Dive Picton news blog

MASSIVE GRAND OPENING SALE WEEKEND

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:08:28 +1200

We have got the big white dive truck out and about in Blenheim with goodie bags and awesome deals - have a look for it on Grove Road.

Also instore we will have a full range of massive reduced wetsuits, snorkelling gear and scuba diving hardware. Also there will be the entire display of all Lava Core Watersports Gear on special as well.

On Saturday night we are having a BBQ and Beverages evening free to those who book in! So let us know if you're keen before next Thurs!

And cause we're keen to try out our new classroom and pool facilities (next door to the shop!) anyone booking on Open Water, Advanced or Rescue Diver Course before the end of the weekend will recieve a $100 voucher to spend in-store!

And last but not least we are going to have to collect some seafood for the weekend so are doing a dive trip on Wednesday 17th Aug to get some scallops and Crays. Those keen - it is $60 for the double dive if you have all your own gear - otherwise you get 50% off hire. Spaces limited to 6 so book soon!!

Anyway - loads off stuff happening so come and see us!

Turn left at the dairy on the square and head down that road till you see us on the corner of York St and Broadway.

Catch you later!

Cheers!

Ben and Dale Ashworth

WE ARE MOVING!!!

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:51:33 +1200

WE ARE RELOCATING TO THE CORNER OF YORK STREET AND BROADWAY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. WE WILL BE CLOSED HERE 31ST JULY OPEN THERE AUGUST 1ST!!!!

PLEASE FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AS THAT IS WHERE ALL OUR BLOGS ARE.

THANK YOU!!!! :)

DIVE PICTON ON THE MOVE

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:52:28 +1200

WE ARE MOVING!!!

WE ARE RELOCATING TO THE CORNER OF YORK STREET AND BROADWAY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. WE WILL BE CLOSED HERE 31ST JULY OPEN THERE AUGUST 1ST!!!!

PLEASE FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AS THAT IS WHERE ALL OUR BLOGS ARE.

THANK YOU!!!! :)

RELOCATION SALE!!!

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:54:42 +1200

WE ARE MAKING A FRESH START AT THE END OF JULY IN OUR NEW LOCATION AT

CNR YORK STREET AND BROADWAY

BUT WE HAVE STOCK TO CLEAR TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW PRODUCTS!

EVERYTHING HAS TO GO !

SAVE UP TO 50%*

*ALL THE REALLY REALL Y SHARP DEALS APPLY TO STORE STOCK ONLY.!

THE RELOCATION DEALS WILL RUN THROUGH TILL 1 AUGUST 2011 OR UNTILL ITS ALL GONE!

BE QUICK!

CALL US ON 0800 423 483 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Thoughts for Russian diver

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:41:26 +1300

As many of you will be aware it is with great sadness that we are letting you know of the loss of one of the Russian diving group visiting New Zealand.

The diver was experienced and did not even get to dive on the Mikhail Lermontov when she collapsed on the boat.

She was attended on board by a paramedic and several appropriately qualified staff. Unfortunately after a long period of resuscitation she was unable to be revived.

We would not like to speculate as to the cause of death until the formal details have been completed, but would like to say that we feel deeply for her family that is so far away and our thoughts are with them.

We would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous amount of support you have shown us during these sad times. That is what the diving community is all about.

Ben and Dale Ashworth

SSI Free Diving Course

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:18:01 +1300

Cost $450

$50 discount if done any dive training with dive Picton before

Includes all materials, pool entry and boat trip and t shirt

Advanced Openwater Completed at Lermie

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:29:50 +1300

Well done to Wade and Brad for perservering with the bad weather calls over the last month. It took a while but we finally chose a great day to get out to Port Gore and fininsh our dives on the Mikhail Lermontov.

It was a treat to also get some great scallops for the table as well.

Visibilty at the back end of the wreck was stunning with about 10-12 metres- the propellors were very easy to see and get the impression of the immense size.

For Mike and Grant the first dive was a lesson in making sure your intergrated weight pockets are connected! Luckily the wreck didn't claim yet another lost weight system.

Dan and Will- Lermie virgins had a great dive- bit different to Thailand!

Great day out boys, thanks

Poor Knights 2010

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:39:35 +1300

Wow! This is the 4th year of the Poor Knights Mission and the first year where the weather has let us down :(

Big massive stormy weather system over the whole country nailed us but we were still able to get out 1 day for some great dives.

Check out this Facebook Link to see the images

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Picton/Dive-Picton/89036086841?ref=ts

EASTER CLEARANCE SALE!

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:25:54 +1300

SALEWe literally have a truck load of stock arriving for this weekend only!

Massive savings include:

v Hardware Packages from under $1000 bucks! (includes BCD, Reg, Octi, Gauges)

v All merino lined 7mm wetsuits $499

v 30% off orange sticker Mask, snorkel, fin packages

v Cylinder packages from $499!

v Everything in store reduced!

Note: reductions only on stock in-store or on the truck over the Easter period

Daily raffle, movies and Easter eggs for the kids while you shop!

Open for diving services EVERY DAY 8am – 6pm over the break!

CHECK OUT THE EASTER SALE!

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:27:31 +1300

Go to equipment specials page and check out the bargins!

Open every day over Easter 8am - 6pm for your diving services!

Sunday at the Lermie

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:57:09 +1300

The weather forecast said it should be grim but the actual conditions on the wreck were fantastic!

Flat oily seas in Port Gore and sun.

Little bit of a shame that the visibility wasn't as good but none the less we had 2 great dives. Very cool to find the book of practical russian and get the divers to learn some words! Great narcosis checker when down a bit deeper to try and recall the russian word for bike! or chocolate or bouyancy?

Either way its great fun. We are also standing behind our policy not to remove anything from the wreck- lets leave it there for all divers to find and wonder at what was going on at the time of the sinking!

Thanks to Oren, Ray ,Stefan and Hanna for the great day!

Sunset Crays

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:43:24 +1300

Last nite we had to take advantage of the perfect evenings that we have been having lately so we shot out for a sneaky dive.

Within 15minutes we had settled on a spot that turned out to be awesome!.

Heaps of Jason mirablis nudibranchs (sonic the hedgehog) fish everywhere and topped off by getting some crays which is never a bad thing!

Awesome night- long may they continue.

Underwater photo bonanza!

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:40:05 +1300

THis week, Rosario Del Gardo completed her Underwater photography specialty course with some diving in the inner sounds. Fantastic conditions, warm water and some very cooperative marine life meant for 275 images been shot over 2 dives! Thats a pretty quick shutter finger.

Check out the vis

Well done Rosie great to get some good conditions finally!

Doin it at Durville !

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:51:00 +1300

Well it would seem from the lack of blogging action that we must have given up diving! Rest assured we haven't! Its just been busy with summer coming full on and s%#t hitting the fan that we haven't sat down and shared our thoughts for a while.

Flying in to Catherine Cove on the Float Plane

So its now 2010, a new decade for diving and i thought i'd kick off the blog session with our trip to Durville on Monday.

My beautiful wife Dale organised a surprise overnight night mission to the island flying in and out on the float plane, staying in a beachfount luxury unit and a day out spearfishing! Wow what more can i say!

This is the ultimate way to get around the sounds, only 20 mins from Picton and we were standing in Catherine Cove discussing where to go shorkelling!

Arrival on the beach!

We were greeted on the beach by Robyn and Aaron McCokindale, the owners of the Wilderness Resort and shown to our room. Once sorted out with the "Durville Cure" massive breakfast with all the right carbo loading you need, we were off up the eastern side of the island heading to Cape Stevens.

An ok moki with Stephens Island behind us

We shorkelled all over Bill Hook bay then south to the Rangitotos before heading in closer to grab some musselss and a few stargazers into the catch bag then home where Aaron prepared the awesome seafood ensemble you see below.

Thai curry Paua, Moki sashimi, Honey Chilli Mussells and Crays

It was a fantastic day out, Durville island is awesome, the Wilderness Lodge is a great place to stay and eat, Aaron is a guru chef and the Picton Floatplane has got to be the best way of getting there!

We are going to organise 2 trips back to Durville before winter. One will be a diving mission and one will be dedicated to shorkelling and free diving.

Thanks so much Dale, you are a legend, best gift i have ever got (except for our daughter Jessica and the new girl on the way!)

We are back for 2010 so keep watching this space!

Cheers

Ben

Labour Weekend Specials!!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:26:53 +1300

Cressi Facile wetsuit $100 off. was $589 now $489

Suunto dive computers min $100 off

Still lots of merino lined suits in plenty of sizes with 25 – 40% off!!

Inntova cameras 30% off!

Vagary Watches $50 off

Plus lots of other bargains!

See you there!

Open EVERY DAY 8am - 6pm!

Dive Otago rocks the Mikhail Lermontov!

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:59:31 +1300

Yes we know this was a while ago but we had to still say thanks to all the team at Dive Otago for an awesome weekend staying out at Cape Jackson once again! Diving was wicked with the find of the weekend a massive case of old Sprite cans. Stashed in a secret spot on the wreck for future tours - "oh, look what we found" :)

The guys and gal were terrific divers and made the most of the weekend by diving every chance they could get, except when we visited the Skywalker Rock on the Queen Charlotte Wilderness Park and a couple of people showed that while they can go deep inside the wreck they are no too fond of heights!!!

Cheers to Euan, Adam, Nat, Dave and Baz!

Aquarium Collection Dive!

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:36:39 +1300

Join us on Tuesday 9am as we help replenish our local Aquarium supply of critters! Due to a mutual relationship with the friendly fellas and ladies down at Picton's Aquarium we are on a mission to donate some sea life! Keep an eye out on the Dive! Reports for some great Aquarium deals and activities!

Bula from Fiji

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:01:19 +1300

After the fantastic 4 days away at the Knights we continued on with the diving buzz and jumped a plane to Fiji. Heading for Savu Savu and the chance to spend 9 days kicking back at our friends place in the Nukumbalavu Road!

After getting the mandatory fleecing as a tourist in Nadi with a $100 garden tour we jumped on a seriously old and small plane to Savu Savu. That was like going in a time machine back 100 years which was awesome!

We lazed by the pool, did some stunning dives in the Somo Somo straight and out at Namena Island, did some cultural coconut cracking and met some really nice locals.

We eluded the local police who may have busted us for riding on the back of a ute, we found a corporate guy whose office was basically on the beach who served us big bottles of beer in between dealing with clients in America. We danced at pub with a live island band, ate raw fish, snorkelled off the side of the road and pretty much chilled out.

Thanks very much to Chris, Kerry and Sam Sullivan who were awesome hosts with the best collection of $2.00 dvds that you will ever see!

Also cheers Stefan for hooking us up in Nadi-Vinaka

Looking forward to next years tropical escape!

Merino Lined Wetsuits

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:38:58 +1300

End of line special! 40% off Trident merino lined one piece wetsuits - only on sizes still in store - about 8 left!

POOR KNIGHTS

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:14:40 +1300

With the exception of a three hour flight delay (go the $30 flights Garth and Tex!) the trip started off smoothly and while there was a lack of musical taste in the van (DIY hits rules!) spirits were high for our journey north.

What could have been disaster with the weather turned into an awesome few days diving in the far north! With the first day dubious for the Knights we all jumped into the new Ford Transit and road tripped up to dive the Canterbury with the wonderful Northland Dive. As Stefan took the front seat with his gadgets, unfortunatley there was some serious debate as to who was better at giving directions - the Dale Dale or the Tom Tom but when the sexy french accent came on the debate ended fairly suddenly. Although Cora was right when saying there should really only be one woman allowed to tell our husbands what they should be doing!

As we headed out on the boat 007 (wicked!) we had an exilerating boat ride through some humungous waves saw most of us pooping ourselves while Shane (skip) had not a worry on his face. sweet!

The Poor Knights recieved us the next two days after another rolling boat ride (and a green Stu!) with 30m vis and awesome marine life. Mike showed great restraint in not wanting to hunt and eat all the glorious marine life in this marine reserve! Awesome work Janine as a new diver kept up with the gurus in fine style. Suspicions of Ben Jr being a little narced as he thought Dale's ok signal meant, yep it's fine to go to 46metres!

On Sunday after 3 awesome dives we were treated to an amzing cook -up by Jo (thank you again!) with Thai Curry, Meatballs, and homemade pavlova! And of course the trip legend was crowned.

Congratulations to "The Garth" who is now the new Trip Legend! He was a convincing win with nearly 100% on the quizz and scored extra points in the 'crawling question' when asked What gives better directions - a Dale Dale or a Tom Tom? He replied "It doesn't matter as Ben doesn't listen to either of them!"

Also congratulations to the 'booby' prize winners:

Restraint Award: Mike

Inseperable Award: The Garth and Tex

Coordination Award: Janine

Look on the Bright Side Award: Stu

Happy Award: Cora

Gadget Man Award: Stefan

Deep Diver Award: Ben Jr

Thank you guys and gals for making it an awesomely fun trip and cheers to Noel and Jo from Yukon Charters and Shane and Julia from Northland Dive for taking us out to the awesome sites!

See you again next year!!