boot Düsseldorf 2012

Overnight train trip to Düsseldorf (109€ return in a 6 bunks cabin) to visit boot, the world's largest annual water sports fair (e-ticket 14€).

Having no important gear agenda this year, I actually had plenty of time to just stroll about and chat with several owners, managers & representatives of various resorts, located primarily in Indonesia, my favorite destination for recreational diving.


First up was Selayar Dive Resort, which I've had on my wish list for a while already. Being off the main tourist paths, it's a bit harder to get to, which makes it even more attractive to me. Definitely an option for our next trip, maybe in combination with a short stay on Bali?

Another one on my critter list is Lembeh Resort. They now also have a second place to stay further down south, near an abandoned gold mine, for some normal reef diving and non-scuba activities higher up inland. Sounds like a very nice combo to me!

Anke from Blue Bay Divers, where we stayed back in 2007, proudly presented her brand new 30m long Pinisi-style wooden live-aboard, the KLM Sunshine. Just my kind of diving, let's go sailing :o)

For live-aboard lovers, the MSY Seahorse looks pretty nice too... but with high class rates of about 400 USD/day too deep for my wallet.

Dreaming on, the exclusive Wakatobi Dive Resort is now getting some relatively affordable competition by the Patuno Resort Wakatobi.

It's possible to book directly with all of the above mentioned resorts and most will also arrange local flights where necessary. Or you can trust the whole travel organization in the hands of e.g. Aquaventure Tauchreisen, who smoothly arranged my 2010 trip. Their tip to me now being The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort on Romblon island in the Philippines... who knows?

Still high on my list is of course the Nautilus Explorer with its great white encounters at Isla Guadalupe, manta ballets around Socorro Island and/or kelp forest diving with sea lions near San Benitos.

And for a bit of action closer by, I might check out Atlantis Qualidive in nearby Austria this summer? [ see also: Attersee Diving World ]

HybriDiving?

Via Wetpixel I came upon a product presentation video for the Lunocet monofin. While I sure would like to try one out myself, the reason I'm actually referring to this advertisement is its wonderful initial 40" sequence featuring dolphins - without a doubt some of the best footage of this kind I've ever seen.

DYK Rejsespecial 2007-2008

In April 2006 I did some deep wreck exploration in the Gulf of Thailand from the M/V Trident live-aboard.

A year later, Jamie Macleod, owner & captain of the Trident, asked me if I could help out Dmitri Gorski by letting him use some of my underwater photos taken during that trip. Honored by the request, I of course obliged :o)


This month, Dmitri's five page article about technical diving in Thailand, together with four of my photos, got published in Scandinavia's main dive magazine: DYK (Rejsespecial 2007-2008).

PADI

I became a PADI certified diver in 1993 and an instructor three years later. I officially remained a PADI pro till the end of last year, after which I stopped paying for the honour. (read why below)


From 2000 to 2006, I paid my yearly membership fee to PADI Europe (headquartered in Switzerland), even though I lived in Denmark and thus technically belonged to PADI Nordic (headquartered in Sweden). The reason being that I wanted to be kept up-to-date in English, an option not offered by PADI Nordic.

My affiliation to another region was not a problem until 2006, when I tried to order some teaching material from PADI Europe. My online order was processed alright, but got cancelled later on by PADI Europe, which subsequently also decided all by itself to transfer my membership to PADI Nordic. For seven years PADI Europe cashed in my membership fees, sent me self-promoting newsletters, self-congratulatory magazines & eternal guideline updates; but when I actually wanted to use their services to get some teaching done, they suddenly remembered only local headquarters were allowed to sell me anything. As if I care where a manual actually comes from when I order online. A week later I got a welcome letter from PADI Nordic. In Swedish. And I no longer had access to the online shop. So I had to tell my student to get the necessary course material from a Danish dive shop at twice the price.

After having done the theory, we travelled to Thailand to do the actual open water training. While the Thai dive shop we used as a base fully assisted me, PADI however once again left me standing alone & fuming, refusing to accept my instructor credentials for instant online certification of my student. The reason: in order to be able to certify new divers in Thailand you have to be a member of PADI Asia (headquartered in Singapore). Meaning, I guess, I'm supposed to temporarily transfer my affiliation each time I want to teach & certify while on holidays somewhere outside my region?

When a year ago I moved to Germany, PADI Nordic & Europe joined forces and professionally screwed up again. Starting with PADI Nordic ignoring my request for re-transfer to PADI Europe (probably waiting to cash in my membership fee first) and followed by PADI Europe mishandling my membership renewal for 2007 (despite direct e-mail contact). So I stepped out. After 10 years as a PADI pro.

Today, out of the blue, PADI Europe sent me a congratulatory letter, thanking me for my continued support of the organization, significant role in its growth and felicitating me -about one year late- with my tenth anniversary as a PADI member. I guess they haven't realized yet I've left the association. That or they're in total denial. They also assume I must be pleased to know that I'll even be listed in the 2nd quarter "Undersea Journal" in recognition of my commitment. Second quarter? Either it already came out several months ago, or it sure is several months late. Not that it matters, at least I'm not getting that nonsense any longer.

Hyped-up recognition is alas what PADI is very much about: badges for anything, certificates for whatever and pins to prove it.

Stories from the blue

Via X-Ray magazine’s blog I came upon an amazing account by Scott Cassell of an incredible underwater encounter with giant Humboldt squids: Dancing with Demons - definitely not for the faint of heart!

Talking about thrilling experiences, here's a movie to look forward to: Sharkwater, a documentary by Rob Stewart about sharks & us.