Eshin Direct

Okay, as I mentioned on my home page, I wanted to go diving when I got to HK. After 10 months, its finally becoming a reality. I guess it was laziness, better things to spend my money on (?), and well, the way the weather took me by surprise. It get’s bloody cold here!

Now that the weather is heating up, I’ve finally signed up for the Advanced Open Water certification programme. It ain’t cheap, at HK$2,500 + course material but that includes the rental of the equipment.

Next week I start “lessons” in the theory again. The programme’s quite simple. Basically, I need to do a total of 5 “adventure” dives. Adventure dives are basically scaled down versions of PADI’s specialist programmes – sort of like tasters, if you will. In order to get the PADI AOW – I need to do the Underwater Navigator and Deep Diver programme plus 3 other specialities of my choice.

When I say “my choice” it depends on who you go diving with, the local conditions and more importantly, the course structure offered by the dive centre. Diving Adventure, who I’m doing the course with, are offering the Night Diver, Search and Recover, and the Multi-level (or) Wreck Dive.

I must say I’m a little apprehensive about the some of it. Firstly, I need to brush up on what I learned when I got my certification. The only dive time I’ve logged since my certification was the pool in my old school in Highgate for a refresher course. The Night Diver, Deep Dive, and possible Wreck Dive make me just a little, well not nervous, but excited???

They tell me its the best time to go diving in Hong Kong. It’s not too busy yet (that’s because the weather seems to be undecided on whether its hot or its raining, I think) and more importantly the water isn’t too murky. This, was another reason why I procrastinated signing up, because whenever I’d mention to people I wanted to go diving in HK, they kept giving me funny looks (and “Have you seen our water?!”).

Well, I’m not to sure where I’m going to be off diving yet but I’ll find out when I go for the lessons. Annie, my colleague, suggested that it was most likely to be near Sai Kung or somewhere from there. I’m not too sure…but in any case, it will do me good to get out of this urban jungle for a while.

Anyway, keep you informed.

Eshin

**Update** 26-04-02

Bad luck…not going until the 12th May! Oh well, gives me a chance to go practice.

Tags: Scuba