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Cool Drysuit Dives
In the mood for a snowy holiday when you can get back into the water? Why not get back to your favourite underwater sport instead of hitting the slopes like everyone else? Check these incredible dive sites and explore a new underwater world in your drysuit!
The quirkiest and spookiest ice diving site in Europe is only 45 minutes driving from the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. Rummu Quarry used to be a limestone mining site and a prison. When the excavation labour ceased in the 1990s, pumps that kept the quarry dry were shut down. Soon water started flooding the entire site. After the prison closed in 2012, Rummu became an adventure centre where you can practice different outdoor sports including diving in the crystal-clear waters of the quarry and explore the sunken ruins of the prison. Diving in Rummu Quarry is also available in the winter, making it a one-of-a-kind ice diving spot. Will you dare to do it?
Who to Dive With:
PADI 5 Star Center
Sireli Tanav 11, Harju Maakond, Rummu Quarry, Estonia 76102
+372 588 733 78
If diving in frozen lakes, which have almost no aquatic life, is not exciting enough for you, Russia is the place to go to practice marine ice diving. At the level of the Arctic Circle, the White Sea is the only sea that freezes in winter as all other places are warmed up by the Gulf Stream. Leaving from the shores of the region of Karelia, between St Petersburg and the border of Finland, you can go ice diving from December to April. In addition to impressive ice formations, you can also enjoy on the rocky sea-bed a surprise abundant marine fauna with soft coral, starfish, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins and sea anemones. An important point to remember, salt-water freezes at -1.8°C!
Who to Dive With:
PADI Dive Center
Nilmaguba, Loukhski Region, Republic of Karelia, Russia
(7) 495 105 7799
You won’t find salty seas in Switzerland, but alpine lakes and rivers make for unique and mystical scuba diving.
Lake Geneva has a variety of dives to discover. Wall dives and freshwater scenery can be perused beneath the surface. There is even a wreck dive – a stellar spot for more advanced divers to take the plunge.
Another is Lake Zurich, where you can head to excellent scuba spots right from the shore. The lake is serene, with lofty mountains cascading upward from the lakeshore. Glacially fed, the lake has sublime visibility.
River divers will be blown away by the Verzasca, an impossibly clear river found just south of the Alps near the border of Italy.
Who to Dive with at Lake Geneva:
PADI 5 Star Center and Instructor Development Center
Route D’Arvel 106, Villeneuve, Switzerland 1844
+41 21 9601535
Landlocked Austria wouldn’t seem a good place for diving, but you can’t judge a book by its cover.
The Salzkammergut region of Austria has almost 170 lakes. A favourite is lake Attersee, where there are dive sites galore to check out, in this, the largest of the area’s lakes. Nazi treasures were once held in Wolfgangsee, and though you can’t take them with you, you can still see them on a dive.
During a trip here you can swim in the cold, gin clear water, checking out park benches, trees, and trails, all on a carpet of green grass. It’s unreal!
Who to Dive with at Salzburg Lakes:
PADI 5 Star Center
Innsbrucker Bundesstrasse 53, Salzburg, Austria 5020
+43 662 890259
Inspired to start your own ice diving adventure? Find out more about the PADI Ice Diver specialty and head to PADI Travel to look for amazing destinations.
The third edition of DIVING Talks will take place in Lisbon at the Navy Museum from October 6th to 8th 2023.
This year’s show invites all the attendees to explore the depths of their shared passion for diving. Following on from two successful shows, this year’s event promises to be spectacular. The Speakers’ Panel brings Portugal some of the world’s most renowned diving experts, and they will share knowledge, experiences, and insights during a series of outstanding presentations.
DIVING Talks 2023 is for seasoned divers, technical divers, beginners, and all those keen to know more about the ocean and underwater activities. Attending the DIVING Talks will undoubtedly offer a wealth of information and inspiration to enhance everyone’s diving adventures.
Speakers
So far, the DIVING Talks organization has already confirmed the attendance of divers, scientists, archaeologists and other professionals such as Alessandro Marroni, Darcy Kieran, David Doolette, Gareth Lock, João Correia, Jonathan Bird, Karen van den Oever, Luiz Rocha, Mark Powell, Michael Menduno, Nuno Sa, Pete Mesley, Phil Short, Simon Caruana, Simon Mitchell and Tom St George.
These names are enough to ensure an incredible gathering, but more are coming. Follow the DIVING Talks website or DIVING Talks on social media, where the Organization updates everything about the event.
Tickets
This year you have three options to attend the show:
Full Weekend ticket – Full access to everything, from October 6th to 8th. October 6th is Brands Day, and October 7th and 8th are the talks and presentations.
One-Day Ticket – Attend the DIVING Talks for one day (October 7th or 8th) and the Brands Day (October 6th).
If you buy your tickets during the early bird period, attendees benefit from a 10% discount.
Side Events
This year the Organization is preparing numerous side events, from equipment trials to visits to the region, that will enrich the weekend, continuing to offer those that don’t dive reasons to attend or to go to Portugal with the attendees.
For more information, please reach out to Founder Arlindo Serrao at divingtalks@divingtalks.com
Website: https://www.divingtalks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divingtalks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diving.talks
Great news for RAID divers around the world: Gozo Diving & Gozo Technical Diving have joined the RAID network and now offer RAID courses, and RAID-quality support in one of the classic Mediterranean dive destinations.
Malta is a well-known and highly rated diving destination. The water is warm (around 28 degrees), the visibility is epic (20-40 metres), and many sites have weak to moderate current. So, there are great dive sites for every level of experience, and these include fantastic and historic wreck dives.
Located on the Island of Gozo, RAID’s new dive centre, offer the complete range of recreational, technical and Instructor courses. The facilities include two classrooms, access to an onsite pool and a full CCR room. So, visiting divers and instructors can enjoy nitrox, trimix, as well as oxygen-compatible air fills, rentals of sidemount cylinders, twinsets, and stage cylinders, DPV rental and of course high-end teaching, coaching and experienced guiding.
Gozo Diving and Gozo Technical Diving has more than 30 years of experience in training, exploration and diving professionalism. Now fully aligned to offer the the complete spectrum of RAID courses, which means both experienced divers as well as those who want to start exploring the underwater world can come and enjoy the dive site attractions of Malta and Gozo knowing they’ll get the fun and full-service experience our agency and network of RAID dive centres are famous for.
To find out more, email: info@gozotechnicaldiving.com or visit their website at: www.gozotechnicaldiving.com
Photos: RAID Blog
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Gozo Diving and Gozo Technical Diving join RAID
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