Komodo National Park dive trip (Bali)

Komodo, Indonesia is one of the world’s most famous dive destinations - mostly known for its population of manta rays, it earns its reputation not only for the majestic rays but also for its abundance of marine life and huge populations of corals. The best way to hit all of the top dive spots in Komodo is to go on a liveaboard and that is what the underwater adventures dive club is planning for October 2021.





Our liveaboard

MV Mermaid II is an impressive 33 metre liveaboard sleeping a maximum of 18 guests in 9 air-conditioned cabins each with ensuite bathrooms. The ship has two outside decks, one shaded with outside seating, and a sun deck forward of the wheelhouse provide a welcome lounging area. The large dive platform with two exit ladders is equipped with freshwater showers. Plus, a spacious camera table and plenty of rinse tanks with Nitrox blended onboard.



  



The itinerary
 
DAY 1 Check-in on board Mermaid II between 13:00-15:00 hours at Benoa Harbour in Bali.
You will set up equipment and you can settle into your cabin, and after we will do a boat
and safety briefing,
Dinner will be served at 19:00 hours as Mermaid II cruises into the sunset on her
overnight journey to Moyo Island, northwest Sumbawa.
DAY 2 Start your adventure with a great dive in the calm, clear waters of Angel Reef at Moyo
Island. Massive elephant ear and barrel sponges, schools of longfin bannerfish and red
tooth triggerfish, frogfish, nudibranchs, eels, surgeonfish, snappers, and dogtooth tuna.
Afterward, Mermaid II will cruise for two and a half hours to Satonda Island for
a fringing coral reef and a world-class night dive. After a great dive and dinner, she will
cruise overnight to Komodo NP.
DAY 3 Mermaid II will enter Komodo National Park. We will spend the day in the northern
islands of Komodo NP, Gili Lawa Laut, and Gili Lawa Darat. We will cruise to central
Komodo for a night dive at Soro Lia or Wainilu in order to do a muck night dive - a great
place to spend the night.
DAY 4 We will cruise south of Komodo Island to Manta Alley and Horseshoe Bay in Rinca
Island. Spectacular diving awaits at the world-famous site Cannibal Rock – rare
nudibranchs, frogfish, spectacular corals, sponges, ascidians, huge black coral bushes,
turtles, cuttlefish, loads of reef fish too Watch dragons on the beach, monkey, deer, wild
pigs along the shore…. Maybe even a chance to see dolphins feeding in the calm bay





DAY 5 Start your day with an exciting visit to Komodo National Park to walk with the dragons!
Then we will do 3 dives in the Lintah Strait looking for some big fish dives at Tatawa
Besar, Siaba Kecil or the infamous “Current City” Batu Bolong. Come face to face with
reef sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, and more. After Night dive at Gili Lawa Darat, it is
time to say goodbye to Komodo National Park.
DAY 6 Mermaid II will make her way to Gili Banta for a morning dive and then we will start
cruising to Sangeang Volcano to spend the rest of the day, black sand, bubbles,
colourful reefs and tones of critters will be waiting for you. Overnight we cruise to
Sumbawa Island
DAY 7 You will enjoy two fantastic dives at Sumbawa and Moyo Islands for more chances for
ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, turtle, cuttlefish, and more before cruising overnight to
Benoa in the south of Bali.
DAY 8 Disembark at Benoa Harbour after breakfast at 8 am

A total of 20 dives


    


Our flights are from Heathrow airport to Bali leaving on the 7th October and flying via Doha coming back the same route and landing back in the UK on the morning of the 17th of October.
We also have the option of staying longer in Bali after the dive trip if you like? 

The cost of the dive trip is £3300 each which includes flights (30kgs baggage allowance), transfers, all diving and accommodation on the liveaboard, walking with Komodo dragons, food, and nonalcoholic drinks on board, Tanks, and weights, and dive guides. You can book your space with just a £650 deposit know and nothing more to pay until July

If you would like more information or to book your place please contact Steve at info@underwateradventures.co.uk or by giving us a call on 07805045867.

 

It's winter and we have just moved into another Lockdown here in the UK I thought it would be good to run through a list of some great books out there about scuba diving in the UK. Scuba diving here in the UK offers some of the best scuba diving in the world with literally thousands of wrecks all around the coast, amazing rock, and reef formations, and a huge amount of marine life from whales to colourful tompot blennies, there is something for everyone, so with that in mind here is a list of some great reads to keep you busy over the next couple of months or some great ideas for Christmas presents to get eh scuba diver in your life.


 

 

The Diver's Tale

Britain is an island nation so, unsurprisingly, scuba diving is a popular British pastime enjoyed by some 50,000 keen participants and just as many of the armchair variety. A carefully-structured programme of training ensures that the British diver is well-­prepared for the challenging conditions which may be encountered beneath our seas. 
Or does it? How many trainee divers were taught about the perils of high-speed testicular trauma during descent? Or the dangers of having sex in a tent with a deaf person? Why bacon should be in your first aid kit. How to build a space shuttle using salvaged ammunition? Or why the name Valerie is so very special?
During a 40 year plus odyssey through the strange and exotic world of British diving, Nick Lyon and his disparate collection of buddies have answered all these questions from personal experience, and many more besides. It may not be pretty, it may not be painless but to those in the know, it’s real British diving. 
This is not a diving manual — quite the opposite. How not to do it, why not to do it, when not to do it and who not to do it with. Amusing, frequently embarrassing, often unpleasant, and occasionally tragic, the book plunges into the world of the real British diver!
Click here to order your copy



 

UK Dive Guide: Diving Guide to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Synopsis
This is an exciting new diving guide covering dive sites in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Explore the wreck of the E39 submarine off Pembrokeshire or the stunning Cathedral Rock off St Abbs to the Unknown Coaster in Portland Harbour. In this title, 100 dives are described in detail from easy shore dives to more demanding boat dives. Dive locations are fully illustrated with specially commissioned maps and diagrams together with full colour photography throughout. All dives are above 18m and suitable for all levels of experience from novice to technical diver. The United Kingdom has some of the best diving available in Europe offering a mixture of scenic reef dives and spectacular wrecks. Wherever you are in the United Kingdom you are only a short distance away from one of these spectacular dives.
Click here to order your copy



 

 

Wild and Temperate Seas: 50 Favourite UK Dives
 

Synopsis
From highlands to islands, wrecks to reefs and caves, Wild and Temperate Seas is a new-style guide which will whet your appetite for UK diving. These are over 50 personal favourites at some of the UK's most popular underwater destinations. Dorset Dives author Will Appleyard and his team of experienced collaborators share their picks as they showcase our beautiful coastal locations. Many of the dive sites featured in this new guide already appear regularly in avid UK divers' log books. Others are visited by only those with local knowledge and some rarely see divers at all. All are special in some way to those who have contributed and evidence for those to whom the UK underwater is still a mystery that once you tame these wild and temperate seas there really are some magnificent experiences to be had. As a wise man once said 'There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong thermal protection' (paraphrased). So, demist your mask and embrace the emerald, don your drysuit and conquer the cold... this book shows what incredible quality is waiting to be found if you just scratch the surface of UK diving. Wild and Temperate Seas is an introduction to some of the UK's best dives covering over 50 accessible sites in 15 beautiful locations across the nation. Includes wrecks and reefs, boat and shore dives. By experienced contributors and with stunning images by award-winning underwater photographers, this is the perfect gift for anyone new to or considering diving in the UK.
Click here to order your copy

 

Dorset Dives: A Guide to Scuba Diving Along the Jurassic Coast
 

Synopsis
Let Dorset Dives take you on a personal journey to 50 of the greatest dive sites the Dorset coastline has to offer. Here, there are so many opportunities to get wet and against one of the country's most beautiful backdrops - the Jurassic Coast. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dorset coast boasts seriously good scallop diving, sheltered, shallow or deep wrecks, scenic reef dives, easy shore dives and daring drifts. Will has chosen a selection of dive sites spanning the length of the Dorset coastline, all within a comfortable depth for the recreational diver and some of the sites featured will certainly require diving more than once. The wrecks are illustrated by Max Ellis, based on the original rough sketches John Liddiard made for DIVER magazine's `Wreck Tours' feature, with minimal coloured backgrounds added. With a Foreword by Paul Rose.
Click here to order your copy

 

Great British Marine Animals
 

Synopsis
An eye-opening celebration of the wonderful variety of animals that live in the seas around Britain. These creatures are colourful and visually appealing, and also show amazing versatility in their behaviour and lifestyles. So many of them, even those that can seem mundane at first glance, have intriguing and surprising ways of getting food, defending themselves, reproducing and interacting with one another. Beautiful sea anemones seize their prey with superbly armed tentacles, seemingly invincible crabs hide away while shedding their armour suits to grow, inoffensive-looking starfish exert huge forces to open up mussels and some fish can simply change sex when the situation demands. Great British Marine Animals is based on high quality underwater photographs and is designed to both aid identification of a wide range of common animals, and to give you an insight into their lives. It is written for anyone who loves the sea, enjoys exploring beaches or is interested in wildlife. The expanded 3rd Edition has details of 30 extra species, 240 new photographs and a foreword by The Wildlife Trusts and the Marine Conservation Society. With 320 pages and 600 colour photographs in total, there are details of the following types of marine animal: Sponges, cnidarians, sea anemones, corals, hydroids, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, crabs, lobsters, prawns, shrimps, barnacles, molluscs, chitons, sea snails, sea slugs, bivalves, cuttlefish, octopus, squid, echinoderms, starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, feather stars, sea squirts, fish including sharks, rays, eels, cod, pipefish, sea scorpions, gurnards, clingfish, mullet, bass, weevers, wrasse, blennies, gobies and flatfish.
Click here to order your copy



 

Discover UK Diving: An Introduction & Personal Guide to UK Scuba Diving 
 

Synopsis
Discover UK Diving has been created by a keen diver and amateur photographer Will Appleyard. His book has been designed to encourage newly qualified divers and "holiday divers" alike, into a diverse underwater world just waiting to be explored. Will's book is packed full of photographs, comprising stunning coastal scenery, divers in their element, and a selection of underwater shots taken while diving his favourite sites along the UK's south coast.

Those new to diving or curious about the sport may often wonder what UK diving has to offer them. "Discover UK Diving" showcases a selection of exciting dive sites, a beautiful array of sea life, and visibility often associated with diving abroad. The book is very much Will's personal account, written in a light-hearted manner, with those considering taking the next steps in mind.
Click here to order your copy


 

Classic Darksite Diving: Cave Diving Sites of Britain and Europe
 

Synopsis
Classic Darksite Diving is the companion volume to Martyn Farr’s globally acclaimed manual of cave diving, Diving in Darkness. While its predecessor covers the techniques required to safely dive beneath an overhead environment, Classic Darksite Diving presents practical information on undertaking dives in carefully selected caves and mines in the UK and across Europe.
Gathered together in this concise but readable guidebook are details of 140 classic, popular and accessible dive sites that are suited to a wide range of abilities. Included are their precise locations, history of exploration, useful contacts and – most importantly – what each dive entails, from the preferred equipment to the dive length, depth and water conditions.
Lavishly illustrated with photographs and surveys, Classic Darksite Diving provides the essential information you need to enjoy many varied and safe dives in the exciting realm of cavern and cave diving. A spectacular underground world awaits you.
Click here to order your copy



 

Great British Shipwrecks
 

Synopsis
For more than 30 years, internationally acclaimed wreck diver and best-selling author, Rod Macdonald, has surveyed and researched shipwrecks around the world. His books such as Dive Scapa Flow and The Darkness Below are household names in the diving world.
In Great British Shipwrecks Rod uses his encyclopaedic knowledge and an intimate understanding of shipwrecks, gleaned from a lifetime’s diving, to provide a snapshot in time of some of the best known and most revered shipwrecks around the UK. For each of the 37 shipwrecks covered Rod provides a dramatic account of its time afloat and its eventual sinking – with each wreck being beautifully illustrated by renowned marine artist Rob Ward.
Rod’s journey around the UK starts with the classic recreational diving shipwrecks at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands from giants such as the German WWI battleships, Markgraf, König and Kronprinz Wilhelm, to the legendary WWI British cruiser HMS Hampshire on which Lord Kitchener perished on a voyage to Russia in 1916. Rod then travels to the English Channel where he covers such famous ships as the P&O liners Moldavia and Salsette which were lost during WWI with many others such as the SS Kyarra and the British submarine HMS/M M2 – the first submarine to carry a seaplane for reconnaissance.
The reader is then taken to the North Channel of the Irish Sea where the famous technical diving wrecks of the White Star liner Justicia, HMS Audacious, the first British battleship lost during WWI, and the SS Empire Heritage, which was lost with its deck cargo of Sherman tanks on a voyage from New York during WWII, are beautifully illustrated. Returning to Scotland, the famous West Coast shipwrecks such as the Thesis, Hispania, Rondo and Shuna in the Sound of Mull grace the pages, in addition to the renowned wrecks of the SS Breda, lost near Oban, and the WWII minelayer HMS Port Napier off Skye. Lastly, Rod covers some major North Sea shipwrecks, revealing for the first time the haunting remains of HMS Pathfinder, the first Royal Navy warship to be sunk by U-boat torpedo during WWI.
This is a beautifully illustrated and definitive guide to the greatest shipwrecks around the UK and will be an enlightening and unmissable book for many.
Click here to order your copy


 

The Diver's Guide to Marine Life of Britain and Ireland: Second Edition
 

Blow is an outline of the procedures Underwater adventures have put in place to keep divers safe while in training and this is followed by guidance for divers just going for fun dives along with all we know about current scuba diving opportunities, which sites and boat operators are working and the procedures they have in place

You can also watch the full Zoom meeting the dive club had on this subject where we discuss the procedures and how we can get back into scuba diving

https://youtu.be/IqSxY16Tu1U


Covid 19 procedure’s for training dives with underwater adventures

These procedures are put in place to limit as much as possible the risk of spreading the virus between divers while on scuba diving courses with underwater adventures. Each member of the dive team should be aware and have a full understanding of the procedures before each course to help make sure all students adhere to the procedures at all times on the course. All students will be given a form which will list the procedures and their responsibilities with regards to reducing the risk of the spread and making sure any tracking needed afterward can be carried out as per the government’s guidelines and common scene.

General onsite procedures.
Everyone is expected to adhere to 2 metre social distancing at all times on the surface where possible. With this in mind, everyone will be split into buddy pairs and you will stay in these buddy pairs throughout the course to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. There will be hand sanitizer on site so that everyone can sanitize their hands whenever you have to touch anything which is not yours i.e. doing up dry suits and helping on your buddies equipment. It is recommended that you bring your own face mask to wear on the surface before and after dives (please remember to dispose of any facemasks and other PPE you use properly to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and any damage to the environment.
We will inform all dive team and students who they will be buddied with before the start of the day of the dives and we ask that you park your cars next to each other to avoid crossing and unnecessary risks from coming in contact with other buddy pairs, we ask that you use the space behind your car to kit up and de-kit after the dive, if you need any spares, please contact shore support who will be in charge of equipment. Please stay in the space behind your car with your equipment unless otherwise told and please do not leave any equipment near the water at any time to avoid unnecessary movement around the site and the risk of others touching your equipment by accident.
They will be no café open at the site and as it is very important that everyone stays hydrated we strongly advise that you bring your own water to the dive site each day and not share it with anyone else if you forget we will have a couple of sealed water bottles for sale which will be wiped down with an antiseptic wipe when being handed over. For tea, coffee, and food, again you will need to provide your own and again we strongly recommend that you do not share with anyone else to avoid the chance of cross-contamination.
Dive site entry fees can be paid using contactless payments at the site but there will be no handing over of cash. If people want to they can transfer the entry fee over to underwater adventures who will then arrange to pay it with the dive schools normal payment thus reducing contact with dive site staff but this must be done at least two days beforehand
You will need to register at the dive site and with underwater adventures shore support when you arrive at the dive site and when you leave as there will be a limited number of people allowed on-site at any one time so we can keep track in case of anyone showing signs of infection.
 
Any paperwork which needs to be filled out other than paperwork for that day's diving must be completed and emailed over to underwater adventures at least two days before the day of diving and the filling in of logbook should be completed off-site, we would suggest the signing of logbooks to be completed after the virus is under control and suggest just making a note of who needs to sign your logbook so it can be completed later. The details from each dive, depth, times, air in, and the like will be emailed out to everyone after the qualifying weekend.
 
Rental equipment
We strongly suggest you use all your own equipment where possible. If you need any school equipment please let us know beforehand of exactly what you need including the size at least two days beforehand, this equipment will then be disinfected and placed in a plastic bag with your name on it to be given to you on the day. When you have finished with the rental equipment, it is to be placed back in the same plastic bag to be picked up by shore support and placed back in the van

Mouthpieces
No primary second stage regulator will have a mouthpiece on them, you can either provide your own or we will provide one for you which you will place on the regulator yourself and then remove at the end of the day. If you have rented a mouthpiece you will be responsible for it and it is down to the renter to remove the mouthpiece and place it in the disinfectant container with the knowledge of the shore support.
Note. If you are renting a set of Regulators but are not on a course you will need to provide your own mouthpiece and you are responsible for putting it on and removing it after use. You can either but direct from underwater adventures at the same time as you submit your rental application or you can purchase Apex Mouthpieces online.

Site briefings
The dive leader will give the briefings as normal with everyone keeping at least 2 metres from everyone. In the event of a large group where not everyone can hear clearly, the group will be split into 2 or 3 smaller groups where everyone can clearly hear the dive briefing/debriefing while still keeping at least 2 metres apart. If the dive team or students can’t hear clearly they must inform the dive leader giving the briefing/debriefing so changes can be made. It is important for everyone’s safety that everyone hears the briefings clearly and understands what to do while keeping 2 metres apart.

Buddy checks
Buddy checks can be completed in the normal set order with the diver themselves checking the equipment with the buddy looking on from 2 metres away. For parts where the buddy needs to touch any equipment, please use the hand sanitizer before and after touching the equipment, the hand sanitizer does help kill the virus for a couple of minutes after application so this will help protect you while you touch other people equipment as well as helping to keep their equipment clean.

In the water
Please keep mask and regulators on while on the surface, only removing the regulator to ask questions. This will allow us to stay at safe distances to our buddies and in the training group while protecting the training group as a whole and staying safe while scuba diving

Buddy skills
navigations on the surface for open water and advanced students.
Both parties will wear facemasks during this as it will not be possible to always stay 2 metres apart while going through this skill in the car park. When doing the navigation skills in the water and on the surface, you will keep your mask on and regulator in at all times. Please also try to avoid breathing downwind of someone with a regulator in and think about the direction the air is heading when you breathe out of a regulator or snorkel.

AAS.
The mouthpiece on the Alternate air source will be disinfected before the dive by the diver who will be using it in the water and that will not be touched by anyone else until this skill is over

Rescue diver course
While we are still waiting on the full guidance from PADI on how to perform the set skills safely pocket masks will be used for ALL rescue breathing and all rescue patients must keep eyes closed to minimize the risk of infections while performing the rescue breathing skill.

Fun dives
With limited spaces at the dive site fun dives with the club on qualifying weekends will be very limited based on spaces available after staff and students and will be offered on a first come first serve basis.

Pool dives
We will be using the Polam pool in Bedford for all courses for the foreseeable future as that pool allows complete control of the pool environment and building area. All pool users are asked to arrive no more than 5 minutes before the start of their pool session so that we can avoid groups mixing int eh entry and viewing areas. All students are asked to arrive wearing their swimming costumes under their main clothes so they are able to get changed at poolside before getting in the pool and the groups will be kept small enough so that the students are able to use the changing rooms after a pool session while keeping the 2 metre social distancing. Hand sanitizer is available at the entry to the pool building, at the poolside for whenever someone needs to touch other equipment or surfaces and there will be hand sanitizer in both of the changing rooms. 
Social distancing rule will still apply while we are in the water and on the surface but obviously are not needed while we are underwater.


 
General procedures for fun diving during Covid 19

Please read the guidance sheet for training with underwater adventures for procedures on how to keep to the social distancing rules while scuba diving as much as is possible.


Inland dive sites
Most dive sites will have their own rules and you must contact each site individually before going to make sure you are aware of the new rules in place, but a general summation is below.
Most sites will expect you to pre-book you dive so that they can limit the number of divers on-site at any one time to allow for social distancing of all divers and staff while the site is open. This currently also involves being a member of the dive site to allow you to pre-book so with Stoney cove and Gildenburgh you will need to be members of their own on-site membership. There are also online book facilities with these dive sites with Stoney coves new app hopefully coming online on Wednesday and Gildenburgh’s booking system going through their website
One of the reasons for only allowing members in is for the track and trace should anyone come down with it afterward. The government systems is not the greats and actually don’t seem to be working at the moment so if someone does come down with Covid 19 the owners of the dive site will not only have a record of who is on-site but also how to contact them through their membership registration.
Gildenburgh opened on Sunday and Stoney cover is planning on opening on Thursday.
Wraysbury is open and they don’t take card payments and you can’t pre-book. You will need to just turn up at the site and they will let you in when there is space. You will also need to bring exact change for the £15 entry fee as you will need to post it through a hole in a payment box and they will not give you change. It is the same for air fills, you will need to plan for them and bring exact change.
Vobster is not yet open to divers but is open to swimming and from tomorrow  (10^th June) you will need to book a 2-hour slot for your swim which you must stick to. It looks like they are planning on opening in July
NDAC is Still closed.

While on-site
You will be expected to get changed by your cars and not hang around before or after the dive and depending on the site you might only be allowed the one dive you booked. None of the cafes will be open and neither will the shops to discourage you from hanging around after your dive. This is again so they can limit the number of people on-site at any one time.
You will also be expected to not be our normal sociable selves and stand around chatting on-site with other friends you might have met on site. Basically they just would like to do your dive and leave the site as quickly as comfortable.

Air fills
The guidance from HSE is that they are two ways to fill a tank during social distancing

1. 72 hours. The diver drops the tank off for a fill at a position and then backs away at least 2m so the operator while wearing PPE, can more in and pick up the tank. The tank is then filled and left to stand for 72 hours so there is no risk of contamination being passed. PPE is changed after each tank. The process is reversed for the pick-up.
2. The quick fill. 2m distancing rules apply. Once the tank is left the operator will thoroughly disinfect the tank, the tank valve including the threads and the whip including the threads, fill the tank and then pass it back. Due to the risk of water egress into the tank from the cleaning, it is highly recommended that the owner makes sure the valve is dry and realizes some air from the valve before any use to remove as much of the cleaning product as possible.

Obviously, both options will involve payment online or by contactless cards payment system except at Wraysbury as mentioned before.


Boat diving.
Edit 11/06/2020
With boat diving, what we are seeing is a shrinkage of numbers allowed on the boat to allow for social distancing. Most, that are running, have dropped down to a max of 6 per boat and are asking you to stick to your buddy teams to lessen the chance of cross-contamination between groups. Again payment will be made online and you should be bringing your own snacks and drinks.
With this drop in the number of passengers allowed the price will be going up as it will still cost the same to run as before so expect to be paying around 50 % more depending on which boat you go with.
The main issue for club members is that due to our location and the fact that hotels are not an option, we are limited to where we can dive, unfortunately, trips to Cornwall or St Abbs are out with them when they open again as Swanage is close enough for us to do in a day, just about, and I have been looking at Brighton who has already started running trips. If club members are interested in either of these two I can arrange trips down for us but please remember it will be limited numbers.

Shore diving
We can pretty much go shore diving anywhere with a bit of planning and we do have a number of options close enough for the dive club members to do in a day. I will start putting these out for July but please remember to read the underwater adventures training procedures for social distancing while scuba diving and you will also find the procedures for hiring equipment there.