Kia Ora, new to NZ diving!

[EatOrBeEaten]

Hi all, thought it'd be better to introduce myself here than on the general thread!

I've been living in Auckland for a few months now (came over from the UK) and I'm finally in a position to take up diving again! I've got a PADI open water but haven't been diving for a few years so I'm very rusty! I'm looking for a club where I can meet new people who don't mind a relative n00b tagging along and if there's anywhere I can get some practice in a pool before the weather gets good enough to go outside then that'd be awesome.

Roz

[AndyNZ]

Hey, Roz! Welcome to our shores - there are plenty of expat brits around, myself included!

Where abouts are you based in Auckland? Most of the dive shops run their own dive clubs, so you can "do the rounds" and see which, if any, fit what you are looking for.

I help organise a pseudo-club in Auckland, which is really a bunch of people who enjoy going diving together. We've got our monthly social coming up this Thursday - we meet in a bar called the Abbey in Greenlane from around 6.30pm. We've got about 20-30 regulars who come out diving, and about half a dozen of those are expat poms. If you want, drop me an email (andy AT www DOT techdivenz DOT com and I'll put you on our mailing list, you'll get info about all of our upcoming trips and the like. We've got a range of divers, from people like yourself through to cave divers and other techies - but they don't bite!

If you are after non-shop affiliated clubs, there are only three that I am aware of - the Botany Bottom Scratchers (http://www.bbsdivers.co.nz), the Auckland Uni Club (http://akunidive.com) though there are quite a few non-student members and the SODS (http://www.sods.co.nz).

You'll probably find that there aren't that many Auckland based divers active on Scubaboard - try having a look at this local forum instead: www.scubadive.net.nz (http://www.scubadive.net.nz/bb3)

[nilgenk]

Hi.

I am in the same shoe as EatOrBeEaten.

I am an international student at Canterbury. Am a Padi OW diver as well and have not dive for about a year. Probably will need to do a refresher course. Is there much diving activity in South Island ?

[AndyNZ]

Refresher is probably not a bad idea, there's a reasonable amount of diving around Christchurch - maybe head up to Kaikoura sometime.

Generally, it's a bit murkier and a bit colder down south - but there is still some good diving.