Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Sentinel

by

Who said a Taxi driver knows the way?

Eric Underwater on his Sentinel RebreatherIt all ended with a series of Ian, can you ask him to turn around?  The dive shop and the hotel are in the other direction; we just passed them. And later, I don’t think he knows where the airport is… just keep going, I think I see the sign up ahead.  Of course these two events were broken up by lunch and a lie by the pool all after getting off the boat and experiencing more of the Egyptian governmental efficiency – he wanted to know if I had any cigarettes, when I explained that I did not smoke he wanted to know if I had a lighter.  Since I did not smoke, I had no lighter so everyone needs to bring all of their luggage in.  This was followed by some more arguing between the officials and our driver, the luggage being x-rayed by an operator who was talking to another official and who did not even bother to look at the monitor, re-loading the van, more yelling and off for “the hotel.”

 

 

It was a full week.  The routine was assembly and diving during the day, lectures at night, and a written test in my spare time.  All-n-all it was an interesting week.  The diving was less than spectacular, the scenery was a little bland (except for the Russians) but the company was fun and the Rebreather was interesting.

 

Kevin noted that while we had a number of issues with the units, at the end of the week all twenty of the units were still divable — albeit the units had a variety of failures from secondary handsets staying on or not working, temperature monitors (TPM) not functioning, and high pressure sensors either failing or giving erratic results.  He had been on tests of other units where the failure rate was 50% to 100% before the week was out.

 

My own personal unit had a secondary handset failure, a non-functioning TPM and an oxygen sensor that went in and out and gave erratic reading when it was functioning.  I am planning on visiting the factory and taking a technician course so I hope to learn more about these failures.

by

Training Under the Waves

Kevin Gurr Discussing New BOVThe wind has picked up and the waves resemble a good day in the Gulf with the sun a little obscured by the clouds.  But despite the slight turn in the weather, like and good scuba course, the training goes on.  It is interesting in being the the first group of divers on a unit.  There are a few problems or design things that pop-up that might make it easier.  Of course I am not sure the design team always want to hear the comments.  However, the reception has been positive and everyone seems to be enjoying diving their units.

 

The dives themselves have been pretty boring as far as the general scenery.  Training reefs all of them with lots of sand and patchey corals.  Kevin was a little disappointed that the winds picked-up because we were poised to dive a “nice little wreck over there” but it is now too rough.  So instead we are mneung to a more protected area with access to several other sights. 

 

I like the unit.  It seems a little more complicated than the Evolution but it also has more features and some far superior design features that make it more appealing and an off-set for its larger size.

 

Simon Butler & Jong Sub ParkIt is interesting listening to Simon try and explain some wording for Jong Sub, from Korea, while he is trying to take notes about the course.    What would be another way to explain a concept by using a common word to explain something (e.g. “sanity breath,” “calming,” “settling down” and so on.).

 

The training Continues

by

Travel, ouch

Snowing In EnglansThis kind of travel can get expensive.  Yours bags are too heavy.  You can rearrange them so they are under 32 kgs or rearrange them and check another bag.  No matter what, each bag must be under 32 kgs.  Come back and see me when you have them all arranged.”  When you already have 2 bags weighing in at the maximum weight and the are rather full the only option is a third bag.  And surprise, it will cost ₤75 (about $150.00US).  This is turning out to be an expensive undertaking.  Oh well, you do what you have to do to have fun!

 

After a long wait at the airport it was off to Egypt where more adventurers in travel awaited me.  After de-planing, you need to buy a visa – I think.  In asking the official, he told me diving, you need a visa if you are planning to visit Ros Mohamad. Are you planning on going there?  Since I have had little information about this trip, I had no idea whether I was going there or not.  But in looking at everyone who got off the flight, it appeared I needed to buy the visa so back in line.  The visa was $15.00 US.  If you had pounds sterling, you had to convert it to US dollars to get your Visa.  An interesting pricing structure since very few Americans travel to the Red Sea and a large number of Englishmen do.

 

Headed to EgyptWith Visa mounted in hand, I proceeded to immigration where thy applied it to the last page in my passport, skipping about 20 blank pages, stamped it and the told me no visa needed.  I am still not sure whether I needed it or not at this point.  Collecting the luggage was easy and the customs officials merely looked mean and disgusted while waving us through.

 

Having a Rebreather made it easy to find others arriving for the training course and we quickly found one-another.  Seven of us all looking for our transportaion.  Phil looked at us and said I am happy to see you, I’ve been here 45 minutes and no-one has shown up.  We continued to wait and finally Sue very nicely asked one of the tour guides picking up another group, if she could borrow her cell phone and call the dive operator whi was supposed to be picking us up.  After a brief discussion she was told they should be there, I don’t know what happened, just stay there and I’ll get them to find you.  A half an hour later she phoned us on the other tour guides phone and said they are there, where are you?  Of course we were standing outside the international arrival door so they probably were not there but were in transit.  Sure enough, 30 minutes later someone arrived, looked at the cases and said we don’t have enough room for you.

 

After a little discussion, we loaded ½ of the group in one van and the other part in another.  In the interim, the one van was parked the wrong direction in the street and a bus that tried to avoid him plowed into another car.  An argument resulted which in Egypt are very animated and up closse, ensued and we weren’t sure that everyone was going to get out.  They fineally did and so did we.  The funny thing was they made it to the boat before we did.

 

We got to the port and met the local guard unit at shift change according to our driver.  All we could tell was there was a great deal of yelling going on, our driver parking at the gate then mneung back to let the ambulense pull out and park, then back to the gate only to have to back up again to let the ambulance pull back in (local transportation for the police in the port).  This went on for about an hour.  Finealy, we were allowed into the gate but only as far as the officve where we were led into a large room to meed the local authorities.,  They had already taken our passports earlier and now they were trying to match faces the othe passport and making sure we had that visa (I guess I needed it whether I planned on visiting Ros Mahamoud or not).  Back in the van, without the passports – don’t worry, they need to copy them;  and, they will give them back to you on the boat.

An interesting start to the trip…

by

The New Rebreather

Doesn’t look like that much stuff for that much money“I have just had the most interesting conversation with the Chef at the Renaisance Hotel and he has your package.”  Imagine the surprise we all had when my new Seninel Rebreather was delivered to the Kitchen at the Renaissance Hotel.  It was being delivered to the hotel so I could pick it up as I passed through London on my way to Sharm el Sheik.  Kevin chose the red Sea for the first crossover training program.

 

The Red Sea is a popular destination for divers from the UK and Europe for a diver from the US, Egypt is not an easy destination. Continental’s price for a round-trip fare to Cairo was over $4,100 and in the economy cabin to boot!  So, flying to London seemed like a better choice.  However, looking into it further, the only carriers that fly into Sharm are British Airways, Egypt Air and lots of budget charter airlines.  In looking at the charter airlines, the pricing seems reasonable until you start looking at the cost of adding checked luggage which they all charge a premium for.  In talking to Al Wright at CCR Technologies, the maker of the rebreathers, he said “welcome to European travel, just book as much luggage as you can on-line and then talk to them at the counter.  You should be able to get everything on.  I have always had good luck.” 

 

My thought process through it all was, “what if I am not lucky, what would I do with the excess?”  So, Ann is sending me off to the Red Sea via British Airways and the more standard luggage limits.  I am still sure I’ll be paying but I have a better idea of what it is.  Of course, the flight is operated by a BA subsidiary that has been sold to another charter company and I am on the last flights under the BA logo.  Tomorrow should prove to be interesting..