We are so lucky in Sydney from a scuba diving point of view. Sydney offers so many diving opportunities. So matter if it is our great shore diving, boat diving with the sharks at Magic Point or the seals at Wollongong or checking out the seadragons at Kurnell, there is just so many opportunities to go diving around Sydney.

In recognition of this we have set up a web page which gives you rapid access to all of these activities and much more. We call the web page Scuba Diving in Sydney so  why not check it out.  While you are one the site make sure you also check out Scuba Diving Sydney – Dive Calendar and plan your diving for the coming months.

Scuba Diving in Sydney web page

Drysuit Diving

Generally from June to Septemberis the best diving in Sydney. The sea will get fatter and flatter and the vis will get better and better. Along with this the water temperature does drop.

At the moment the cuttlefish are out in full force, get out to oak park and check them out. They are about a meter long and displaying there beautiful colours in the mating dance. In the next months the port Jackson and crested horn sharks will be calling past. Also a must see experience. Keep an eye out for there babies and there eggs that we usually see around September.

In sydney we are lucky enough that the water does not get super cold. If you have a good semi dry with a hood you will be comfortable on a shore dive all year around, for the first dive of the day. It is really just for the second dive and between the dives that I get cold, and this is where a dry suit comes into play.

It is so nice doing a dive pulling down your suit down and being warm and dry between the dives ready for the next one.

Over the the period June to September we have drysuit courses happening where you get to try diving dry. It is a strange feeling but a great one!

Check out the details of our Drysuit course or to book on. It is a one day program.

Go on give it a try dive dry.

 Have you ever thought what it would be like to swim like a turtle? Yes you say… Well a team of Side-mount Divers have started a global diving craze where divers all around the world are starting up ‘Turtle Diving’.

Typical Turtle Diver

While on expedition in the Maldives the team developed this mesmerizing art, which allows the divers to experience the inner mind of turtles. During the act of ‘Turtle diving’, divers channel their inner turtle in order to prepare for the forthcoming Turtle Dive.

Utilizing a modified single-tank side-mount configuration by Hollis, divers mount their tank and use their arms to propel themselves through the water column. Diving, gliding and being one with the ocean allow them to really “be the turtle”.

Be the turtle

As you can see in the video, during Turtle Diving it is important to periodically pause and hover. This allows you to experience the weightlessness and effortlessness that turtles are renowned for. You can move gently through the water column for enhanced Turtle Zen. Utilise the educational video to help you understand, prepare and execute your first unforgettable “Turtle Dives”.

Divers wishing to participate in Turtle Diving are recommended to have both the PADI Side-mount Diver and the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Diver qualifications to safely participate.

Just remember, be the Turtle and… Turtle Power!

Signing out from the heart of the Maldives, the Abyss Scuba Diving Side-mount Team.

Turtle hunting food

Swimming with Whales sharks is on the top every divers bucket list

Swimming with Whales sharks is on the top every divers bucket list… And from what we all experienced I can definitely see why. 2 weeks ago a group of 14 divers from Abyss Scuba Diving travelled to the Maldives to experience all that the Maldives has to offer. We knew that Whale Sharks frequented the waters there, but where not 100% that we would get to actually see one. Well we where very lucky…

We where aboard the live-a-board the SY Maldives Siren which is a 34 meter luxury sailing yacht. After about 7 days of diving some of the best reef in the world, we decided to make our way to outside of the Ari Atoll which is world renowned for it Whale Sharks, and its year round Whale Shark research.

Dwarfed by the Whale Shark

After passing up the coast close to a steep drop off, the call was made to kit up as we had located a Whale Shark! The team of divers kitted up and boarded the tenders and drove up current of the shark. It was almost as the Whale Shark knew just how excited we all where and slowed down to a soft glide allowing us to spend over 20 minutes with it without exiting the water.

I had only see one from the surface once before, but never had the chance to enter the water to swim with one. I knew they where big, but honestly I didn’t really prepare myself for just how big it was going to be.

A very big fish

The biggest Whale shark that has ever been accurately measured was 12.18m and apparently they have been less accurately reported to grow to 18m in length! Can you believe that!

I was dwarfed by the Whale Shark that we sighted and it was only a baby – About 6 meters long. Check out the photos taken by the amazing photographer who was on board named Shafraz Naeem, aka ‘Shaff’. He works onboard the SY Siren and was one of the guides for our group that day. The photos are just amazing.

I am the one in the gliding along with the whale shark in the deep blue! It really was something else…

We also had a few GoPRO’s that where taken with us and we compiled a compilation of what we experienced. Check it out.

Share a special moment with the worlds largest fish!

If you to would like to swim with whale sharks then check out our Whale Shark trip coming up in October.

Staring out the window of the plane it was impossible to see land anywhere big enough to land. All we could see was turquoise water, white sand and coral atolls everywhere… Honestly as far as we could see. When we neared sea level a small strip of land appeared below us. We had just landed in the Maldives. 14 divers strong, we boarded our luxury yacht for 10 days on a journey of a life time.

A Fun Trip

Currently we are 4 days in and sailing through North Ari which is just West of Male’ the capital of Maldives. We have already done some of the best diving i have ever experienced, and have been told it is just going to get better and better as the trip goes on.

The group has been enjoying every day,

We have been having lots of laughs with some of us going troppo already. lol

Tropical Fish Life

Every dive we have been buzzed by sharks, massive dog tooth tuna & GIANT GIANT trevally’s, eagle rays, bull rays and endless other pelagic’s. There has been every pretty reef fish you can imagine, and swim throughs and caves to die for.

Because of the coral formations that make up the Maldives, every atoll is surrounded by thila’s which are large over-gowing mushroom like formations that are skirted by overhands and caves. Lucky for me I have my Hollis SMS 50 Sport which is the perfect rig for this type of diving. I am able to explore every nook and cranny and really get the most out of the dives.

The group has been enjoying every day

The group has been enjoying every day, with some of the best diving any of us have ever done, along with some of the best food and customer service we have experienced on a dive live-a-aboard.

Well, i better sign off and get back to sun bathing on the bow of the Yacht and will speak to you all later.

Over and out…

While they’re protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act, evidence suggests seadragon numbers are falling. The World Conservation Group has classed the seadragon as “near threatened” on its Red List of threatened species.

Little is known about the Weedy Seadragon. To rectify this Professor Booth and  his UTS team have teamed up with Abyss Scuba Diving  to study the Seadragons of Botany Bay National Park.

Measuring a Weedy Seadragon

The plan is to conduct detailed surveys of weedy seadragons living along the rocky reef at Kurnell. In April the first group of “researchers” donned scuba gear and got to work, underwater cameras in hand.

The Seadragon survey day starts at 9:30am with some basic training on how to spot, sex photograph and make basic observations of the seadragons. The divers are broken up into teams of 5 and then we heat out to Captain Cook Park at Kurnell and do 2 dives. During the dive the divers record the location of the seadragons they observe and take photos of tell-tale markings on their flanks. The dorsal spots are like fingerprints, and these identification photographs are used to identify individuals and monitor them over time.

Survey Area at Captoon Cook Park Kurnell

Abyss Scuba Diving runs regular Free divemaster escorted shore dives in locations where seadragons can be seen on a regular basis. For those who would like to get more actively involved in helping to find out more about the weedy seadragon the Weedy Seadragon Survey is a perfect way to do it.  If you want to get involved then check out the Sydney Diving Calendar or simply book on for the next seadragon survey. Please note, numbers are limited.

Join us on the next Seadragon Survey

Do you want to be adventurous, have you ever wanted to be an explorer?

Becoming a scuba diver is a about exploring the other two thirds of the world.  Giving dives you the opportunity to go places and do things that other people only dream of.  This exploration can be as simple as exploring some of the great scuba diving around Sydney on a Sunday afternoon.  On the other hand as a diver you have the opportunity to travel to remote tropical destinations or even remote Antarctica and see an entire other another world both above and below the surface.

Scuba diving is a family activity allowing generations of the same family to enjoy nature in only a way divers can.  By taking the kids diving, parents and grandparents can show then the wonders of the world first hand while doing an activity which will bring them all closer together.

Scuba Diving is a wonderful activity which enables all participants to leave their day to day lives and enter a world of exploration and adventure. So be amazed, be a diver…

The equipment we use as scuba divers is what keeps us alive while underwater. It is “life support equipment” that must be repaired, adjusted and tested only by qualified individuals with the correct training.

Even for mechanically minded people, the procedures required to keep this life support equipment in as new factory condition is not intuitive and requires explanation, and access to specialized service outlines and also custom tools to do it properly.

Abyss Scuba Diving is happy to announce that we have just released a manufacture authorized Scuba Service Technician Training Course which will provide eligible participants with formal training in the repair and maintenance of scuba diving (Open Circuit) equipment produced by 3 of the industries leading brands; Oceanic, Hollis and Aeris.

Carl Fallon, Our ‘Platinum’ PADI Course Director recently travelled to San Francisco in the USA to the HQ of American Underwater Products where he did Service Technician Instructor Training for all three of these brands.

Carl Fallon doing Service Technician Instructor Training

Who is this course for?

There are several reasons why you would benefit from doing this course.

• Dive professionals looking at increasing their career opportunities and those wanting a more thorough understanding of the workings or dive equipment and their features and functions.
  
•  For Dive Center owners and those planning to set up in business it is a comprehensive course that will enable you to offer these services to your customers. This is part of a Dive Center Managment training course run by Abyss.
•  PADI Instructors wanting to achieve their Equipment Specialist Instructor rating can combine the PADI Instructor rating with this training and easily achieve both qualifications.

Who can attend this course?

This training is designed only for dive professionals doing their traing through Abyss Scuba Diving. This is because we want every on of our candidate to have a base knowledge of dive theory and basic equipment functions prior to starting.

To attend you must be one of the following

•  PADI Instructor or other Instructor who is from another agency doing a crossover with Abyss.
  
• PADI Divemaster’s who are currently undertaking a dive internship within our Career Development Center may also attend this program. Please note that Dive Masters are unable to attend the PADI Equipment Specialty Instructor training portion.

Regulators fro Service Technician Training

What does the training include?

This is an approved course covering all aspects of service, repair of maintenance of Oceanic, Hollis and Aeris Scuba equipment.

The course has several modules including:

Overview and History of American Underwater Products

• Consumer maintenance recommendations
• Initial product inspections and testing
• Troubleshooting and evaluation of symptoms
• Specialty tools and cleaning supplies for proper service
• Procedural steps used in cleaning components
• Use of specialized service procedures
• Testing & tuning 1^st stages regulators
• Testing & tuning 2^nd stage regulators
• Testing and repairing procedures for Buoyancy Compensators (BCD’s)
• Testing and repair procedures of Inflator mechanisms.

The course is designed to give as much emphasis on practical knowledge and skills with a large proportion of the course devoted to ‘hands on‘ practical work.

A highly practical course, with hands on experience in a real scuba workshop within our busy service center.

Repairing an Oceanic AirXs Octo Regulator

Costs & Special Add-ons

The cost of the manufacture authorized Scuba Service Technician Course is $500 (AUD).

To include the PADI Equipment Specialty Instructor Course it is just another $150 (AUD).

Courses run every 6 weeks all throughout the year.

For more details please contact us at Abyss Scuba Diving on (02) 9583 9662 or email us at dive@abyss.com.au for more details.

Scuba diving is a great family sport but before a parent have their children taught to dive then the child’s readiness to learn to dive needs to be considered.

According to PADI kids can be certified as Junior Open Water Divers as early as the age of 10. Under Australian Standards of kids doing the as Junior Open Water Course the standard recommends a minimum age of 12 years of age. Children develop physically and mentally at different rates, making it difficult to define an age at which all children can safely dive.

A child’s maturity, reasoning skills, and physical limitations should be taken into account .

A child’s maturity, reasoning skills, and physical limitations should be taken into account when determining if he is ready to begin scuba diving. With the type of diving we do around Sydney the child’s physical development is a major limiting factor in teaching the child to dive. We not only use the Australian standard of a minimum of 12 years old but also have a physical size of a minimum weight of 46kg to ensure the child is physically able to handle the equipment safely in the ocean environment.

Much of the debate about children and diving stems from the fact that there is no concrete experimental evidence to prove that scuba diving is either safe or dangerous for children. Hyperbaric scientists cannot take young children diving and expose them to various dive profiles and risk factors just to see how many get decompression illness or dive-related injuries. Such experiments would be unethical. For this reason the data is not available and we must come down on the side of safety.

Another factor which must be remembered is that not all kids and teenagers are ready to handle the stress of the underwater environment and the theory work required for a diving course. Before parents have their kids taught to dive then parents need to know that the child really wants to learn to dive? (This should not be the merely desire of his parents and friends.). The child must be comfortable in the water, and can he swim and have a sufficient attention span to listen to and learn from class discussions, pool and open water briefings and debriefings and other interactions with an instructor.

Once the kids are ready then to learn to dive then diving is a great sport which the family can enjoy for many decades.

If you’re a scuba diver in Sydney and are looking for some to do so diving then the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule if perfect for you. If you have a regular dive buddy or not, if you are an extremely experienced diver or a novice scuba diver then the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule has something to offer.

On average, there in excess of 40 different Sydney-based scuba diving activities every month on the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule. These activities include the regular FREE divemaster-led shore dives, boat dives, wreck dives, shark dives, seal dives, night dives and weedy seadragon surveys.

Join the regular FREE divemaster-led Sydney shore dives.

The scuba diving also includes activities courses for beginner, advanced and professional level diver. So no matter what your level of experience and training there is always plenty of diving opportunities available to you for scuba diving around Sydney.

To determine what is available at any time simply go to the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule on the web (there is a desktop and mobile version of the Diving Schedule available), then simply enter the month you are looking to do something and press the search icon and all the planned activities for that month will be listed. If you wish to book onto any of the activities or courses then simply click on the activity and it will take you to the booking page.  Please ensure you do book as many of our diving activities fill up quickly. If you book your rental equipment online using the links from the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule then in many cases it will get you a 10% discount over booking by phone or coming direct into the shop.

Don’t forget to go back and check out the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule on a regular basis to see any additions or updates to the schedule.  So check out the Sydney Scuba Diving Schedule.

Jumping into the Abyss with the Sydney Diving Schedule