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Scuba Forum / UK Scuba / January 2006lanzerotte
Hi I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several dives. Can anyone advise me on where to go and how cold is the water, I am staying around Puerto Del Carmen any good diveshops there many thanks Brendan > Hi > I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > many thanks > Brendan I spent a week in Puerto Del Carmen and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the diving although most of the dives off the old Harbour got a bit 'samey' after a while. If you get a chance, dive the wrecks in the Harbour and see if you can arrange for a trip up to Mala as the dives in and around that area are simply stunning! I dived with MA Diving http://www.madiving.com/en/index.php who were very good indeed although I've heard good things about Calypso and Safari Diving too. What turned me off Safari Diving was that they insisted that I pay them for a diving 'permit' which they claimed was a local requirement. Being allergic to bullshit, I went elsewhere... Hi,not b/s but an island government requirement to help fund the Hyperbaric Chamber-but I suppose you'd skip that also. >> Hi >> I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > 'permit' which they claimed was a local requirement. Being allergic to > bullshit, I went elsewhere... > Hi,not b/s but an island government requirement to help fund the > Hyperbaric Chamber-but I suppose you'd skip that also. Funny how none of the other centres I spoke to insist on it... > Funny how none of the other centres I spoke to insist on it... About 20 or so dive centers provide funds towards the chamber via the association ABSULAN, in the form of a diving permit. Without it there is a very real possibilty that the chamber would not be adequately funded or be able to be on standby. Surprisingly even though they dont pay, centers clients who are not members are still treated. Yet they can use that slight saving to gain extra clients. Rather than consider this to be an extra unwelcome charge, see it as proof that those who are members and contribute to this assoctiation take there clients welfare more seriously. I for one would not dive with any outfit who didnt subscribe. TerryH >> Funny how none of the other centres I spoke to insist on it... > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > I for one would not dive with any outfit who didnt subscribe. I personally would have an issue with this whatsoever - after all, I don't bat an eye when they ask for the voluntary contribution to the chamber out in the Red Sea. But when I enquired about diving with Safari, they tried feeding me bullshit about the permit without telling me what it was actually for ('Oh, it's a local regulation...' is all they kept saying). If they'd said 'It goes towards the upkeep of the hyperbaric chamber', I would happily have coughed up... Hi,most of the Lanzarote diving takes place off Pto del Carmen-decent reefs,some purpose sunk fishing boat wrecks,reasonable sea life.Water temp. throughout the winter is 18-20C.Having tried most, the best local dive operators we've found are Safari Divers,Dutch owned,instructors mainly Dutch,German,British;they're PADI and you can get more detail from their site,or PADI's.No axe to grind,just satisfied customers. > Hi > I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > many thanks > Brendan >Hi >I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >many thanks >Brendan I was diving off of Caleta de Fuste on Fuerteventura the middle two weeks of December 2005. The water was 20.5 dropping a couple of degrees at 25 metres according to my Apex Quantum. I was diving with 'Deep Blue' who I found a great bunch of guys to dive with.  SignatureMick Whittingham 'and I will make it a felony to drink small beer.' William Shakespeare, Henry VI part 2. Hi Brendan, Calipso are based at Costa Teguise, but dive every day from Carmen, so no worries with kit etc. www.calipso-diving.com One of the things you have to watch with Carmen, is that as the reef and many dive routes are just there, you tend not to do some of the better sites. So although Carmen based outfits are fine, they do tend to get a bit lazy. In there eyes, not much point getting the mini-bus out if there is a free reef in front of you. Which is why its worth looking to outside (of Carmen) outfits. That's one reason why its worth looking at Calipso. Not only do they do Carmen, but dive the north-east area at Mala, by far the better dive site. We are out there end of January with 21 students!!!!!!!! Hopefully there might just be some sand left when you get out there! Rgds TerrH > We are out there end of January with 21 students!!!!!!!! > Hopefully there might just be some sand left when you get out there! Give my regards to Pete & Andy Steve >> We are out there end of January with 21 students!!!!!!!! >> Hopefully there might just be some sand left when you get out there! >> > Give my regards to Pete & Andy > > Steve No probs Steve, will do. TerryH > Hi > I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > many thanks > Brendan If you are staying in Puerto Del Carmen i would say try diving with Island Watersports www.divelanzarote.com i was over in Lanzrote and I did my PADI training with them. All the way though the training they really looked after me and so did my Girlfriend she got told that she can come out and stay on the boat while i do the diving so she came out a few times and just sat in the sun reading her book. Well not sure about girlfriend but i had a good time :) you will have to post your reviews when you get back anyhow have good fun and enjoy the dives. >> Hi >> I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > anyhow have good fun and enjoy the dives. I have dived in Lanzarote for 4 years and have found RC Diving to be excellent. I have dived with 3 other outfits also. RC is an SSI school but. The biggest difference is that the dive leaders take torches every dive and show you into some of the darker places under the wall where the rays and eels live. All dives where on 10 litres with 225 bar every dive. Most dives where 45 to 50 minutes and down to 30 meters + if you have the experience. The dive leader reserved certain days for experienced divers to do more challenging dives only allowing appropriate divers on the dive. Other divers where took on a different dive by the other dive leaders. They never wanted money until after your last dive and very often did not charge for all the cylinders even when I reminded them. Dont be put off that they speak German their english is adequate and there customer service brilliant. I have dived over 30 dives with them boat and shore and moved to them as I was fed up of short shallow boring dives where trainees where tagging along. Please not this is only my opinion and some of the other schools are good but there are some bad ones too. I will be returning to RC. I have no financial interest in who I dive with apart from the proces being fair. Martin Address below but their website is off line ?? www.rcdiving.com 35510 Pto. del Carmen - Lanzarote (+34) 928514290 (+34) 928515396 > The biggest difference is that the dive leaders take torches every dive > and show you into some of the darker places under the wall where the rays > and eels live. All dives where on 10 litres with 225 bar every dive. > Most dives where 45 to 50 minutes and down to 30 meters + if you have the > experience. Just reading the thread again and just noticed this and wondered if it was a German dive school thing? I know of two other German outfits that do 2x same site dives using small cylinders like 10lts and pretty short surface intervals. All the UK owned outfits have 12lt x 232 as the norm, and have pretty long, different site intervals. Obviously it's a logisticly easier way to do it for the dive school, but seems to be at the expense of time spent at depth. TerryH just my opinion i would avoid the dive college in Playa Blanca unless you are german or dutch. i was there last year with them after they were recommended by the reps. they sounded great so i booked a 3 dive package with them what a mistake !!!!! The divemaster we had didnt speak very good english but as there were a number of english speaking people in his group he relucantly gave his 'briefing' in english. the dive sounded great - again what a disaster. one of the most boring dives ive been on. the 1st dive was ok good vis etc. going from point a to point b. the second the dive next day which was called something else was from point b back to point a. the 3rd dive was a 'tour' dive and guess what the same place again. admittedly the 3rd dive was with a different divemaster and was much better but it didnt make up for the other 2. having spoken to other people since ive been back i have been recommend to the cala diving which i will dive with next time. hope this helps >Hi >I'm going on holiday to Lanzerotte in Mid February and plan to do several [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >many thanks >Brendan > just my opinion i would avoid the dive college in Playa Blanca unless > you are german or dutch. i was there last year with them after they [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > admittedly the 3rd dive was with a different divemaster and was much > better but it didnt make up for the other 2. That's actually fairly common in Lanzarote. The problem is that a lot of the dive centres try to keep costs down by taking divers to the same spot over and over again (saves on fuel costs as most are based near Puerto Del Carmen). When I dived there two years ago, I squeezed in seven dives and only three of those where in the more interesting parts of Lanzarote - Mala and the Old Harbour Wrecks - but even then, I had to push to get these. They try to sell you what sounds like such interesting dives to places like 'The Cathedral' (a large hole in the side of a wall and 'Red Coral' (the same wall but a bit further along). If you're going out there, at least push to be taken up to Mala - the diving up there is stunning! >>just my opinion i would avoid the dive college in Playa Blanca unless >>you are german or dutch. i was there last year with them after they [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > wall but a bit further along). If you're going out there, at least push to > be taken up to Mala - the diving up there is stunning! I have already posted to this. RC diving took me to Mala 2 (1 +40 meters) times 1 low water 1 high water. Nice stride in at low water. 1 dive on the wrecks. 1 dive called grand corel (pink corel bush)@ 35 meters. 1 Dive blue hole 1 dive to the mushroom shaped rock.1 dive cathedrel and 1 dive just outside the harbour (not the beach). Loads of variety and depth. Most dives 50+ minutes. These guys always have a torch. You only see the eels, rays shrimps and grouper etc in the caves with a torch. Most people have not been in the 6m cave next to the Playa Chicca beach. I never new it was there for 3 years. I found it last summer. I never found the sea horse by the blue hole with other dive schools. I have seen it 2 years running with these guys. There is also a sehorse place on the rocks to the left out of the Safari dive school beach. Sorry to be biast but I have had some good diving and have been to all the places that Dive magazine featured in Lanzarote. PS Mala has some other interesting features. Martin Martin > That's actually fairly common in Lanzarote. The problem is that a lot of > the dive centres try to keep costs down by taking divers to the same spot [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Coral' (the same wall but a bit further along). If you're going out there, > at least push to be taken up to Mala - the diving up there is stunning! That's why you use Calipso at Costa Teguise. They are slap bang between the sites at Mala and Puerto del Carmen. As they always bus anyway, makes no diference which site you pick. They also do loads of sites the others dont. You may have done Mala, but thats just one entry point and about three or four routes on the same site. There are quite a few different entry points with some stunning dives. My favorite is the lava tube, where you start at 10m and swim through a narrow tube (plenty of light through holes) and come out at 30m! Think its down to the type of rocks but for some reason the light here is better than a mile up the road at Mala itself. More? Well everybody does the wrecks at Carmen, but what of the Rebat in Arecife harbour. Very large fishing trawler with open holds on her side in 30m. Always BIG shoals of barracuda and loads of rays + the odd angel shark hiding under the plates. If you bus anyway then this dive is as easy as all of them. If you dont then looks like you will be on the same site - again. Checkout www.calipso-diving.com One last point is that Playa Blanca is pretty shallow and very sandy. It is after all where the white sand beaches are at Papayago. While its pleasant and ideal for beginners or training, most PB outfits can be seen parked at PDC. With no real depth they have to travel to get decent sites and we are back to the local logostics and is it worth getting the bus out argument again. TerryH |
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