Some of you might remember our ‘Make Me a Diver’ competition, which took place earlier this year. The prize for the winner was an opportunity to undertake their PADI Openwater Diver course with us, as well as full board in the ‘Bard’s Den’ for the duration of the course. The winner was Siobhan Stella from the east coast, who completed her training with us last week. Siobhan was an absolute pleasure to have around the centre, and an excellent student. Siobhan obtained her PADI Openwater Diver rating in the company of Cillian Gregory, a very able eleven year old from Co.Meath who also qualified. Well done to you both. Below are some underwater photos from Siobhan and Cillian’s time here.
Saturday and Sunday last saw five photography enthusiasts participate in our PADI Digital Underwater Photo Specialty. Each student had their own objectives on coming to the course; some wanted to learn more about their particular camera’s functionality, some were open to new ideas on how to better compose a photo, while others were keen to pick up tips on the use of photo editing suites; e.g. Photoshop. A marked improvement in photo quality was apparent between the beginning and end of the course. Below are some of the photos taken during the course. Well done to Colin Phillips, Mark McLean, Martin Flood, Thomas Mannion and Conor Mc Carthy.
Today, Monday was another busy day at Scubadive West. Our Kids Snorkelling camp took place, as well as a Drysuit Specialty. Well done to Peter and Jack Sellers, our newest drysuit divers.
Last weekend also saw an Island Safari take place. Rain did not deter visits to firm favourites off Inis Turk and Inis Boffin. Sunday’s dives were at Carraig Coischeim and the Eye.
Below is a photo taken by Patrick Rooney at the Eye.
Our next Dive Safari with spaces takes place on the 4 & 5th September.
We remain busy teaching the range of PADI dive courses. The weekend past saw an Advanced Openwater course, and a Drysuit Specialty take place. Our three Advanced Openwater students benefited from nice diving conditions, allowing their Deep Dive take place on ‘Thany Beag’ and their final dive go ahead on the ‘Julia T’. Congratulations to Sean Conrpy, Doug Gadaloff and Sinead Conroy, our newest Advanced Openwater students.
Sunday saw us undertake a Drysuit Specialty, where calm conditions in the cove made for some perfect training conditions. Well done to Matt Jevon, Siobhan Jevon and Joe Mc Dermott Roe on mastering (and mastering very easily!) the skills for drysuit diving.
Our 2010 Photo Competition has already seen some lovely entries. With a prize fund in excess of €3,000 and generous sponsorship from SCUBAPRO, Suunto, Fourth Element, Oonas Divers, Renvyle House Hotel and Portwest, no wonder entries are flowing in! Remember this competition is strictly amateur, and entry is FREE. All entries are via our dedicated competition page:
The high summer means training takes place almost every day at Scubadive West. Today (Monday) saw us conducting Snorkelling Camp for Kids, Discover Scubadiving both morning and afternoon and a number of Local Orientation dives. So if you find yourself in the area, do give us a call and see what is taking place.
Our second Kid’s Snorkelling Camp took place today, with both Munster and Leinster well represented amongst this bunch. Children never fail to impress us with their ability to take on new skills, and today was no different. Our youngest today was Kate, a seven year old with future diver written all over! Well done to all who took part and we look forward to our next camp on Monday 26th July.
The past few days have seen plenty of boat diving activity at Scubadive West. Indeed, the weekend started early for those who dived on Friday with us. Saturday morning saw twelve GODS (Shane Gray’s, Golden Oldies Diving Society), depart for a weekend of diving on Inis Turk. While Breffni departed Cleggan, bringing a boatload of divers on an Adventure Day Trip. Their first dive of the day was at ‘Spotted Rock’, easily one of Ireland’s finest dives. This pinnacle just breaks the surface on low water, while underwater it drops to a maximum of 40 metres. Lunch was at Days Hotel on Inis Boffin. Our group stumbled upon preparations for a huge party that evening. Even a pig was being roasted on a spit. With their mouths watering, our divers had to tear themselves away for their second dive. However, food was soon forgotten upon arriving at ’Mweelandhu’, another dramatic pinnacle just begging to be dived. Both these sites showcsed an abundance of marine life; including numerous crayfish, massive lobsters and walls smothered in anenomes. Our next Adventure Day Trip is on Sunday 1st August; with a Cleggan departure planned.
Sunday’s Streamstown Drift Dive was a quieter one than normal. However, the usual underwater thrills were on offer.
We are in the middle of high season, and diving every day. Friday last saw four newly qualified PADI Openwater Divers earn their stripes. Congratulations to Matthew Buckley, Shane Mannion, Ronan Creane and John Brittain. These four completed the last dive of their course at Doonee Beacon, and really enjoyed the summer dive conditions.
Here are some photos from the last dive of their Openwater Course.
Victor Karu, videographer, was commissioned by SCUBAPRO to film Ireland’s 2010 SCUBAPRO Diving Days at Scubadive West. Here is the finished product. Good work Victor. Those of you who attended the weekend might see yourselves. Those of you not lucky enough to be here, can get a taster of what next year’s will be like! Happy viewing.
Windswept, wave weary and weather bound…all words to describe Saturday of last weekend’s Island Dive Safari. Unfortunately, strong winds and big swell really limited the dive sites available on Saturday. The only solution on Saturday evening was convening to Inis Turk island’s only pub, and debating Sunday’s possibilities. A unanimous decision was made to retreat to the shelter of Killary Fjord, and visit our old reliables; Inis Barna and Rusheen Point. Despite unfavourable conditions out to sea, these two sites really turned up trumps. A huge variety of marine life and good visibility ensured smiles all round for our contingency plan. The new ‘Brazen Hussy’ catamaran really shone in the stormy conditions, as its size and stability ensured a smooth ride even in the rough seas. Breffni even met our ‘Safari’ divers at Inis Barna to pass them sardines; as a rare treat for the congers!
Courses News | admin July 26, 2010 | 
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