HORIZON NEWS

February 2009 - The newsletter of FIVE STAR IDC CENTRE New Horizons Dive Centre

Busy start to 2009
Although we’re only in the first few months of the year things have been busy. We have seen a lot of familiar faces in the shop, at the pool and dive social plus new divers who have decided to experience the underwater world we all enjoy so much. If you haven’t thought too much about your diving for this year have a look at the website www.new-horizon.co.uk for information on courses and trips we having running for this year.

Upcoming Courses

Introduction to Dive computers – Tuesday 24th February 19:00 – 21:00 at NHDC
This course will introduce you to the benefits and uses of modern dive computers. We will cover the setting up, monitoring and downloading of the current “Suunto” range. Whether you have already bought or are thinking of buying a dive computer then you really do need to know how to use it safely.

Equipment Specialty – Sunday 1st March 09:00 – 17:00 at NHDC
This course provides an insight into the care/maintenance of equipment; detailed knowledge on how it works and an opportunity to find out about all the latest gadgets. It is a classroom based course but includes a number of practical activities.

Dry Suit Specialty–14th March Capernwray
If you learnt to dive in a wet or semi-dry suit or are not completely happy with your diving skills in a dry suit then this course is for you. To enable you to do this safely and comfortably we offer you the Dry Suit Specialty course. This course not only teaches you how to use a dry suit but also teaches you about diving in British conditions.

National Geographic – Saturday 14th March Capernwray
Experience adventure and acquire navigation and exploration skills along with improving your buoyancy with the National Geographic Diver programme and even take digital images of what you observe underwater. These critical skills are the foundation for exploring the underwater world and becoming true adventurers and conservationists.

Oxygen First Aid – 14th March 10:00 – 12:00 at NHDC
This course will teach you the techniques of administrating oxygen in diving emergencies. We all know that oxygen plays a vital role in diving first aid but do you know when and how to use it? This is an excellent course which fills the gap in much needed knowledge, not covered in the standard Rescue course first aid component.

Advanced Open Water – Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March at Stoney Cove
The next step for the Open Water Diver is this fun filled programme of five dives to improve skills and performance under the guidance of an instructor. When you think of underwater adventure, what ignites your imagination? Dive on sunken wrecks, learn more about underwater navigation or journey into deeper water. All of this is possible with the PADI Advanced Open Water programme.

Deep Specialty – Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March at Stoney Cove
This course will introduce you to the techniques and skills of deep diving between the depths of 18m and 40m. The deep diver course is intended as a safe, supervised introduction to deeper diving within the limits of recreational diving.

Wreck Specialty – Saturday 28th March at Stoney Cove
There's nothing quite like the thrill of diving a wreck for the first time. Whether deep or shallow, you may find sunken ships still in tact after over 100 years under the water and wrecks don't have to be ships; in parts of the world, aircraft fuselage are waiting for exploration. Then there's the marvel of how marine life makes these foreign bodies their home. This course will introduce you to the techniques of wreck diving teaching you how to recognise the hazards, learn to research into shipwrecks to increase your understanding, develop specialist skills such as those involved in wreck penetration and find out about wreck conservation and good diving practices.

Divemaster – starts 21st March
This is your first rung on the professional ladder of diving. It is a fantastic course that gets you involved in assisting on courses of all levels as well as guiding pleasure divers. Anyone who does this course says that it is the most rewarding course they have done. It’s not surprising really when you consider that you are helping people learn to do something that you love doing. The Divemaster qualification can also open up new opportunities for you from a working and/or travelling point of view.

Trip Updates

As always the planned dive trips for this year have proved very popular. We do have a few spaces left on a number of trips, all at stunning locations around the UK. If you interested in any off the trips information is available on the website or give the shop a call.

St Abbs (number of dates) – St Abbs is a small fishing village just north of Eyemouth in Berwickshire. The local coastline is unspoilt with a great wealth of animal and plant life. The local inshore waters have been a voluntary marine reserve since 1984 owing to the outstanding biological richness. This is a dive location that offers experienced and new divers excellent dives and the opportunity to see, if you look carefully, the Atlantic Wolf-fish.

Farnes Mid week trip 28th – 30th June – Another fantastic location giving divers of all levels stunning dives. The Farnes has a very diverse marine life and hopefully get to see the local resident seals who are as intrigued by the divers as we are about them!!! The area also offers plenty to do for a non-diving partner with nearby castles to visit and trips around the Farnes Islands to appreciate the natural beauty of the area and its wildlife. Visiting this location midweek also gives an even more relaxed trip.

Scapa Flow 11th – 18th July – The area offers some world class wreck diving with people coming from all over the world to experience this unique dive location. The Flow is the site of the scuttling of the entire German Imperial Navy’s High Seas fleet in 1919. Most of the wrecks have since been salvaged but eight from the original seventy four still remain. This is an ideal location to complete the Wreck Specialty.

Trip Report

January Northern Red Sea Liveaboard by Catherine Dallow.
As ever this trip was a mixture of “regulars” and “new faces”. We had 5 people who were new to the liveaboard experience: Gary Adamson, Dawn Banks, Alan Gellion, Mike Hewitt-Symonds and Steve Simpson; More from them later. Conditions were perfect for diving and sunbathing (out of the wind) with clear blue skies and fairly calm seas.

As always in January, dive sites were very quiet. We had the Thistlegorm all to ourselves and, with perfect visibility and little current, veterans declared these their best dives ever on this spectacular wreck. On the Giannis D our wreck specialist commanded the respect of the dive guides by diving all known rooms and a few more besides. No dolphins were seen this year, and only 2 turtles, but we did see a remora trying to attach itself to one of our nearly naked divers who were celebrating their 100th and 250th dives.

Somewhere in the deep waters of Umm Gammar lies a pristine new camera with the finest photos ever taken on a 4G memory card. Despite a heroic torch lit search and rescue mission by 5 brave divers deep into the night, it was never recovered. “Snap it, we’re on holiday.”

As a token of appreciation for organizing a great trip (her first), Kathryn was presented with a £20 Woolworth voucher. Thanks Kathryn and thanks also to Andy. Here are comments from our first time liveaboarders:

Gary: “Some fantastic dives, great company - they’re not as scary as they look!!”
Steve: “Where’s my camera?”
Mike: “Great trip, great company (when I wasn’t asleep!) great dives. Highlight has to be the Thistlegorm. (popped my Thistlegorm cherry at last).”
Tony: “What a superb trip and thanks to everyone for being so helpful and friendly.”
Alan: “The whole was greater than the sum of great dives, great people and a fantastic week!”
Dawn: “As a non-diver had a really relaxing holiday, people were friendly had lots of fun. Now wanting a piece of the diving action for myself!” 

Important Dates

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For details on these or any other events or for advice on gear sales, diving insurance or unaccompanied dive travel, please contact:

New Horizons Snorkel & Dive Centre, 51 - 53, Park Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6TX

Tel: 01625 611108
Fax: 01625 611969
info@new-horizon.co.uk
www.new-horizon.co.uk