NEWS & MOVIES ARCHIVE

Washing machine in the Maldives

With the help of donors (Vladka, Stanko, Nina, Branka, Zvonka and Rados), Branka and I flew to the Maldives. This time we chose diving on the island, which is part of the Southern Malle Atol. Flight via Vienna to Male ran smoothly, and soon we arrived by boat to the island of Olhuveli, our home for the next seven days. After completing the formalities in the diving center we entered our names on the schedule for the next day and for each day after that also. I had to pass check dive from the shore before the first real dive from the boat. On the dives I used 6 kg weights, Peterka wet suit and 12 liter tank. In diving booklet there are 9 new dives enrolled. Dives were beautiful, but not something to die for. Visibility was average, underwater life not as diverse and colorful as four years ago, when I was here for the last time. You are probably already wondering why the title of “The washing machine in the Maldives”. Washing machine is a phenomenon that happens when the diver finds himself at the intersection of two streams that extend in opposite directions, as if the diver is pulled in to a large drain where the water swirls. All this happened when my group was already completing the dive. All together took place very quickly, me and Branka drifted towards the surface, the third diver in the group was sucked to the bottom. The experience was not a very pleasant one, because I was pulled to the surface without a properly conducted safety stop.
 
Diving in the Maldives is a great event and a nice experience, but dives are better if they are conducted as a diving safari and live board.
 
All this has happened between 9^th and 17^th of January 2013.
 
Photos: Lg, Branka and León Ashdown
 
Article is a bit late because this time we hired no underwater camera, and underwater images from Leon arrived just yesterday. The reasons are many, but about that some other time.

19. 02. 2013