Clare and Tony diving at Marico Oog, picture by Ian White

Who are we?

Tony is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, who runs his own dive school called Learn to Dive Today, in Cape Town, South Africa. He has dived and worked all over the world – highlights being Mozambique, Jordan and Sodwana Bay in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. He moved to Cape Town at the end of 2009, and has been working for himself ever since. He also freelances occasionally as a skipper.

Tony at False Bay Yacht Club

Clare is married to Tony, as of 27 November 2010. She is has just completed her Divemaster course, having started diving in July 2009. Her day job involves lots of numbers and Excel spreadsheets, but she tries to spend as much time in or near the ocean as possible. She has lived in Cape Town all her life.

Clare at Long Beach, Simon

What is this blog for?

This blog is intended to be an outlet for our thoughts on scuba diving – mostly – Tony from the instructor’s perspective, and Clare’s from the student’s perspective. Tony has years of experience teaching and skippering for dive operators all over the world, and loves to share the knowledge and opinions he has gleaned during his travels.

Both of us love to explore new dive sites, and the blog will provide a forum for documenting those dives for our own and others’ future reference. If you have suggestions of cool spots to dive, let us know…

The blog is also meant to provide a forum to answer the many questions that people have before deciding to take the plunge and learn to dive. There is a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section on the Learn to Dive Today website, but the FAQ category here is more comprehensive and constantly updated. If you have a question you’d like answered, email Tony! We know that it can be a big decision to try something that seems as new and scary (it’s not!) as scuba diving, and we’re here to help.

Clare and Tony riding on the Blue Flash boat, picture by Peet van Eeden

Where can I find what I need?

For more information about learning to dive or joining us on our dives in Cape Town, check out Tony’s website.

There’s a complete sitemap if you scroll down any of the blog pages and look in the right hand column (under Categories), but what follows is a potted version:

If you’re considering learning to dive:

• this post on shopping for a dive course is a good place to start…
• take a look at the FAQ for answers to all your questions – email Tony if you have more!
• read up on the Discover Scuba Diving, Scuba Diver and Open Water courses (this post on the difference between Open Water and Scuba Diver is particularly important)

For qualified and qualifying divers:

• if you’re considering purchasing any dive gear for yourself, best you stop in here, here, here and here before you crack open that wallet!
• check out the Dive Courses category for everything you need to know about increasing your diving knowledge or developing your career as a diver
• read up on the dive sites we like to visit, and ones we’ve explored
• visit the Dive Travel category for ideas for your next dive holiday
• for boat dive etiquette (maybe it’s your first time, and you’re nervous) have a look here

If you have a scuba diver in your life (divers are so easy to love!):

• the Library category will give you ideas of books, movies and documentaries to give your diver as gifts
• the Gadgets and Gear category will give you gift ideas too… perhaps for a bigger budget!

You can also read Tony’s weekly newsletter on this blog – email him to sign up.