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Newsletter

Red sea Trip

4-13 Aug

In This Issue

4 - 13 Aug 2023

Imagine seven days, spent on the ocean with all your needs catered for, all you need to do is wake-up, kit up, dive, eat, sleep, go dive again, eat again, go sleep again and repeat. Until you end your day with a cold drink and lots of experiences to share with your friends!

A Red Sea trip is like no other and something you will keep in the memory banks for a long time. Crystal clear viz, the most amazing colours (as if you are diving in a fish tank) wrecks, sharks and dolphins.

This package is a book you own flight deal so that you can customise and make use of points etc. We can however assist you with the bookings!

Please contact us if you need more information email Mandy on mandy@scubaversity.co.za

Every divers dream destination!

From

Extra costs

Flights and Taxes R16000 Fuel 50 Euros Tip 80 Euros Marine Fees 60 Euros

per person sharing

Sodwana

24 - 28 May

Celebrating

Celebrating

Sodwana is legendary sunshine, a warm 28 to 30 degrees, flat seas, awesome visibility, and expect the occasional Manta... Those who have been there, know and have done it more than once, and keep coming back. We will be staying at Coral Divers, South Africa's best dive resort. Situated within the Reserve.

It is geared towards an easy diving holiday. The food is good, accommodation is great, and the best of all, there is a range to fit everyone's budget. This is undoubtedly the best Sodwana trip of the year, So don't miss out!

Please contact us if you need more information email Marina on admin@scubaversity.co.za

Shout Out Page!

Tribe Member of the Month

Do you want to be Member of the Month? Follow us on social media, attend socials and join us for trips to get a mention!

REDHA AMEUR

Redha is an exceptional member of our club, and we are thrilled to name him as our Member of the Month. Over the past few months, Redha has consistently demonstrated his dedication to the sport of scuba diving, as well as his commitment to our club and its members.

One of Redha's standout qualities is his eagerness to learn and improve. So much so that he comes to practice his diving skills almost every week in the Scubaversity pool. He is well on his way to obtaining his MSD qualification and approaches each of his Courses with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Also whenever he gets a chance, you can often find him at one of our Socials or on a Diving trip with us, having some fun..

Overall, Redha is a model member of our scuba diving club, and we are lucky to have him as part of our community. His enthusiasm, dedication, and positive attitude make him a true asset, and we are proud to recognize him as our Member of the Month for May.

Congratulations, Redha!

Watch over me as I dive.

Guide my actions to be smooth

and my equipment to be useful.

Give me peace as I go through my day.

Grant me wisdom to make good choices

so that I may always return safe.

Let me remember the privilege I

have to use my freedom to explore

the underwater world you made.

Amen.

Discover Scuba

Options

pool only

This is done in one day.

Approximately 3 hours.

Online Theory done in you own time.

Introduction to scuba gear.

Skills Practice

Complete the pool dive up to 5 meters.

bass lake

This option is built up over two days and comprises of a pool dive to learn the skills and then an open water dive at our local quarry in Vereeniging, which offers you the opportunity to experience a true diving environment.

R1500

at the

coast

This obviously would be the best option, as you would be able to dive in the ocean and experience the magic of the underwater world. Here you would do the pool session first at SV and then join us on one of our scheduled trips to the coast. All necessary gear is included in the cost, all you need to do is dive in.

R1500

Plus the cost of the trip

Lesotho/Aliwal

Road T

rip

16-21 June

Wrecks & Sharks. Good times! Views, Snow & 4x4

Something different, this time we are taking the long road to Umkomaas! A road trip with a difference, enjoying some scenery, possibly a bit of snow and then the added surprise of 4x4'ing... finishing it off with wreck and shark diving!

We have managed to put together a budget friendly trip which means basic accommodation, but you can always upgrade. You will also have the option to choose how many dives you want to do. Whether you're a beginner or experienced diver, Umkomaas will leave you breathless.

To ensure a smooth journey, we recommend booking early so we can sort out the transport, as you need a 4x4 vehicle for this trip.

admin@scubaversity.co.za

Reasons to dive the Red Sea

1 Spectacular wall Dives

The Red Sea is renowned for its excellent wall diving and for its spectacularly rising reefs. Being able to "hang out" on the walls, which are teeming with coral and fish life, is thrilling. Shark and Yolanda Reef, a dive not to be missed because of its extreme 800-meter drop fall,

2 Perfect diving conditions

The water is described as "gin clear" and has an all-year-round average visibility of between 20 and 50 meters. It's incredible to be able to see a wreck completely while observing the divers and zodiac 50 meters distant. The undersea environment is transformed into an aquarium and a photographer's paradise by this extraordinary visibility!

The water is warm all year round, ranging from 20 degrees in the winter to 30 degrees in the middle of summer (August).

3 Wreck Diving

The most well-known Second World War wreck is the SS Thistegorm, which is located in the Northern Red Sea, which is a prime location for wreck diving. German bombers attacked this merchant ship in October 1941 when it was en route to North Africa with a cargo of military supplies, including motorcycles, vehicles, ammo, etc. For most divers, this dive location is a highlight and one that they must check off their bucket lists because of the variety of cargo.

4 Dolphin sightings

When visiting the Red Sea, there is a very high likelihood that you may come into contact with dolphins at some point or another. They enjoy riding the liveaboard's wake as it travels between dive sites, and if you're lucky, they could pay you a visit while you're diving. The Bottlenose, Spinner, and Risso dolphins are the most prevalent dolphin species in the Red Sea.

5 Incredible reefs

Red Sea Anthias come to mind when you think about the Red Sea. The coral reefs are vibrantly alive with thousands of vivid orange anthias zipping around. The Red Sea is home to over 1100 different types of fish, and tropical fish are incredibly diverse and beautiful. The list includes groupers, angelfish, surgeons, unicorns, tangs, boxfish, lionfish, and much more.

6 The bigg stuff

There is a chance to observe sharks, dolphins, whale sharks, turtles, manta rays, moray eels, even dugongs, in addition to the incredible visibility and breathtaking coral reefs. The Grey Reef sharks, Whitetip and Blacktip Sharks, Oceanic Whitetip, Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, Thresher Shark, Silky Shark, and Leopard Sharks are the sharks that are most frequently sighted in the Red Sea.

Just for Laughs!

When buying your next Mask!

Single lens

vs double lens masks:

Silicone color:

Some Jelly Facts

• Jellyfish, which have been around for millions of years, are fascinating creatures of the sea.
• With over 2,000 species, jellyfish come in a wide range of sizes, behaviors, and characteristics.
• Jellyfish are composed of 95% water and lack brains, hearts, or lungs.
• While jellyfish lack a brain, they have a decentralized nervous system that allows them to sense their environment and respond to stimuli.
• Some jellyfish species can grow to be as large as a human being, while others are as small as a pinhead.
• Some species of jellyfish can actually revert their biological age.
• The box jellyfish is considered to be one of the most venomous creatures in the world, with its sting causing severe pain and even death in some cases.
• While some jellyfish trap their prey, others trawl for food.
• Despite their reputation for being dangerous, jellyfish play a vital role in the marine ecosystem by providing a food source for many marine animals, such as the ocean sunfish, grey triggerfish, turtles (especially the leatherback sea turtle), some seabirds (such as the fulmars), the whale shark, some crabs (such as the arrow and hermit crabs), and some whales (such as the humpbacks).

My open water experience was amazing, there's no other words that I can use to describe it. Everyone was awesome, they made me feel welcome and comfortable even when I was nervous. They granted me the knowledge and the ability to breath underwater, and for that I will forever be grateful.

I wanted to do this course because I was lost and needed a push in the right direction. And it worked. I never knew how amazing this experience would have been. This course and the amazing instructors who work there, taught me more than the skills needed to be a scuba diver, they taught me to have more confidence, and trust in myself. All I can say is, thank you, thank you to everyone who helped me find my confidence.

Blue whales frequently migrate, which means they change locations frequently over the course of their lifetimes. They prefer to migrate to the arctic areas in the spring and summer, spending the winters there instead. During the spring and summer, whales from the North Atlantic migrate to the Arctic. Although little is known about the migration routes from the feeding grounds to the breeding grounds, blue whales can be seen migrating all over Antarctica in the southern hemisphere. Blue whale sightings in the southern hemisphere have been documented as far north as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru in South America and Madagascar and Angola in Africa.

Blue whales are typically spotted migrating alone or in pods of two to four whales. Up to 60 whales might be seen swimming in groups in rare cases. These whales typically swim at a pace of 22.5 km/h, however they have been known to sprint or burst up to 48 km/h. Despite having a maximum diving depth of 500 meters, blue whales typically feed at depths of less than 100 meters. A blue whale often dives for 10 to 20 minutes.

The blue whale matures sexually between the ages of 5 and 10. Every two to three years, a female gives birth to a calf after carrying the calf for 10 to 12 months. In the winter, young are born in warm, low-latitude waters. A newborn blue whale can weigh up to 1,990 kilograms and is typically 7 meters long. For seven to eight months, it only consumes breast milk. According to some estimates, blue whales can live for up to 110 years.

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Send us your answers to dive@scubaversity.co.za and get a R100 showroom voucher if you get all of them correct.

The Anglerfish

Handfish are any anglerfish within the family Brachionichthyidae, a group which comprises five genera and 14 extant species. Anglerfish, also known as handfish, use their modified fins resembling human hands, to "walk" on the ocean floor as opposed to swimming. Red handfish were previously only known from a single, 50-meter-long stretch of coral in south-eastern Tasmania. It is estimated that there are only 100 individuals in the entire species. These tiny benthic fish, which range in color from brilliant red to light pink or brown, are normally under 10 cm long.

The red handfish's reproductive cycle is believed to be intricate but little understood. In contrast to many marine species, they do not spend their early life stages wandering as larvae within the water column, hence they have weak dispersal capacity, which restricts their ability to colonize new areas. Their spawning season lasts from August to October. The females deposit their eggs at the foot of various seaweeds or seagrass and keep watch until the eggs hatch and the young, which are between 4 and 6 mm in length, fall directly onto the beach.

Their risk of extinction is due to varying processes that affect their diverse seaweed habitat including pollution, excessive nutrients, warming seas and interactions associated with urchins and their predators. Additionally, collection for aquarium trade and invasive species are potential threats.

The Master Scuba Diver Chalange

Become Part of an Elite Group of Scuba Divers with PADI's Master Scuba Diver's. Are you ready to join the best of the best in recreational scuba diving and live the dive life?

The PADI Master Scuba Diver rating is the ultimate achievement for those who have earned this rating through extensive scuba training and significant experience. This rating is held by fewer than two percent of divers worldwide, making it an impressive feat. Flash your Master Scuba Diver card, and people will know that you've spent time underwater in various environments and had your share of dive adventures.

To achieve this rating, every diver at least 12 years old should aim to become a Master Scuba Diver. The journey begins with earning a PADI Open Water Diver certification, followed by PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent certifications). You also need to earn five PADI Specialty Diver certifications and have logged a minimum of 50 dives. So why wait? Start your journey today and join the elite group of respected scuba divers.

When comparing a human’s heart to the heart of a blue whale, the average size of a human’s heart is about the same as that individual’s fist and weighs less than a pound in most healthy adults.

In contrast, a blue whale’s heart can weigh more than 590Kg and are about the size of a small vehicle

Compared to the average human heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute, the heart rate of a blue whale can range from 2-10 bpm when submerged to 25 – 37 bpm at the surface ,can be heard more than 3.2 km away.. The heart rate of a blue whale is also surprisingly “elastic”; it is notably slower during deep dives. A lower heart rate helps the whale to preserve the oxygen levels in their blood and keep their vital organs functioning.

They have arteries that are so big that a person the size of an adult can swim through them. A baby blue whale can consume up to 568 liters of milk per day and grow up to 90 kg each day in its first year after birth, making it the size of an adult killer whale.

No plans, feeling a bit lost?

University is not on the cards; you don’t know what you want from life, but you do know you are not ready for the white picket fence road. Get a job… pay your own cell phone contract…buy a car meet a girl/boy…get married…buy a house have kids and suddenly realize that life just passed you buy.

Whatever decision you make right now will most probably set the trajectory for your life. Scuba diving can shoot you into a life you cannot imagine it literally ticks all the boxes

• Travel
• See the world
• Experience other cultures
• Gain life experiences like none of your peers or even family members
• Increase your self-confidence
• Live other people’s holidays
• Become actively involved in environmental projects
• All of this while getting paid!
  

Blue Ocean Program

At Scubaversity we offer a superior course preparing you for that lifetime of adventures but also giving you so many extra basic life skills. Participating and interning at the most active dive center in South Africa you will without a doubt be ready to step into any dive center adding value immediately.

You will learn

• Leadership & Confidence

• Dive Center Management

• Financial and Marketing skills

• How to market and grow your own brand

You will make friends for life, work harder than you ever have before, go on unforgettable trips and continue to do so for the rest of your life.

Get Your MBA in Scuba Diving!

do something today that your future self will thank you for.

Specialities of the Month

EFR

First aid and CPR are good skills for anyone involved in adventure sports – just in case. And, you need these skills for the PADI Rescue Diver course. Emergency First Response is a PADI affiliate that specializes in teaching these lifesaving skills – and they’re for anyone, not just divers. The fun part about Emergency First Response training is learning serious medical emergency response skills in an upbeat, positive environment. You gain the confidence that you are prepared to help in an emergency.

Date 9 May 18:30

Sign up Now

Advanced

"The Advanced Open Water Diver course helps you increase your confidence and build your scuba skills so you can become more comfortable in the water. This is a great way to get more dives under your belt while continuing to learn under the supervision of your PADI Instructor. This course builds on what you've learned and develops new capabilities by introducing you to new activities and new ways to have fun scuba diving.

Date 11 May18:30

Sign up now..

Deep

After your first few scuba dives, you soon want to explore a bit deeper. There’s something exciting and mysterious about the depth that attracts dives. The fun part about this course is the opportunity to explore the deep. It’s exhilarating. Techniques for diving in the deeper range of 18-40 meters. Deep scuba diving equipment considerations. Experience in planning, organizing and making at least four deep dives under the supervision of your PADI Instructor

Date9 May18:30

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PPB

What is neutral buoyancy? Scuba divers like to be neutrally buoyant so they neither sink nor float. It can be a tricky thing. Divers who’ve mastered the highest performance levels in buoyancy stand apart. You’ve seen them underwater. They glide effortlessly, use less air and ascend, descend or hover, almost as if by thought. They interact gently with aquatic life and affect their surroundings minimally.The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course refines the basic skills you learned as a PADI Open Water Diver and elevates them to the next level.

Nitrox

The PADI Enriched Air Diver course is PADI’s most popular specialty scuba diving course, and it’s easy to see why. Scuba diving with Enriched Air Nitrox gives you more no decompression dive time. This means more time underwater, especially on repetitive scuba dives.

Date 31 May 18:30

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Date 30 May 18:30

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What course will you be doing in 2023?