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Sea Forever is unlike any of the regular Unkomaas lodges. The guesthouse is a new face-brick building with massive decks- the main deck alone is 100mē and twin rooms enjoy sea views from the upper deck as well. The 180-degree angle these decks provide is incredible and many visitors will go so far as to say these views are the best to be had of the Shoal. Arriving late on a Thursday evening, I am treated to what can only be described as a feast- the three-course meal is a taste sensation. In addition to being a diving instructor, Nancy is also a highly qualified chef and her cooking prowess is fast becoming known in the town. Helpings are generous and meals sensational- just what a hungry diver needs. The lodge itself is just as impressive as the catering. Each room has an en-suite bathroom equipped with fresh towels and soaps, including an after-dive beach towel. Rooms are serviced daily and the mini bar replenished- the latter a feature rarely found at a diving lodge. Rooms are equipped with a TV (including M-Net) and VCR, and a video collection of 200 movies is available to guests. Holiday-makers who need to stay in touch with the office will also welcome the Lodge's e-mail and internet service. In addition to the comforts of the Lodge and its excellent cuisine, Sea Forever is well set up for it's diving visitors. Gary and Nancy Whitecross are both SSI instructors and, together with Vaughn Van Dyk (a PADI instructor), run the Lodge and dive centre/ charter facilities. With staff members ready to assist, divers kit up directly in front of the Lodge from where the gear is transferred to the boat. (I noticed the meticulous checking of C-cards and logbooks, which is commendable and a procedure I have seen waivered at one or two other operations.) Divers are then seated in a 4x4 and driven the short distance to the beach. After the dive, hot showers are available back at the kit-up area and wetsuits are hung up and later laid out ready for collection before the following day's dive. Each of these small gestures goes a long way to alleviate many of the things that can become irritating on a dive trip, and if muddy footprints, missing kit or beach sand over every inch of living space, including your bed, is what you've come to expect, Sea Forever will come as a pleasant surprise. |
The dive centre itself consists of a shop and training facility, with a three-metre dive pool for instruction. The filling bank is
impressive for a single boat charter operation- I expected a portable compressor, but this station fills nitrox as well as heliox for
the techie divers out there. The best thing about the system is its quick-decant ability for a cylinder top-up if you are just below
your required level. And with all these facilities located together at the kit-up area, a quick familiarisation dive can be completed
in the nearby pool and your cylinder simply topped up.
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