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This page just really covers the diving that I did while out in Cape Verde, I must thank everyone at Caboverde Diving for looking after me especially Romina, Fabrizio, Kush, Sara & Walter and all the supporting staff who made it a really enjoyable holiday. If anyone wants a recommendation for a centre to use while out there Use them, service was excellent, prices were good and I felt really looked after all the time I was with them
Day 1 Dive 1
This was that anxious moment of whether I had picked the right Dive school as I had picked it from a review in Sport Diver magazine and then not being able to find any negative comments on YD or anywhere else, also the feel from the email correspondence we had.
8.15 on the dot I was met outside the hotel entrance by Romania and chauffeured to the dive school in there brand new white pick-up and then we ventured towards Santa Maria, this was a very unique experience the roads are somewhat rough while they keep digging them up to lay new utilities. While driving the roads I couldn’t decide whether you drive on the right or left as you just weave along the roads avoiding the potholes. We made it to the centre a little shaken but intact after driving through a very big building site, I believe that was the outer edge of Santa Maria, what will the rest of Santa Maria be like!
After a quick chat and completing the legal paperwork we sorted out the kit I was borrowing, although it was well used it seemed in good condition , I had brought my own regs, suit & mask (being 6`3" hire suits are normally a bit `snug`). Once sorted the tanks and bcd`s had all been taken to the rib we then got taken to the pier in a slightly `weathered` truck with us all piling in the back for the 5 minute run to the pier. We saw the centre of Santa Maria, very interesting, it is very much in an early state of development, but it looks like it will be very nice in a year or so once the second row of accommodation is complete as you move away from the sea. We trekked done the pier through the local fishermen to the Rib and headed off to the first dive site
The first dip was a simple 30m dive where I had to do a simple timed exercise to show how narcosis effected you (I was faster under water than on the surface) and then had 20 minute swim round a to take a few pics of the local wildlife and then do the controlled ascent up the line from 22m
Day 1 Dive 2 - Back on the rib we had a 45min interval and headed over to the next site, the tres Grotes (3 caves to you or me) One point to note by now avoid the all inclusive fry up in the mornings or remember the sea sickness tablets as the surface is very choppy all the time, once a metre below all is calm but getting there can be a little stomach turning, I found myself watching the horizon many times to 'calm' the gut!
Three caves was a very nice dive consisting of a row of 3 caves each slightly smaller than the previous, the first 2 were more like big rooms that you could swim into, around and then back out with the last being only big enough to peer in by torchlight.
By the time I got round to writing this (day 6 of the holiday) I am struggling to remember all the different things that we saw as over the 8 dives I saw so much. So I'm going to keep the tutorial short from now on and just let you look through some of the 1100 pictures and videos that were taken and you can decide on how good Cape Verde is compared to other more developed areas of the world
Day 2 Dive 1
This proved to be a very 'eventful' start to the dives; as the centre had a couple of 'less experienced' divers who wanted to go out today Fabrizio (My Instructor) asked if it was ok to do one of my recreational dive days to day and finish the deep dives tomorrow, always being the obliging fellow I am I agreed. First to turn up at the centre was an English couple (first English divers I had seen) then a Frenchman and Philippe who I think was Spanish. The English couple seemed very pleasant as I now had someone I could talk to rather than feeling like Billy no mates as my Spanish, Portuguese and Creole are not really up to conversation levels! (Saying that I was always made to feel welcome by the dive team). The English guy had only done about 60 dives (about the same as me) and his other half 140 so I thought no problems there, the French guy on the other hand I couldn't tell his experience until we hit the boat and that's a whole story in itself! And finally Philippe he didn't reveal much to start with but I discovered he done some 700+ dives largely in the Caribbean as an instructor, he had brought all his own kit and wanted to test out a new camera as his old one flooded. We got to the first site, kitted up and watched the English and Frenchman disagree who's Large bcd was who's and then the English guy managed to snap a fin strap but assured everyone it was ok it was just the pull bit at the end. Eventually we rolled over one by one as soon as the French guy went in he had to come back out as he had kit problems. I went in and headed to the line to wait for everyone else then it really started to go pear shaped as the English guy rolled in and shouted his fin had gone. Not an issue I thought to myself just paddle back to the rib and change it but oh no he then starts to panic because as he inflates his bcd he thought it was crushing him and he could breathe so Kush, our DM, heads out to I'm to deal with him by this time he was really panicking as a Rescue diver I head back along the 2 boats in case more help was needed. Before I had got half way the other DM in the RIB had dived from straight to the Panicked diver, Cush had got his weights off and was now getting him back to the rib. His partner decided as he wasn't diving she would sit this one out as well so it was just to be 3 divers and the DM off we finally went to a 28m wall dive, even after all the surface drama it didn't end there, then we had 'Le Frog' or should I say ' Le Crap Diver!' all 3 of us seemed to spend more time watching out for his welfare than enjoying the dive but we did our best and still managed a few good snaps.
Day 2 Dive 2 - When we got back up to the rib the English guy had been as sick as a dog, he must have had the fry-up in the morning while we were having a break his partner started 'discussing with me how she didn’t' think the situation had been dealt with properly, my personal opinion would be that both DM's dealt with it very well and maybe the Englishman should review his skill levels in the sea before trying again. Anyway we dropped them both back at the beach during out SI and then headed back out to a wreck dive. I think Philippe had spoken to Cush about the Frenchman as this time rather than a group swim Kush took the Frenchman and Philippe and I buddied up. This proved much more fruitful Philippe shared a wealth of his aquatic knowledge with me we saw a large range of fish and marine life round this 80ish year old wreck. As normal I'm the first one back up with 20bar left but who cares when you have had a great time!
Day 3 Dive 1
This was to be the penultimate of my instructed dives for my Deep Dive Speciality we were to go down a line to 32m then drop over a small ledge to an overhang that was 40m have a look at some coloured cards to see how the light changed and to monitor our descent for narcosis. Once down the line we swam over the ledge and dropped down to 41.5m, I could tell from my breathing that I was anxious but still focused, under the ledge was a small stingray which Fabriccio pointed out. By now I had one computer showing 1 minute no-deco time and my spare showing 3 minutes, I advised Fabrizio who seemed surprised as his Aladdin was still showing 4minutes compared to my Suunto's I decided to come away from the bottom a bit to ease the times and air consumption but of course as soon as you move away you then have to see something, this time a huge lobster hiding on a ledge so you just have to try and get a quick snap! We then started a slow ascent to 20m to do a 3min safety stop as DAN has now recommended on deep dives that a 3 minute stop at half the deepest depth will help reduce the risk of DCS. And then up to 5 metres for the statutory 3 minutes. Although the bottom time was short it still ended up being a 30minute dive.
Day 3 Dive 2 - Now this was meant to be a 28m dive to the Wreck Boris but the divers that went down just before our arrival had the line snap on them so after 30 minutes of binding lines together and then trying to relocate the wreck from reference points Fabriccio went down to try and re-attach the line. He seemed to be down an age before popping up over 200m from us, the current and low via had made it impossible for him to find the wreck so instead we headed of to Pontinha for a wall that was at a similar depth. Once we got to the site Fabrizio gave us the new briefing and he said there was a 'medium' current. So over we went and down the line, once at the bottom I could see Fabriccio signaling to the guy in front of me to hit the bottom and kneel down which seemed odd to tell experienced divers, that as till I hit the bottom and felt the current, no way was that 'medium' more like F#####g strong. We were advised to carefully crawl across the sandy bottom until we hit the more sheltered rocky areas. This was probably the hardest dive I had done to date just because of the work needed against the current, but it also had some great rewards with some excellent marine life and such an easy 'fly' back to the line who needs wings with a current like that.
Day 4 Dive 1
These last 2 dives were just a couple of leisurely pootles around. Firstly we finally made it down to “Boris” the lost wreck from yesterday and after Kush reattached the broken rope we head down today I was buddied with Phillippe again while Sara took a couple or guys (not sure where from) and Kush got the Frenchman again!!! We dropped down the line and just had a gentle swim round taking quite a few pictures this was the first time I had used a strobe with my camera (Pictures were “below average” need some practice with it me thinks) Phillippe and I stayed in sight of each other but really did our own thing just snapping away that was until the normal termination point of my dives NO AIR!! Well at 50bar I headed back up some 15 mins before everyone else (NOTE to self – Stop breathing!!)
Day 4 Dive 2 – Well this was the final dive of the trip and I’m not sure how you would describe the final site it was a fairly rocky area with lots of small caves, ledges and over hangs, lots of fish and a small amount of invertebrate life. It was a very pleasant bimble round just taking in the sights and sounds and of course still clicking away until the air ran dry yet again, at least there was never a chance of me going into Deco time with my air consumption!!
Final Summary –
A really nice area to dive I can’t compare it to the red sea (not done there yet) but if you compared it to Tenerife you would be pretty close, lots of fish and life, as I was doing my Deep Specialty I was a little restricted on the sights I could see in order to fit in the required dives but I was quite happy and believe there is plenty more unspoilt sea around Cape Verde to see the next time we head out there. I think Unspoilt is the best way to describe it all, it really is an island in it’s infancy so if you want somewhere nice to go before the lager louts and undesirables find it go now you won’t be disappointed!!!!
