March 2008 Archives
Many things have happened since the keel-laying of the New Dive Asia I back in August 2007. On 18 January, another milestone was reached when the boat was launched. She was brought to the water with another traditional and religious ceremony.
In the months prior to her launch, we cut dozens of huge steel plates, performed a kilometer of electric welding, and used gallons upon gallons of primer. Of course, we made plans and revised those plans again; anyone who has built a house already knows what we're talking about. Engines and generators were selected and serviced, quotations were collected from carpenters and electricians, and we surfed the Internet for countless hours comparing for example different models of air-conditioners, finding the right mattresses, and so on.
It has been a real adventure which we have really
enjoyed.
Manta,
Manta. On
Thursday 13 March and Sunday 16 March, Dive Asia encountered several Manta Rays
during our Raja Noi daytrips. During the Thursday cruise, all of our
divers had the pleasure to dive twice with the majestic ray almost shoulder to
shoulder. During the second dive of the day, there were two Mantas
present and on the third dive we dove with a huge Manta Birostris. On
board were many certified divers as well as seven Open Water students and two
Discover divers. All of them enjoyed swimming with the beautiful Mantas.
During
the Sunday dive, we once again had two Manta Rays at the "South Tip"
of Raja Noi and our divers also had the opportunity to observe the Gracie
Rays.
Mantas
have a wing span up to seven meters and can weigh as much as 2000
kilograms. Compared with many other rays, Mantas are not poisonous.
They are peaceful animals who eat plankton. They spend most of the time
close to the lighted waters near the ocean surface and therefore are easy to
observe by divers. Similar to the Eagle Rays, Mantas use their fins much
like a bird's wing. They reach a top speed of twelve kilometers per
hour. Mantas are known as underwater acrobats and are able to jump a few
meters out of the water.
They did it again. At the beginning of March our friends from the Blue Fins Dive Club joined us once again for a
total of 28 dives on the M/V Dive Asia I. For the first part of the cruise, the Blue Fins had the boat to themselves. They were later joined by three South Tyroleans – two Japanese and one French diver. This mixed group matched perfectly and had a lot of fun on board. Robert, a Blue Fin, had the pleasure to celebrate his birthday with old and new friends.
Of course, they also had great dives with good
visibility. One of the highlights was their ability to view a four
centimeter long by three millimeter flast Short-pouch Pygmy Pipehorse
(Acentronura breviperula) at Rocky Point. They also
encountered three Cobias, a huge Napoleon Wrasse, and a Pink Whipray.
But the real highlight was a three-meter Giant Guitarfish. The
Rhynchobatus djiddensis was sighted during the last dive at Shark Fin
Reef. This fascinating fish, which is related to skates and rays,
is very rare in this area.
Everybody was excited to follow the call of the Blue Fins on these trips. Despite a bit of rain during the evenings, both trips were a huge success. A lot of laughter was enjoyed, pictures and emails were exchanged, and plans made for the Blue Fins' next visit. We are already looking forward to welcoming Klaus and Joerg along with the rest of the Club for a future visit.
Somsri
"Nid" Choojan will assist you in selecting your dive excursions,
courses, and equipment. She can help you decide on the right choice for
your diving adventure.
Born
in
These
jobs helped Nid to gain great knowledge about
All
of this makes Nid the perfect advisor in all diving related areas.
She
works at both our Kata and Karon shops.
Also
new on the Dive Asia team is Warawan "Som" Pangpairee.
Originally from
Som
concentrated on Maths in high school and studied the course in Marine and
Coastal Resource Management Technology while at university. Both areas
have proven her to be very beneficial to us.
She
worked her first job following graduation from university on the administration
staff of the
Som
works at our Karon shop.
The
schedule for the 2008/2009 live-aboard season aboard the new M/V Dive
Asia I is now online.
We
have designed our live-aboard cruise itinerary and schedule to offer 16 dives in
On 9 August 2007, at 9:09am, we had the keel-laying for the new MV Dive Asia
I. In a traditional and religious ceremony, the keel was
consecrated. Afterwards, we enjoyed delicious local food and received
many well wishes for our new ship.Much progress on her construction has been made since the keel-laying. It is now possible to imagine that she will be a true beauty of the sea.
The
MV Dive Asia I will be ready for your dive adventures by the end of October
2008. She will be 29 meters long with a beam of six meters. Twenty
divers will be accommodated in ten cabins all furnished with their own en suite
cabin. Nitrox will be available for all sixteen dives during the
five-night and four-day cruise to
Starting today at irregular intervals we will publish news about our live-aboard cruises, day trips, and diving courses as well as information from and about Phuket and anything else we believe you would be interested in knowing.
You will also find our special offers, photos, and much more.
We hope to keep you updated and entertain you with interesting stories and news items.
Enjoy reading our blog and feel free to explore our Archives.
Your Dive
Asia team
