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| If I Can You Can |
| 20 January 2011, 18:04 |
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Laurie Plumridge is a fascinating guy. A legendary spearo back in the sixties, he took up squash at age forty three, became a farmer at sixty, bought his first mountain bike at sixty-one, started surfing at sixty-five, and became totally hooked on sea kayaking at seventy-five. Now he has written a book about his life.
If I Can You Can is written in an offhand, easy-to-read style, and is clearly an accurate account of Laurie’s life as he remembers it. He doesn’t attempt to gloss over the bad times, and tells it like it is. I don’t think he intended it to be a motivational book, but it is.
The best part of the book are the diving stories. Laurie has logged thousands of hours in the water, including competitive spearfishing that garnered him an SA National Champion medal, seven years representing Western Province, Springbok colours, and a place at the 1971 Blue Olympics in Chile.
These make interesting stories, but for me the highlights are the casual diving stories. Laurie’s love of diving is clear, and he has dived with everyone, in any conditions. The book is packed full of unusual dives and encounters with interesting and often highly eccentric divers.
It's Laurie's story of a life lived on his own terms, a fascinating glimpse into the world of SA diving as it was 50 years ago, and just a good read.
Left: WP spearfishing team in Coffee Bay in the late 60's. Laurie is on the far right.
Right: A recent picture of Laurie.
If you want to get hold of a copy, go to www.kalahari.net or email Di Plumridge on di.plumridge@leapfrog.co.za
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| Office on the run |
| 12 January 2011, 09:49 |
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Our intrepid webmaster Pat is on honeymoon in Thailand, but that doesn't stop us from making him work to get your newsletters out every week. He sent us the following, and some photos of where your newsletter came from last week - check them out below.
"Attached are some images of where Ros and I are at the moment!! We arrived In Phi Phi and didn’t really book anything as its been really easy to just book as you go. Unfortunately Phi Phi is pretty small and has limited accommodation and its currently packed full of people so we have to make do with what was left over.
We got a place at the top of the hill at the back of the island. It’s a 10 minute walk to the beach and looks over the shanty town part of Phi Phi and is nothing like the white sand beaches and fancy hotels that stretch along the coast. The mosquitoes here are vicious and are as big as your fist often picking you up in your sleep and turning you over so they can get to the more tender bits on your body.
We also have a great view of the local “wastewater collection and constructed wetland system” which some tourist has aptly renames “poo garden” as its basically where all the sewerage goes as it’s the lowest point of the island.
All in all its actually a great experience and we have seen the best and worst of it all and it’s been great fun, it’s all just part of the adventure."
Last weeks newsletter goes out.
The view from the honeymoon suite
Pat hard at work
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| Hanifaru: diver congestion and poor behavior |
| 5 January 2011, 13:02 |
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Hanifaru in the Maldives is known as one of the best spots in the world for Manta Ray interaction and photography. There have been some amazing videos shot here, and I especially remember Thomas Peschak's video recording new manta feeding behavious (see that video here). However it seems that the word is out and diver congestion is becoming a problem, with too many badly qualified photographers trying to get in on the action. Just look at these palookas in the video below!
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