GOZO & THE COVID 19 CRISIS
Xlendi, Gozo, our country side and our beaches are getting a well-deserved rest during this period of down-time. Gozo has never looked so beautiful with so few people and cars around. Dolphins have been spotted near Comino. We are so lucky to be 'stuck' here. To make matters worse (better) we've had a super winter with hardly any wind or rain. At St. Andrew's we are not having a break. With doors ajar we carry on preparing for the season by upgrading our premises, our vehicles and our boat DIVEMANIA. When airports open and airlines resume business we will be super ready to ensure YOU get the best diving experiences possible.
In the meantime stay safe and let's keep in touch.
Remember that our e-mail address is standrew1989@gmail.com
The 2020 SADC team
Source: Instagram
Credit: @2oceanaddiction
Training to become a certified diver isn’t as hard as many people think and by completing your certification you’ll open up a whole new world of excitement, exploration and experience. Whilst dive equipment may look bulky and complex, the reality is it’s not complicated at all and once you’re in the water, you’re weightless!
Completing your diver certification in Gozo means you’ll get to dive in our crystal clear, warm waters with some of the best diving in Europe. Below we look at the options for becoming a certified diver.
A discover scuba session is your first step into the world of scuba diving and it’s generally the place where a divers passion and obsession begins. It’s a simple dive where the instructor helps you control and manage your equipment whilst giving you your first diving experience.
This dive will allow you to gain an understanding of the very basics and experience what it’s like to breathe underwater whilst exploring in the shallows (Usually around 5 meters) in a controlled way. You’ll be helped along by a qualified instructor who’ll point out things of interest, ensure you remain safe and provide an enjoyable, exciting and fun experience.
If you leave the water feeling like you’ve just discovered your new home then it’s time to book a course!
One thing to keep in mind is that even some of the best divers once flailed around on a discover scuba dive so if it feels alien or strange on your first try then the good news is you can do as many discover scuba dives as you wish to get fully comfortable under the water, after all it is a unique environment so can take a little getting used to!
The open water course is the first real step to gaining a diving certification. The course consists of some home or classroom study to gain an understanding of the basic equipment that’s used in scuba diving such as your BCD or buoyancy control device, your regulator, weights and so on.
You’ll then carry out a minimum of 5 super fun dives where you’ll learn a whole host of skills such as how to assemble your diving equipment, how to use the equipment in the water in order to master buoyancy as well as a variety of other procedures related to safety.
The course is both challenging, great fun and will give you the knowledge required to dive to depths of up to 18 meters which means you’ll be able to explore some amazing dive sites such as the Blue hole in Gozo.
Source: Instagram
Credit: @2oceanaddiction
Once you’re ready to climb the learning ladder the next step would be to complete your advanced open water certification in Gozo. This certification allows you to go to a maximum depth of 40 meters.
As part of the course you’ll carry out a total of 5 adventure dives and learn about navigation as well as the complexities of deeper diving and what that means with regards to the air you consume. Do remember that just because your certification say advanced, it doesn’t make you an advanced diver as such as that comes with experience but it does open up the underwater world allowing you to fully explore as a recreational diver.
The advanced course is fun, insightful and allows you to discover which types of diving you enjoy which in turn will allow you to focus on specialty courses.
Once you’ve completed your advanced open water course you’ll then have the ability to choose from a range of speciality courses such as deep diving, underwater photography etc. You can also then go on to complete a rescue diver certification and if that’s not enough to whet your diving certification appetite then you’ll begin your professional diving journey with a divemaster certification.
Overall diving is a safe, fun sport that’ll introduce you to life long friends and allow you to explore a world very few people get to see! It’s also great for both your mental and physical health!
So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us and become a certified diver in Gozo today!
