It’s been a while since my last blog, sorry about that all you dedicated bloggers. Reason being I have been a bit crook so not up to doing to much, especially diving.

Good news is that its nearly Spring, the daffodils are out and things are looking pretty damn good for the coming summer. I have just listed a job vacancy on the PADI web site and have been wading through dozens of email replies to the position. If your a PADI instructor looking for work then get in touch if your up for a summer of action in Picton.

FUNNEL OF THE MIKHAIL LERMONTOV

Our Poor Knights trip is all go for next weekend, really looking forward to that, especially doing a  few sea caves up their with Jamie Obern who has just returned from France where he got his Cave Diving Instructor rating. The week after were out to the Lodge with the Dive Shack for 4 days from the 9th to the 12th, they have had a couple just pull out from this trip, so if your keen for a few days out at the Lodge, diving the Lermontov during the clear water season let me know.

I have just landed the first shipment of Apeks regulators, which are technical divers regulator of choice. I have both the XTX100 for $1095.00 and the DS4 with XTX 40 second stage $795.00 available, both in 300 bar DIN. All with full warranty. These are pretty hot prices if you compare to what they cost in local dive shops and very comparable to what you might pay on the net by the time you land them in NZ, but with full warranty and back up service from a qualified technician.

Those who are members of the club will have just received the Spring Newsletter, which outlines the new developments at Port Gore, including the permanent basing of the boat out their and Tomo being permanent staff at the Lodge from October. Tomo will be running the Lodge for the summer including handling casual air fills for visiting divers and boats, plus providing meals and entertainment for guests at the Lodge. If your keen on a few days in one of New Zealand’s most remote and beautiful places then the Lodge is available for casual bookings from October on.

This weekend is looking bit average with northerly weather system looming, the boat is out of the water for a bit of pre season TLC, so no diving for us in Picton until the next Lodge trip.

Have a good weekend and dive safe if your going for a splash.

cheers

Brent

Gale force winds, rain and snow to 400m, not the sort of forecast you like to hear when you have a planned weekend away diivng. However if its one thing I have learned over the years, I have to have confidence in the very reason why I set up a dive operation in Marlborough, "you can always get a good dive in, no matter what the weather"

With a full boat load of club members making up the weekends group we headed out on Saturday to East Bay where we planned to check out the scallop population. We were rewarded with visibility in excess of 15 to 20 metres and nearly the boat limit of scallops after the very first dive. The scallops seem to be as abundant as ever and in very good shape for this time of year.

MARLBOROUGH SCALLOPS YUM (Great in a white wine and garlic sauce)

Sunday dawned clear, calm and sunny, I decided to head out to a site I seldom dive due to its location and need for experienced well kitted out divers. Surprisingly we discovered a highly populated bed of scallops, again in very good condition and very large for the area. Also, in residence were Southern Pig fish and Carpet sharks, along with some huge Sand anemones and Tube worms, ideal for close-up and macro photography.

We played out the final scenario for Tomo’s and Hamish’s PADI Rescue course after the first dive, by springing on them a realistic dive accident scenario. Katie joined the 40m club on the last dive, along with completing her PADI EANx course over the weekend.

HAMISH TENDS TO TWO DOWNED DIVERS DURING HIS AND TOMO’S RESCUE TRAINING

Overall it was a very pleasant weekend with a very good group of keen and enthusiastic divers. Congrats to Hamish, Tomo and Katie who finished off of their rescue and Nitrox courses. Also thanks to Warren who acted the perfect victim in the rescue scenario and Guy his dive buddy.

Next weekends Lodge trip is now full, with the long range forecast now looking good, I am looking forward to getting back out to the Lermontov and experiencing the good visibility.

safe diving

Brent

I have just got my hands on two Astina 1000 metre, helium dive watches. These watches are not only functional but stylish and would make great gifts or useful tools for divers, especially tech divers. I have used an Astina watch for 12 years now and other than two battery changes it has performed without fault

ASTINA 1000M HELIUM DIVE WATCHES FOR SALE

One has a black face and one a yellow face, check out the Astina web site for spec’s etc. Normally these watches would retail for $599.00. Go Dive price is $275.00 plus freight so be quick as there are two only.

safe diving

 Brent

Go Dive

On Friday I seriously considered the wisdom of taking a group of divers over to Port Gore for a weekends diving. The rain was torrential from Thursday night to the time we left at 6.30pm Friday night, the guy’s traveling up from Christchurch had to endure rock falls, slips and flooding from Amberly right through to Blenheim, at Kaikoura the swell was up to 4 to 5 meters and the sea that dirty you could plant spuds in it.

All day Friday I looked at he weather maps and with the promise of a better day on Saturday decided to go ahead with the trip. After a slow three hour drive, avoiding rock falls and slips on the road over we arrived at the Lodge at 9.30am and settled in for the evening.

Saturday dawned with SE winds of 25 knots and cloudy skies, after a late start we headed out to the wreck for our first dive at 10.30am and were greeted by the best visibility I have had on the wreck since last Spring a real surprise given the rain and conditions down the east coast.

SEA PERCH ON A HAND RAIL OF THE MIKHAIL LERMONTOV

Sunday was even better weather wise with it being as flat as it can get, sunny and warm, the vis was still pretty good and everyone had a very enjoyable days diivng. Guy had his new video camera and spent some time getting footage of the wreck and divers, Hamish took his Harcourt’s flag down for a photo, with the hope of entering it into a Harcourt’s photo competition. Watch out for the product of both their efforts in the near future.

Overall it the weekend was very pleasant and proved to me the value of basing our Lermontov wreck dives from the Lermontov Dive Lodge in Port Gore.

Thanks to Awesome Scuba for diving again with Go Dive and to Guy for his efforts in the kitchen.

safe diving

Brent

I have two Intova IC600 cameras and U/W housings going for a super special price.

Features: 6.0 Megapixel, 2.4 " Color LCD Screen, 12 x zoom, Video, Rated to 54 metres.

Normal retail: $599.00

Special Price: $275.00

 Contact me at info@godive.co.nz or call free on 0800 godive.

regards

Brent

Just for a change I have scheduled a weekends diving away from the Lermontov and Port Gore for August 7/8th.

Plan is to dive one day out at Long Island and Motuara Island with a stop off at East Bay for a kai dive for scollop’s and then a day locally or out side Tory Channel, depending on weather.

KOKOMOHUA ISLAND LOOKING TOWARDS LONG ISLAND MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS

The Marine Reserve has been established since April 1993 and covers 619 hectares, over the years fish life has re-populated the reserve, in some areas crayfish up to 5 kgs in weight are common and are very friendly.

For Dive Club members the weekends diving will cost only $170.00 to $190.00 depending on how far out we get on the second day, this includes cylinders, air and all kit if you don’t have any. If you aren’t a club member this is the ideal opportunity to join up and get a great weekends diving, meet other members and take home a feed of scallops. I had my first feed of Port Gore scallops last night, even though the row was a bit small the muscle was large and juicy as usual and melted in the mouth.

Check out the club page for more details on the club.

UPDATED 27 July: Only 2 spaces available

safe diving

Brent

Even with a brisk 35 knt South East blowing and bumpy surface conditions, we had three very nice dives on the Lermontov on Saturday. The the vis was up to 10 to 12 meters on the first dive and slightly less on the second and third dives. Fish life was pretty good with  number of carpet sharks seen on the top of the wreck and plenty of other reef fish.

Paul, Rob and Jann arrived from Mana in the North island in Derek’s 6.5m boat on Friday evening, I think they were grateful to make landfall given he choppy conditions in the Cook Straight, their return trip on Sunday was much smoother with the wind dropping off to less than 10 knots. Paul finished  Derek’s KISS rebreather course, with the last dive on Saturday turning into a night dive on the Lermontov, overall the rebreather divers completed 6 hours of bottom time over the weekend.

Congratulations to Hamish who joined the 1 hour club with a 75 minute dive on twins on Sunday morning, also learning the hard way on his first twin cylinder dive on Saturday that the left post on twins works in the opposite direction to the normal valve. Hamish’s eyes looked like he had been chewing beetle nut on surfacing from that little event. Katie started her PADI EANx course with me, completing two dives on 32% and visiting the engine room for the first time. Going by my own past experience and divers responses on surfacing after being in the engine room, I reckon it would have to rate as one of those special dives and one of the best penetration dives in the world.

Thanks to everyone for diving with Go Dive and helping with the domestic tasks up at the Lodge, it was a great help the absence of staff due to winter aliments.

safe diving

Brent

This weekend is shaping up nicely with a full group heading over to the Lodge Saturday, funnily enough although it is the first weekend of the scallop season the focus is diving on the wreck.

Paul Trainor and three others are over from Wellington with their KISS rebreathers and Hamish and Steve are going to give twins a go for the first time on the wreck.

IMAGE TAKEN YESTERDAY OF DIVE MARLBOROUGH MOORED IN MELVILLE COVE PORT GORE

The weather looks like it is going to be a bit overcast tomorrow with a 25knt South East, changing Northerly on Monday. Visibility is pretty good however throughout the Sounds so a good weekend to get out and about.

Next weekends wreck diving trip has two spaces left, and the long range forcast looks pretty good, so if your keen for a splash give me a call at 0800 GODIVE.

 Have a good weekend and safe diving

Brent

Sunnythats the forecast for the next few days, with the long range looking pretty good to.

Next weekends trip out to the Lermontov is now full, with nearly a full turn out of "Team Otter", other than Warren who has opted for the warm waters of Vanuatu, the team will be in force during the weekend, with Guy bringing along his new video camera with the goal of getting some footage of all the action. Watch this space over the next few weeks for the results. 

Remember the scallop season starts on the 15th in Marlborough, so get that kit sorted and serviced ready to splash. There are two places on the July 24/25th trip out to the Lodge, so a good chance to dive the Lermontov and gather a few of our famous Port Gore scallop’s.

Have a good weekend, it’s going to be a good weekend sports wise with the Boks taking on the All Blacks tonite and get an early night on Sunday so you are up in time to watch the "Orange Army" take on Spain at the Football World Cup, its bound to be a great game, as long as those bloody refs keep their eyes open, whistle out of their mouth and hands out of their pockets.

Brent

Go Dive

Conditions look pretty good for a splash tomorrow, but expect a change to S/E on Sunday, with it getting progressively worse up till mid week. Visibility is still improving after our record two months of rain, with it hovering around 5 metres in the Inner Sounds.

I’m heading out to Cape Jackson and Long island on Sunday with a Dive club from Nelson, so looking forward to that. There has been quite a bit of interest in our next  Lermontov trip on the 17/18th of July, with the possibility of an extra dive on Monday if the conditions are good. We are heading into the time of year where the visibility starts to really improve towards its best. 

The mission on the next trip is to shoot some more video so we can upgrade our Lermontov video which is on our home page, so if you want to be famous come along and model for us. Guy our director, cameraman and editor will be looking for some well trimmed divers for the underwater and top side scenes. 

There will also be a couple of new additions to "Team Otter" on this trip which is growing by the month.

Have a good weekend.

safe diving

Brent

Go Dive