25.2. 2021 Lockdown Day 336 Level 3 but everything is open
The last two days we were launching with our Freediving Instructor Training . Renier Kruger, our new addition to the team is an avid spear fisherman. In fact, he rates among the best in our area. This is really the reason why we employed Renier.
He is extremely knowledgable on anything spearfishing and freediving but he never had any formal training and qualification.
So we decided to pull him into our business, start by training him into a Freediving Instructor first.
Then our Elma will take care if the boy and train him in Scuba Diving.
I told Beulah, Renier must be a Dive Master and familiar with Protea Banks before the winter comes. I cannot possibly do another winter on the boat….
This kid, 25 years old, is amazing. I show him something once and he gets it staraight away. Almost too good to be true….
Today he free dived down to 33.5m ———what can i say. We have a winner. He has passed Freediver Course, Advanced Freediver Course and today Master Freediver Course.
This weekend he will become a Freediver Instructor. And me and Spike will be his first students…oh dear….
Also today Tomas Kotouc and his nine Czech divers have arrived from Czech Republic. Just in time it seems as we learnt that from tomorrow no Czech person will be allowed to travel to South Africa…
But we were lucky, the Diver Villa is full of life and we will have purpose again.
Beulah, Spike and i will be back in business. For one week we are going to bait and reef dive every day. I am sure this will be a very interesting time for all of us.
Watch this space for reports.
8.2. 2021
So one phone call was enough yesterday afternoon to get us back to diving Protea Banks today.
The weather was and still is rainy all day. Not really ideal to get into the mood but we didn’t let this put us off.
The vis was more stable today with just short of 25m. And the temperature was lovely with 27˚ on the top and 25˚ on the bottom. Thankfully we did not have this nasty thermocline we had yesterday.
Although the dive was totally chilled, we only saw one lonely Zambezi right in the end.
What can i say, another successful shark dive…
I will be back !!
7.2. 2021 Lockdown Day 318 Level 3 revised
Yep, we dived. And it was really nice.
Must admit, getting up nowadays at 4h30 is not much fun but once i was in the water i was a happy boy.
Vis was 25m on the top half which was also 27˚C warm. Bottom half had 21˚C and 20m vis.
We saw a Great Hammerhead, 3 Scalloped Hammerheads and 3 Bull Sharks. Nice and gentle current took us across the Southern Pinnacle of Protea Banks. Magic.
By 9am we were back and ready for breakfast. Then it was pool time at home and just now the Braai will be lit.
Live’s good
1.2. 2021 Lockdown Day ... Level 3 revised
So we had a family meeting as it is called when our president speaks to the nation. Sweet.
And because our new infection rate is so low ( please note !!! ) our restrictions have been eased very nicely :
- Bottlestores are open again from Monday to Thursday
- Restaurants and bars are selling alcohol again
- All beaches, parks, rivers, lagoons, lakes are open again
- Qatar Airlines is increasing the flights to and from South Africa
- Lufthansa is flying several times a week to various destinations in South Africa
- Emirates is not flying to SA until 12.2. for now.
- A flight with Lufthansa from Hanover to Johannesburg costs € 482 during the month of February !!!!! ( unreal )
- I went to Lancet laboratory today to dispel the
fake rumourthat all covid per tests are reserved for hospitals only.This is fake !!!
All Labs still offer per tests with results within 24hours nationwide at a cost of ZAR 850
Here are the numbers :
For one week our new infection rate hovers around 4000 cases a day with 200 – 400 deaths.
Today the country received one million vaccines. From tomorrow the phase one of vaccinating front line workers will start.
Everybody living in South Africa whether citizen or resident, legal or illegal will be eligible for vaccination.
That's it and tomorrow we are going to dive Protea Banks
4.2. 2021 Lockdown Day 315 Level 3 revised
And dive we did on our beloved Protea Banks. But ..yeah..Protea Banks reports to Mother Nature and that one was grumpy on Tuesday.
Vis was 12m, no current at all, no sharks. But the water was pleasantly warm (25˚) and it was nice to be ‘home’ on Protea Banks again.
This dive just reminded me that January and February are not the greatest dive months here.
We were going to dive again tomorrow, Friday but none of our friends is keen to go diving free of charge.
So for now, our next dive is scheduled for Sunday.
In the meantime we spend our time on all kinds of important jobs :
