News
Mauritius: where the world loves to learn to dive
Ocean Spirit Dive Centre in Pereybere has just been awarded PADI 5 star status after training more than 120 divers in the past five months. Jill Holloway reports on the dive training boom in Mauritius.
Mauritius, with its calm barrier reef, enclosed lagoons, turquoise blue seas, great visibility and exquisite corals, has become incredibly popular as a diver training centre. You can do a zero to hero PADI diving course with Barlen right here in Pereybere. Or bring your family – we have whole families coming here and learning to dive, checking into a self -catering apartment or villa, and enjoying a great holiday together.
Many families choose to spend their holiday money on diving rather than luxury accommodation, and they leave the richer for the experience. Most dive centres can assist you in finding accommodation options, from ultra- luxury resorts to studio apartments. All tourist accommodation in Mauritius is registered with, and inspected by, the Tourism Authority, so you are pretty well guaranteed wifi, air con and clean sheets.
A Discover Scuba course, followed up with an Open Water diving course, are a great way to spend a holiday with the family. Mauritius, always popular with honeymooners, hosts a new generation celebrating an engagement or marriage with a dive course together. One guy actually proposed in writing on a dive slate and he and his new fiancée came up to the surface wrapped in each other’s BCs and celebrated at the dive centre late into the evening.
I did my Advanced course in a disused quarry in Johannesburg. It was cold, dark and deep. The viz was less than a metre and it was no fun. We had to navigate using instruments alone, with no margin for error, because you could only see half a metre. I watched as my buddy failed his navigation, powering past the marker point 30cm below us on the mesh platform, in the shocking viz. Mauritius, undoubtedly, does it better.
Three months ago, I watched Janet Aurore do a PADI DSD course in the exquisite lagoon at Pereybere in the north of Mauritius. I dived with her last week after she also gained her Advanced Nitrox qualification. She soared and glided in the deep blue of the Silverstar wreck, blowing bubble kisses for her family back in China, and I realised that this is what Mauritius is really about. Confidence in the water, the soaring joy of diving, and the exquisite deep blue water and white sand. Mauritius is really a great place to learn to dive.
It’s also a great place for gap year students to spend time. Many dive centres offer a three month training internship, so it really is worth investigating. (“You’re spending your GAP YEAR IN MAURITIUS! Wow, dude, take me with you!” was the comment of the son of a friend).
Mauritius is a clean living Island. Drug import controls are so stringent that I have to get a doctor’s prescription for my vitamin supplements and the packages are opened by customs anyway. I have yet to see a prostitute but I suppose because Port Louis is a sea port there must be some. However, this is an island where family life is important, and where parents and kids spend a lot of time together.
The local Pereybere PADI Course Director, Barlen Veerasamy, runs regular Instructor training courses at incredibly competitive prices. He also arranges accommodation for his students in and around Pereybere. Barlen is a great, hands on teacher and has qualified many of the excellent Mauritius Instructors here. He qualified the hard way, at the age of 14. Barlen was cutting sugar cane in his school holidays to pay for his diving courses. He spent many years carrying tanks before he finally realised his dream of owning his own dive centre.
If you are an adrenalin junkie and want to go the deco diving route, Olivier Fayolle is a specialist SSI Course Director in TEC diving. He has 20 years of experience in training divers and recently sold his diving business to focus on multi-level diving, deep diving using decompression techniques, and mixed gas diving. With the water clarity, Mauritius is a fabulous place to take a deep diving deco course.
So, if you want to learn to dive, Mauritius is the place to do it.
Words and Pics: Jill Holloway; Coral Pics: Abdul Khathlan
Copyright: Ocean Spirit, Mauritius
Whether you are a beginner or a professional diver – with the three new main regulators from DYNAMICNORD, everyone will find their favourite regulator. They all look super stylish.
Excellent performance with the TR-80
Quality and performance are the be-all and end-all for regulators. It is not for nothing that the TR stands for Tec Reg. The innovative design of the TR-80 guarantees absolute reliability – even in ice-cold waters.
Perfect breathing effort at 0.8 J/l / certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / structural design made of solid brass for best cold protection / membrane-compensated design with dry seal of the first stage / reduced exhalation effort thanks to optimized exhalation membrane and bubble deflector / adjustable Venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort / innovative design of the front cover prevents free-flow in strong currents or when diving with scooters / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 LP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Amazing underwater adventures with the IR-50
The IR-50 is the top regulator for advanced and experienced divers. Natural breathing is the essence of this regulator.
Ideal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / compensated membrane / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort/ outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
The Workhorse – our CS-30
For diving centres and diving beginners – the workhorse stands for strong construction, reliability and robustness. Perfect for your training.
Optimal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /recommended for diving in waters above 10 degrees / non-compensated piston / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) / outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 1 HP and 3 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Octopus OP-30
The OP-30 is the ideal addition to all DYNAMICNORD regulators. It is identical in construction to the CS-30.
The TR-80, IR-50, CS-30 (DIN & INT) regulators and the Octopus OP-30 are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers and in the online store.
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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