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Ok, so if the topic description got you wondering, that's exactly what we didn't do, but you’re here now so may as well have a look?
It was a family holiday for myself and a my friend “Big D”, so we were under strict instructions not to go diving every day and come home well oiled where our wives and kids would be meeting us with divorce papers, as can be the case with divers!? (Surely not I, hear you say??)
We dived with YD members, Rebecca and Mike of Oceanquest Divers, formerly South coast Divers, (new website on it's way in a couple of weeks). We done four dives in all, the first a check dive and then three from there. All were shore dives as most sites are within a couple of hundred meters of the shore, Oceanic island and all that. It was a coolish 17 to 19degrees depending on location and depth, which was ok for a descent wet suit, but me being me, I took the dry suit for comfort (don't want to go diving and actually get wet!). I am no good with names but remember the check dive was called the "pool" as entry to the sea was via a swim though in a "very" large rock pool which was a first for me and a bit different. The second dive was deeper, I can't remember the name, and had a bit more life, but not in the “Red Sea” type of way. I think this increases as the season progresses as we were definitely diving off peak in March. Day two was excellent with the dives starting at a local supermarket? In we walked, getting some funny looks, and proceeded to buy our goods. Myself and Big D bought beer and wine, while Mike bought.....Fish! Was he having a laugh?, maybe lunch? what are those for? Mike smiled and replied " yes, they are lunch, but not for us". He explained he had made a few friends over the years he's spent on the island, a few of which were "six foot stingrays", I kid you not. We got to the dive site and eagerly swam to where Mike thought they would be, sure enough, they found us before we even got there, maybe it was the 2 kg of Mackerel down his pants, you’re not from Essex are you Mike?? We fed the fish for a bit, they were not shy, you had to fend them off to avoid being run over, probably not so good if your buoyancy (or sphincter) is a bit rough/loose. Then we headed back to shore for our surface interval and off to the last site. Overall we seen quite a few different species of fish, a mixture of the cold Atlantic waters and the more tropical ones. There were Octopus, squid, cuttlefish, all the usual bottom dwellers, damsel fish, morays, barracuda, coronet fish, even a trigger fish and the everyday wrasse and jacks, so plenty for everyone. On top of this the topography is different too. Nothing in the way of coral, it is all lava from the Island with some small drop offs and swim throughs until you steadily go beyond normal dive depths.
We all had a good time in Tenerife. Rebecca and Mike were the perfect hosts and even laid on a BBQ for us one night for a bit of home cooking - and they can both cook, the food was fresh and tasted excellent. With hospitality like this I can't help but recommend you look them up if you dive in South Tenerife, they really make you feel at home and treat you well from when they pick you up at your hotel to when they try and make you go drinking with them. If you have to keep the other half happy, this may just be an ideal compromise.
James
Ok, so if the topic description got you wondering, that's exactly what we didn't do, but you’re here now so may as well have a look?
It was a family holiday for myself and a my friend “Big D”, so we were under strict instructions not to go diving every day and come home well oiled where our wives and kids would be meeting us with divorce papers, as can be the case with divers!? (Surely not I, hear you say??)
We dived with YD members, Rebecca and Mike of Oceanquest Divers, formerly South coast Divers, (new website on it's way in a couple of weeks). We done four dives in all, the first a check dive and then three from there. All were shore dives as most sites are within a couple of hundred meters of the shore, Oceanic island and all that. It was a coolish 17 to 19degrees depending on location and depth, which was ok for a descent wet suit, but me being me, I took the dry suit for comfort (don't want to go diving and actually get wet!). I am no good with names but remember the check dive was called the "pool" as entry to the sea was via a swim though in a "very" large rock pool which was a first for me and a bit different. The second dive was deeper, I can't remember the name, and had a bit more life, but not in the “Red Sea” type of way. I think this increases as the season progresses as we were definitely diving off peak in March. Day two was excellent with the dives starting at a local supermarket? In we walked, getting some funny looks, and proceeded to buy our goods. Myself and Big D bought beer and wine, while Mike bought.....Fish! Was he having a laugh?, maybe lunch? what are those for? Mike smiled and replied " yes, they are lunch, but not for us". He explained he had made a few friends over the years he's spent on the island, a few of which were "six foot stingrays", I kid you not. We got to the dive site and eagerly swam to where Mike thought they would be, sure enough, they found us before we even got there, maybe it was the 2 kg of Mackerel down his pants, you’re not from Essex are you Mike?? We fed the fish for a bit, they were not shy, you had to fend them off to avoid being run over, probably not so good if your buoyancy (or sphincter) is a bit rough/loose. Then we headed back to shore for our surface interval and off to the last site. Overall we seen quite a few different species of fish, a mixture of the cold Atlantic waters and the more tropical ones. There were Octopus, squid, cuttlefish, all the usual bottom dwellers, damsel fish, morays, barracuda, coronet fish, even a trigger fish and the everyday wrasse and jacks, so plenty for everyone. On top of this the topography is different too. Nothing in the way of coral, it is all lava from the Island with some small drop offs and swim throughs until you steadily go beyond normal dive depths.
We all had a good time in Tenerife. Rebecca and Mike were the perfect hosts and even laid on a BBQ for us one night for a bit of home cooking - and they can both cook, the food was fresh and tasted excellent. With hospitality like this I can't help but recommend you look them up if you dive in South Tenerife, they really make you feel at home and treat you well from when they pick you up at your hotel to when they try and make you go drinking with them. If you have to keep the other half happy, this may just be an ideal compromise.
James
