IDC-Mick

18/07/2017

Diving is a SAFE sport/pastime/profession but going into caves/wrecks or overhead environments, even with proper training, can be, shall we say, "hazardous." I'd say this guy was extremely lucky, but mentally well prepared and adapted to his survival situation. That, his buddy and the rescue team saved his life. Lucky man indeed!!

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-40558067

Xisco Gràcia experienced a diver's worst nightmare after finding himself without oxygen in an underwater cave beneath Mallorca.

29/06/2017

A Mermaid and Chris Ryan!!

This last week has been rather hectic given that we are into low season here. However, the weather does not agree and the sun is out and shining, and only light rain during the night. The water temperature is 30c and the viz aroiund 30 meters plus (100ft plus).

The pictures below show (ladies first) a Mermaid, one Russel Lea Deloso who is now an Advanced Open Water Diver after completing her course with me here at Blue Star Dive Resort. Lea is an old student of mine having completed her Open Water Course last year, so it was great to help her continue along the path to full Mermaid status.
Lea, good luck, good fortune and stay safe in your new life.

The lady to the right of the picture is my boss (so she thinks) one Meldrid Chapman.

Now to Chris Ryan. For all my Army mates, I am damned sure you will know of him, but here he is split into two persons. Chris on the left, and Ryan on the right. Two really nice guys that I have had the sheer privilege and pleasure to teach to dive last week.
Both guys lost count of the number of turtles, mostly Greens and Hawksbills on all dives.
Then as a plus, after their OW course finished, we did a fun dive together, and lo and behold on the reef edge at just 5 meters depth, 15ft, as we were doing a safety stop, along cruises a seven meter whale shark literally inches from our faces, so close that both Chris and Ryan thought I had touched the animal. (I know better than that). A great end to a few days of diving and taking two nice guys from mere humans, Homo sapiens, to the higher level of Homo aquaticus.

You might note in the picture that I am standing on a block, and still smaller that these guys. Yes, they both live in Texas!!

Chris Heise and Ryan Zafris.

See you guys back here in a couple of months. See you back here in a couple of years Russel Lea Deloso, or indeed, in Seattle!!

23/01/2017

BLUE STAR DIVE RESORT in Anda, Bohol is looking for a professional PADI Divemaster, male or female, preferably a Filipino citizen.

Salary, commissions, accommodation and food are all part of this employment package. For further details, contact us.
Look us up, we are the ONLY PADI 5 Star facility on the island of Bohol, and will are applying for IDC status within the coming weeks.

Our diving is second to none in the area, a great wall, a mega amount of Turtles, with Whale Sharks in season, Dolphins, Thresher and White Tip Sharks, large Tuna and a few other pelagic species, and our corals are wonderfully alive and thriving.

If you are good at interacting with clients, a good and professionally thinking, motivated DM, send us your CV/resume with a picture.

Please note: Instructors need not apply as your application will be deleted.

Contact Mick Chapman by PM, or email [email protected] (Please mark FAO Mick) or to [email protected] on my private email address.

Salamat po!!

20/01/2017

Thresher, thresher, thresher!! That was what I was shouting through my regulator this morning at 27 meters at Snapper cave here in Anda, Bohol.
She came in close and stayed with us circling for as long as about six or seven minutes. She moved in as close as about two meters at one point. A magnificent fish about 3 meters in length, and she looked in wonderful condition.
It reminded me of my youngest daughter, Thea Amalie Chapman Øyen filming them off Malapascua four years ago along with Emma Sophie Chapman Øyen and Meldrid Chapman, and then Emma took the camera on the next dives to see them.
Most definitely beautiful creatures. Thank you ocean!!

04/01/2017

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR everyone!!

That was a late greeting for sure, but we have been extremely busy here at Blue Star Dive Resort. The year ended perfectly with a fifth Whale Shark for the month of December, one month earlier than usual, plus a couple of Reef White Tips, a small shoal seven or eight, six feet long Tuna crusing the top of the reef,and so the new season starts with the New Year.

The usual suspects are here also of course, the multitude of multicoloured, multispecies reef fish. The Jacks, the Barracudas, and who could forget the turtles??

Yesterday I took in an Open Water student on dives 1 and 2. Dive one at Coco North, we got just one turtle, a small Green, but that's not unusual there as it is full of had corals. Dive two was to Turtle Point, and it is so perfectly named. If turtles are your thing, this is possible the best site in the whole of the Philippines. My personal record is 18 turtles on one dive. Yesterday, my student had eight!! Turtle Point is stunning, so full of healthy soft corals with good drift currents to take you along. Black coral trees and bushes are everywhere, and along with large shoals of Spotted Grunts and Sweetlips. It truly is my favourite dive site here, and we call it House Reef, others call it Paradise Gardens!!

Today a huge, and I mean huge Barracuda made another appearence.I have not seen her for about two months now, but I am happy to say she is alive and well. She is longer than myself, even with my fins on. She is well over six feet I'd say (2 meters). I know because I lay down beside her a few months back at a cleaning station.

The New Year brings new joy to the reef, and I hope also to all of you out there reading this. Divers or non divers alike.

HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2017!!!

20/11/2016

Manta on Thursday, and Whale Shark on Friday. Oh yes, and schooling Jacks in their thousands. And so the season begins!!

A little early this year I feel as normally Manta and Whale Sharks are not seen before Christmas time, but hey, who am I to complain??

Come join the fun with us here at Blue Star Dive Resort, on the island of Bohol, the Philippines!!

31/10/2016

Homo aquaticus...

Here is where I type an apology to a lovely lady, ziggi, lovely mermaid!!

Russel Lea Deloso, you know my busy life style and that I have been away up in Manila for a short trip, so please forgive me for failing to post the following sooner. It detracts nothing from the message.

The pictures attached are of a newly born mermaid, one Russel Lea Deloso.

Lea came to me as a normal (well, as normal as one gets) human being, she left me as a fully fledged "Homo aquaticus." That enlightened specie of human that loves, enjoys and respects our oceans while immersing herself in the depths of the clear, blue warm waters that we are so fortunate to have here right on our doorstep.

Lea made new friends in the guise of turtles, and many of them. The myriads of colourful reef fishes and all manner of life forms on our reef. And I am proud and happy to say that Lea kindly made me a friend also.

Lea, "Salamat po" young mermaid. You made everything so easy. Congratulations on your PADI Open Water certification. I look forward to many more dives with you in the future. Whale shark season in a couple of months!!

Take care, and a final apology for my late posting of your adventurous exploits.

23/10/2016

As promised, here are some pictures of the happy couple, Natascha Platen and Tobias Götze immediately on returning to the Dive Centre after Tobias's underwater marriage proposal.

Salamat po to Meldrid Dacuital for arranging the surprise cake!!

I think I should have played a padre there asking...
"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded buddy...and... To depth do you part!!

To you both, I thank you on behalf of the crew for your very kind
"Engagement Party" invitation that evening. We all had a great time!!

Good luck for your future together!!

20/10/2016

About ten days or so ago, I certified this lovely Korean lady, Irene as a PADI Rescue Diver. To say we had fun is not enough. Irene was positive all the time, funny and was a great student.

Keep diving SAFELY Irene, and CONGRATULATIONS!!

18/10/2016

Well, today diving with me here at Blue Star Dive and Resort we had what one might call an unusual dive.

This dive had been in the planning for about two months, but only took about 45 minutes to execute.

One of our guests (Tobias) wanted to propose to his lady (Natascha) under water about mid way through the dive. Tobias brought with him a printed tarpaulin from Germany, and hid it in his dive gear bag. So during the lunch break, my Divemaster Lc Karl Go and myself put the tarpaulin out at the edge of the wall, and returned in time to take Natascha and Tobias out for their second dive of the day.

I was a little concerned about the current as we are only two days off of full moon, and about the middle of the "rule of twelves." However, the tarpaulin held position, and about 25 minutes into the turtle dive, Natascha came across the following message (in German). WILL YOU MARRY ME??

Then she had a choice of four answers hanging from the base of the tarp.
1) Just diving!!
2) maybe!!
3) Yaaaaaa!!
4) Nein!!

Fortunately for Tobias, Natascha chose number three, and gave her man a kiss after he placed a ring on her finger!!
On re turning to the Dive Centre, Meldrid Dacuital had arranged a "Congatulationary Cake" and a bunch of freshly picked flowers.

All VERY romantic!!

On behalf of all staff here at Blue Star Dive and Resort, I would like to wish Natascha and Tobias all the love, luck, fun and happiness together in the future.

My thanks to Meldrid Dacuital, Karl and all our boat crew and staff for helping to make this a very happy and memorable day!!

Pictures and/or video to come. Watch this space!!

18/10/2016

Well, today diving with me here at Blue Star Dive and Resort we had what one might call an unusual dive.
This dive had been in the planning for about two months, but only took about 45 minutes to execute.
One of our guests (Tobias) wanted to propose to his lady (Natascha) under water about mid way through the dive. Tobias brought with him a printed tarpaulin from Germany, and hid it in his dive gear bag. So during the lunch break, my Divemaster Lc Karl Go and myself put the tarpaulin out at the edge of the wall, and returned in time to take Natascha and Tobias out for their second dive of the day.
I was a little concerned about the current as we are only two days off of full moon, and about the middle of the "rule of twelves." However, the tarpaulin held position, and about 25 minutes into the turtle dive, Natascha came across the following message (in German). WILL YOU MARRY ME??
Then she had a choice of four answers hanging from the base of the tarp.
1) Just diving!!
2) maybe!!
3) Yaaaaaa!!
4) Nein!!
Fortunately for Tobias, Natascha chose number three, and gave her man a kiss after he placed a ring on her finger!!
On re turning to the Dive Centre, Meldrid Dacuital had arranged a "Congatulationary Cake" and a bunch of freshly picked flowers.
All VERY romantic!!
On behalf of all staff here at Blue Star Dive and Resort, I would like to wish Natascha and Tobias all the love, luck, fun and happiness together in the future.
My thanks to Meldrid Dacuital, Karl and all our boat crew and staff for helping to make this a very happy and memorable day!!
Pictures and/or video to come. Watch this space!!

09/10/2016

A year ago today, I certified this beautiful lady in the picture. One Cindy Madduma - Miss Scuba Philippines. Cindy came to me to learn to dive, and the short time we spent together was fun, and very rewarding. Cindy left me here at Blue Star Dive Anda, and flew to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. One of my favourite places.

She entered the Miss Scuba International pageant representing her country of the Philippines. Cindy simply walked the walk, and was crowned Cindy Madduma - Miss Scuba International 2015. The Miss World of the Scuba diving world!!

Since then, Cindy has been an incredible ambassador for our marine world and all it's myriads of life forms. She has traveled extensively exhibiting her smile and love, thoughts and ideas on marine conservation.

I am so proud to have had a hand in Cindy's diver education, and look forward to 2017 when I believe she will return to take her PADI Instructor Course (IDC) with me.

Salamat po Cindy for your love of our oceans, your success, and allowing me to be not just your Instructor, but your friend...!!

Take great care, and see you soon I hope XX

Cindy Madduma
Miss Scuba Philippines 2015
27 years old
172cm
Nurse