Wet suits on we Dive at 0900 hrs

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Tuesday 10th

or

D DAY

After an uninspiring breakfast we wandered down to the Camel Dive Center to start our course. Met our instructor Sven, and filled out the necessary medical forms. Due to Mike being +45 years old and a smoker, he had to have a medical. €35 later and a medical consent form, Mike is permitted to dive. Not sure about these Egyptian doctors, he has told Mike if he likes smoking he should carry on doing so, but he must take exercise. I wonder which part of the advice he will take heed of.

There is one other English guy on the course with us, only 3 in the class, should make it easier. Sven seems to have loads of patience with us, even when it takes me an age to understand some of the technical stuff.
We watched dvd's on the theory of diving and completed levels 1 - 3, there are tests at the end of each level, sometimes I found the answer much easier if I looked over the shoulder of either Mike or Carl.

Dinner tonight at Dragonera chinese restaurant. The Toasted Shrimp are as good as ever. Such a treat to be sitting outside eating dinner when only yesterday we were trudging thru snow. I am sure by the end of the week we will be used to the heat.

Found the entrance to a souk like market, with perfume & spice shops along with the usual tourist tat of T-shirts, magnets & beach towels. Invested in some menthol oil after the shop owner managed to clear up my blocked nose, been suffering with a bit of a cold for a few days. There are baskets of Alum stone everywhere, invested in a small stone for my travels. I didnt think I would miss mine quite so much, and its heaps cheaper here than in Scotland, and much easier to find.

Walking back to our hotel Mike had to make a pharmacy stop to buy Anital, he is blaming the hotel breakfast. Bad introduction to Egypt getting the sharm shuffle so early in the holiday.

Dive Day 2

Started today with practical lessons in the pool. Firstly we had to squirm, squeeze and wriggle into our wetsuits both sets of them, what a palaver. Then we had to put on this thing called a BCD its kinda heavy and a bit akward, especially when you have to bend over forwards to put our fins on. Thankfully none of us overbalanced. A backward walk to the edge of the pool, then sit down on the edge and sort of slip into the water. The pool work for the course is tiring, and seemed maybe a little silly doing them in the pool. After lunch break I lasted an hour in the water before I had to get out exhausted, slept the rest of the afternoon on the lounger. Mike continued with the course work with more pool and classroom stuff. I have fallen a long way behind now.
Egyptian food has taken its toll on me, enough said, didnt even have the energy to go out for food tonight.

Open Sea here we come

Early start to the lessons today, and a bit of luck Carl did not turn up for class, which enabled me to catch up on what I had missed yesterday. The Open Water course was once again looking manageable. Very busy morning, with practical and theory the last 2 stages (the hardest) had to be completed before lunch break.
We got 2 dives in the sea, the first to let us get used to the open space and gaze at the fish, the 2nd dive to re-do the practical stuff we did in the pool somehow it seemed easier in the sea.
How are you supposed to NOT smile when you are floating around under water gazing at all the fish, cute little black & white ones, the curious yellow Nemo who just seems to play act with the instructor, but danger lurks in the shape of the Stone Fish, one we knew to avoid. The stunning colour of the coral was not to be outshone by the fish, fantastic colours and shapes.
The dives were over way too soon and we still had the last 2 module questions to answer, you see it is not all fun.

Tonight we managed to go out to eat, when in Egypt, go eat Italian. Topic of conversation at dinner was monoplised by our first day diving, it was just so fantastic.
The twinkling stars just rounded of the almost perfect day, clear skies, so tomorrow not only do we do 3 dives but it could be nice and warm.

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Photos

Camel Dive Club
Where dreams come true

Dive Boats
Waiting for more Divers

Oh so Cute
Nemo

Open Water
Wait for US