Despite previous days’ torrents of rain, last weekend’s divers were favoured by the weather gods. An enthusiastic bunch of regular visitors to the West dived from Friday morning through to Sunday. Dive sites visited included Inis Deigil, the Julia T and Doonee Beacon.
Boat Divers on Saturday 28th November
We will be diving throughout the month of December, and will do our best to get the gods on our side!
Cillian Gray snapped a grey gurnard on a shore dive on Sunday.
Grey Gurnard by Cillian, Scubadive West Shore Dive
We have set our dates for our 2010 PADI Instructor Development Course training.
In order to attend a PADI Instructor Examination (IE), you must have succesfully completed your Assistant Instructor (AI) and Openwater Scuba Instructor (OWSI). These two courses make up the Instructor Development Course (IDC).
We are offering candidates two options on completing the IDC with us in 2010.
1. Complete the AI with us in May and return to us for the OWSI in October. You will be qualified as an AI in May, and can independently teach certain PADI programmes while assisting a qualified Instructor on others. Scubadive West is happy to have you assist on our range of courses over the summer months, thus really fine tuning your teaching abilities before the OWSI and IE
2. Complete both the AI and OWSI in October
Cillian Gray, our onsite PADI Course Director will conduct all training.
2010 Dates
Assistant Instructor (AI) Course Tues 4th – Fri 7th May 2010
Emergency First Response Instructor Course (EFRI) Sat & Sun 11th & 12th September 2010
Assistant Instructor Course Tues 12th – Fri 15th October 2010 inclusive
Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) Mon 18th – Thurs 21st October 2010 inclusive
Instructor Examination, Ireland, Sat & Sun 30th & 31st October 2010
The cost to complete the AI and OWSI with us in 2010 is €899. Add the EFRI and get the entire package for €1200.
Contact us on 095 43922 for more information or check out our Instructor page.
Become the hero of your household this Christmas and give the gift of underwater exploration.
Discover Scubadiving Gift Vouchers
Our Discover Scubadiving gift voucher is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast. No previous diving experience is required, and all training takes place in our private cove. Participants get up close and personal with colourful wrasse, ornate starfish and darting cuttlefish. Vouchers are available for a half-day (i.e. one dive €89) and a full-day (€140). Call us on 095 43922 or email info@scubadivewest.com to arrange.
Christmas came early for twelve divers on Sunday, as they received the gift of speed from our Streamstown Drift Dive.
Fortunately, the sheltered inlet at Streamstown protected us from any unsavoury weather. Divers arrived onsite at 2pm to be greeted by Breffni and his valiant steed, the ”Marlin”. This month’s dive attracted drifters both old and new. One devotee, James Moloney counted yesterday as his eighth Streamstown Drift Dive since joining the fan club in late 2008. Indeed, James is easily our most regular drifter and always a popular visitor to the dive centre.
All twelve divers opted to complete two runs; Breffni collected each diver after their first run and dropped them in again at the mouth of the inlet for a final fix! Upon returning to the boat, christmas cake was distributed and tales exchanged. A tasty ending to a feast of diving!
Streamstown Drift Dive, 15th November 2009
Six savvy divers undertook their Drysuit Specialty course at Scubadive West on Saturday. Fortunately, the weather throughout the weekend proved much better than expected, and plenty of winter sunshine was on offer. The day’s training consisted of two dives and some time in the classroom. Underwater our students perfected neutral buoyancy and impeccable descents in our school drysuits. Wetsuits are set to become a thing of the past amongst these six as they emerged dry, warm and awestruck from our cosy drysuits.
Drysuit Course November 2009
Congratulations to Jenny Hagstrom, Conor McCarthy, Graham Waters, Marek Novak, Barry Dillon and Robert Gilbourne!
Shane Gray, Cillian and Breffni’s father, has two last-minute spots on his El Hierro trip departing on Saturday 21st November.
These two spaces will be offered at a discount of €50 on the original price, so €575 instead of €625. This price includes accommodation, airport transfers and 5 days of diving (gear rental is not included, but available locally at a very keen rate). Flights to Tenerife are available ex-Shannon, ex-Dublin and ex-Cork; and are very good value at the moment at an average of €110 – €160. Arrival back in Ireland on the 28th November.
The diving in El Hierro is absolutely world-class. I (Deirdre) am besotted by the island and am lucky enough to be going on this trip. So you will definitely know at least one other person, probably more!
Manta Ray in El Hierro
If you are interested in escaping the winter blues, contact us as soon as possible on 095 43922.
Two men, one very large fish, world-class diving and an opportune moment…all ingredients that went into Darragh Norton’s award-winning photograph, “The Monk”.
Darragh’s wide-angle entry into our 2009 Underwater Photo Competition was a winner on more than one count. His sharp image of a monkfish being snapped by another diver was taken near Inis Boffin, on a Scubadive West Island Dive Safari. This photograph was awarded first prize in the Wide Angle Category, while also catching the eye of Sport Diver magazine’s editor, Mark Evans. This canny editor knows a great cover shot when he sees one, and quickly commissioned the photo for the November issue of Sport Diver. Darragh has been catapulted into the world of commercial underwater photography, and no better man for the job we say (well he is from the People’s Republic of Cork!).
Take a look below at the original photo, and then how it currently appears on Sport Diver magazine’s cover. Watch out for details of our 2010 Underwater Photo Competition, and see if you too can capture our eye!
Darragh's Original Photo
November's Cover Shot
With Christmas just around the corner, Scubadive West is delighted to announce some great savings in our dive shop. Whether you are buying for a loved one or engaging in “self-gifting”, drop down and pick up a treat.
Drysuit Specials A drysuit is a must for anybody looking to stay warm throughout the winter months. We are the UK & Ireland’s biggest supplier of Bare drysuits and offer a complementary drysuit fitting service to our clients. Another popular brand of drysuit is Hunter. We have three Hunter VSN Tek drysuits (Ladies Medium, Ladies Large, Men’s Medium) in our shop at the moment, and are selling each for €915; this represents a 25% discount on the original price of €1,220.
Bare CD4 Drysuit
Drop down and try them on today!
We continue to offer a €130 discount on the full range of Hunter Drysuits. More details are available from our dive shop page.
15% off the entire Fourth Element Range
The layers we wear under our drysuits play an important role in keeping us warm. Fourth Element’s Arctic and Xerotherm ranges are hugely popular with Ireland’s divers. Scubadive West has a full range of sizes in stock and we are offering a 15% discount on the entire Fourth Element range. This includes our very recent delivery of Xerotherm hats; always a popular item during the winter months.
All the Essentials
A set of mask and fins can be all that is needed to encourage a friend or family member into the water. We are offering a 15% discount on all our masks, fins, snorkels and booties until the end of December. This includes Scubapro Twin Jet Fins, Scubapro’s original Jet Fins, Oceanic Vyper fins and Oceanic V8 split fins. We have an extensive choice of masks including the frameless Shadow and ICE, Oceanic’s Ion and Ion4 series and Oceanic’s Neo2 mask.
Oceanic Shadow Mask
Scubapro Twinjet Fins
Scubadive West will offer a Package Price for anyone looking to complete their Advanced Openwater Course and Drysuit Specialty over the winter.
Drysuit Specialty Course in Scubadive West
Some of you have expressed interest in completing your Advanced Openwater course in one of our very warm drysuits. Well, we are delighted to oblige! By completing your Drysuit Specialty first, you can undertake all the dives of your Advanced Openwater Course in one of our new drysuits. Complete both courses for a Special Package Price of €499; this is a €100 saving on the Drysuit Specialty.
This offer will be available between the end of October 2009 and the end of March 2010.
Dates for our Advanced Openwater Course and Drysuit Specialty courses are available online.
Call 095 43922 or email info@scubadivewest.com
Need an excuse to sign up to Scubadive West’s “Hard Hat Diver” Specialty? May we present our short You Tube movie of the courses, which have taken place over recent months… enjoy!
(click on the You Tube icon to start movie)
Hard Hat Divers on You Tube
Interested in signing up? Our next course takes place on Saturday 12th December and dates for 2010 are available from our Courses’ Page.
Tel: 095 43922 Email: info@ scubadivewest.com
News | admin November 30, 2009 | 
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