13 OCT - Deep Diving and Scuba doo

SCUBA DOO

SMOOTHIES

REAL SA LUNCH FOR REAL BOERE!

We are up early for our deep dive. I am a bit concerned  because I cannot equalise in my left ear – the same old problem ear, but this dive I am not missing out on! Louis picks us up again and we hang out at his place for a few minutes whilst the boat is being loaded. The sea is much calmer but it is overcast again and the water has an eerie dark grey colour. Callie, who has packed the dive bag, seems to have forgotten just about all our gear! This must be a blessing in disguise with all the leaky combos and self-inflating BCs! This is not the sort of thing you want to deal with on a deep dive!
There are a few tense moments as we all get ready and fall/jump overboard. The whole plan is to get down as quickly as possible to out manoeuvre surface or top currents. I have added extra weights, but still have to flip over and fin down! What is going on! Seems that the African Dignity buttocks are filled with air! Initially all we see is a blue abyss and then way down below I can see the outcrops of a reef with fan coral and fan trees. Before we know it we are down at 30 meters. We then start descending down the side of the reef. It is absolutely stunning. The enormous coral trees of Black Forrest Reef are stunning. These coral trees are actually dark green, but so deep down they look black. We hit the 45 meter mark and I can see the men wanting to go deeper, but the dive briefing said 45 and this is where I stay! Turns out Richard was tempted to do 50, but turned around on 47 because of the same reason.
We stay down here for about 10 minutes after which we slowly start going up on the side of the reef. We are all in decompression time, mostly 3 meters for 3 minutes.  We keep on ascending all along the reef. It has a beautiful landscape of large boulders, coral and lots of fish – including my favourite (!) the Titan Trigger fish (I was attacked by one in Tioman, Malaysia many years ago!).
We spend some time on 30 meters. There is a mild current and it takes us over the Anchor Dive site where we see a six meter plus anchor embedded in the reef. Apparently it dates back from the years of the Portuguese seafarers! Our DM is not ready for a safety stop in the open sea so he makes us swim up against the current. This is hard work, especially if you are the only girl!  We reach the safety stop at 38  minutes and hang around the 6 meter mark. Turns out that Richards 47 meters pushed his deco time. He still has deco on his computer. In the end the rest all decide to finish the dive. With a stunning view of the reef and still enough air left I decide to stay with him whilst he sits it out.  At 45 minutes he is finally clear! On the surface the group cannot stop talking. Seems that even Richard has not yet dived this spot. He says with the Scuba Doo underwater scooters, the dive centre has not attracted our calibre of serious divers and that is why they seldom get the chance to do the great sites.  The other DM, Pepe, has logged more than 4000 dives in Mauritius and he tells us about so more sites. We concoct a plan to bring a group of advanced divers to Mauritius and to persuade Louis to do a package deal where we can do all these dives!
The three DMs are so impressed with this diving that they immediately persuade us to convince Louis to book another deep dive.  No one told Louis that we had planned such a deep dive for today! There is another site that is just as great, so we are keen to do this as well!
Back on shore we pick up an elderly couple from Meyerton who are booked to do the Scuba Doo with Luc. The Scuba Doo is basically little underwater scooters for people who cannot dive. I grab my dive gear and used the last air to dive with them and make a little video for them.  Luc is absolutely in his element. He loves it! We laugh at him because he tries to use his hands (like he does in diving) to control the little scooter!
Back at Louis  we are once again treated to chocolate cake and Louis rum cocktail. Oh man – this is definitely the way to finish a great day of diving!
Luc is still hungry, so Louis drops us at the International Cafe, which belongs to South Africans (Riaan, Louis says!) and where you can get the best imported meat. We order smoothies, a burger and Mauritian chicken Stir Fry. Turns out Riaan is Deon and he is very friendly. They have a little curio shop next door, where mom works. It is only much later whilst we are busy shopping that Deon’s wife pops in. She has recognised us and tells us how much the prayed for us. Their story of how they got to Mauritius is also one of faith. They were told that they were going to come here and it was confirmed twice by strangers. One was a Chinese man who could barely speak English and walked up to them and told them that a “bright man” told him to bring them a message!  They also share with us how difficult it is to work here. They could not find a place to open in the tourist area to open their restaurant and was forced to set up in a Hindu neighbourhood – but this has given them a great insight in the people. Now they are on the main road in Trou Aux Biches, but they are getting a lot of resistance from the locals. When we comment about the outside lampshades (straw hats!) – they tell us that the competition kept on breaking the shade and lights, so this was there solution. Apparently they have also put spells on their restaurant – but luckily they know they are protected! It sounds very similar to the stories Louis has been telling – having to wait 18 months for a license to set up his business.  Up front it all look so idyllic, but when you have to make a living here it is not so easy!
After all the cake, smoothies and enormous meal we are stuffed and take the long road home. Callie decides we have to walk on the beach, but forgot that Luc did not bring his plakkies with. It goes with much complaining of burning feet and eventually he has to abba him!
We chill out for the rest of the afternoon next to the pool. I take some time to make the videos of the Scuba Doo promised to Louis.  We all end up in bed watching Simon’s new X Factor show. Here everything is 2 hours ahead – so when it is on at 7:30 Central African time, it is allready 9:30 – so our clocks are a bit off!