If you want to find out about the mysterious world of scuba diving it is best to seek to someone who knows what he is talking about; Kevin Cocks is one such man. The South African who founded and continues to run the Mauritius diving company Prodive Limited has 35 years worth of experience, is accredited by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and has plenty of helpful advice for diving novices to maritime professionals.
How did you start diving?
My love of the sea and boats has always driven me to the sea; I need to be either under or on the sea. I started diving 35 years ago in the Comoros Island with a French ex-navy diver who made his living by salvaging containers that had fallen off the wooden boats that bring the containers into the port. Some of these containers would be lying at a depth of 80 meters. He was very experienced and extremely skilled in applying the safety rules to be working at those depths. I later got certified and moved up the course levels to become a scuba diving instructor.
What made you want to start Pro Dive Mauritius and become a teacher?
I am originally a designer, and was a co-owner of five businesses in South Africa. However, “the sea was always calling me” and at the age of 34 I felt that I had achieved everything I had wanted to in this area. I’d had enough of the “rat race”, so sold it all and moved to Mauritius. I started a scuba diving center in Grand Bay called Paradise Diving and ran it for 11 years. It became too big, so I sold the company and started Prodive Limited. That was 16 years ago.
Could you give our readers a brief overview of what Pro Dive Mauritius does?
Prodive Limited is a professional scuba diving company situated at the Casuarina Hotel, Trou aux Biches and at Royal Road, Grand Bay in Mauritius. We offer a full scuba diving service to tourists visiting Mauritius as well as for locals. Our services include the following:
Daily Dives – twice per day to dive sites outside the barrier reefs in the Trou aux Biches and Grand Bay areas.
Daily Lesson and Dive – consisting of a scuba lesson in the pool and a dive in the sea directly afterwards, affording the diver an opportunity to experience the wonders of our underwater world in one afternoon.
Full Certification Courses – we teach PADI & NAUI certification courses, from Openwater Scuba Diver up to Divemaster level.
Dive Charters – full day dive charters to the islands to the north-east of Mauritius, consisting of two dives and a barbecue lunch on board.
Equipment Sales – we stock a full range of scuba diving and snorkeling equipment in our diving retail shop.
Tank Filling Service – Prodive provides normal air and NITOX to dive centers and individual divers as well.
Why is the Indian Ocean and, in particular, Mauritius such a great place to dive?
The warm waters of the Indian Ocean is host to an abundance of tropical sea life. Mauritius, being further south than the Maldives and Seychelles, has very good visibility all year round. It is particularly excellent for underwater photography and videos.
How popular is scuba diving in the region compared to other watersports?
Mauritius has a very well-developed tourist industry. Many tourists come to the island to enjoy our beaches and the excellent sea conditions. Scuba diving whilst on holiday is a priority for many. Most hotels in Mauritius offer free watersports to their guests excluding scuba diving, and yet people still pay for it.
We are training around 100 people per month on our Daily Lesson & Dive program, giving them a taste of the amazing feeling of scuba diving and a closer look at the beauties below. Many will continue to dive and sign up for an Open Water entry-level course to become an internationally certified diver. The excellent sea conditions in Mauritius make it a perfect place for beginners to start. So I would say that it is the most popular watersport activity in the region.
A diver off the coast of Mauritius
How much training is required before people can start to leave shallow dive sites and move on to deeper waters?
A scuba diver needs to have an Advanced Diver certification to enjoy the deeper dives. At least an Open Water certification is required to start an Advanced Diver Course. The Advanced course consists of five selected dives giving the student the opportunity improve his skills and acquire experience.
How physically fit do people need to be to dive? Is it something everyone can do?
Everybody can participate in scuba diving; we teach people in their 70’s to dive. A diver’s level of fitness is not as important as simply being in good health. Diving whilst taking medication to cover up a health issue is not advisable. A diver must always select dives and sites to fit their level of fitness and training. Do not dive beyond your comfort zone.
What are the regions most popular dive sites? What is your own particular favourite?
The best dive sites are situated in the north-west of Mauritius where we are based. We can offer our divers a greater variety of sites, including: wreck dives, reef dives and drop-offs. The sea conditions in this area are also excellent, – calm water, no currents and good visibility. My favorite dive site is Coral Garden with its big rock structures, gorgonian fan coral and bigger fish, including giant trigger fish and very large moray eels.
What makes an area a good site? Are all divers looking for the same or similar things from a dive?
Good visibility and the sea conditions play an important role in selecting a dive site. A good dive site is a place with lots of fish, interesting structures and where the coral is in good condition. However divers dive for many different reasons: some want to see fish and coral, others like wrecks. Some people dive for the feeling of weightlessness and freedom and there are divers who like only deep dives. Families may enjoy diving because it is a non-competitive sport in which they can share their experiences. Underwater photography and video is more and more affordable to the average person, so many divers strive to get the perfect shot.
How expensive is it to get started with scuba diving? Are there many ongoing costs?
Getting started with scuba diving can be quiet expensive. Scuba diving equipment and entry-level courses are quiet costly, and there are ongoing costs that could include additional equipment and higher level training. It is always advisable to dive with a reputable diving organization, so that also adds to the cost of scuba diving. However, in a resort situation we are training people every day and supply equipment to our divers (included in the price of a dive) making it affordable to most people.
How dangerous is it? What are the risks for beginners and for experts?
Scuba diving is safer than crossing the road – if you stick to the rules and apply your training skills.
The risks for beginners and qualified divers is the same. It is the way that we apply our training that could put us risk while diving. Difficulties normally occur on or near the surface. Small diving problems become major problems due to the lack of experience and training. For example, PANIC is the biggest problem. Panic grows from stress, if the stress is not dealt with calmly and immediately, it becomes PANIC resulting in a divers uncontrollable urge to surface quickly. Ascending too fast can result in an air embolism, which is a medical emergency.
Some other risks that could cause stress resulting in panic are:
Marine life injuries
Difficult sea conditions
A diver’s inability to clear their mask
Fast descent or ascent resulting in vertigo
Not respecting depth and time
Buoyancy control
Finally do you have a particularly favourite diving experience or story?
*Cocks recalls a particular adventure him and his team faced: rescuing a stranded whale at Turtle Bay in Mauritius, the full story of which you can read about here : A Whale of a Time.
Check out Prodive Limited for more information on the company.
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