If you’ve always wanted to try something a little different on a holiday and winced at the thought of the traffic snarls that you have to endure to get out of the city, why not do something different? Get set for a zany adventure, but underwater.
And if you’ve never done so before, no worry, Neet Shah and Jurgen Van Duffel explain that it’s as easy as pie. Having started their first diving school in Mumbai, called Flying Mantas, they explain how there's nothing like kicking off the worries of the world and plunging into the azure waters.
“Scuba diving is one of the most popular water sports in the world,” starts Neet. The IIM graduate turned-New York consultant gave up his work six months ago to go snorkelling with penguins and sea lions in the Galapagos as well as watch an octopus squirt ink to reduce visibility to zero in otherwise crystal clear waters. “Anyone can do that,” he smiles,
"Diving is such fun. With India located very close to some of the world's most beautiful diving locations such as Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, and the Red Sea, we felt that it was time we brought people to these spots."
The best spots
They've just been to Netrani in Karnataka. “Heaven below the water,” claims Jurgen. A qualifed instructor, he explains how the time is right for a diving holiday. “Most people leading hectic urban lives don't want just spend time in a swimming pool on vacation. People who sign up say they they'd prefer to have a 'real' experience. Adventure lover and avid photographer, Parvin Dabas, seconds the thought. “Being being weightless in a tranquil arena of colours and formations of boulders, swim-throughs and caves, is so exciting.” There's plenty of life underwater too. “You have lionfish, scorpionfish, snappers, parrotfish, lobsters, angelfish, schools of triggerfish and turtles too,” adds Neet. The trips are possible on a weekend break. One can also go diving off the Andamans, Lakshadweep islands and Dwarka in Gujarat. “We expect diving to soon become available at Tarkarli in Maharashtra,” he continues.
What it takes
“Anyone can go snorkel-ling but you need to be certified to get scuba gear,”
explains Parvin. “We’d advise pool training too,” say Neet and Jurgen. “It costs Rs10,000 and with it one gets the international certifications (PADI or SSI).”
For now, the duo are looking forward to experiencing the Sardine Run, diving with hammerheads at Cocos Islands, and exploring the many dive locations in Indonesia and Asia. Are you game for it?
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