Scuba Diving with NaxosDiving
Guest Contribution by Christoph
I‘ve been diving for over 20 years, not frequently, but regularly. My two brothers are enthusiastic divers with extensive experience and various additional certifications. While diving with them I realized how much I enjoy it and decided to participate in further diving courses. Thus, during our visit to Naxos in 2018, I contacted Manolis Bardanis of Naxos Diving and chose to complete the SSI Advanced Adventurer course with him. For this, five out of 12 special topics had to be selected and performed, while the other topics needed at least a theoretical study. We met for the course on several days in Panormos, at the southeast corner of Naxos, easily accessible from Azalas.
I chose the following practical exams:
1. Topic: Navigation
duration: 46 min, depth: 12 m
Task example: Setting buoys at specific angles and distances from an anchored boat and navigating back to the boat using these as reference points.
2. Topic: Search and Recovery
duration: 51 min, depth: 10.1 m
Task example: Searching in a circular pattern with a buddy using signals to communicate under water.
3. Topic: Perfect Buoyancy
duration: 34 min, depth: 4.2 m
Task example: Achieving neutral buoyancy and practicing equipment-related exercises.
4. Topic: Wreck Diving
duration: 34 min, depth: 34 m
Two dives were planned at dive sites reachable by boat from Panormos. Manolis and a colleague were the dive guides, with Jannis operating the boat. Besides me there were two other participants.
Before the dive, Manolis briefed us about the dive site, an archaeological site with scattered artifacts of amphorae at depths between 8 and 30 meters. He mentioned that this site had been plundered multiple times and might be forbidden for diving from the following year on. The dive was impressive!
5. Topic: Deep Diving
duration: 47 min, depth: 25 m
As the final topic, a deep dive was conducted with compass navigation and setting a surface marker buoy during a safety stop.
After successfully completing the Advanced Adventurer course having much fun and a great experience, my daughter and her friend also had their first diving experiences in a trial course with Manolis at Panormos beach. Following theoretical instructions on diving basics, equipment setup and safety checks, they began their underwater adventure.
Even though Naxos may not be among the top diving destinations worldwide, diving on the island is highly recommended. There are numerous fantastic diving spots, clean water, and a fascinating underwater world. Manolis Bardanis is the perfect diving guide, exceptionally knowledgeable about the underwater world around Naxos. Calm, composed, highly professional, and very pleasant. An experience not to be missed!
You can find information about various courses, including professional ones, and other professional offers and services on Naxos Diving’s website.
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