received her Master Instructor Rating! Good job well deserved.

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SCAN QR CODEFOOTAGE, DOWNLOADS,IMAGES, NEWS + UPCOMING EVENTS

www.isaw.net.au

720p720pYOUR ONLY LIMITATION IS YOUR IMAGINATION

$349$39 HEADMOUNT

Canon PowerShot G12The PowerShot G12 gives exceptional images with HS System and a premium Canon wide-angle lens. Full Manual mode, RAW, Front Dial and optional Lens Filter Adapter allow profes-sional levels of control.

• HS System

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• 28mm wide, 5x zoom lens, Hybrid IS

• 7.0 cm (2.8”) vari-angle LCD, Electronic Level, OVF

• Front Dial, Full Manual & RAW

• HD movies, HDMI

• High Dynamic Range mode

• Smart Auto

• Multi-Aspect Shooting

• Extensive accessory system

Waterproof HousingSpecially designed waterproof cases and weights open up the world of underwater photography at depths down to 40 metres – while an underwater scene mode optimises camera settings for aquatic environments. Waterproof cases can also be handy on land to protect against snow, sand, dust and humidity.

CAMERA

$789

HOUSING$299

New Cameras Instore!

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Photography tips by Tracey Channon

Tip #3 Night PhotographyI know for most people out there fitting in a dive during the day can be hard with all the work, school, study commitments you have –but that doesn’t mean you can’t go diving. Night diving brings out a host of critters that you wouldn’t normally see during the day and can give you a closer look at ones that are resting at night. Taking photos of fish during the day can be a bit of a mission when 90% of the time they swim out of frame just as you press the shutter; but at night you might just be able to capture it perfectly:

1. Shoot using a high shutter speed if you want to block the light from dive lights and shoot at a lower shutter speed to include light from dive lights.

2. If you are using strobes, 1 strobe can give an interesting effect but photos will generally look best with even light.

3. Take photos within 30cm of your subject as often as

possible for the best light.

4. Unlike during the day, take photos with a reef, or something, in the background. Taking a picture of a shark or colourful fish mid-water will be difficult and the photo will be likely to turn out overexposed as the flash tries to penetrate the darkness.

5. Learn a bit about the critters you want to shoot. Some will swim away the second you shine a light on them, while others will hang around.

6. Most importantly, be safety conscious. If you are night diving for the first time, don’t take your camera. Get comfortable with the dive site and night diving in general before you start trying to take pictures.

7. Good luck with your photography! Taking photos underwater and at night is perhaps one of the hardest environments to take a picture in, but when you get in some practice, the pictures can be outstanding.

DID YOU KNOW? - divers and non-divers can complete the theory portion of their PADI Underwater Digital Photographer course online with PADI Elearning for only $130 USD (approx $170NZD at time of print).

Phot

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Zin

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A True Diver’s ParadiseThe Solomon Islands are comprised of more than 990 islands just south of the Equator. Virtually untouched by commercial development, the island group remains a natural paradise. The Solomons are a diver’s paradise and an eco-tourism desti-nation that is unspoiled, unhurried and totally unforgettable. As beautiful below as it is above...the warm sparkling clear waters hold a visual feast to delight the most fastidious diving or snor-kelling enthusiast.The Solomon Islands is one of the top diving destinations in the World. Noted in particular as a great all round dive destination with wrecks, big fish, colourful corals, manta rays, a huge num-ber of fish species and the list goes on. The attraction to divers is the vast diversity offered on each dive experience.Diving Highlights Include: Extraordinary tropical reef dives, extreme wall diving, coral gardens and bommies, cruisy drift dives, the 140m Japanese Transport ship Toa Maru, two WWII aircraft, the Bonegi Beach wrecks I and II, Submarine IJN I - 1 and a Boeing B17 Flying Fortress.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Our Personal RatingsBig Fish Action

Drift DivesSmall Colorful Fish

Reefs Health ConditionSoft Corals

Manta Eagle RaysUW Photography

Drop offReef Shark Action

Macro LifeWreck Diving

Remoteness of Dive sites

Solomon Islands 14 June to 25 June 2013 - 12 Days, 12 divesHoniara – 3 nights 4 Dive Package. Gizo – 6 nights 8 Dive Package

PRICE

$4825non diver price $3625

Price excludes meals, travel insurance, airport transfers from airport to Honiara accommodation and from airport to Brisbane accommodation both ways. A deposit of $2250.00 secures your spot on the trip. Final Payment needs to be made by 1st April 2013 and travel insurance is highly recommended to take out at this point also.

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Corporate Offerpass these deals on to your boss, your workmates will love you for it!

www.diveotago.co.nz

Dive Otago now offers you dive courses that you can use as incentives or rewards for your high performing Staff. The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the world’s most popular scuba course and has introduced millions of people to the adventurous diving lifestyle.

Do you want to do something extraordinary for a hard working Staff member? Or maybe you want to offer an exciting incentive to rev up a team towards achieving a goal? Well, here’s a unique opportunity:

PADI OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE

FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

FOR THE TEAM

One on One - $1495• One on One tuition• Flexible Timetable• All equipment provided

for the duration of the course

Join a Course - $545• Run once a month• Meet new people• Hire equipment available

Private Group Course - $450 pp• Sign up a group of 5 or more• Schedule a time that suits

the team - weekends, evenings, weekdays all OK

• Build a great team rapport• Ask about adding a

Workplace First Aid Course

The course is delivered in three easy steps, Knowledge Development, Pool Skills and Sea Dives. Upon completion the participants will have gained their PADI Open Water Diver Certification Card that is recognised worldwide. Training is conducted at Dive Otago’s world class facility that includes state of the art classrooms and indoor heated pool. Sea dives are made at the Aramoana Mole, famous for its many wrecks or Weller’s Rock, renowned for its diversity of sponges and aquatic life.

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** Aqua Lung Consumer Notice – Please Post **

Recall – SureLock II Weight Pocket Handles Aqua Lung is conducting a voluntary recall of SureLock II weight pocket handles. Sure Lock II is the mechanical weight release system found on most Aqua Lung buoyancy compensators (BCs) beginning in 2009. Aqua Lung is concerned about the rubber handle pulling off of the plastic Sure Lock II weight pocket assembly. If this were to occur during a dive, the weight pocket would be left engaged inside the BC. There are no known occurrences of this happening underwater, and there have not been any reported injuries, but Aqua Lung believes that a recall is the safe and prudent thing to do.

Aqua Lung has made a revision to the handle assembly that strengthens it. A revised handle is easily recognized by a thickened band of rubber at the base of the handle.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using their BCs with Sure Lock II weight pockets. Bring the pockets to your nearest authorized Aqua Lung Dive Retailer or Dive Center. They will be able to replace your handles for you while you wait, as changing handles is a quick process. The replacement is made under warranty and you will not incur any charges.

For additional information, please call us at +64 9 415 8350 or email us at sales@aquanaut.co.nz

New revision identified by a band of thicker material on the underside of the handle

If you have one of these weight pockets and you purchased it from an authorized dealer in New Zealand please bring it into Dive Otago and we will be happy to organise a replacement for you.