anyone dive with swahili divers in pemba? thoughts on recent deaths?

I was planning on diving in the zanzibar or pemba area in the next
couple months. I don't have the time nor money to do a live-a-board,
and Swahili Divers has a great deal. but, then I read this:

http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/...ond-press.html

5 divers died. It's really sad. I know accidents can happen, but it
is alarming especially if you look at the last comment.

So, has anyone dove with swahili divers? Do they run a good, safe
operation? Are they responsible? I haven't been able to find out
about anything more about the recent tragic event. Does anyone have
some info?

thanks.

In message <1124657463.353769.33610@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups. com>,
"watanabecooper@gmail.com" <watanabecooper@gmail.com> writes
>
<snip>
>So, has anyone dove with swahili divers? Do they run a good, safe
>operation? Are they responsible? I haven't been able to find out
>about anything more about the recent tragic event. Does anyone have
>some info?

divesouthafrica has earlier postings on this event - with additional
comments:

http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/...uba-instructor
-and-4.html


--
Barnacle Bill

based on that, it sounds like Neil had a lot of experience, and it's
not clear what happened. The doubt in my mind is whether they should
have been diving in a place with such large currents. And, it
definitely puts some doubts in my mind as to whether I should dive in
Pemba (I haven't dove in a few years) and whether swahili divers is the
way to go. I'll have to think about it. I don't know if there is a
right answer.

thanks for sending me that info.

watanabecooper@gmail.com wrote:
> I was planning on diving in the zanzibar or pemba area in the next
> couple months. I don't have the time nor money to do a live-a-board,
> and Swahili Divers has a great deal. but, then I read this:
>
> http://divesouthafrica.blogspot.com/...ond-press.html
>
> 5 divers died. It's really sad. I know accidents can happen, but it
> is alarming especially if you look at the last comment.
>
> So, has anyone dove with swahili divers? Do they run a good, safe
> operation? Are they responsible? I haven't been able to find out
> about anything more about the recent tragic event. Does anyone have
> some info?
>
> thanks.
>

Go with : http://www.zanzibaroneocean.com/ I dove with them in march
2004. Great operation, good guides...

Cas...

That's a good idea. What did you think of the diving on zanzibar?
What was the visibility like? I was hoping to dive on pemba since I
read that it was better than Zanzibar. But, safety is important, too.
(the other thing I need to figure out is all this election violence
stuff).

thanks!

I have been to Pemba last year in September, did my OWC and my first ywo "real" dives with Swahili Divers. I had not been aware of that accident in 2005 until now. These are the thoughts crossing my mind:

Raf, the owner and boss of Swahili Divers, and his team seemed very serious about the diving and the safety of the guests, in terms of briefings, equipment, etc. Having said that, I remember that I didn't like too much the overused conditions of the gear like fins, masks and wetsuits although that was at that time more linked with the fact that the prices are pretty high, so I thought kind of "if I have already to pay so much money than I would expect better gear than that." We never had any technical problems whatsoever with the diving gear or others, e.g. the boat.

The dive instructors were impeccable. Karel Mestdagh, a Belgian guy, was my instructor for the OWC, George Trommelen, from Holland, was my dive master/buddy for the two supplementary dives. I always felt 100 % safe with them. For the OWC, we were a group of three and Karel made sure at any moment that all three of us were ok. I can't say if Karel is still there (George is not, he had to leave for private reasons).

Almost all my dives for the OWC and after were off Misali island or close by. There was never a serious current (I learnt what is a serious current when I dived three months ago in Komodo National Parc in Indonesia), but then, it also depends on the season of course....

Since my OWC in Pemba, I logged 20 more dives (in Zanzibar and Indonesia) and did my AOWC. Swahili Divers is for sure not less responsible than any of the other dive centres I have dived with.

Would I go back? Sure, if you invite me!?
(means that it's rather the high prices (especially if you compare with Indonesia!!) that would keep me from diving again with Swahili Divers)

PS: I just read your comment about the election!? I spent 3 months in ZNZ last year and was there during the campaign period and the election itself. The only security precaution I took was not to go to Stonetown on the day of the election and during the week after, and everything went fine. Anyway, if I'm not completely wrong, the elections in Tanzania are held every five years, so this year, there shouldn't actually be any.