Morning all...

Well I am back and ready to post although it will not be all sweetness and light as a bit sad that Amanda is having to go back tomorrow. At least we have a cracking meal lined up and plenty of vino to try out.

Well what have I been up to in the last week then? On Monday Amanda and I had a great trip to Ronda. It is a beautiful town with a very impressive gorge running through the middle. The sun was shining and the Paella and Tapas went down very well with the vino blanco.

Diving wise it has also been pretty hectic with the Easter break in full swing! Most of the diving has been taking place in Marina Del Este, this has given me real confidence with this dive site and I am more than happy to lead divers round and show them the sights. Plenty of Bream, Octopi, Mullett, Starfish and Nudibranch's to spot.

Tomorrow I will be off to Tarifa for the first time for a days boat diving and I am really looking forward to it. I have been told to expect 20-30 metres of visibility and some great sea life as it is where the Med and Atlantic meet. I will have to update you on my return.

Today I am off to Club La Costa near Fuengirola to lead the try dive session for the kids. It is a great fun thing for them as they would normally be too young for the proper diving. This try dives have speacial kit which stores all in a backpack. I have also packed the underwater frisbee and torpedo so hopefully they can really enjoy themselves!

I promise I will not leave so long next time, stay tuned...

Back again, not to worry

Hi everyone, its been a few days so apologies to those hanging on a knife edge for the next instalment!

Well I have been pretty busy I can tell you. I have managed a few more exams so I am really pleased. Physiology, Dive Skills and the Environment and Dive Equipment. I got scores of 95%, 90% and 75% respectively. Struggled a bit on Dive equipment because the exam still tests on J valves and transducers but they are not included in the encyclopedia anymore so just scraped a pass. But, as they say, a pass is a pass.

Last Saturday we dived at La Herradura, no sunshine was a first but hopefully not to be repeated situation. I assisted Antonio as we led a group of English guys from Sevilla round the dive site Tres Picos ( 3 Peaks ). Visability was good at around 10-15 metres and lots of varied life. I even spotted an Octopus under one of the overhangs.

Yesterday I took full advantage of Skysports with a football super sunday in my apartment!

Tomorrow it looks like we are back off to Gibraltar with 4 divers, 2 English and 2 Dutch. I quite like this site as there are loads of wrecks sunk purposely for an artificial reef project. I am thinking of using a couple for my Dive Site Mapping exercise I have to complete sometime soon.

Thursday we will be back to La Herraduras but the difference being is that it will be me leading. Think I shall be revising the map a few times over the next few days. I have heard that losing divers does not go down very well!

I will try not to leave it as long next time before my next update so stay tuned...

One down a few more to go

Just got pass the first hurdle as I managed to score 95% on my physics test.  Boyles Law, Charles Law, Archimedes Theory, Gas laws, formulas etc etc, but got through it.  As those who know me Maths is my stronger subject so harder tests to come.

Writing this again in the traditional McDonalds in down town Torremolinos, I have found a signal nearby where I live but it does mean a small drive to the reception area of the estate.

Some more good news, just when I thought that I would be coming home with an Irish accent (only english channel on TV was RTE 1!) I have had a fiddle with the tuning and found I have been missing out.  I now have BBC1, ITV and all Skysports 1,2 and 3.  Get in footie Sunday for me!  Also found a few movie channels, not well known ones but none the less it makes a change from 'The Afternoon Show', Seioge and Fair City.  You thought Emmerdale was bad just try sitting through Fair City.  It is very pants.

Dived again in Gib yesterday with a newly certified Diver.  She was a bit nervous but once the first dive was over she was much better on the second dive.  Viz on the first was very bad due to some building work nearby disturbing all the sand on the bottom.  It was a real struggle to in front of your face and it was very disorientating.  The second dive however was much improved.  Lots of sea life - Box lipped mullet, juvenile wrasse and I managed to find a great small octopus swimming past.  I find them incredible creatures and so hard to find when they camoflague.

Pool skills tests today, good to get them out of the way and to practice them at the same time.  I am also having to watch the Open Water training video so I can kind of memorise the training schedule and what skills I have to teach and in what order.  The OW course is the bread and butter for diving trainers as it is the first rung of the diving ladder and where all divers start when they train with PADI.

Not long now until Amanda joins me for Easter week!  I am trying to sort out which dives she would like most then she can come along and have a go in the lovely Med!

Ta ta for now, thanks again for following