Dive 2000 Dive Club - Sydney :: Chris Jefferd...Master Scuba Diver Thoughts

I was quite overwhelmed when, out of the blue, on the May 2008 Neville Coleman social night, Kevin presented me with a MASTER DIVER Dive 2000 fleece jacket. Many thanks to Kevin and Dive 2000. Apart from anything else it is really cool gear and I haven’t taken it off for 3 days. It was also very nice to receive the Dive 2000 VIP Club Membership card in recognition of the patronage I have given Dive 2000 over the years.

Dive 2000 was actually the first dive shop I visited almost 20 years ago when I came to Australia. I bought my first Aussie wetsuit from Kevin and have been popping in to say Hi ever since. I’ve been on a number of Dive 2000 overseas expeditions and often join the Dive 2000 gang on Ocean Trek weekends in Jervis Bay – every one a winner!

It is actually pathetic that its taken me 33 years to ‘extracus digitus’ and do more training in a sport that I love. I started diving in London believe it or not, in 1975. I survived training at Fort Bovisand, Plymouth and in the infamous Stony Cove quarry (exalted in the last newsletter) - the only time I have ever seen people actually turn blue. Those were the days (sigh), the days of Fenzy ABLJs and bad fitting 5mm wetsuits. Thank God I was posted to East Africa in 1979 and was lucky enough to spent most of the eighties diving along the pristine coastlines of Kenya and Tanzania.

When I first came to Sydney in 1988 I unfortunately had one or two shocking dives (not with Dive2000) and got put off the local scene, so I stuck to QLD and overseas trips for a number of years. Thank goodness though, I ‘rediscovered’ Sydney and NSW diving about 10 years ago and have basically been out of control ever since. Having trained with BSAC, I had a mental block about PADI for years but I eventually succumbed and did my Advanced course with Dive 2000 on Ocean Trek in 2003. Kevin really has a lot to answer for… A year later I was literally a born again diver when Kevin got me into underwater photography. Then I remember saying “You’ll never get me into a dry suit Kevin!”. All I’m saying is that August in Jervis Bay can be mighty persuasive. Now of course the world is my lobster 365 days a year! In 2005 I confess to going berserk and I did my DM and for the hell of it I headed off to Thailand and trained as a PADI Instructor. I haven’t pursued the PADI professional path but I am doing as much recreational diving as possible and picking up new skills on the way. Hence meeting the requirements for MASTER DIVER, which is the highest non-professional PADI qualification.

To qualify as a Master Diver you have to be a Rescue Diver and have done 5 specialty courses. I did the Nitrox course, equipment, dry suit, naturalist, and of course I am a graduate of the Kevin Deacon Underwater Photography School. I must say each one of these specialties has given me something special.

Nitrox is great to extend the 20-30m dives and stop you getting tired on the drive home from up the coast.
Equipment gives you more confidence with your gear, adds interest, and gives you some simple skills that could save you having to abort a great dive.
The dry suit course filled in the knowledge gaps after having learned the hard way, and a lot more too about all the different options there are to ensure year round diving bliss. My advice: do it sooner than later.
Josie Ruth was my instructor for the naturalist course and her passion was inspirational. I have been ‘looking’ at critters for years but never realized how many ‘blind’ spots I had in understanding how they all relate to each other. This course has given my exploring a new depth of meaning.
Finally, Kevin’s Underwater Photography course has set me on the right course at all levels; technical, practical and artistic. As with any artistic pursuit one can’t second guess the evolving levels of enlightenment and inspiration that come over time. It is great that I can keep in touch with Kevin and other graduates of his course for advice and support as I get more experience.

Being an engineer I’ve always liked finding out about things for myself but why not stand on the shoulders of giants if you can find them? I must say I’ve been very impressed by the quality of the PADI specialties. Five is not a magic number so I might pick up a few more of these little gems.

My latest wheeze is diving the wrecks off Sydney and there are a lot more than I realised. I’ve actually done quite a bit of wreck diving including the Coolidge and Truk Lagoon and plan to do Deep and Wreck to get more out of it (without necessarily going completely ‘techo’). After hearing Neville Coleman speak I think I might have give Night Diver a go too! I recently tried out a DPV (underwater scooter) which was great fun. I think there is a DPV specialty too. Is there not end to this madness??!! – I hope not.

PS.

It has just dawned on me while writing this, how much I have really got from Dive 2000 over the years through the professional service and consistent efforts of Kevin, Cherie and Team. Thanks again, and here’s to another decade or two down under.