alexmaclennan
07-04-07, 20:45
I recently did 5 dives with Calipso Diving in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote. The dive shop is owned by Peter Monk who is an exuberant bear of an Englishman. Peter has lived in Lanzarote for 18 years and has been sole owner of the business for 5 years. The shop is small but well planned and customer areas seem very clean. There is a classroom in the basement and also the compressor and air tanks. The shop has a full range of hire kit, 10, 12, and 15l steel tanks in DIN or International fittings and can supply either air or 32% Nitrox via a membrane system. They dive twice a day using a fleet of Ford Iveco vans. Divesites are 10 to 20 minutes north or south of Costa Teguise. There were three other instructors when I was there, Andy, Ralf and Debs. All are >25 years old. Andy has been with Calipso diving for ?4 ?6 years. Peter will increase staffing to six when the summer rush is on. The RIBs are on contract not owned by Calipso. Dives were:
Playa Chica bay and harbour wall, Puerto del Carmen. Shore dive with easy entry into shallow sandy bay to 10m, then down sand and lava boulders to 20m. There was a small steel wreck that took us to 30m and then a wall to the right that went from 25m to ?45 or 50m. Cruised around the top of the wall then back towards the bay finishing the dive along the harbour wall at 4 to 7m. 31m max for 51 minutes.
Playa Chica wall, Puerto del Carmen. Giant stride off the pier to the right of Playa Chica bay and then back onto the continuation of the wall in the first dive. Again worked back along harbour walls before resurfacing on the bay. 30 m max for 51 minutes again.
Rabat, Arrecife. Boat dive from RIB. The Rabat was an ocean going tuna trawler, about 30/35m long, sunk about 8 years ago in a storm. Lies in about 30m on its port side. Several swim throughs including through the stern into the fish processing hold and along the companionway that leads into the bridge. Only danger are the ever present black urchins. Excellent wreck. 34 m max for 35 minutes.
Old Wrecks, Puerto del Carmen. Boat dive from RIB. Down the shot onto a 20m steel trawler canted onto its starboard side at 18m then over a wall onto a series of broken up wooden wrecks at 30m. Feels like a ships graveyard with bits of rope and spars sticking up into the blue. Approaching deco we went back over the wall towards the steel trawler and finned around there till reascending the shot. I really enjoyed this dive but an old english guy came up saying 'This is shit. No fish. Just like any British wreck dive!' Can't please everyone. 36m max for 41 minutes.
Lava Tubes, Charco del Palo, Mala. Shore dive with giant stride over steel ladders. Along and over underwater lava formations, past a small island, and down a short wall. Lots of time spent on sand between lava formations. Significant surge at the 5m stop but easy exit up the ladders. 28m max for 41 minutes.
There are a fair amount of small reef fish including lovely blue tipped damselfish, also saw big dusky groupers, bream, mullet, shoals of sardines, barracuda, angel sharks, stingrays, morays, bristleworms, several different types of nudibranchs, and spidery arrowhead crabs . Others saw octopus and cuttlefish. Viz was usually around 15m and water temp 18 degrees. A 5mm full length wetsuit and hood is ideal.
Overall, it is easy and enjoyable diving. There is more weed, sponges etc covering rocks than Madeira, but still not as much corals as say Red Sea. Fish life is generally OK.
alex
Playa Chica bay and harbour wall, Puerto del Carmen. Shore dive with easy entry into shallow sandy bay to 10m, then down sand and lava boulders to 20m. There was a small steel wreck that took us to 30m and then a wall to the right that went from 25m to ?45 or 50m. Cruised around the top of the wall then back towards the bay finishing the dive along the harbour wall at 4 to 7m. 31m max for 51 minutes.
Playa Chica wall, Puerto del Carmen. Giant stride off the pier to the right of Playa Chica bay and then back onto the continuation of the wall in the first dive. Again worked back along harbour walls before resurfacing on the bay. 30 m max for 51 minutes again.
Rabat, Arrecife. Boat dive from RIB. The Rabat was an ocean going tuna trawler, about 30/35m long, sunk about 8 years ago in a storm. Lies in about 30m on its port side. Several swim throughs including through the stern into the fish processing hold and along the companionway that leads into the bridge. Only danger are the ever present black urchins. Excellent wreck. 34 m max for 35 minutes.
Old Wrecks, Puerto del Carmen. Boat dive from RIB. Down the shot onto a 20m steel trawler canted onto its starboard side at 18m then over a wall onto a series of broken up wooden wrecks at 30m. Feels like a ships graveyard with bits of rope and spars sticking up into the blue. Approaching deco we went back over the wall towards the steel trawler and finned around there till reascending the shot. I really enjoyed this dive but an old english guy came up saying 'This is shit. No fish. Just like any British wreck dive!' Can't please everyone. 36m max for 41 minutes.
Lava Tubes, Charco del Palo, Mala. Shore dive with giant stride over steel ladders. Along and over underwater lava formations, past a small island, and down a short wall. Lots of time spent on sand between lava formations. Significant surge at the 5m stop but easy exit up the ladders. 28m max for 41 minutes.
There are a fair amount of small reef fish including lovely blue tipped damselfish, also saw big dusky groupers, bream, mullet, shoals of sardines, barracuda, angel sharks, stingrays, morays, bristleworms, several different types of nudibranchs, and spidery arrowhead crabs . Others saw octopus and cuttlefish. Viz was usually around 15m and water temp 18 degrees. A 5mm full length wetsuit and hood is ideal.
Overall, it is easy and enjoyable diving. There is more weed, sponges etc covering rocks than Madeira, but still not as much corals as say Red Sea. Fish life is generally OK.
alex