In case of doubt don’t do it!

That we like to take an underwaterĀ strollĀ and preferably as we have planned, is the general rule for us divers. The strange thing is that when we plan it, we also expect and sometimes oblige ourselves to go diving. We don't want to disappoint our buddy or have been looking forward to the dive for so long and how about I traveled half the world for it. All bad reasons to take the plunge if you feel a sense of doubt before entering the water. Of course it depends on the reason of doubt, for some it's okay if you go, but for most it's really better to sit out the dive and get help if possible.

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Buddy for life

I am now on transit in Istanbul on my way back to Amsterdam and these are the moments when I have time to reflect on my diving adventures. The exciting dives I've already made, the eye-catching places I've seen, the nice people I've met and especially the new diving (travel) adventures. As a passionate diver, I am blessed with a life as a dive guide and love to meet new people. I love divers and think we're kind of an exclusive club of underwater adventurers with a common denominator that goes beyond just diving.

Being watched

As a child I was not as fond of the sea as I am now. I always had the idea that big wild scary animals would bite my feet off if I walked into the sea. And to be honest I was also afraid of the deep part of the pool after seeing 'the killer whale' a fantastic movie about the revenge of an orca. Anyway, I'm pretty much over my fears now as I'm at sea full-time and like to explore the depths where I've never seen such a scary beast as my fantasy showed me when I was a little girl. Yet I still have the feeling that we are being watched and occasionally I meet the spy myself.

Stop diving?

Sooner or later we all play with the question: is it perhaps better to stop diving? I myself have been a big fan of this sport for over 20 years, but sometimes life doesn't turn out the way you expect and you may not feel fit enough to dive like you always did. So is Sue, a fantastic lady I met on the liveaboard trip from this week. With a lot of young people on board Sue is a relatively mature lady, I don't know her exact age, but it's obvious that she belongs to the seniors. During our trip to the 'golden triangle' of the Red Sea (Brother Islands, Daedalus reef and Elphinstone) Sue realizes that these kinds of trips might be a thing of the past and she even considers stopping altogether.

Don’t worry, be happy

Finally we can go out again after the pandemic. I'm going on the day boat from Voodoo and we have a super nice family on board that regularly make me pee my pants from laughter as they are doo funny and joyful. I am therefore very surprised to see the always smiling daughter Eva with tears on our aft deck. What is going on? She can no longer equalize het ears.

An unforgettable experience

We all need help from time to time and it is not always easy to ask for help. And sometimes as a dive guide I get a completely unexpected request for help, I mean it's my job to help everyone above and below the water but I just don't expect it from everyone and ask … Continue reading An unforgettable experience

Time to enjoy

My love for diving is driven by the versatility, the adventure, a wonderful world and above all becauseĀ divingĀ isĀ likemeditation. The dry world melts like snow in the sun with every meter I descend. Wonderful 'bimbling' in shallowwaters where the sun rays plays, discovering and exploring a wreck, peering through my lens in search of the perfect shot, descending to great depths inĀ seekingĀ sharks. Yes, diving is amazing and very immersive and relaxing. Now, as a dive guide, I meet a lot of divers and see how much and in what ways people can enjoy themselves. And every time I see such a joyful moment I have to smile at the recognition and it is seldom that I am surprised, yet Nasam succeeded.Ā 

My first tiger shark

My first tiger shark Years ago I mainly worked in the south of the Red Sea on a Liveaboard, which departed from Port Ghalib. As a rule we did trips to the Deep South (Saint Johns), The Brother Islands or Daedalus, but Rocky Island and Zabargad were still quite new to me. The week before … Continue reading My first tiger shark

Too old to dive?

Sometimes there are trips or moments that stay with you and sometimes they are just special people. One of those special people is Max, an old gentleman from Great Britain who would rather not dive than blow out the tickets on his birthday. It all started with the necessary emails from the head office about Max, he would join us on the live boat and reach the magical age of 89 during a trip.