I have just posted dates for trips on the Godive web site through to April 2012. Dates include Waitangi weekend and Easter, which I hope to keep clear of group bookings, so our growing number of club members can get together at the Lodge for some exploration dives,

Bruce Curlow and Fraser turner both club members from Christchurch have just put their new Senator boat into survey and are running trips out from Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island. They only need four to run a trip and their rates are very reasonable when compared to other operators in Christchurch, they will also run trips to where you want to go, so if you have three mates that want to head out for a days diving then these are the guys to contact. I hope to have some more information, images and rates on their trips very soon, but in the mean time if you want to organize a trip to collect a few crays for Christmas etc, get in touch with me.

Looking up though the Bolshoi lounge in the Lermontov, photo thanks of Gerald V

I have been pretty busy over at the Lodge lately, just returning from a 6 day trip. The visibility is dropping a bit on the wreck but still a respectable 8 to 10 metres, Fraser Turner just completed his Advanced Wreck course with me over the later part of this trip, while some of the others got to explore areas like the restaurant etc.

The weekend weather is looking pretty good and with it being Christchurch Show weekend, Picton is very busy. Oceanz is also running up in Tauranga, this is the first time NZ has had a dive show for quite some time, so hopefully is will become a regular event.

safe diving

Brent

Although we have had a mild, dry winter it has been pretty quite on the diving front. I think due to a combination of visitors delaying their trip to NZ until the Rugby World Cup, the Christchurch Earthquake and a slow economy.

However it looks like that is all to change from next weekend on. Go Dive has groups booked into the Lermontov Dive Lodge nearly every weekend through to the end of November, along with quite a number of mid week groups.  I have a EANx course on the 23/24th Sep while at the Lodge and an Advanced Wreck course early November, so if your looking to develop your dive skills and knowledge give me a call, there is still a limited amount of space on both these courses.

Not all these weekends are booked by groups and I have saved a few for club members, Labour weekend being one of these weekends which is open to everyone. October is generally a great time visibility wise on the wreck so a good chance to come along and enjoy some good company and good diving. You can book on this trip by calling me on 0800GODIVE of email info@godive.co.nz

Road sign at the head of the Keneperu Sound about 20 minutes past the Portage Hotel, follow the road to Titrangi, this leads to Go Dives Lermontov Lodge 

A major development this summer is that we will no longer have a Dive Shop in Picton. I have decided to focus solely on trips and training, Go Dive will no longer retail dive kit through a shop, but will still be able to access brands such as Halcyon, Shearwater, Apeks, Tusa, Pro-Dive and Cressi for those who are looking for new kit. The fact that I will no longer have very large overheads with leases, wages etc, means that I will be able to sell equipment at very good prices, so if your looking to save some money and get quality kit, you know who to call.

Local trips, air-fills, equipment servicing, club dives and training will still be available through Picton, with Nine helping out with the trips using his boat. I will also expand the options for club dives to include dives outside the Marlborough area.

It’s going to be a great summer, so shake the dust of that dive kit, get it checked and get ready to splash.

safe diving

Brent

Hi…it’s been a few weeks since my last blog. To be honest it’s been pretty quite up here in Picton and with bad weather predicted over the next few days, looks like diving is going to be best left for a week or two.

Thats pretty predictable for August though, which is commonly the month we get those late winter storms, I think it’s mother nature saying "don’t get to comfortable boys" winter isn’t over yet.

Things are looking pretty good for the Spring though, with November nearly fully booked for the Lodge and September being booked for both the Lodge and expedition trips which will be reviewed as they happen. Cloak and dagger stuff, if you know what I mean.

Blind line practice in prep for deep wreck penetration

Expect a few changes this year in regards to club trips offered and the way Go Dive retails kit. More about this in a few weeks, but as always to the benefit of club members and customers

Labour weekend is the next long weekend for all of us and for the first time it isn’t booked by a group, I think it has something to do with those who chase a peanut shaped ball around the park being on that weekend. So if you aren’t an armchair warrior and want to get wet that weekend, come out to the Lodge. Remember to, that it is the best time to dive the Lermontov vis wise.

safe diving

Brent

Due to bad weather we had to postpone our scallop weekend, however I plan  to reschedule so keep an eye out for the new dates. Picton fortunately missed out entirely on the snow over the weekend, having only to put up with a bit of rain and the cold conditions the polar blast brought with it.        

On the bright side spring is now closing in on us, as is the Rugby World Cup. With the majority of games that matter being in October, many are booking  their early season trips to the Lermontov in September. This summer with Tomo being away, I will be looking for help with group trips to the Lodge, as there is now a pretty big group of club members who dive regularly at the lodge, I have decided this season to offer club members the first option of helping out in return for free trips.

DIVING THE MIKHAIL LERMONTOV

Here is what is involved: Meal preparation, surface support while divers are in the water, launching the "Little Lermi" possibly skippering her and keeping the Lodge clean and tidy. Any diving will be as a buddy diver, unless you are a qualified Divemaster. In return Go Dive will cover all your costs including any reasonable fuel costs to get to Picton or the Lodge and all diving. Keep in mind that although I will endeavor to make sure you get at least two dives a day this may not always be possible. The only pre-requisite is that you are a club member, first aid trained and have been out to the Lodge at least once and have a good understanding of how everything works out their.

I can also offer those who are interested, a discount on any advanced PADI or TDI training, this may include Adv Wreck, Divemaster, Adv Nitrox/Deco procedures courses. Training would take place when time is available on the trips you help out on, or on other trips where you come along in a non-help capacity. This will be a fantastic opportunity to get some great dives in at no cost to you and advance your diving/boating skills.

If your keen then give me a call on 0800 GODIVE or email me at info@godive.co.nz I  have a couple keen  already but are hoping to get a few more, so we have a regular group of club members helping out.

safe diving

Brent

It has been very quite over the last 4 weeks with not a lot happening dive wise. But with the scallop season only a week away, I am sure we will see a few getting out for a splash.

I am looking forward to our Lermontov trip next weekend, there are still 3 spots available if your keen. The following weekend is our Picton based hunting and collecting weekend, so keep that one flagged in your diary. Currently there are a few spots for both days.

Lermontov Dive Lodge, Port Gore, New Zealand

This weekends weather looks a bit blowy, with strong North Westerly winds right through to Monday. The visibility is looking really good at the moment though and should remain that way right through to summer when the plankton comes away again.

Remember to if you are after any new kit or know someone that is looking, give me a call first as I am currently clearing all the stock from the shop. Also, now is good time to service those regulators and BCD’s etc, again give me a call and I will give you an estimate for this service, you might find it a lot cheaper, even with freight costs than more local dive shops if your from areas other than Picton.

safe diving

Brent

Go Dive now have available a set of three Lermontov slates designed to be taken along on your dive and that will fit in the standard log binder..

One is of the outside of the wreck, given her statistics like length, beam etc, the other is of the three most interesting decks the Boat deck, Lounge deck and Bridge deck, while the third is a dive log slate that is designed to show decompression schedules etc. The set cost $18.00 or can be brought individually for $7.00 each.

The slates are a great help in navigating the wreck, especially if your new to it, they add safety to your dive as you can find your way back using reference points to the mooring lines and will increase your understanding of the wreck, making for a more enjoyable dive.

They can be brought from the Go Dive shop in Picton or at the Lermontov Lodge in Port Gore.

It’s certainly been a week that I hope is never repeated.

With the 2nd major earthquake in 7 months hitting my home city Christchurch and many family and club members directly effected, I have felt helpless sitting in front of the TV watching the rescue teams and public try to help those in need. My heart goes out to those effected and truly hope things get back to some sort of normality as soon as possible.

Guy, one of out regular club members from Christchurch and a good friend wrote this report about his trip to the Lermontov Lodge during the 25th anniversary week, although Guy and Wife Chrissie are ok, their house is trashed.

My eight year diving odyssey with GoDive ended on the weekend of the 25th anniversary of the sinking of the Mikhail Lermontov in success. Under the close eye of Brent McFadden, I finally made it to the Leningrad Restaurant to liberate a "Morflot" branded cup and a Champagne flute from their dark and silty hideout. A branded piece of china has been my goal all that time!

Hi everyone,

Brent and me just got back from a long weekend at the lodge. We had Jamie and Mel from Tech-dive NZ (who are also the Halcyon distributors for NZ) and Andreas with his wife Gabi, (a German couple living in Hong Kong who are the presidents of the South China Dive Club)staying from Fri until Tue(4 diving days). Then we had Craig one of our club members from Wellington staying from Fri until Sun, and Jan a German traveller was there from Sun until Tue. George went in and out over the weekend and I myself only went for the last day.

Everyone had a great time. The water temperature was 18C on the surface, 15C on the bottom. The visibility was averaging between 3 and 5 metres outside the wreck and up to 15m inside the wreck. Apart from one day of rain, the weather was pretty good, and especially the last day was absolutely stunning!

Mel and Jamie covered a fair bit of the Lermontov, diving on Twin tanks. They went to part of the wreck, where noone has been before and took some amazing photos, e.g. of this sign

The Anniversary of the sinking of the Lermontov is ahead now too, we have a few divers booked for a 4 day trip but also have a few spaces left. Feel free to just join us for a days or two too, we are quite flexible with the dates.  Just give us a ring or send us e-mail.

Save diving,

Lydi

Unfortunately a great start to 2011 has been marred by the death of a diver on the Mikhail Lermontov last Thursday. This is the first casualty on this wreck since 1991 and a tragedy for family, friends and the diving community in general.

The diver was part of a organized group of 10 Russian divers, diving with another Picton operator. Go Dive was diving the wreck in the morning, having completed our dives prior to mid day due to severe weather warnings which forcasted gale force winds in the early afternoon. Unfortunately this group arrived early afternoon on the wreck, when the winds were already nearing 35 plus knots from the north and visibility on the wreck down to less than a metre due to silt run-off from last weeks storm and rough surface conditions. What happened then is up to the authorities to determine.

As mentioned in my last blog mother nature is unforgiving and when you are diving in a remote region on a wreck like the Lermontov there is no room for complacency, operators need to be fully prepared to deal with worse case scenarios, use vessels fit for the purpose and be prepared to call dives rather than risk the health and safety of their guests. It’s a distressing to know that this group didn’t heed the advise I gave to their group leader the day before their dive of the poor conditions they could expect and that they should consider canceling their trip.

My heart goes out to the family of the diver and the group of diving visitors.

Brent

Go Dive

Just a quick happy new year from me.

Nine and I just returned from a couple of search and recovery dives at 36 metres in zero vis, that resulted in up to 25 minutes deco per dive, so the last two dives of the year were deep, dark, deco dives, not what I was really hoping for.  We were looking for a 5 tonne mooring that dragged out to deep water while tied to a 15 metre launch during this weeks storm. Incredible thing is that it was totally lifted off the bottom supported by the bowsprit of the vessel, the owner was fast asleep and at 2am realized what was going on as he got tipped out of bed when the vessel listed with the mooring block weight coming on.

Just goes to show you never ague with mother nature or underestimate her power.

I look forward to clear calm waters in 2011, with the Rugby World Cup this year it should be a doozer.

safe diving

Brent

Go Dive