DIVING IN PAPHOS
Original text by| Ian Rick

The island of Cyprus is the third largest in the Mediterranean, is steeped in mythology and has a cultural heritage that can be traced back over 9000 years. Temples, mosaics, tombs and ruins are strewn right across the island and, in Paphos itself, there are so many historical and archaeological sites of interest that UNESCO simply stopped listing them and added the entire town to its World Cultural Heritage List.

Located in the clear blue waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, ideally placed for trading between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, it is no wonder that Cyprus has had more than its fair number of ‘tourists’ throughout the centuries: Mycenaeans, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great, Ptolemny, Richard the Lionheart, the Knights Templar, Guy de Lusignan and the Venetians. In the middle of the 16th Century it became part of the Ottoman Empire and remained as such until the British took over some 300 years later. Cyprus eventually gained independence in 1960 and will become a full EU member state in May 2004.

I do hope that you have the opportunity to travel round this beautiful island, take a journey through history and discover some of the many sights and experiences which continue to make Cyprus such a popular holiday and expatriate destination.

However, that’s enough of Cyprus above the water, what is there to discover beneath the waves? The water is usually crystal clear with visibility anything up to 50 metres and very minimal current. Sea temperatures range from about 17 degrees Celsius (63F) in February/March, very warm for you Northern Europe-based divers, up to 27/28 (82F) in August/September, which is just about right for us here in Cyprus!

Venture below the surface and a whole new World is waiting to be discovered: the amphorae ‘cemented’ into the reefs off Paphos, evidence of many a ship coming to grief on the rocks hiding just below the surface, lying in wait for the unwary seafarer; the geological formations of sink holes, blow holes, tunnels, caves and swim throughs, an environment crying out to be explored; the man-made reefs of helicopters, water cannon and fire engine providing homes for an abundance of marine life; and one of the top ten wreck dives in the world - the huge 8,900 ton roll-on/roll-off ferry ‘Zenobia’- which lies on its side in 42 metres of water just 1500 metres from the shore in Larnaca, its final resting place after it capsized and sank in June 1980. There really is something for everyone around our beautiful coastline.

If you have experienced diving before then you will already know exactly what it is that draws you to the mysteries of the sea. But, if not, if you have never tried scuba diving, never even thought about it or, maybe, you are not sure if you would like it, consider this: have you ever thought what it would be like to go into outer space? That feeling of weightlessness, what must it be like? In 2001 it cost 60-year-old American millionaire Dennis Tito $20 million to find out when he flew to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz space rocket. Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative; and you don’t have to leave Mother Earth to find it! The oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and streams cover more 70% of the earth’s surface. This vast expanse of water is our Inner Space! Why not come with us and explore this magical kingdom? Experience the freedom of weightlessness; get ‘up close and personal’ with the local marine life; admire the breath-taking scenery; hover in mid-water being rocked to and fro by the slight surge of the waves, just like the fish around you; and simply enjoy this wondrous, unique environment!

It is here that I must issue a note of caution. Once you start to explore our underwater realm you will notice that, when you next thumb through the brochures planning your well-earned holiday in the sun, you will have added a new requirement to the top of your checklist of essentials - does the hotel have a Dive Centre? I am afraid to say that there is no known cure. I thought that if I had my own Dive Centre here in Cyprus, where you can dive all year round, I would be cured. But no, my last holiday was spent aboard a dive boat in the Similan Sea between Thailand and the Burma Banks. There, I came face to face with a 6 metre long Whale Shark - fantastic! These beautiful leviathans of the ocean can measure as much as 18 metres in length but are completely harmless as they feed only on plankton. Why not come into the shop and see the photographs? For those of you of nervous disposition, don’t worry, you won’t find them in the seas around Cyprus!

Diving is a sport that the whole family can enjoy, as you do not have to be ‘super fit’, just in reasonable health. Here at the Elysium our PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Dive Centre runs courses ranging from Bubblemaker, a first step for 8 to 9 year olds which enables them to discover scuba diving in the safety of the hotel pool, right through to Assistant Instructor. If you wish to progress further, our Career Development Centre in Limassol is the place to go. Since Dive-In started running Instructor Development Courses in Limassol there has been a 100% success rate with all candidates passing the Instructor Examination!

At Dive-In we like to keep the classes small: to give students the time they need to make the learning process a pleasure; and to help the students achieve their goal with a real sense of success and accomplishment. After all, diving is a recreational sport and, as it should be fun, it is our aim to make it so! You do not have to commit to a long training course either - all courses are modular with each course being the foundation for the next - you can do as few or as many as you like.

If you have never dived before you will probably be wondering what you need to do to get you started and how you can progress. Easy! Come and join us at the poolside and ‘Try a Dive’. We will ‘kit you up’ and let you experience scuba diving with one of our instructors in the safe, secure environment of the hotel pool.

If you enjoy this, which virtually everyone does, your next step is to take the Discover Scuba Diving course. This course takes about four hours and consists of some theory, basic skill development in the pool and your first experience of scuba diving in the sea. Your next step is the Scuba Diver course, which takes about a day and consists of some more theory, further skill development in the pool and another sea dive. Once you have completed the Scuba Diver course you may dive to a depth of 12 metres accompanied by a PADI professional. The next course is the Open Water Diver course. This takes a further two days and involves some more theory, further basic skill development in the pool and two more sea dives. So, in just three and a half days you can achieve the Open Water Diver certification allowing you to dive independently to a depth of 18m with a suitably qualified buddy (dive partner).

To complete the full Open Water Diver programme, you can see that you have only to commit to one step at a time. As an additional incentive, if you progress from Discover Scuba Diving to Scuba Diver we will deduct the cost of the Discover Scuba Diving course from the cost of the Scuba Diver course. Similarly, if you step up to Open Water Diver, we will then deduct the cost of the Scuba Diver course. Pay and deduct as you go, for as far as you want to go!

If you are already a Scuba Diver, come and join us on a Dive Safari around the many fascinating dive sites of Cyprus. But, if you have never dived before, what are you waiting for?