Gran Canaria June 08

[Tommy]

Hi phil,

I have just come back from Gran Canaria and have dived with Dive Academy. This was the 6th time for me in G.C and I have dived with them 4 times. The other 2 times was with Top Diving. The service at Dive Academy is SO good it has spurred me to join Yorkshire Divers forum and tell you!
They also have a boat, but only a rib like Top Diving, so no lazy sleeps onboard between dives.
I also went to see Davy Jones, but they only dive the Arinaga Marine reserve and Top Diving only dive of the boat and this does not give you the best diving in Gran Canaria.
Dive Academy dive all the sites including the boat dives in the south and the Marine reserve and also a brilliant dive in the north called Sardina. Check it out at PADI Scuba Diving Centre Dive Academy Gran Canaria Diving School in Arguineguin Puerto Rico Maspalomas Playa Del Ingles Gran Canaria Boat and Shore Diving Canary Island Dive Courses Dive Holidays

[gavindiver]

I used this guy and it was very good Diving Gran Canaria, divecenter, tauchen kanaren, duiken gran canaria

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Tommy

Top Diving only dive of the boat and this does not give you the best diving in Gran Canaria.

Thats not actually true - Top Diving will dive Arinaga if requested and that, as previously mentioned is shore diving.

The south of the island needs boat diving - there is nadda to see from shore compared to the reefs 1/2 a mile out to see.

Top Diving is also now a BSAC accredited training centre as well as a PADI 5* and ITDA centre of excellence.

[Tommy]

hhmm very strange! I tried asking Top Diving on a few occasions to take me to Arinaga, but each time was told rudely, that there is nothing to see there and the weather is too bad!
Then when I booked with Davey Jones, on the day that Top Diving said it would be impossible to dive the site due to weather, the weather was perfect and had been all week!

[Jay]

Well, Arinaga is best dived between Oct and March - so if you wanted to dive outside that time them they will probably advise against it as the vis is shite due to the change in wind and currents. I have dived Arinaga with Top Diving in winter and there was never any issue.

I can understand a dive centre not wanting to take the risk of driving to a site that might be crap diving - but thats up to them.

You prefer Davy Jones as your posts make clear - I have used both Top Diving and Scubasur and I highly recommend them too.

BTW, define 'rudely' please? I'm sure Dirk will want to know if any of his staff have been rude.

[RichardC]

Originally Posted by Tommy

Hi phil,

I have just come back from Gran Canaria and have dived with Dive Academy. This was the 6th time for me in G.C and I have dived with them 4 times. The other 2 times was with Top Diving. The service at Dive Academy is SO good it has spurred me to join Yorkshire Divers forum and tell you!
They also have a boat, but only a rib like Top Diving, so no lazy sleeps onboard between dives.
I also went to see Davy Jones, but they only dive the Arinaga Marine reserve and Top Diving only dive of the boat and this does not give you the best diving in Gran Canaria.
Dive Academy dive all the sites including the boat dives in the south and the Marine reserve and also a brilliant dive in the north called Sardina. Check it out at PADI Scuba Diving Centre Dive Academy Gran Canaria Diving School in Arguineguin Puerto Rico Maspalomas Playa Del Ingles Gran Canaria Boat and Shore Diving Canary Island Dive Courses Dive Holidays

I give another vote for Dive Academy - Dived with them twice before and going back again next year. Run by a really pleasant couple Dave and Ellen (originally from Derby) together with several assistant guides. These guys really work hard for you. They will dive anywhere around the Island and pick you up if necessary. They look after all of your kit between dives and so all you have to do is enjoy the diving. They really know the dive sites and can offer dives from long shallow bimbles to deeper more challenging stuff.

Rich

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Jay

BTW, define 'rudely' please? I'm sure Dirk will want to know if any of his staff have been rude.

Yep got to go with that. Dirk is a highly professional dive school owner
and while I wouldnt like you to choose him over us :-), if I was diving in
Gran Canaria, that's where i'd be.

T.

[Tommy]

No Jay, you have miss understood me Davey Jones did take me to the marine reserve, but the service was not the best and the guide hardly spoke to us the whole day. They are a good outfit, but not much fun to be with.
I have just returned from diving with Dive Academy and I have to say they were very very good! May be next time you are there, you should give them a try for one dive and then see how they fair with Top Diving, I think you will be surprised.
I also would not want anyone to think any less of the Top Diving owner you mentioned Dirk, as I have never met him, he has never been around when I have been to visit the dive centre. I have spoke with 2 instructors and the office girl and all of them gave me the same response.
I spoke with an old local diver when I was last there and he told me that the marine reserve was at its best in the winter months, with large numbers of Rays and Angel Sharks!

[Redshift]

When I was there in 2003 I did 2 dives in Arinaga with Blue Ocen Divers but then I wet up north to La Palma to dive with Buceo Canarias. If you like wrecks go there! It's not as touristic as the south so it's probably not as known as other diving centers but it was very good. In 2003 they already had nitrox and were very friendly and professional.
I dived the Kalais, a 110m wreck at 30m depth, the Arona (100m at 35m depth) and La Catedral (The Cathedral), which is composed of a series of caverns and tunels, very wide and beautiful at a maximum depth of 40m.
Their website is in spanish only but here is the link:
Buceo Canarias - Quienes somos

If you go to "Inmersiones" you can check the diving spots I just mentioned and others more.
And in "Contactar" you have their address, map, phone number and you can leave them a message.