Go Deep Scuba - Welcome to 2010 

News
All of us at Go Deep Scuba hope you have had a very Merry Christmas and New Year - spending time with your family and friends.  The wind kept many out of the water over the holiday period but the last week or so it has calmed a little and divers are reporting they are finally experiencing some good conditions and hunting has been successful.  December was a busy training month for us and we welcome ten new open water divers, who received their certification just prior to Christmas.  We would like to welcome your all to the diving community.  We hope to see you along on some dive trips over the upcoming summer months. 

As you can tell the format of our newsletters has changed.  We have moved to a database system, that allows us to send out the newsletters and maintain our database more efficiently.  This is also connected to the upgraded website. 

Upgraded Website
We have a new look site that went live on the 19th.  Hopefully all the little issues have been sorted but, please, if you find any links that don't work, let me know, so I can get these changed, asap.  Potential dive club members can now sign up online and be added directly to the database, you can register your interest in dive trips, purchase gift certificates, its easier to navigate around and you will see an increase in information available.  If you go onto www.godeepscuba.co.nz and have a look around and let me know your thoughts.  

Trips
The following trips are coming up:
 
Marlborough Sounds
This has now been moved until later in February due to the unavailability of sailings on the ferry.  These were booked out due to the AC/DC concert in Wellington over the weekend it was originally planned for.   
 * Mikhail Lermontov
* Cray diving

Norfolk Island (April/May 2009)
* Experience the history and culture of Norfolk Island
* Fantastic visibility of up to 50 metres on a good day (average is 30 metres)
* 7 days (Saturday to Saturday)
* Cost from $1,600 per person.
* Includes 8 dives, 7 nights accommodation, flights ex Auckland to Norfolk Island and return

Gisborne - shark diving - (March)
*Limited numbers
*Experience the rush of seeing sharks up close and personal
* Cage dive
* Do not need to be a certified diver

Waikato River - Drift Dive
*Limited numbers
*Must be an experienced diver with a minimum of 30 logged dives

There are some limits to these dives as some experience is required.  If you require more information, go to www.godeepscuba.co.nz and the Dive Trips page and register your interest. 

Poor Knights - Queens Birthday Weekend
*4 dives
*Travel Friday, diving Saturday/Sunday, travel Monday
*Available for Open Water diver and above
*Must have proof of certification
*Costs to be confirmed

DIVE COURSE SPECIALS
Check out the Open Water Special, in this newsletter.  Available until the end of March 2010

Specialty of the month - Underwater Navigation (PADI & SSI).  Normally $220.00 - until 28 February 2010, now only $160.00.

PADI Advanced Open Water Diver - Normally $450.00, until 28 February 2010, now only $350.00

Scuba Update - If you are interested in participating in a FREE Scuba Update, please email me on sharon@godeepscuba.co.nz.  We will run these in Palmerston North, once we have a minimum of 6 participants.  If you are from Wanganui, we can provide transport at no additional cost to Palmerston North, so you can take part. 

SERVICING
Our technical department has been busy over the last couple of months with regulator servicing and testing.  Please remember if you require your dive equipment to be serviced to give us at least 4 days to get this completed for you.  Depending on the type of equipment, and availability of service kits, there may be a longer delay, but we endeavour to advise you once the technical staff has checked the gear over. 

FISHERIES REGULATIONS
Please make sure you are up to date with the local fisheries regulations.  Ministry of Fisheries Officers are constantly on watch for those breaking the rules.  If you need more information we have brochures available in both dive shops that are free.  We have run out of the official scallop and paua measures and according to the Ministry of Fisheries, they are not sure if more are to be made.  We will keep you informed as to if/when we have more of these in stock.  Other cray measures are available for purchase through either of the stores.     

There was an incident just recently where paua poachers, a group of 3, were apprehended with 701 paua, 23 times over the daily limit of 10 each.  Another group had 150 paua and many others were seen leaving the South Taranaki beach with sacks full of hundreds of paua.  Anyone caught breaking the regulations are likely to face heavy penalties in the way of loss of equipment, seizure of boats, trailers and cars etc.  PLEASE ensure this does not happen to you.  

Thats about all there is right now, so we hope you are out there, blowing bubbles and doing what you love to do underwater, be it hunting, photography or just enjoying a dive.  Whatever it is you choose to do - dive safely.

Until next time

Sharon & the Go Deep Scuba team