SueMermaid
Guest
Did one (one) count 'em one dive in Spain last week, due to my hectic schedule of parties, hangovers and, well, laying around on the beach like a basset hound. The one dive I did get to was really nice though.
I dove with Amigos del Mar, a small and friendly operation in Javea, right next to Cabo de la Nau. (if you look at a map, it's the pointy thing that sticks out of the east coast of Spain).
I showed up at the boat dock with only a bikini and my own regulator, and they gave me the rest of the equipment, all for about $35, dive included.
The DMs were very professional, although nobody asked me for my c-card. They just asked me how many dives I had, what cert I had and the agency, and when my last dive was, and if I had insurance! He then watched me set up my gear, and for the the first half of the dive, he watched me very closely to see that I knew what I was doing.
The boat was spartan and painfully slow, but it was a short ride out, only about 30 min.
Water was v warm on the surface, about 82 F, but was cold at depth, about 58 F, I wore a 5 mm full suit with hood, which was just right. (yes, it was theirs, and I am trying not to think about the fact that I wore a rented wetsuit).
It was much like the climate in California, although the sea life was a lot less abundant.
Viz was at least 50', quite excellent. We rolled off the boat next to a cliff complete with caves and grottoes, so the landscape underwater was plenty interesting. There were no corals, but there were varied sponges and plants, and many pretty wrasses and damselfish. We didn't see too many larger fish, save for a few barracuda. The most remarkable thing was the octopi, they were BIG, and there were a LOT of them! And it was during the day! (if you see an octopus during the day, doesn't that mean he has rabies or something?)
ut:
I saw at least ten in my 45 min dive, and all were doing their best to blend in with the rocks. I love when they change texture to match as well, and I saw several with spikes on them.
I got to shake hands with a couple of them, they were quite tame. One let me rub his forehead, and seemed to like it, as he went from red to brownish-blue as soon as I touched him. I asked the DM if he had a boat at night, and he said no, nobody else did either, it is too much of a hassle for most operations. People do it on their own though, wish I knew someone with a boat. I bet the night diving there is great.
Next time, I shall go out on some of the wrecks, I am told there are bazillions of them out there, and some are really old.
It is not what I would call spectacular diving, but it is still extremely good, and I recommend it highly if you find yourself in the area.
I dove with Amigos del Mar, a small and friendly operation in Javea, right next to Cabo de la Nau. (if you look at a map, it's the pointy thing that sticks out of the east coast of Spain).
I showed up at the boat dock with only a bikini and my own regulator, and they gave me the rest of the equipment, all for about $35, dive included.
The DMs were very professional, although nobody asked me for my c-card. They just asked me how many dives I had, what cert I had and the agency, and when my last dive was, and if I had insurance! He then watched me set up my gear, and for the the first half of the dive, he watched me very closely to see that I knew what I was doing.
The boat was spartan and painfully slow, but it was a short ride out, only about 30 min.
Water was v warm on the surface, about 82 F, but was cold at depth, about 58 F, I wore a 5 mm full suit with hood, which was just right. (yes, it was theirs, and I am trying not to think about the fact that I wore a rented wetsuit).
It was much like the climate in California, although the sea life was a lot less abundant.
Viz was at least 50', quite excellent. We rolled off the boat next to a cliff complete with caves and grottoes, so the landscape underwater was plenty interesting. There were no corals, but there were varied sponges and plants, and many pretty wrasses and damselfish. We didn't see too many larger fish, save for a few barracuda. The most remarkable thing was the octopi, they were BIG, and there were a LOT of them! And it was during the day! (if you see an octopus during the day, doesn't that mean he has rabies or something?)
ut:I saw at least ten in my 45 min dive, and all were doing their best to blend in with the rocks. I love when they change texture to match as well, and I saw several with spikes on them.
I got to shake hands with a couple of them, they were quite tame. One let me rub his forehead, and seemed to like it, as he went from red to brownish-blue as soon as I touched him. I asked the DM if he had a boat at night, and he said no, nobody else did either, it is too much of a hassle for most operations. People do it on their own though, wish I knew someone with a boat. I bet the night diving there is great.
Next time, I shall go out on some of the wrecks, I am told there are bazillions of them out there, and some are really old.
It is not what I would call spectacular diving, but it is still extremely good, and I recommend it highly if you find yourself in the area.
