Master Technical Diver!
Mathias Eick gained his PADI Master Scuba diver by completing his technical dive training with us completing Tec Basics, Tec Level One and Tec Deep diver along with Enriched Air diver and Night Diver! So many things can count towards this rating.
more info...
Specialty Prize Winner
Mark Stevens is the latest in a long line of PADI Specialty of the month prize winners with Dive Aqaba. Mark completed his Digital Underwater photogrphy course with us in April 2008 and was entered into the competition. There are more prizes to be won every month ask our staff for the latest!
This month's Specialty...
New Tec Wreck in Aqaba
The Aqaba Marine park scuttled the Al Shorouk a feeder that had been damaged after breaking a mooring in a southerly storm last year. She spent some time on the Kempinski hotel beach in Aqaba. She was towed off and cleaned and sunk off the Eel Canyon dive site on 18th June 2008, she settled a tadge deeper than intended but that did not deter the dive Aqaba tec team from getting pics for you straight away!
Full story...
New Instructor - Chris Taylor
Chris attended his PADI Instructor examination in Eilat on June 17th 2008 and successfully completed the exam. This opens up more options for future candidates on instructor development courses in Aqaba. We are now cooperating with PADI Europe as well as PADI International to get the best options for our candidates.
Full story...
Deepest Dive in Jordan - 131m
Rod Abbotson and Dorit Yoseph successfully completed a dive to 131m off the Power Station Wall dive site on Sunday 8th June. They were supported by Dive Aqaba team members Chris Taylor and Izz (Ahmad Akl Khateeb) along with husband Ronny. Without their support and help the dive would have been impossible
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Queen Rania visits Laila One
Her Majesty Queen Rania visited Laila One, our dive boat to congratulate Laila Manna on being the winner of the Aqaba Development Corporation Award for Excellence in Microfinance Projects for 2007. The Queen met the Dive Aqaba team and discussed the future of diving tourism in Aqaba.
Full story...
Tec Team Locates Ferry Ramp
Rod Abbotson and George Ionita located the missing ferry ramp that fell of an Arab Bridge Maritime ship near the ferry terminal in Aqaba port after several commercial diving companies failed to locate it. Our team found the ramp in less than 12 minutes! Trimix was used. George Ionita helped on the first photo survey and Everette Ingram on the subsequent lifting feasibility study.
Full story...
Marc Sluszny visits Aqaba
Course director Eyal Sayag brought famous sky surfer Marc Sluszny to Aqaba to complete his DSAT Tec Trimix course. Marc is now adding to his cave diving and ice diving experiences by learning to dive deeper at the extreme edge of the sport. He is now an honourary member of our tec team and will be returning in the future to build up his depth experience.
Marc's page...
Everette Does it Again!
Our course director Everette is the overall winner in the instructor category for the Master Scuba Diver Challenge in 2007. In 2006 he was the overall winner in the instructor category for Specialty of the Month. This makes two years in a row with accolades from PADI! Well done!
Everette's page...
Welcome for new team members
Alex and Chris get a nice welcome from our female team members at a party in the dive center. Alex is working through his courses to Divmaster over the next few months while Chris is currently completing his Divemaster course followed by his instructordevelopment course and will take his PADI Instructor exam in June.
internships...
New Trimix Gas Blender
Dorit Yoseph completed her DSAT Trimix Gas Blender course with us over the last weekend. Dorit, a Dive Aqaba Tec Team member is currently taking time off tec diving as she is expecting her first child. Which doesn't mean she has to stop tec training! Congratulations from all at Dive Aqaba to Dorit and husband Ronny.
Dorit's page...
Specialty Prize Winner
Tony O'Riordan won a runner up prize from PADI for completing his Boat Diver course with us February. Dive Aqaba has one of the best records of prize winners for specialty of the month. Ask staff for the current months specialty. This of course doesn't mean you can't complete any of the other specialties we offer including
Boat Diver...
100m on Air with Mark Ellyatt!
Dive Aqaba Tec Team members George Ionita and Rod Abbotson joined by Mark's girlfriend Iona conducted two fun deep air dives to 100m at the Power Station wall. Mark and Iona had just returned from touring some of Jordan's attractions - Petra - Wadi Rum - Dead Sea. We hope to see them back for another visit in the future.
Mark's page...
New Pelagian Divers
Dive Aqaba Tec Team members Philip Barawitzka, George Ionita and Rod Abbotson completed a course on the new Pelagian DCCCR (Diver controlled closed circuit rebreather) with Mark Ellyatt who brought his own unit to Aqaba to teach us how to use it. George & Rod also completed their Dolphin SCR Rebreather courses.
the full story...
New Course Director
Everette Ingram has now returned to aqaba as a PADI Course Director after completing the CDTC this March in Malaysia. He also gained his DSAT Tec Deep Instructor Trainer rating. This will enable our center to give high quality personalised instructor training with two course directors both at recreational and technical levels.
more info...
Mark Ellyatt visits Aqaba
Mark is coming to Aqaba to run a Pelagian rebreather course for three of the Dive Aqaba Tec Team members. Mark is famous in the tec world for his 313m dive of Thailand in 2003. Mark now runs courses through Inspired Training for experienced technical divers willing to venture beyond the normal limits.
Inspired Training
First Trimix Course in Jordan
Dive Aqaba conducted the first trimix diver course in Jordan in February. Philip Barawitzka completed the DSAT Tec Trimix Diver course with trimix instructor trainer Rod Abbotson culminating in a nice safe very deep dive at Aqaba Blue Hole off the Power Station dive site!
more info...
New Instructors
Dive Aqaba team members Suzanne Conway and Gary Austin were successful on their PADI Instructor Examinations in Sharm El Sheikh in February together with Hazel Coad from New Waves dive center. Suzanne is back working with us and Gary is looking for work in the Sinai, we may yet see him back in Aqaba!
Suzanne...
Earl is back!
After disappearing with an injured tail, Earl, our dive center cat has now returned after more than one week. He has now been reinstated on the team page and his collar now removed to keep him safe from possible human predators!
Earl's page...
Everette Selected for CDTC
In less than three years from becoming a PADI Instructor in August 2005, Everette has now been selected by PADI for Course Director Training in Malaysia this March. This took a lot of dedication and hard work. Dive Aqaba will become the only Dive Center in Jordan with two Course Directors ensuring a superior standard of diver training at all levels.
Everette's profile...
Specialty Prize Winner
Another first for 2008, we have just heard from PADI that our Chef on Laila One, Motaz, has won a prize for completing his equipment specialist in November.
This also enable him to be more effective help on the boat with any minor kit problems.
course details...
Tec Trimix Diver
We are the first dive center in Jordan to be able to offer trimix training. Our first DSAT Tec Trimix course will be next month and will take 6 full days to complete for the divers
who already have their DSAT Tec Deep Diver certification. We will also be able to offer DSAT Tec Trimix Instructor Courses to those that meet the many prerequisites for the course.
course details...
Winter Diving
We are going out diving everyday during the winter months here in Aqaba. The water temperature is still a balmy 21° Celsius but the wind can be chilly after the dive.
So we are providing hot soup between dives! One reward is that we now have frogfish back in the waters as well as seahorses and ghost pipe fish, so its well worth getting in the water.
more info...