Guides not adhering to the rules of the dive sites in particular: Canyon, Dahab...

[Lord Melch]

Just wait there will be a CDWS chaps sitting next to the Canyon entrance with a desk, ticket machine and rebreather

 

[watch_the_bubbles]

Just wait there will be a CDWS chaps sitting next to the Canyon entrance with a desk, ticket machine and rebreather

I once had the same dream mate!

 

[String]

I have been in Dahab for over 2 years and since I got here the fish bowl at The Canyon has been closed. There are signboards at the entrance to the dive site that also state this, in fact one of the signboards ONLY states this....BUT there are still guides that think they are the exception to the rule and think they can still guide their group out through the 'fish bowl' at the Canyon, please see attached photos.

Have you emailed these photos to the CDWS (ideally some with tank identification marks)? All guides have been told to do this. Obviously CDWS won't bother doing anything but if people keep sending them photos someone somewhere might at least have a word with the centre.

I've seen it fairly regulary too, repeat offenders being 1 "well known" sharm centre and 2 others from Dahab (one of which is named elsewhere in this thread by someone else). In one case they knew they were doing wrong, they exited the water, people asked them what they were doing. They then left their gear by the waters edge, walked all the way to ricks reef, stayed there for a long time then tried to retrieve their gear by briefly stopping in a passing truck a few hours later.

It's being done by certain guides who do know better.

The walking across the reef thing is a problem too especially since they've built that ridiculous wooden restaurant structure RIGHT next to the entry sign meaning trucks now have to park 40m or so away from it and lots of people it seems can't be bothered to walk. Chances of that restaurant being bulldozed are slim sadly and a large number of people are now walking across the reef table ignoring the "darker stones" entry in line with the sign.


Then again you see snorkellers with guides tramping across the blue hole reef many times a day every day there and again nothing is done about it.

Yes the Sinai Dive Guide book they use is a bit outdated but there's a large sign right next to the entry point saying you can't dive it. Its been closed for quite a while, these Sharm guides are here every week, the Dahab guides several times a week. No excuse for not knowing.

*PLEASE* send the photos to the CDWS and not just post them on an internet forum. Even if you do it anonymously its the only way to hope that someone official speaks to the centre and stops it. Unlikely but its the only option.

 

[Scuba Sheep]

The walking across the reef thing is a problem too especially since they've built that ridiculous wooden restaurant structure RIGHT next to the entry sign meaning trucks now have to park 40m or so away from it and lots of people it seems can't be bothered to walk. Chances of that restaurant being bulldozed are slim sadly and a large number of people are now walking across the reef table ignoring the "darker stones" entry in line with the sign.


Then again you see snorkellers with guides tramping across the blue hole reef many times a day every day there and again nothing is done about it.

The 'restaurant' has gone!!!! Though there is still a seating area in it's place....but at least it has freed up some valuable space right at the entry point.

As for the Blue Hole, I think someone sat there with an air-rifle that shoots at people standing/walking on the reef might be the only way to go, that in addition of shooting at the guides!!!! Only in the last few days I saw some divers walking on the reef posing for photos etc, and when I approached their guide his first response was 'they aren't my guests...' until he had a closer look and saw his Egyptian videographer was stood there with them capturing them on camera no doubt to put it into their video for their 'souvenir' 'OceanTec' stickers on the cylinders, now is that Ocean Colleges guests or is that just a filling station renting out tanks? Unfortunately didn't have my camera with me on this day to get the photos.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

The 'restaurant' has gone!!!! Though there is still a seating area in it's place....but at least it has freed up some valuable space right at the entry point.

As for the Blue Hole, I think someone sat there with an air-rifle that shoots at people standing/walking on the reef might be the only way to go, that in addition of shooting at the guides!!!! Only in the last few days I saw some divers walking on the reef posing for photos etc, and when I approached their guide his first response was 'they aren't my guests...' until he had a closer look and saw his Egyptian videographer was stood there with them capturing them on camera no doubt to put it into their video for their 'souvenir' 'OceanTec' stickers on the cylinders, now is that Ocean Colleges guests or is that just a filling station renting out tanks? Unfortunately didn't have my camera with me on this day to get the photos.

Not sure, but I think Ocean College doesn't rent tanks any more.

Why not contact Ocean College explaining what happened?

 

[cooperscuba]

The 'restaurant' has gone!!!! Though there is still a seating area in it's place....but at least it has freed up some valuable space right at the entry point.

As for the Blue Hole, I think someone sat there with an air-rifle that shoots at people standing/walking on the reef might be the only way to go, that in addition of shooting at the guides!!!! Only in the last few days I saw some divers walking on the reef posing for photos etc, and when I approached their guide his first response was 'they aren't my guests...' until he had a closer look and saw his Egyptian videographer was stood there with them capturing them on camera no doubt to put it into their video for their 'souvenir' 'OceanTec' stickers on the cylinders, now is that Ocean Colleges guests or is that just a filling station renting out tanks? Unfortunately didn't have my camera with me on this day to get the photos.

FYI Ocean Tec hasn't been part of Ocean College for quite a while now. Ocean Tec was bought by Travco, but they kept the name ('Ocean Tec') as it was a recognized brand name. Any CDWS registered center can rent tanks from them.

I'd be very, very surprised if these divers were from Ocean College.

 

[Lord Melch]

Go Get em Guys Someone has to protect the reef and I figure the local Dive Instructors are a good start.

Photo's seem to be the best proof / name and shame.

 

[String]

Ocean Tec afaik is just the filling station at Travco now so the tank markings don't narrow down the centre exactly. Of course, if the police there (or here's an idea, get the useless CDWS to place somewhere there!) demanded to see the guide and videographers cards then they'd know exactly where they're from. That however would involve CDWS actually doing something so its highly unlikely to happen.

Glad to here the restaurant thing has gone in part (im in the UK on a 3 week holiday to do some cold water diving, back next week!) as since that thing appeared literally overnight its made the walking-on-reef issue at Canyon far worse than it was before.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Of course, if the police there (or here's an idea, get the useless CDWS to place somewhere there!) demanded to see the guide and videographers cards then they'd know exactly where they're from.

Not necessarily. The guide could be a freelancer working for different centers. The center's name on his card doesn't indicate anything. Regarding the videographer, he's usually working for a videography company that has nothing to do with the center.

The only solution to regulate Dahab is to make a checkpoint before the Canyon, just like that of the southern oasis. Tickets are fine, IMHO. It also prevents the centers from Sharm do whatever they're going, since they won't be able to proceed further (they're not registered at Dahab's coastal guard office). That would be fair. Can a center in Dahab dive Tiran for instance using his own permissions? I don't think so, since Dahab centers are not registered at Sharm.

 

[String]

Not necessarily. The guide could be a freelancer working for different centers. The center's name on his card doesn't indicate anything. Regarding the videographer, he's usually working for a videography company that has nothing to do with the center.

It would have the guides name and more importantly his CDWS membership so at least its a start and they can contact him directly.

That would be fair. Can a center in Dahab dive Tiran for instance using his own permissions? I don't think so, since Dahab centers are not registered at Sharm.

Whenever i do Tiran,Ras Mo, Thistlegorm etc im always put on the sharm centres permission as opposed to our own for that reason.