Why Every Diver Should Have a Log Book Travelers collect Passport stamps – Scuba Divers collect Dive Shop stamps. Quite true, isn’t it? Seeing your logbook becoming richer and richer with information’s is a great feeling and a lovely memory of all the dives you did. But have you ever asked yourself, why it is recommended to log your dives? A Proof of Your Experience Dive logs were first used to ensure safe dive planning of repetitive dives. Divers would record the information from previous dives in a logbook, so that they could calculate the safe parameters for their next one. With the advent of dive computers, planning has become largely obsolete. But there are other reasons as well. First of all the Dive logs are proof of your experience as a diver. In order to climb up the PADI leader, you need to prove that you’ve successfully completed a certain number of dives. But not only that, the number of dives you have completed is also a way to proof your diving experience. Many dive shops like us at MolaMola Diving Center are using the number of your dives to make sure your experience level matches the type of diving we plan to do. Another aspect are the information. Let’s say you haven’t been diving for a while and the next Dive Shop you are going to asks you how much weight you need, how many millimeter your last wetsuit was and when your last dive was. Lucky you having logged everything in your logbook where everything is noted down. And last but not least a logbook is a way to capture and preserve your memories. Many divers use their dive log as an underwater journal or diary. They keep their memories and their incredible experiences while Scuba Diving in one place. What Is There to Log The level of detail you choose to go into in your dive log is just as personal as why you keep it. It could be the bare-bones of your dive, or a detailed diary entry of who you dived with, what you saw, and how you felt. A typical entry consists of the dive site, day and time of the dive, duration of the dive and depth. Divers also often log things like water temperature, equipment, and what they saw. f you’re simplifying your log you can stick to these fundamentals; perhaps you’re a regular diver or a dive pro who’s no longer in need of additional information. However, going into more detail can be rewarding, particularly when it comes to weights. If you’re a travel diver who frequents different locations – flitting between warm and cold water, or diving with different cylinders – getting your weighting correct is a minefield. Digital or Paper – It’s Up to You In this modern world, it’s not surprising that digital logbooks have entered the scene making recording a breeze. These modern electronic dive logs also use statistics, graphs, and other tools to help you track and analyze your underwater explorations. But in our opinion, nothing beats the old-fashioned paper logbook. We at MolaMola Diving Center love sitting down with people at the end of our trip to fill the logbook, exchange stamps, talk about what we have seen and what there is more to see when Scuba Diving in Oman. Next Post

Why It’s Worth to Do a Refresher Course! Many of us are in the same situation: Covid made us stuck in our home base, not able to travel and especially not able to Scuba Dive. Since you’ve had a long break from Scuba Diving, it is worth taking a Refresher Course. Get to know why and what the course looks like. Better to Be Over-Prepared than Risk a Problem Even though, your PADI certification never expires, it is better to be over-prepared than risk a problem because you forget something important. If you have been out of the water for a while, your Scuba skills might feel a little rusty and in need of a tune-up. A refresher is a program, where divers receive the assistance and supervision of a dive professional in a pool or shallow water environment while they review the basic skills of diving. It should also include a thorough review of equipment usage and some knowledge development. The Refresher differs from a ‘check dive’ in which a group of divers might be asked to check their weighting and perform a few skills to demonstrate basic diving competence before heading off into deeper water to enjoy a regular dive. Step by Step with a Private Instructor With us, you will be going through step by step with a private instructor. He or she will help you to set up your equipment, will review with you some of the basic skills required for Scuba Diving but will also give you some more pro tips along the way. Then together you will jump into the water, to review some basic but very important skills. You will stay below the surface until the instructor can feel that you feel comfortable again – then you can join the rest of the group for two amazing dives. Use Your Own Judgement Honestly, as from our experience, 90 per cent of the divers who ask to do a refresher don’t really need to do one, and 90 per cent of the divers who refuse a refresher really do. This makes sense: Usually people who belong to the safe, considerate diver (who everyone would love to dive with) tend to book a Refresher – even if they would be fine without it. But usually people who refuse to do a Refresher program are the ones who tend to create problems for everyone. A good diver should be able to use their own judgement to determine whether or not they would benefit from a thorough refresher program or just need an easy check-dive to get themselves back into the water. Are You Asking Yourself Now – Should I Take a Refresher? PADI suggests that divers who did not dive in the last six months should take a Refresher course. In our opinion, this can vary a bit. If a diver was certified Open Water but made no other dives after the course, then a refresher is essential if the next dive is anything more than a few months later. For a diver with less than 20 logged dives then 6 months out of the water would warrant a tune-up of some description. An absence from the water of more than two years should make even experienced divers consider a confined water session before heading out into the depths. Worried about the Handsignals? You feel like taking a PADI Refresher Course with us? Check all the details here  You have been diving within the last six months but you keep on forgetting the Scuba Handsignals? Don’t worry – we got you covered with our Blog post here: The most important Scuba Diving Hand Signals. Next Post

Snorkeling and Boat Trips to the Turtle Bay Oman Have you visited Ras al Jinz / Ras al Hadd during your vacation here in Oman to see the turtles nesting? Yeah? Well done, it is such a beautiful place. And now you are looking to swim with some of the turtles? Even better! You found the right place to do so. We will take you to Daymaniyat Island – the best place for Snorkeling in Oman and the place where you can meet the Jackson family. A group of 5 turtles living at the Turtle Bay. Five from 7 Different Types of Sea Turtles Are in Oman There are seven different types of sea turles around the world – and Omani waters are home to five of them. Every year an abundance of turtles migrate to the beaches and shorelines of the Arab Peninsula to dig a hole and lay their eggs. During these months, around 20,000 turtles come to Oman’s beaches. What a big number, right? All of these turtles live inside our Omani Ocean – and they LOVE Daymaniyat Island. The Jackson Family at Turtle Bay Turtle Bay is the best site to snorkel at Daymaniyat Island if you want to see the turtles. Sometimes we can see more than 8 turtles at the same spot, and there are more all around us. We usually can also find the Jackson family, 5 turtles living together. It’s truly a magical sight: swimming in crystal clear, warm water, watching turtles swimming, eating and playing with each other. What are you waiting for? The turtles are here all year around. You can just book your Snorkeling trip with us and we will make sure you can see them! Next Post

What’s the Best Time for Diving in Oman? Are you curious when you should visit us to enjoy Oman’s Best Diving Experience? Honestly, we are accessible year-around!  However, check out below to see what Oman has to offer and which month is best for Whale Sharks and when the best visibility at Daymaniyat Islands is too! Diving in Oman Oman and the diving around Muscat is the perfect place for beginners. The diving is simple and calm, the water is warm and the marine life is full of life and colors. We have many colorful tropical fish and hard and soft corals to gaze at. If you are into Makro, there are many nudibranchs and reef fish in our area – but if you are into bigger fish, don’t worry, we got you covered with many turtles, Zebra and Black Reef Shark and during the right season even Whale Sharks. The water temperature ranges from 19 degrees Celcisus in winter up to 28 degrees in summer. Visibility is best when the water is a bit colder and can range between 15 to 30 meters. Our depths range from 5 down to 28 meters. There are deeper dive sites of course but the best views are usually between 10 to 20 meters. Whale Shark Season Are you ready to snorkel with up to 20 Whale Sharks at the same time? The Whale Shark is the largest known fish species alive today. They are very graceful, slowly-moving and stunning to observe. We see them on our way to Daymaniyat island usually during summer, with July to September being the best time to encounter them. We stop the boat so you can jump in the water and snorkel with them. If you are lucky enough, you can even see one or two on a dive. Trust us, this will be an experience you treasure forever.. Visibility at Its Best As we said before, visibility is at its best during the winter months. Anytime from October up to May we can promise you visibility up to 30 meters. Just wear a 5mm wetsuit during the winter months (November to January) as the water is a bit colder and the air as well. Come Join Us! Are you ready for the best diving in Oman? With MolaMola Diving Center, a PADI Dive Center, we take you diving year-round with April to May and September to October to be the best combination of surface and sea temperatures and with July to September the best months for Whale Shark encounters. Next Post