d-atmosphere » Diving

Get your PADI: Open Water Courses in Hurghada, Join the Underwater Fun for the First Time

wpadmin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:13:46 +0000

The primary reason why tourists flock to Hurghada is to go scuba diving. This city is one of the famous gateway’s to the Red Sea, one of the prime diving destinations of the world. However, visitors who have no prior experience in scuba diving need not fret or worry on missing out all the underwater fun. Though this type of tourist always has the option of going snorkeling, the more adventurous ones can avail themselves of their PADI Open water course while visiting Hurghada, to have that one of a kind scuba diving experience.

There are a lot of diving centers located near to or right on the shores of Hurghada and all are certified by major recreational diving training organizations such as the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). All of these instructors have undergone rigorous and lengthy training to get themselves certified to teach diving courses. Still, it would do anyone interested in trying out scuba diving to check the credentials of the chosen dive center, just to be sure.

Practically anybody beyond the age of 10 can undergo the PADI Open water course in Hurghada, as long as the person has no medical preclusions. Some dive centers, however, impose an older minimum age requirement, so prospective diving students should make inquiries beforehand. Skills in swimming are also required. Though there are other short time course offered for a day or two. However, to really enjoy the widely diverse marine life found beneath the Red Sea and maximize the fun, visitors who can spare the time and money your starting point should be the PADI Open water course.

There is no fixed rate known for this scuba diving course, as some dive centers may charge less or more than its competitors, and may include some small perks like hotel pickups and wide choices of food served during boat trips. However, most open water course lasts 4-5 days, consisting of dives in confined waters and in the open sea. Most diving course fees already include the equipments used throughout the training.

After enrolling on your PADI Open water course in Hurghada you will start with classroom lessons within the premises of the dive center selected. During these sessions, student divers get to know the basics in diving and safety underwater. Every student gets a manual and views video chapters on the different topics covered. The different types of equipment and its proper uses are also elaborated. To make sure the student understands everything he or she has learned in the classroom, all lessons are applied in confined water sessions. This is to ensure easy transition from an academic ambiance to the actual scuba diving. As mentioned before Swimming skills are also evaluated. The diving instructor accompanies the student all throughout the training, and facilitates the actual dives. Most courses entail four actual dives to different sites, to maximize the enjoyment and experience of each student. These dives are usually done in shallow waters the first 2 dives a maximum of 12 Meters and the final 2 dives to a maximum of 18 Meters, as open water course students still need to develop their skills in underwater navigation and buoyancy.

As a final test to complete the theory you will also complete a final exams to determine how much og the theory the student has ‘kept in’, those who complete the course satisfactorily will get their certifications from the respective diving organization whose training course they used. They can now call themselves a certified PADI Open Water Diver and can go back to Hurghada or elsewhere to explore underwater delights as often as they want.

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New addition’s to the Gallery, Our Diving Center’s :)

wpadmin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:57:20 +0000

So today I grabbed my Fuji and headed to the Diving Center’s in Sunny Days’ El Palacio & Triton Empire Beach, you will find in the Gallery various pictures of our main boat, the center’s reception, compressor room etc.

No I am not a professional photographer as Andrea pointed out but it gives you some idea of our best intentions which is quality!

You will find the Compressor room with Aluminium tank’s, steel tanks, 15 Liter tanks, 10 Liter tanks, 12 Liter Steel…..

Oxygen in the center & where it must be…on the boats….

Classroom’s…..

The only thing missing is the equipment as we were having a cleaning day (it’s low season :( )…

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Leer Duiken in Hurghada

wpadmin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:21:32 +0000

Bij d-atmosphere & deep divers HURGHADA verplichten we ons zelf om onze studenten een hoog niveau van duik trainingen te geven. De cursussen zijn met een gelimiteerd aantal studenten en zeer ervaren en enthousiaste PADI instructeur.

Een goede duiker stopt nooit met leren en ons team heeft er plezier in om op alle niveaus les te geven – van Scuba dive cursus tot divemaster. Het maakt niet of u een beginner bent of overweegt om een professionele duiker te worden, alle cursussen kunnen gedaan worden in de meest voorkomende talen.

Uw kinderen kunnen al vanaf 10 jaar beginnen met het Bubblemaker programma in het zwembad en vanaf 12 jaar kunnen ze deelnemen aan de standaard duikcursussen en worden PADI gecertificeerd als Junior duiker.

Iedereen krijgt de persoonlijke aandacht en instructie wat nodig is om veilig en ontspannen te kunnen duiken en de unieke ervaring van het duiken goed te beleven. Voordat u het water in gaat krijgt u een grondige instructie over de theorie, gedrag onderwater en veiligheids normen welke geven wordt aan de hand van PADI systeem.

Cursus Materiaal in alle meest voorkomende talen zoals Nederlands, Engels, Frans en Duits.

d-atmosphere & deep divers Hurghada Begin de ervaring

Als u wilt leren duiken is de eerste stap om de PADI Open Water Diver cursus te volgen, de meest erkende en gerespecteerde duik certificaat in de wereld. Binnen een paar dagen kunt u met uw buddy zelfstandig genieten van de onderwater wereld tot een maximum diepte van 18 meter.

Duur: 4 Dagen

U wilt het avontuur van het duiken ervaren maar u bent niet zeker of u de hele open water cursus wilt doen? Volg de Scuba Diving cursus en in uw volgende vakantie kunt u met een PADI professional tot een maximum van 12 meter duiken of u kunt natuurlijk uw cursus vervolgen tot de PADI Open Water Diver niveau op elk moment dat u dat wilt. Dit kunt u wereldwijd bij elk PADI centrum volgen.

Duur: 2 Dagen

Niet zeker of een cursus iets voor u is?
Neem deel aan de gratis proef duik en ervaar wat u zult missen.
Vervolg cursussen d-atmosphere & deep divers Hurghada

Er zijn verschillende mogelijkheden om uw duik vaardigheden te verbeteren of de speciale duik activiteiten te ervaren.

Na uw Open water cursus kunt u het avontuur vervolgen met de PADI Adventures, uw volgende stap in het ontdekken van de onderwater wereld en een goede manier om meer zelfvertrouwen te krijgen.

Wordt een Nitrox Duiker of een andere specialist zoals Wrak duiker of Diep duiker. We hebben veel specialities om uit te kiezen. Als u de Egyptische duikplekken wilt ontdekken en u duikvaardigheden wilt verbeteren is dit de manier om het te doen.

Duur: 1 Dag

Of volg de PADI Advanced Open Water cursus, in twee dagen krijgt u meer ervaring in verschillende duik activiteiten: kies 3 verschillende adventure duiken plus u volgt 1 diep duik en1 navigatie duik.

Duur: 2 Dagen

In de Rescue Diver Cursus zult u uw kennis en ervaring verbreden. In deze cursus kunt u leren hoe om te gaan in stress en noodsituaties in het water en hoe u deze situaties kunt voorkomen. Om aan deze cursus te kunnen deelnemen, moet u succesvol het Emergencie First Response programma hebben afgerond.

Duur: 3 Dagen+ 1 Dag EFR

Wordt een professional

Divemaster

Wanneer u de volgende stap neemt begint u aan uw professionele duik carriere. Naast de theorie geven we u een praktijk training om u voor te bereiden op u werk in de duik branche.

Duur: 10 Dagen

Start uw cursus !

Of u nu een beginner bent of u wilt u duik kennis uitbreiden, d-atmosphere & deep divers HURGHADA zal met plezier u in HURGHADA trainen!

Start uw cursus wanneer u wilt! Ga naar bookingonline!

Opmerking: Vanaf 1 januari 2006 PADI verplicht dat alle studenten hun eigen cursus materiaal. Daarom bieden wij u de beginners en vervolg cursussen inclusief boeken aan. Neem a.u.b. contact met ons om als u vragen heeft over de regeling.

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Wreck Dives in Hurghada Suitable for Expert and Novice Divers

wpadmin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:41:39 +0000

Apart from diving the numerous coral gardens and reef walls found near the coast line of Hurghada, the area also offers some of the best wreck dives in the country. For those planning on sampling wreck diving Hurghada, here are some of the popular sites worth a trip or two.

Nearest to the coast line is the El Mina wreck dive site. This site is also known as the ‘Harbour Wreck,’ in connection to its location within the harbour of Hurghada. This particular wreck is made up of an Egyptian minesweeper sunk by an Israeli bomber in 1969. With a depth of 30 meters, most of the dives organized in this site are done by more experienced divers. The area also experiences decreased visibility and strong currents in some days, making it dangerous for novices. The wreck itself can be penetrated, though this is not recommended due to tight spaces within. However, it is possible to peer through several holes to have a glimpse of its interiors. The ship’s structure is relatively small, and divers can swim from stern to bow several times in a single dive. The wreck is home to a number of sea urchins and moray eels. It is interesting to note that a sister ship is anchored in the harbor, providing some sort of comparison for divers interested in attempting a dive to this site.

Another interesting wreck dive site is located at the Sha’abrur Umm Gamar, the final resting place of Colona IV, a charter boat that sunk in 1995. The wreck is said to be 66 meters down the sea floor, and is visited only by experienced divers. Because this wreck is relatively new, only a few corals are anchored to it. Because the boat is quite small, precise information are needed before organizing a dive to it. Most dive centers in Hurghada are capable of taking interested divers to this site, with slightly varying fees.

Most dive centers can also organize dives to the wreck known as the Suzanna. The original name of the vessel is Excalibur, a sailboat that got burned and sunk in the 1990s for unknown reasons. Resting 22 meters down on the sea floor, this site is quite accessible to all types of divers, even those taking open water courses. Current is minimal and visibility ranges from excellent to medium. The wreck still stands upright, and the damage sustained in the fire can still be discerned. Fishes that made this wreck home include the glassfish, barracuda, and lionfish. This dive site is accessible either by boat or through beach entry.

Still yet another interesting diving destination is the solemn wreck of the Salem Express, a tragic loss that sunk in 1991, along with hundreds of its passengers. Interested individuals should know beforehand that traces of its passengers can still be discerned, like suitcases, stereos, and remnants of clothing. Diving in this site is not for everyone, as the vessel’s tragedy looms very large in the mind of every diver circling it.

Located further away from the city and taking several hours to reach are the wreck sites of Carnatic, a steam vessel, and the cargo vessel named Ghiannis D.

The most recent addition to this list of wreck sites Hurghada is the resting place of MY Balena, a safari boat that sunk in 2001. Located just 9 meters down on the sea floor, the site is also just a few minutes away from the shores of Hurghada. This makes it quite an ideal site for novices, with the proliferation of soft corals on the vessel’s surface and abundance of barracudas darting in and out of its body providing added visual delights.

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Entering the water from a zodiac

wpadmin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:10:36 +0000

Most of the diving you will enjoy on holiday is going to be from a ‘normal’ daily diving boat but there may be some instances where you want to do a drift from the zodiac (our new zodiac arriving March/April 2008 :) ), so you will need to ‘perfect’ the backwards roll. It’s very simple so long as you remember a few key points.

There are two ways of doing this;
Positive entry

Make sure you have some air (at least half full) in your BCD, then holding all equipment in place as you would for a Giant Stride, right hand on your mask and regulator and your left hand holding your weight belt and pressure gauge. Then position yourself with your tank on the outside of the rubber tube from the zodiac and when the zodiac driver or dive guide gives you the go signal make a gentle backwards roll. The buoyancy from the BCD will make sure you come safely back to the surface. Give the driver and dive guide the OK signal then on with your dive.

Negative entry

This one’s a bit trickier. The idea for the negative entry is to swim straight down to a predetermined depth as soon as you enter the water. This is mostly used to overcome any surface currents that can occur at shallow depths.
Empty all the air from your BCD using all of the dumps on your jacket. Then it’s the same procedure to enter the water as before.
Once you feel your face hit the water then start to fin downwards.

If you have a rear dump valve on your BCD it’s also a good idea to reach back and pull on it so you’re sure that all the air is released from the jacket as you descend. Don’t forget to equalize!

Stop when you reach your predetermined depth, then, once you’ve made contact with your buddy or dive guide continue the dive as planned.

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Tauchen: Unterwasser Hochzeit (Underwater Wedding) in Hurghada

wpadmin — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:12:56 +0000

Möchten hier ein dickes Lob an die Basisleitung Andrea und Roger aussprechen.

Wir waren vom 9. bis 23. Oktober dort und hatten vorab bei Andrea den Wunsch geäußert, am 18. Oktober, dort eine Unterwasser-Hochzeit zu feiern. Andrea übernahm die Planung und wir wurden nicht enttäuscht. Es gab eine wunderschöne Zeremonie unter Wasser und eine berauschende Feier an Bord der Calimera 2. Der ganze Ablauf war perfekt geplant und wurde zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis wie es die folgenden Fotos zeigen. Wir und unsere Gäste hatten sehr viel Spaß und als sich auch noch als Höhepunkt während der Zeremonie ein Delfin zu uns gesellte, war der Tag perfekt. Auch das Tauchen an den restlichen Tagen war, wie schon im Januar, bei unserem letzten Besuch bei Deep Blue Divers tadellos.
Leider werden Andrea und die meißten der Crew am 31.10.07 diese Basis verlassen und wir glauben nicht, dass die ägyptische Geschäftsführung einen gleichwertigen Ersatz finden wird.
Wir hoffen, dass Andrea und Roger bald wieder mit einer neuen Basis präsent sein werden und freun uns schon auf das Wiedersehen. Nochmals Danke für die schöne Feier.
Barbara und Joachim

For more photos and to get in touch with Joachim and Barbara please visit their space

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Do you dive, duik or tauch in Hurghada? When it’s Duiken or Tauchen or Diving, whatever you want in Hurghada we have it!

wpadmin — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:08:27 +0000

The idea behind our new diving center with Dutch or Nederlands, German oder Deutsch, Egyptian wa Arabi and English or um English owner’s WILL be of Quality FIRST we have all worked and lived in Hurghada now for a combined total of 21 years which gives us enough local knowledge about the diving and the market place to offer what YOU the guest’s want.

When you’ve been in a Holiday resort for a while the life becomes ‘normal’ it’s no longer exciting to wake up in the morning and the sun is shining and always smile and think what it WAS like going to work in the rain! When you’ve dived the same places 200 or moire times that you know every Fish by name!

That has to and will not be tolerated in our center all the staff involved in this new project have been hand picked for their attention to guest service, we don’t forget that some of you save and work hard for a year to come on holiday for a just a week to relax and dive. So for you that Bluespotted stingray IS exciting and that Trigger Fish is NOT just an annoying fish to get away from!

So with all this in mind we are preparing to give you the best we can give and at a price comparable with any travel agency offer you might receive.

We value feedback and it is the life and blood of the diving center so if you pass our site while surfing and browsing then head to the contact form and tell us what you like about diving and what you don’t like, nobody can change if they don’t understand if anything is wrong… What are your ultimate dive wishes, what sets you off like nothing else when your underwater? Go on it only takes a minute get in contact with us and let us know!

[poll=2]

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The Best Combination a Dutch, German, Egyptian & English Diving Center in Hurghada

wpadmin — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:00:46 +0000

Coming soon…. The best combination of diving center management and ownership, the experience of the Dutch, Egyptian, German & English owner’s will give you the Best, Safest and most Fun diving center in Hurghada, Red Sea….

We plan to give you the best without compromise, lately we have seen a trend in Hurghada towards budget services, bad quality boat’s & equipment, staff who don’t speak your language etc well it has to stop and stop now!

Those of you who know Andrea and I know that when we have our own diving center it WILL be one of the best, we already proved that in Calimera Golden Beach and Sunrise Garden Beach and in those diving centers we were ‘just’ the manager’s!

Keep up to date by subscribing to the RSS Feed or email updates.

Are you a diver? do you want to be a diver? Have any writing skills? d-atmosphere.com/blog is looking for guest writer’s! Do you have any past experience diving with us and would like to share it? Contact us for further details.

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Hurghada: Scuba Diving with Dolphins from youTUBE…Part 1

wpadmin — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:32:34 +0000

Some great youTUBE videos from Hurghada you may have missed…

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Scuba Diving in Hurghada: Pleasures of the Deep

wpadmin — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:20:03 +0000

Diving enthusiasts in Egypt and the rest of the world know that one of the more well-known water recreations in the country is Scuba Diving in Hurghada.Hurghada is a city located in the eastern part of Egypt, on the shores of Red Sea. What used to be a small fishing village saw phenomenal growth in the last decade, perhaps as a result of the quest of many dedicated scuba diving enthusiasts to find an alternative diving destination apart from Sharm El Sheikh.

Sharm El Sheikh is a city in the northern part of the Red Sea and used to be the sole haven of those wishing to go scuba diving. However, those who seek to enjoy this recreation in less crowded environment found Hurghada to be a perfect option.

Those planning on organizing a trip to go Scuba Diving in Hurghada will be please to know that the climate there is quite favorable all year round. However, the waters get a tad warmer from June to September, perfect for those who are not accustomed to colder months.

Both Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh owe their developments and profits from widely diverse marine life supported by the Red Sea. This particular body of water has several animal and plant species unique only in its waters. This alone is such a big attraction to both professional and amateur scuba divers, local and foreign.

Thanks to marine conservation efforts (HEPCA, Hurghada Environmental Protection and Consvervation Agency) started early on, the population of corals in the area is thriving. First time divers would be particularly awed at the profusion of colors found in the numerous diving spots in Hurghada. Among the fishes common in the area are jacks, reef fishes, snappers, and barracudas. Lionfish is also one species abundant and this area is a good setting for those wishing to take underwater pictures of this elusive type of fish. Other interesting sights include turtles, huge moray eels, and blue spotted rays.

Divers can have the option of daytime or night diving. With a number of Scuba Diving shops in Hurghada, interested persons won’t have difficulty procuring equipments and guides, and lessons are available for first timers. Though most would opt to explore the clear yet shallow waters close to the shore, there are also some experienced divers who would prefer to avail themselves of boat dives to nearby Giftun Islands and Sha’ab Abu Nuhas, or to Salem Express. Another interesting option would be visiting the wreck sites of El Mina, Excalibur, and Colona IV.

Scuba Diving in Hurghada entails exploring reefs and walls of corals found in several sites like the Careless Reef, Small Giftun, Sha’ab El Fanadir, Sha’ab Sabina, and Gota Abu Ramada.

And after a particularly pleasurable yet tiring day spent mostly Scuba Diving in Hurghada, divers would be glad to know that modern yet comfortable amenities await them in the nearby shores. With the desert landscape as it backdrop, it’s no wonder that this increasingly popular Egyptian city is slowly making its mark in international tourism, particularly in the aspect of scuba diving.

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