January 2019

Record Results at BOOT Anniversary Event

These results confirm boot’s position as the leading event for this sector worldwide. In addition to the visitors from Germany, the majority of the attendees came from the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy. boot Director Petros Michelidakis stated: “The exhibitors reported great business and many new contacts from all over the globe. boot is clearly a first-class business platform. The wide range of international travel destinations in the Travel World also attracted many visitors.”

Introducing All-Inclusive Pricing and New Benefits on the Emperor Raja Laut

Unbelievable! Emperor Raja Laut's exciting news:
• All-inclusive prices where all fees are included
• FREE Nitrox
• Wine with dinner
• Confirmed and guaranteed sailings no matter the number of guests. Sail with confidence!
• All Raja Ampat cruises include a one-way ferry ticket from Sorong to Waisai in the price of your liveaboard
• 10% discount for early bookings
• No hidden extras with Emperor’s transparent pricing policy

NAUI to Launch 2019 Technical Diver Training: Skills Update Workshop Series

Initial workshops began December of 2018 in Florida with a small team of Instructor Examiners working with the NAUI Technical Training Division to bring the Skills Update to U.S.-domestic and international partners.

“NAUI’s expansion of international workshops demonstrates the success of its global expansion of training initiatives, especially those related to technical-level training and best practices,” said Tim O’Leary, Director of NAUI Technical Training.

Selling Yourself Short: Your Skills Are Worth Nothing and You Work for Free

Salaries and benefits for new scuba instructors vary widely but, generally speaking, diving jobs are not well paid, and this is another reason why you really need to have a vocation for teaching in order to survive in this line of work.

At some point, many keen divers entertain the notion of giving up their 9-to-5 job and following the dream of becoming a professional scuba diver, making a living from their hobby and combining work with passion. After all, the advertisements for instructor courses in the dive magazines make it sound easy. All you have to do is sign up, fork out the dough and take the plunge. What could possibly go wrong?

SMS Friedrich Carl

The armoured cruiser Carl Friedrich was constructed in the year 1902 at the well-known shipyard of Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany. The armoured cruiser had a length of 126m and was equipped with an impressive array of guns and torpedo launchers. She was the second ship of the Prinz Adalbert class when she was commissioned by the Imperial German Navy on 12 December 1903.

Timor-Leste: Off the Beaten Path

Midnight snapper and sea fan on reef, Timor-Leste

Admittedly, I knew almost nothing about Timor-Leste until I started seeing a lot of great images of the diving there on Instagram. I became curious and started following a local dive operator’s Instagram feed, watching them post daily photos of cuttlefish, nudibranchs, peacock mantis shrimp and beautiful reefscapes. Where was this place and how did I not know about it?

Diving with Great White Sharks of Guadalupe Island

Great white shark, Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

“You’re crazy; I don’t get in the water with bitey things!” The announcement of my impending great white shark trip drew a variety of such responses from horrified friends. The undisputed bad boys of the shark world, great whites are the largest of all predatory sharks, reaching lengths of up to 6m and weighing in at over 2,000kg.

Emperor Divers Introduces a New Maldives Liveaboard

From this August, the new flagship, Emperor Explorer, will be offering contemporary and spacious accommodation where Emperor’s excellent service is standard.

At 42 metres, she effortlessly accommodates 26 guests in 13 well-appointed ensuite cabins all with air-con. Add to that her Spa, spacious diving and relaxation areas and guests are set to be captivated with her high standards in liveaboard Maldives holidays.