Red Sea Diving College Sharm El Sheikh

Given the success of the ‘Dance for Earth’ 70’s night earlier in the year, it is time to hit the sand and dance once more! This event will be the 80’s theme, the era of Madonna, Wham, Kylie, Bananarama and of course…for the more hip; Stone Roses and New Order.
Raising over £850 for Project Aware last time we hope that this party will generate even more. Those of you in Sharm on September 23rd now have plenty of time to dig out the neon leg warmers, pixie boots, jelly shoes and the frightening acid wash denim at the back of the wardrobe! Entry will be 20LE which will be donated 100% to Project Aware. Beers will only be 12LE…See you on the beach!

It is common to meet divers with a passion for marine life but it is rare to meet one who will dedicate their life to the science and preservation of a marine species. This July, Sharm was lucky to host Dr. Andrea Marshall, christened “Queen of Manta’s” by the BBC documentary of the same name. Her Ph.D. on Manta Rays was the first ever doctoral thesis to be completed on these magnificent creatures. Giving up a life of home comforts, shopping malls and dating potential, since 2003 Andrea has been working from a small hut in the remote coastal town of Tofu in Mozambique. Working tirelessly to discover more about this species, educate the public and encourage their conservation, Andrea has made huge progress in the data now available on mantas.

Perhaps you feel like a career change or are contemplating a life spent under the sun and beneath the waves. Let the dream become reality and join us on one of our next IDC-courses in November 2010. Our IDC-Unlimited package includes the IDC + FREE Specialty Instructor training FOR LIFE!!!

During July, several families took advantage of the school holidays and went Tek together, some on rebreathers and some on open circuit. Amoung them was Jeane-Prune, who started her rebreather course on her 17th birthday and now holds the record as the youngest CCR Inspiration Vision diver ever certified by PURE.

When you look at the amount of heavy lifting involved in preparing for a dive and the methods for entering and exiting the water it becomes extremely important to look after one of your most important pieces of equipment; your back. This month our hints and tips look at ways to help with lifting, kitting up and entering or exiting the water.

Divers who wear contact lenses are sometimes put off diving as they are concerned about the effect the mask removal skills may have on their lenses and eyes. This month we ask our medical experts at the Sharm Hyperbaric Medical Centre, for information on diving when visually impaired.

Football psychic, delicious with black pepper and lemon, or great to see on a dive, whatever your opinion on the octopus, one thing is certain, there is a lot more to out 8 legged friends than meets the eye.
The octopus is a type of mollusc, the same family as clams and mussels and belongs to the sub-species cephalopod. This means ‘head to foot’ in Latin and describes the fact that the ‘feet’ are attached to the creatures head.

Taba Heights is the ideal venue for underwater photography with sunshine, calm seas and crystal clear waters virtually guaranteed all year round. In 2010 the award winning Red Sea Waterworld along with well known UK Diving Journalist and Photographer; Stuart Philpott, will be offering a number of workshops for underwater photographers. Workshops will cover all aspects of photography from macro and wide angle to equipment maintenance and post editing. They are open to all levels of photographer from the virtual beginner to semi pro.

On July the 6th, one of our daily boats completed a complex rescue operation; the victim, not a scuba diver, but a small sooty shearwater (a type of sea bird). Whilst divers were on the back of Jackson Reef, Rozza, a crew member on JoJo, noticed this poor creature struggling to stay afloat and on the verge of drowning. The bird (now known as Sooty) was taken onto the boat placed in a dive box whilst the staff on the boat decided what to do. At first it seemed like the bird was coated in oil, which would have raised huge environmental concerns, however, on closer examination it was simply so exhausted that it had become water-logged.
Guides Kristof and Jackson made their guest as comfortable as possible whilst compiling their emergency evacuation plan. A local ornithology enthusiast; Doozer Close, met the boat at the jetty and took Sooty to a makeshift bird hospital, otherwise known as his bathroom! With a night of rest and some fresh water Sooty was released the next morning, last seen heading out of Ras Katy, towards Tiran Island.
The Sooty Shearwater is listed as a threatened species and is highly unusual for the Red Sea. A big thanks to Rozza, Kristof, Jackson and of course Doozer for their efforts in saving a small but significant member of our Red Sea community.

Thanks to support from AWARE Divers across the globe, Project AWARE is giving critical shark populations a voice. In less than a month since the Help Give Sharks A Fighting Chance petition was launched on World Oceans Day 8th June, Project AWARE has collected over 23,000 signatures. And support from the diving community is growing by the day.

Together the diving world is joining forces to take action for threatened shark populations. We hope you can lend your support.