3 Years ago OCEANReef offered us the possibility to become instructors for using their GDivers Integrated Dive Masks, also called Full Face Dive Masks.

Rob followed this course and also became official service technician for those masks.

Immediately we saw the potential for diving with those masks. Nowadays almost every snorkeler is using a full face snorkel mask, so the next logical step is going diving with full face dive masks.

However, most known dive organisations only accepted the use of these masks as a specialty course for already certified divers. It was not allowed  to offer Discover Scuba Dives yet, nor Open water courses using the full face dive mask. But that was what we wanted to do.

So we decided to talk to IDD, a worldwide known and acknowledged dive organization. They were open to this new opportunity and together we re-wrote the DSD and open water course. Some exercises were taken out because they are not needed when diving with a full face dive mask, others put in that concern the use of the full face mask.

All in all we made the DSD and open water courses suited and safe for using the integrated dive masks.

This made us the first dive center worldwide to offer these options to the public. And what a success this has proven to be!

A complete new group of divers found us. People who for some reason could not hold a regulator in their mouth, people who were afraid of water in the mask. But also people who have trouble equalizing when using a conventional mask.

Who wouldn’t want to try diving knowing no water can come in the mask, you can not lose your regulator and you have more options to equalize your ears then when you use a conventional mask? A more natural way of breathing and bigger field of vision, so much more comfortable!

At first other dive centers where sceptic, something new is not always immediately loved. Remarks like:” It’s better to learn the old-fashioned way”, or: “I don’t need this, I can already dive with a conventional mask” are countered by us. “I can drive shift, automatic however is more relaxed”, or “Do you still write your letters by hand? No, you use e-mail”

What we now see is that other dive organisations, like for instance PADI, now slowly are following. PADI now allows OCEANReef trained instructors to offer DSD’s. SSI will soon follow, for sure. But still no open water courses. What if after your DSD you would like to learn diving using the integrated dive masks, and not the conventional way?

Then you come to us!

We are still the FIRST and ONLY dive center who can help you with this, and have lots of experience with it.

Physically challenged, but still diving is a possibility.

Recently we got a request to go diving with a physically challenged man. Due to his spasm he would not be able to dive with a conventional mask and regulator, simply because he would not be able to hold the regulator in his mouth. Luckily with the help of our new OCEANREEF Integrated Dive Masks (IDM) we were able to help him out.

Because this masks covers the whole face and has an integrated regulator you can breathe through your nose and mouth which makes it very comfortable. No water can enter the top compartiment of the mask, so you never have to clear your mask either.

On this specific dive 2 instructors went with the physically challenged man. His caretakers helped him in the water where the instructors took over. We stayed very shallow, but were lucky because several turtles were eating and didn’t care about us hovering around them. After about half an hour it was time to go back up, and tell the caretakers how much fun we had!

We are very happy with our IDM’s, in the short period we have them we already were able to help out a lot of people who otherwise would not be able to dive.

Not just physically challenged people, but also people who are just afraid to get water in their masks or have difficulties clearing them and therefore choose not to dive. Besides this it’s also just fun diving with an IDM!!!

For more a DSD or guided dive  with the OCEANREEF IDM, or even the specialty course,  contact us and we will answer asap.

Note: Of course the IDM is not the solution for every physically challenged person, but there are always other options as well. We are always doing our best to find the solution that fits you best!

Navigation Specialty.

Most of the diving we do is guided dives, Discover Scuba Dives or Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses. From time to time however we do get divers who want to specialize and learn more about a specific subject in diving. For instance Wreck dive specialty or Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty.

One of the specialties we love to teach is the Navigation Specialty, or Underwater Navigator Course. In this 3 open water dives course you will learn how to navigate underwater working with you compass but also using natural navigation points. Just like you use specific points on the surface (‘at the traffic lights turn right’) you do the same underwater. What do you see when you reach the reef? What does it look like from the other side? How deep is it? This way you try to find points during your whole dive, so that on the way back you will have references to find you starting point again. Believe me, it’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Besides learning how to use natural navigation points and basic compass use you will also learn how to use your compass to find a specific spot back on another day, using 3 compass headings. This way you can find your way back easily, for instance if you found something you want to go back for to retrieve (trash that is to heavy to lift without a lift bag for instance) or to take pictures of.

A very useful course, this Navigation Specialty. It will make you more aware of your surroundings and more self-confident for when you go diving without a dive master or instructor to guide you. How much fun is it to bring your dive buddy back to exactly the point where you entered the water? Imagine their surprised looks when you manage to do this every single dive!!!

Have you already seen the pictures of our new ‘toys for boys’? Recently we added a second DPV to our equipment. With this addition we can now offer guided DPV dives! DPV stands for Diver Propulsion Vehicle. These guided DPV dives are one on one, so really private dives! Diving with a DPV is fun and gives us the opportunity to reach areas we have never explored before. Dives at sites of which we know there’s always a lot of current also get easier using a DPV.

Of course diving with the DPV is not restricted to boys only, girls are welcome to dive with it too:-))

For our DPV dives we use the TUSA SAV-7 evolution, one of the most powerful DPV-s. These DPV-s can be handled in different ways. You can hold them in your hands and let it pull you through the water, but you can also mount it and use your body to steer it whilst you are being pushed forward. Of course this takes some training and explaining before you actually start the fun tour part of your DPV dive.

Another option we can now offer is doing the DPV specialty. Get another certification having fun playing with the DPV!

So far a couple of divers have went on a DPV dive with us. All were so enthousiastic about it they immediately booked a second dive.

Come and feel like James Bond underwater! Stop by the dive center to get more info or just send an e-mail and we will send you all the details you need. Experience diving with a DPV yourselves and you will see it offers a new dimension to your way of diving. Since Christmas is coming up, here’s an idea! Give a DPV dive as an original gift or put it on your wishlist, you might get your Santa to give you the opportunity to experience DPV diving…..

Kennen Sie das? Sie haben sich ein Urlaub gebucht, aber jetzt dauert es noch Monate vor es soweit ist. Dann hilft es beim Vorfreude wenn mann sich schon was einlesen kann! Es gab schon Der große Outdoor Reiseführer Curaçao (ISBN 9783844802023) von Christopher Böhm und Elke Verheugen, in welchem ich das Tauchteil schreiben dürfte.

Aber jetzt, jetzt ist da auch unserem neuen Buch Tauchparadies Curaçao, die ich zusammen mit Paul Schmidt und Unterstützung von mehr erfahren Autorin Elke Verheugen geschrieben habe!!! Wir sind stolz!!!

Curaçao ist in den letzten Jahren immer mehr bekannt geworden als Traumurlaubsland für Deutsche, sicher da es jetzt auch Direktflüge gibt. Natürlich gibt es auf Curaçao nicht nur wunderschöne Strände und Tauchplätze, es hat viel mehr zu bieten. Deshalb fangen wir unserem Buch an mit ein kleines ABC von Curaçao. Hier finden Sie schnell alles was sie wissen müssen wenn Sie ein Urlaub auf unserem Insel planen.

In zweiten Teil finden Sie die Curaçao Maps, ein schnellen Überblick über den ganzen Insel, mit die Hauptstadt Willemstad und die Stadtteile Punda und Otrobanda die ganz interessant sind um in spazieren zu gehen und die Architektur an zu sehen. Mit diesen Maps finden Sie sich schnell zurecht auf den Insel.

Und dann, dann kommen Sie am dritten Teil, das Teil das Taucher am meisten interessieren wird! Hier gibt es über 140 Seiten mit info über Tauchplätze auf Curaçao. Ist es für unerfahrener Taucher, oder für fortgeschrittene. Gibt es ein sicherer Parkplatz, gibt es Schatten am Strand wenn mann sich nach den Tauchgang ein wenig ausruhen möchte. Kann mann von Kant ab tauchen oder soll mann mit Boot gehen? Viele Tauchplätze werden beschrieben und es gibt viele schöne Bilder die wir meist auch selber gemacht haben.

Kaufen Sie sich das Buch und genießen Sie schon von alles was auf Sie wartet auf unserem Traumurlaub Curaçao!

„TAUCHPARADIES CURACAO“ VON PAUL SCHMIDT, PATRICIA BOTBIJL UND ELKE VERHEUGEN, VERLAG: BOD, ISBN 978-3-7386-2382-6, 19,99 EURO
Sie können es in ihrem Buchhandel bestellen oder direkt bei amazon

Anhänger von unserem Blog haben vielleicht bemerkt, habe ich nicht so viel schreiben, die letzten Wochen. Tadeln Sie es auf der Tatsache, wurde ich eine Großmutter von einem schönen Baby Mädchen namens Skylar Rose, die ganz meine Welt für eine Weile geändert.

Aber jetzt bin ich wieder, und ich verspreche, ich werde versuchen, mehr regelmäßig wieder zu schreiben. Lassen Sie uns mit ein wenig etwas, das wir in teilnahm am 4. Juli starten.

Wie Sie alle jetzt sind wir Teil CHATA des Dive Task Force und mit uns einige andere Tauchschulen. Eines der Dinge, die wir tun, ist zu organisieren Aufräumarbeiten zusammen. Die erste bereinigen wir organisiert war letztes Jahr November, als wir gereinigt Boca Sami auf der Oberfläche und natürlich unter Wasser. Dieses Mal ein Tauchplatz haben wir uns mehr auf die Westseite der Insel, Playa Piskado.

Auch diesmal haben wir an der Oberfläche und unter Wasser gereinigt. Wir waren alle sehr erfreut, eine so große Gruppe von Freiwilligen zu sehen angezeigt. Insgesamt waren rund 130 Freiwillige, 100 Taucher für die Unterwasser säubern, 30 für die Oberfläche. Was hat uns zu sehen ist, dass die Besucher an den Strand spontan begonnen, auch helfen.

Jeder Tauchschule unterrichtete es Freiwilligen und los ging zu reinigen. Divers ging ins Wasser, um Fischl, Becher, Dosen, sondern auch Rohre und Reifen entfernen. Auf der Oberfläche war es vor allem Kunststoff-Geschirr, Tassen, Bierflaschen, was wir gefunden haben.

Nach etwa einer Stunde und eine Hälfte des Tauchens und die Reinigung aller Taucher, wo wieder an die Oberfläche. Nun war es Zeit für eine Tombola mit Preisen von den Tauchzentren und einem Grill gesponsert. Wir alle genossen das gute Essen en Getränke, die auch alle gesponsert wurden. Turtle und Ray trat und ein Video und Bilder von der gesamten Veranstaltung, ebenfalls kostenlos.

Alles in allem hatten wir einen tollen Tag, und wir werden mit Sicherheit zu organisieren mehr von denen. Vielen Dank an alle Sponsoren und Freiwillige zu uns in unserem Streben nach einer saubereren Curaçao !!