Blenheim Bomber Delights Deep Divers

Had a fantastic trip to the Blenheim Bomber yesterday - nice to get on a boat and feel the sea breeze in your hair before the dive. Congratulations to newly qualified Deep divers, Martina, Alberto, Andy and Helen (the Blenheim was their Deep Dive 3, followed by Dive 4 in the afternoon) and thanks to Stuart Keasley who took a lovely photo from the depths!

Fabulous Fotos at Divewise House Reef and the Maori

Stu Keasley has been out on the Divewise house reef and to the wreck of the Maori to capture these amazing photos.

Why not think about taking your Digital Underwater Photography course on your next holiday at Divewise?

Brand New Wreck at Malta P31

Divewise had a fab day out yesterday visiting Comino and the brand new wreck the P30. Everyone had a great time checking out this brand new attraction, which is rather conveniently at 18m and so well within Open Water Divers reach for adventure!


The P30 is the sister ship of the P29, which currently resides at Cirkewwa. We're just wondering where the one inbetween went and when the P30 will be joining the fleet at the bottom of the ocean - the more the better we say!




Check out the fab photos courtesy of Stu Keasley, who joined us on our day.

All about Eve

Wow, you really wouldn't think that Data Entry would be the inspiration for a Blog! But as it happens... I've been getting to grips with EVE, PADI'S Scuba Centre organisational software. Its amazing what you can do with it - log kit for divers and remember what sizing they need, track their progress on courses, organise transport and trips and even SMS you with hot new news and dives from the Divewise HQ. Of course we do all of these things already - but with Eve, we can do it faster and better - leaving more time for better service and most importantly DIVING!

Not that this is what really got me thinking about the Blog today - it was more filling in the details of previous customers and certifications. What a nice trip down memory lane! Thinking about all the faces that have passed through our doors and the things that they've achieved. I also got to thinking about all the ways that we contact and communicate with you, our friends and customers. Eve works with emails, postal addresses, SMS text messages and even Skype - then on the Divewise Website, we've got Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and more.

Its not really a small world - its huge and full of exciting diving and friendships to be had, but with modern communication, its easy to feel very close together - everything is instant! Lets just hope our bodies can keep up with the pace!

Maltese Malaise and Merry Mermen

We're over half way through the busiest month of the year for Divewise Malta, and with typical good luck timing, half of the staff have caught a really nasty summer cold. As a centre, we care about making sure our staff are fit and healthy. We won't force instructors into the water with blocked ears that could cause them harm. However, we can still make sure that everyone is kept busy and satisfied, with those well enough to teach taking a rest from the water and helping students master their theory whilst recovering ready for more fun diving!

Other than the bug going about, everyone is pretty relaxed and happy. More and more people are achieving their Open Water Diver level everyday, as well as Divemaster qualifications and EFR Instructor status!

We're looking forward to a busy but happy September and October, with lots of old friends returning for an Autumn treat holiday. Plus there's the Guniess World Record attempt by Sean McGahern to look forward too, and you can check out the Blog for that by clicking RIGHT HERE

Peak Season Hits Malta!

So how are you? I know, I know, I should have called - its been too long. Yes I did change my hair colour, thanks for noticing... Its been a while since the last blog if you hadn't already guessed! But there's good reason, I promise. Peak season hits Malta in August, with a huge influx of Italian holiday makers, as well as a good representation from just about every nation!

The streets are packed with tourists taking in the sights and sounds, while the beaches are lined with bronzing bodies.

Here at Divewise, we're absolutely booked out - diving is so popular and we're the place that people choose it seems! Other centres complain of noticing the credit crunch - we're crunching numbers - 85 BCDs, 90 Wetsuits, 50 pairs of boots... on and on the stock list goes - and its all rented out! Wow!

Friends are returning for their second holiday of the year, students are discovering their first underwater experience and old pros are improving their teaching status! Its all go at Divewise and we love it that way!

So, I promise - I'll touch base again soon, and have a big slice of cake waiting for me! I'll need the energy!

Getting kids diving - making young adults!

As I sit in the Divewise office - I'm looking at about 25 kids from language schools in the local area - youngsters come from all over Europe to learn English in Malta - its a fantastic summer vacation that teaches them a lot and gives them plenty of extra curricular experiences too.

These youths are away from their parents and obviously, that always results in a little partying while they have the freedom to do so - the streets of Paceville are packed with mini skirts and over-applied aftershave in the evening - ahhh those first flutters of ... well perhaps not love...

Usually, I'd be part of the old crowd saying 'it wasn't like that in my day', and you do witness a few clubbing casualties along the way - but I've noticed another, more encouraging trend in these schools.

Many of them arrange Scuba Diving experiences for their students here at Divewise - and some go on to take their Open Water and even Advanced Open Water courses too. Funny thing is - we see them on their first day - struggling in the classroom a little after a late night and a few love bites... then the next lesson - we take them for a dive - and suddenly a huge improvement shows...

Once they see all the adventures they can have under the water, these students are less bothered about late nights checking out the discos, and more interested in a study session to allow them to the next level of their diving adventure! We also see them learning to work as a team, helping their buddies and putting in some elbow grease walking their kit down to the water. You certainly can't accuse our students of being lazy 'Kevin the Teenager' types.

So if you're looking for the equation that turn children into a young adult (resonsibility, education, manners and a work ethic!) look no further than diving for all of these things!

Find out more about learning English as a second Language in Malta HERE.

Our newest family member - the Poseidon recreational rebreather! These lovely little fellas are making their way to Divewise as we type... and it could mean a whole new era for diving...

You don't have to be a technical diver to try this fantastic new bit of kit - you don't even have to be a diver! With the recreational rebreather you can BEGIN your diving adventure on a rebreather.

The difference between this shiny little number and conventional open circuit SCUBA is that when you breathe out on SCUBA, your exhalation is lost into the ocean - rebreathers recycle your breathe, adding just the right balance of Oxygen to let you breathe it again - less waste, less air carried - more time in the water!

Sounds good eh? We're ridiculously excited to bust them out of their boxes the minute they arrive and start getting to know them inside out - we'll keep you posted about all the neat features and benefits - our dives on them and when you too can book on to ... what shall we call it DRD? - Discover Rebreather Diving!

Birthdays, Busy Business & Bigilla

What a way to spend your birthday - Mr Alan Whitehead turned '29 again' yesterday and celebrated with a big slice of chocolate cake, bigila and braggoli... and another late night in the office! - ahhh, he loves it really - and at least he got the day off today instead.

While Al and Viv read the broadsheets in bed (rare occasion!) Divewise was busting at the seams! Students and pleasure divers all over the place - its a great thing to see - language barriers being broken, smiling faces arriving home from a multitude of dive sites - Gozo, Maori and more!

And its more of the same tomorrow - Beaufighter, Gozo again, Cirkewwa wrecks and reefs - the choice is endless - much like our customers enthusiasm! It must be the stops for ice cream on the way home!

Why Dive?

So, I was suffering a little writers block and I thought I'd try to inspire myself by looking at my passion from a different angle - from the point of view of someone who didn't like diving. Bizarre as it sounds - it's got me writing at least!

Often I find my self asking why. Why bother with this or that? So What if someone asked me 'Why dive?'... 'Why not snowboard instead?' 'Why get up early to go dive?' 'Why tire yourself when you could stay in bed or out sunbathing?'

I'll tell you why... because somethings are worth making the effort for! When you get up early in the morning - you get so much more from your day and when that's a diving day I know I can squeeze amazing experiences from that 24 hours! You also see the world, both land and water in a different way - tranquil after the party antics of teenagers the night before - now the world is fresher, cooler, calm - and then you get underwater and its even more chilled out! You can have all the excitement you search for in the blue, but it can also be as relaxing as snoozing in the sun.

And its GOOD to feel tired - that healthy, hungry fatigue like after going swimming - you feel great - like you really earned that evening meal and rest! Your blood is flowing through your veins - you've blown the cobwebs and you feel so much better for it!

And why not snowboard or skydive? Well... I don't know any other activity that fits so well inside the rules and requirements of family and group holidays - your friends might not be happy to sit in the snow while you hit the piste - but I never heard anyone complain about sunbathing and sightseeing while you fly through the blue!!

So why dive? - 1000 thousand reasons - of which these are just a few (plus the smile on my face from getting a nervous newbie out and enjoying it this afternoon!) ... watch this space for the rest of the 1000 reasons!

Scuba Students and Liquid Learning

What a week! My fingers are burning from typing the names of successful students into PADI's online certificate system! Tons of customers (Ferry , Roelien, Jane, Sara, Helen) finishing their Deep Diver and Wreck Diver course, others are in the classroom getting to grips with Enriched Air Diving, while still more (Petra, Eline, Nicole, Chris) are just starting the adventure with Open Water Diver!

We've been enjoying the beautiful breeding season on the house reef, with several juvenile octopus on each of our Night Dives, and baby fish in bright colours dotted all over the reef.

We've been out to the Tuna Farm for a dive with the 'big boys' and over to Gozo and Comino for some great days out.

Sean McGahern has been out on the reef, racking up the hours readying for his Guiness World Record attempt, and as always, the Tec Terriers have been tempting recreational divers with the promise of spectacular wrecks in the beautiful blue (find out more at our sister company blog - Techwise Tales).

In fact, we've so many happy divers passing through our doors, we're having to update the Diver of the Month every week!!! Watch the site for more smiley faces and course success!

Super Sunday Sunshine Diving

Ahhh... Bliss... Everyday when I walk to work, I think how lucky I am to be working here in the sunshine.  Our customers come in and they are on holiday - just willing, ready, waiting to have  a great time! How easy could a job be?!

Today we just packed off  mixed van of Technical and Recreational divers on their way to Gozo.  Its hot in the morning sun, but with the windows down and the breeze in your face - its a pretty fantastic journey. The scenery is stunning and they're off to a mixed bag of diving - Blue Hole scenic style for the morning, followed by the wreck of the Cominoland in the afternoon. A selection box of diving chocolate!

If I'd been back at home, working on a Sunday, I know I'd be missing my bed right now - somehow its a lot easier to be up early here - even a joy.

So I guess my question is... where are you? Why not here, enjoying great diving and beautiful scenery with us?!!

The Diving Family

Holy Mother of Moly! You cannot believe how busy we've been this week! Or maybe you can believe it, as this is the first post to fly out of the Divewise Desk for quite some time! We've had some really large, really lovely groups in this week. The Shaws spanned both Britain and the United States in accent, ages 12 to 45 in age and a variety of Dive certifications too, and yet you've never seen a more closely knit unit. Congratulations to Brian for passing his open water!

At the same time, we had the rowdy, raving Diving Leisure London boys and girls, who are unrelated, but have creates a great group atmosphere and family feeling, travelling, diving and eating together (always being the adoptive parents of the Divewise Staff waifs and strays!).

And lastly there's the Tec-Family - where looking after each other is a key aspect of safe diving - but you can ready all about their adventures on the Techwise Tales Blog!

When you're under the water you can always see the family characters coming out - the motherly sorts who like to look after everyone else (and always over-prepared with the spares) - Rescue Diver course anyone? Then there's the fathers, who dole out sage advice and tinker with any equipment that goes awry (Equipment Specialists every time!), and finally the kids - the playful carefree souls that entertain the rest of us, performing antics and flying around in the freedom of the Blue (thanks to their Peak Performance Buoyancy Course)

That's the nice thing about diving, even when a vehicle starts the day full of strangers, it travels home with a family inside - people united by their adventures, delights and even sometimes mishaps (of course that's the way you end up with a story to laugh about later!). We hope you'll come and join the Divewise family soon.

And by the way, Happy Father's Day!

Gorgeous Gozo, Diving Days & Wet Weekends (The good kind!)

The weekend has landed once again and that means another glorious day out on Gozo! Derek packed 8 happy divers into Harry, our largest truck and off they went. Its a bit of an early start to beat the traffic but the speedy journey to the ferry and over the blue is worth it. Gazing at the waves from the side of the ferry, you can't help but get excited about getting below them in a short while.

The scenic drive to the dive sites is like something out of a film. In fact many famous movies have borrowed the landscape of Malta and Gozo for their scenery - Clash of the Titans, Midnight Express, Troy and more!

The Azure Window stands proud over the water within sight of the Blue Hole, which soon we'll be dropping through. To the left you can find coral gardens and caves, to the right is the awesome stature of the entrance tunnel to the Inland Sea. Amazing scenic dives all round.

Having the full day out there means there's plenty of time for a leisurely lunch between dives. A perfect day that everyone finishes with a smile!

Diving into the Deep, Dark and Delicious!

As usual, we have a real mix of courses on right now. Last night we had an Advanced Open Water Student taking his night adventure on the reef where he had done his Navigation in the day. As usual, plenty of pleasure divers jumped in with our second staff member and took advantage of the beauty that comes out in the night time.

We were really lucky, with octopus, morays, cuttlefish and squid all coming out to play! Even a Sea Hare! Plus all the usual shrimp and fish.

We've also had lots of people taking the great deal on the Deep and Wreck

course combo, achieving new depths and learning all about diving safely in and around wrecks.

Now, there's no course involved, but there certainly was some expert pancake munching going on after the night dive! Good call on the snack stop, Al!

We've also had some nice surprises on the house reefs this week. Just a short swim out onto Mercanti reef and Sarah spotted an electric ray! While morays and cuttlefish graced the Discover Scuba Dives near the confined area.

Fishy Business off Malta - Save the Sharks!

So the boys weren't spinning a reel after all! (Great) White Sharks are back in the seas of Malta!

http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=88974

A few weeks ago, some of our friends at Techwise surfaced from a dive to be ushered into the boat a little quicker than normal! The boatman was gesturing in the direction of the wreck they had just dived and spoke of a BIG fish. Later on the radio as they drove home, reports came in of a small fishing boat being rescued after a 'bump' from a shark.

How you feel about the return of Great Whites to Malta will vary from person to person. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of bumping into sharks out on dives - especially when it comes to the big boys of the family. But I think it's as great as the sharks we are talking about. My only sadness is returning sharks will never make it to the coast without being killed.

It seems to me that Malta could easily begin a baby version of the thriving cage-diving business that does so much for the African Tourist industry. Of course first we would have to educate as to the value of these creatures LIVE as opposed to dead. Africa and other countries have developed an art of teaching divers about the threats posed to these seemingly threatening mammoths of the seas. Sharks only breed small litters of young, and are slow in reaching maturity (enough to breed new generations), so when a shark is killed, we often wipe out possibility of future generation too.

They are keystone species of the aquatic world and their disappearance will have serious consequences for all life in the seas and those who depend on the oceans for their lives. The return of the sharks might even be the signal of the general eco-system returning to healthier times before pollution and industry development on the island decimates the underwater landscape - we've certainly noticed that the algae coverage and fish numbers are once again beginning to climb. The sharks are supposed to be here - they were here before! You only have to check the photographs on the walls of the Zurrieq cafe.

Lets hope we see many more Great Whites off the coasts of Malta - and lets hope we see them with new eyes, higher awareness and appreciation - ALIVE! Why not check out the Project AWARE Shark Awareness to find out more about these amazing creatures.

...it's the little things...

Diving is such a thrilling experience, but sometimes when you've done it for a while, you forget to appreciate all the different experiences that the ocean has to offer. Its important to sit back and take notice of the little things sometimes - and that can be both in the way we conduct ourselves and when we look for excitement below the waves.

Taking Discover Scuba Diving students nearly every day, I 'd always thought that you'd get to know the house reef like the back of your hand, maybe even get bored. I was so wrong! For a start - every student is different, and that makes every dive different too. Secondly, you never get tired of giving someone their first glance of the underwater world. Everyone reacts differently, some love the gear, some admire the fishes, for many simply the feeling of diving itself is such a thrill. We come across new challenges and every new challenge solved is a fresh feeling of satisfaction.

I also began to notice on the reef that if I put myself int he right frame of mind, even the same, well-worn route would always through up new surprises. Two days ago the reef seemed to be teeming with crabs, then the next day after some crashing waves, an eery quietness as creatures ducked for cover from the weather. Some fish are territorial and I can always guaranteed my favourite little blenny will always sit in the same little alcove each day as my students and I return from our dive - but even he changes! Some days his colours seem to mottle to match the rocks and algae - other dives the red hues of his scales stand out proud and dazzling.

So when I turn my view the right way, the reef always has a treat in store - we don't always have to look for the big animals or famous fish. Spotting a tiny one who cowers in a crevice is almost more satisfying because you found him when other might have missed his small hidy-hole.

Similarly, we recently had a gentleman come to us to ask about diving. His friends often dived and he drove them to the sites in their home country - but being unable to swim, he had never been allowed the pleasure to joining them. It became apparent that he might not be suited for diving, having never been in the water since childhood. Then we offered to introduce him to snorkelling. 'Perfect!@ he declared 'I just want to see what's down there, what my friends see'.

With a suit and floatation aid to keep him bouyant, one of our instructors took him for a one-on-one session on our calm sea-pool. With some advice on how to position himself and stabilise his movement, he was able to look below and see what he'd longed to - minute fish in huge numbers skimmed by, colourful wrasse picked at the sandy bottom for morsels, crabs skipped to and fro over the tide line on the algae-encrusted walls. The customer was delighted - and so were we!

So don't forget the little things. When you can appreciate the smaller and simpler pleasures that our watery world affords us, we can never be disappointed!

Why we're worth it! - Doing it by the book...

Often when customers come to us, they are surprised when we ask for log books and proof of certification. Then their eyes really go wide when we arrange their first dive as a check dive. It seems as though we are in an elite group of centres that really do things by the book.

In return, we are often surprised to see divers with depths logged far beyond their certification should allow and we even have to persuade some people to take their Deep course in order to do dives that others have allowed them to do despite being unqualified.

This might seem very strict, but we believe that not only is it a required standard - its also a massively beneficial action for the center, the divers and for diving as a community.

All divers who are new to us go on a check dive first - whether they are Open Water students or experienced instructors. Far more than judging anyone's skill in the water - we feel check dives are excellent for checking your weighting and thermal protection is sufficient for our local environment. Nobody wants to get to a dive site and find they are too cold to enjoy the views. It is also the customer’s time to check that they are happy with us and make sure their equipment is functioning well. All this is in the aim of all dives after this running smoothly for you because the proper preparation was done.

Not that check dives have to be boring! Our house reef is teeming with life! Octopus, Cuttlefish, bream and morays! I can't think of a nicer place to start your dives!

When we check your log book, it lets us know what kind of diving you are comfortable with, so that we can pick the best sites to suit you during your stay with us. Log books are also a pleasant diary of all your fun experiences in the past. They are scribbled with the emails of new found friends and little tips and hints to make your future diving better - when log books are not kept regularly, you don't do yourself justice of proving your experience - and this could end up limiting the range of sites you might visit. So always remember to enjoy filing in your log.

As far as Deep dives go - the Deep Course is really a must! - Its great to extend your range - but why do it without proper training and knowledge to keep you safe?! The second major issue is that your insurances only cover you to your certification depth - if you have a problem deeper than your cert allows - no insurance! And nobody wants that!

Casualties in diving are no good for anyone - it gives diving a bad reputation which can mean that legal implications drive costs up for you the diver. Keeping our community safe and sound on dives is beneficial to all involved.

Beyond all of that, the Deep course, like so many of our specialties, is fantastic fun and really adds to your enjoyment of your stay here.

When it comes to safety - we believe you're worth doing everything properly!

Making Advances...

Wow, we seem to have so many people coming to us taking the Advanced Open Water course recently. I started to think about why it's so popular... Some people take it straight after their Open Water course (we actually have a combo package price for the two courses together), while others wait a while before stepping up to the next level. It all depends on comfort and personal preference I guess.

Either way, its a great course that really gives a lot back to divers who take it. If you go for it straight after the Open Water, its a great way to continue your diving in the safety of an Instructors watch, seeing new sites and learning new skills. It's also great for taking a taster of different diving courses and skills, finding out which areas will interest and excite you, helping you to choose your path in diving.

For those who come to the course with a bit more experience, it can open up new areas in diving that they might not have thought about before. The Advanced course is really a smorges-board of skills. Your take 5 different Adventure Dives - one must be a Deep Diver Adventure, and one must be a Navigation Adventure. Then you can choose 3 others from a huge list of PADI Specialties. These dives also count as the first dive of the full Specialty if you decide to go for the whole course! Efficient, eh?

Plus there's the added bonus of extending your diving depth to 30m, opening up new sites to you that perhaps you couldn't visit before!

No wonder everyone's taking this course! Its the obvious choice!

Happy Snappers

Sarah is off to Cirkewwa with Wiveca and Lars today, who are taking their Advanced Open Water course this week. Today they are going to be taking their Underwater Photography adventure dive, learning how to dive safely while taking photos and how to get fantastic shots with vivid colours and sharp accuracy underwater - not an easy task when the fish are fast moving and shy!

Luckily, they are in good hands. Sarah and Howard from the Divewise permanent staff make up Shawshot Productions, who produce some of the fantastic shots and video footage that Divewise use to promote the beautiful aquatic world around Malta.

Digital Underwater Photography is the full extended specialty that relates to the adventure that Wiveca and Lars will take today. Although the specialty focuses on underwater shots, its likely to improve a newcomers surface photos too! You can learn theory and practice to frame subjects better, get more natural looking poses out of your models and get just the right light.

If your passion is for diving, then this course is perfect to make sure that your happy memories come back in focus, with plenty of tone and style!

Night Swimming...

Today has a peaceful hush about it. People are taking it easy and conserving their engery. But as the sun starts to slowly set over the bays of St Julians, a quiet buzz will begin. Tonight we are Night Diving and the whole day looks forward to that moment! New divers will kits up in the dusk light, perhaps a little anxious, but also excited. If you thought that going underwater revealed a whole new world, then going underwater at night changes that world yet again.

The eerie but calm experience of floating in the darkness, viewing only where your torch light extends - its possible to dream you are in space, or maybe even in a horror movie! The shafts of light searching through the black seem like something from an alien space ship. Though we move slowly and breathe in a relaxed manner, no-on can deny the loud thump of their heart beat as they wait for the next surprise to dart under the beam of the lamp...

We will see creatures that hide away in the daytime, now boldly gliding out in the open - Cuttlefish, Octopus and Moray Eels. The fish that we saw in the day will also seem new to us, displaying different behaviours. The lack of sun hides some things from us, but now against the dark, we can easily see the pin-prick reflections of tiny eyes amongst the rocks - shrimp and crabs.

While Paceville thumps with noise and bustle, we will be silent stealthy creatures (except for the sound of bubbles) and go night swimming...

Mellow Monday

So another week begins... although with Divewise open 7 days a week, the days just seem to blur in to one continuous run of fun. Big Al and the Landshark Dive Club are just packing up and say how fast their week in the sun has passed. In the meantime, new students are just signing in and getting ready for Advanced Open Water and specialty courses - (Buy one Get one Free online!).

Nev and Howard are getting busy in their handy-men role, while Sarah is spring cleaning our rental equipment and changing over the suits to match the rising temperatures that Summer brings...

A lot of people are worrying what the world-wide credit crunch will mean to their summer holidays and their spare cash for pleasure activities such as Scuba Diving. Here at Divewise, we have put together lots of special deals like our Advance Payment Discount Scheme to save divers money so that they can continue with their passion for the sport, even if the purse strings are a little tighter. Remember that you can sacrifice the odd beer, or maybe buy less magazines, but never give up the things that bring you happiness in life!

A Wooo A Hoooo!

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Rob has passed his PADI Instructor Exam! Congratulations Rob! This is a real milestone in any diver's career. Rob has come all the way from entry level diving at Open Water, through the recreational levels and then on to Divemaster and Asisstant Instructor - Now as an Open Water Scuba instructor (OWSI), Rob will be able to introduce people to the wonderful underwater world.

Because Rob is also taking his Specialty Instructor Courses, he can also have the fun of giving specialties and adventures to more advanced divers, giving them new skills and exciting experiences. No doubt he'll achieve his Master Scuba Diver Trainer status in no time!

We're just waiting for all our customers to get back from Dives at Um el Farood (Zurrieq) and the Maori, so we can all get together in celebrating Rob's fantastic achievement!

The Big Catch Up

My how time flies when you're having fishy-style fun. All that time underwater leaves a blog lagging once in a while. So lets get you up to speed on the last week or so of events.

Rob Randal has continued ploughing into his Instructor Development Course under Alan's tutelage, with Danny and Lucy assisting as naughty students and bodies. Its surprising how much a 'bod-deady' can laugh. Robs skills have sharpened perfectly in time for his Instructor Examinations, taking place just as we type this blog out to you all. This week he has also completed his EFR Instructor, now an essential requirement for those wishing to become PADI Open Water Instructors.

The two parties of proudly crazy Dutchmen stayed with us until May 11th and enjoyed all the best sites of the island - The P29, The Rozi, Um el Faroud, Gozo Blue Hole, The Inland Sea and much more, as well as a fantastic night out at Cianco's for kareoke and cake in celebration of Turu's Birthday. Lucy offered her singing talents in return for a rid in Turu's shiny red Triumph - the only way to travel!

With Neville now returned from his trip to Australia and Thailand, his friends Georgie and Leggie visited to complete their Advanced Open Water Course, extending their diving depth to 30m!- well done those people! They treated themselves to PADI's limited edition Project A.W.A.R.E cards for their PICs - what a nice way to celebrate their achievement and also protect the Marine Environment! Later in the week, customers Ozcan and Dominique also started their Advanced Open Water courses and are enjoying those still.

Marco Heibener also joined us for plenty of leisurely afternoon dives once his language classes were over by lunch. He has really impressed us with his skills as a diver. Likely to remembered as the lad with the lamp - as each visit you could hear Marco declare 'My lamp, my Lamp' to remind us that his torch was still in safe storage in the office!

New faces have been dropping in to Discover Scuba Diving on the House reef - we've had newcomers from as far abroad as Lithuania, Ireland and Brazil! Luckily the in house staff speak a variety of languages between them and we can always work a way to teach through any language barrier!

Gary, our Sun-worshiping staff member finally decided that the water was warm enough to get back in for the Summer! Could it be something to do with the fact that his friends from Austria are here to dive?? Today he is out to Gozo with Big Al and crew from Britain, a lively bunch of return customers that we're always happy to see! As are Colm and Owen, the Irish contingent who are considering their Tec Deep Diver Course with our sister company Techwise this week...

Thurs 7th May 09

The Dutch crews have just headed out with returning Tec Staff Leo to meet with the formidable Imperial Eagle. Natalie and Lara are tuning up their dive skills with Sarah, ready to get back in for a great summer season of diving in Malta, while Christian continues his pleasure dives with Alex. The wind is down, the temperature is climbing and everyone is starting to feel the summer buzz…
We’re in Scuba-Heaven… where are you?!?!


Wed 6th May 09

Happy Birthday Turu – what a guy – working on his birthday. Having said that, if work is diving in the beautiful Coral Cave and Inland Sea at Gozo … well who could resist? A great international mix included Dutch, Italian, British and French – with everybody equally enjoying the sights.

A little bit of swell in the Blue Hole didn’t stop anyone from discovering this amazing site. Rino and Laurie lit up the walls of the passage out to sea, and Christian viewed the corals from under the waves while our land-based passenger, Arleen, viewed the spectacular rock formations from a boat ride along the surface.

Tues 5th May 09

Rob tidied up the final stages of this Dive Master course in time to start his ICD coming up soon. Today was a bit of continuing education, acting as Dive Master on SMB Specialist – one of the many different specialty skills that you can add to your diving for safer, more enjoyable dives.

Eugene and Jane all the way from Lithuania dropped in on the house reef for a Discover SCUBA Diving experience that they both enjoyed very much, floating past Bream, Wrasse and Damsel fish.



Mon 4th May 09

Peter, Therese went out pleasure diving, while Christian completed his Advanced Open Water course – Congratulations, Christian. We hope you enjoy using your new skills and extended depth range!

Joe brought his girlfriend Bianca to share his passion for the underwater world. After a successful Discover Scuba Diving experience, the couple were able to enjoy a guided tour of the house reef together that same day. This really is a fantastic sport to share with your loved ones. Nothing can beat the feeling of exploring this new world together.

Fri 1st May 09

Lucy and Alan take a quiet day to check out Lucy for continuing her Tec Deep Diver course. Unfortunately for Lucy, a little harness slippage during transit left her twinset floating 4 inches off her back and Lucy floating inverted like a human balloon! Unfortunate for Lucy… amusing as hell for Alan and the Rebreather boys Paul Toomer and Al Rogers.

Still, glitches ironed out – the check dive went fine and revenge was a dish best served cold, as Lucy stuck her tongue out to the rebreathers passing by and sent Al Rogers into a buoyancy bungle! The lovely thing about rebreathers is the air space in the loop makes laughter completely audible!




Sat 2nd May 09

The Tec and Rebreather courses crews head off to Cirkewwa for Tec dives 8, 9, 10, and continuing rebreather drills. Of course no deep dive or complicated drill could possibly be as scary as escorting Lucy on her first day driving in Harry, the biggest of the Divewise trucks. And no amount of sunshine could turn you as red as Lucy was when she was overtaken by a TRACTOR on a hill! Grapple those gears, Girly!

At least Lucy finally found the dive site… which is more than can be said for Mr Paul Toomer and the ever elusive P29!

Back at base, Gavin, Michael and Peter are busting through Confined Dives 1, 2 & 3 for their Open Water Course! Well done guys!



Sun 3rd May 09

Sunday brought even warmer sunshine and clear blue skies on the way to Gozo for the finishing dives of Lucy’s Tec Deep Diver and Al Rogers’ Rebreather Part One. ON the same trip, Rob guided Peter, Nura and Angie on some great dives through the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea

Both courses ended in success and a few giggles… a hood swapping exercise ended in Alan unwittingly adopting Lucy’s ‘Think Pink’ Attitude from the inside of her hood lining! Not that Alan minded the pink rinse in his hair… but Viv might not be as happy!

The inland sea is incredibly impressive, and to view it on the ascent from 50 m made it all the more incredible to behold. We are so lucky to be diving at sites that easily make the voting list for a new 7 Wonders of the World!

The graduates were celebrated over a well-earned and hastily devoured curry at the Emperor of India – just one of the many excellent places to dine out in St Julian’s and Paceville.

They weren’t the only success stories of the day. Francesca, Jonathan Helen and Stephen completed Open Water Dive 4 and are already booked in for their Advanced Open Water too!

Tues 28th April 09

Unusually, the 28th was a no-diving day, with the waves whipped up.
Lucy, our new summer staff member arrived at mid-day with a shock of fuscia pink hair and set about viewing apartments with Gary, one of our seasoned and seasonal crew.


Wed 29th April 09

With the weather settled down once more, Sarah and Lucy took customers Therese and Max for a pleasant pleasure pootle day at Cirkewwa. Sarah spotted the first Sea Hare of the season while they headed for the ‘Amphoras’ (Latin for the ancient vessels that carried wine and other goods).

The second dive of the day took them to the Arch or Cirkewwa, with some slightly loony limbo dancing under the arch by Lucy, and a great spotting by Sarah, who found a Moray and a cuttlefish on their travels.

Meanwhile, Daniel was continuing his deep diver course…


Thurs 30th April 09

Sara and Lucy went out to Gozo to take four young Dutch men for their first ever SCUBA Diving experience – imagine your Discover SCUBA Dive in the tranquil waters of Mgarr ix-Xini! Beats the local swimming pool any day! And there’s always time for a Tony’s ice-cream extravaganza on the journey home…

Just because we started the blog yesterday, doesn't mean our activities only stretch that far The next few posts will cover all that we've done in the last coupe of weeks and get you all up to date.

Oh Brave New World!

You might have recognised the quote from the Tempest by William Shakespeare - the perfect words to celebrate a new discovery and passion in life. Though we certainly don't want any Tempests around the beautiful island of Malta, Divewise would love to help you make an amazing new discovery and perhaps find that new passion you've been seeking.

Why not step into a Brave New World underwater with Divewise today?!

Divewise is the Premier 5 Star PADI IDC Centre on the isle of Malta. We provide recreational diving and course, and professional level training. We have full equipment hire available for rent or sale and also organise diving trips to Gozo and Comino. We also provide Technical Scuba and Rebreather diving, both for recreational and for training - DSAT, IANTD, TDI and Paul Toomer Rebreather Diving all offered through our sister company Techwise (www.techwise.com.mt).

The brave new world might also be the internet - as Divewise are feeling their way into cyberspace to bring you frequent updates, stories and more.

We'd love to hear from you and you can get in touch at our official website, www.divewise.com.mt, through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and more - become our friend, subscribe and recieve all the latest news as soon as it hits the cyber-waves!