Dive into summer

As the weather warms and the days lengthen, many Coasties are getting ready to head back into the water, or under it. Auckland Scuba’s Jamie McLeish says now is the perfect time to check your gear and brush up on your dive skills before the summer season begins.

Auckland Scuba has shops in Rosedale and Silverdale, with courses run in the pool at the nearby AUT Millennium. “We use the pool there for skills sessions, then head to the ocean for real-world dives, mainly the marine reserve at Goat Island near Leigh or Matheson Bay,” McLeish says. “The water is a bit clearer and cleaner up there and there’s great marine life. 

The open water dive course runs over four days, two in the pool and two in the ocean,  and is open to anyone aged 16 and over. Advanced, specialty and instructor courses are also available.

 “Safety is the number one reason to train properly,” McLeish says. “You can’t fill tanks or dive safely without certification, and drills we teach are all about avoiding danger and responding well if something does happen.”

The Auckland dive season typically runs from October to April, with popular local sites including Tiritiri Matangi, Kawau Island, and Flat Rock in the Hauraki Gulf. Further north, divers can explore the Goat Island and Poor Knights Islands marine reserves, or sites like the Canterbury wreck at Deep Water Cove, near Paihia. One of McLeish’s favourite local divespots is the Royal Old Tar wreck off Tiritiri Matangi.

“It’s quite spread out and there’s a lot of wreckage and marine life such as big schools of kingfish, stingrays and sometimes even orca.”

Before heading out for the summer, McLeish recommends checking all dive gear. “Connect everything, make sure it’s working, and if it hasn’t been serviced in a while, book it in,” he says. He suggests taking a few exploratory dives to refresh skills and to ensure dive gear is functioning well.

McLeish says diving attracts people of all ages. “We’ve taught everyone from teenagers to people in their sixties.”

He says although people are often nervous to begin with, they find that soon vanishes.

 “We have taught people who were exceptionally nervous of the water, and once they find it’s a completely different experience, they get over the initial fear. Part of the reason we go into the pool initially, is that it is a controlled environment. The first dive, it’s a meter and half deep so they can just stand up if they get uncomfortable, and then gradually progress to deeper water as they get comfortable.”

Auckland Scuba runs open water courses every fortnight over summer, and offers tours to dive spots from Pahia down to the Coromandel. McLeish recommends diving in groups, not just for the safety aspect but also for the camaraderie.

“You can share discoveries during the dive and afterwards talk about what you’ve seen, and have a chat and socialize.”

For course details and bookings, visit Auckland Scuba’s Silverdale or Rosedale shops, or see their website.