Calan Bosch offers a variety of watersports including dinghy sailing, wind-surfing, banana boat rides, parasailing and snorkeling but if you are looking for scuba diving in Menorca then you will not find a better ambassador for the island or the sport than Kirstin Francis who runs Bluewater Scuba, based in Cap d’Artrutx.
Kirstin set up Bluewater Scuba with Martin Lawrence in 2003 and the company has thrived, largely due to Kirstin’s energy and enthusiasm for Menorca, both above and below the waterline.
Bluewater Scuba has its own fully equipped dive centre with compressor, a fleet of vehicles and, new for 2015, a 9m, traditional Menorcan Llaut with 2 engines. Originally designed for fishing, the boat has been fitted out to stow diving equipment, life jackets, oxygen/first aid kits and it has a bimini top for sun shade and the all important ‘cool box’. From spring 2015, BWS will be offering 2 dive trips per day leaving from Calan Bosch Marina. There will be regular trips to the famous wreck of the Malakoff and Pont d’en Gil Cavern. And plenty more such as Cova d’es Moro, West Coast, Stairway, the Cap Negras, Smiley’s Face & Picasso.
Kirstin has built up a reputation for gong the extra mile for all her customers, whether they are children enjoying their first experience of diving in a hotel pool or seasoned, experienced divers, many of whom return year after year. One recent customer sums it up by writing,
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for all what you did for me on our recent visit to Menorca, I still cannot believe that I am a qualified diver and it’s mostly down to you, your patience, understanding, the way you make people believe in themselves and your endurance is absolutely sublime. You really are a truly remarkable person, you give so much of your time to others, have to juggle lots of things in the air, sort out all the authorities and yet you still remain upbeat, positive and calm. Carol Barber
Kirstin lived overseas for many years as her father was in the Forces and then she became a tour rep, working in many of the most popular holiday destinations around the world. However, when she arrived in Menorca in 1996, Kirstin says she knew immediately that ˝THIS was the place I wanted to hang up my well-worn boots.˝ Apparently, 18 years later, they are still hanging in the tree in the garden.
Kirstin learnt to dive with Crystal Seas Scuba in Menorca and she enjoyed it so much she moved jobs almost immediately and worked with CSS for 6 years. Although she was mostly in the sales/reservations office, by the time she left she had been a PADI Divemaster for 3 years. In May 2003 she agreed to help set up Bluewater Scuba with her business partner Martin Lawrence, on the one condition that ˝I could stay out of the office and go diving all day. That worked! It’s been great fun since day one.˝ With Martin currently based back in the UK, Kirstin is running the business in Menorca and leading her multi-national team of diving instructors.
Put in a box
Kirstin’s favourite dive sites:
Pont d’En Gil Cavern 10-18m Kirstin says – this is a world-class cavern dive, 220m long. It is suitable for almost all divers, as there are few places where daylight cannot be seen or there isn’t a breathable supply of fresh air, giving people a chance to experience something very special and surreal. Filled with a stunning display of stalagmites, stalactites, and cascades, this cavern is a geological masterpiece. Universally agreed to be a dive in a million!
Malakoff Wreck 31-40m Kirstin says – This was an ocean going French-owned Cargo Steamer (1929). Sitting upright on a sandy bottom she forms a fully colonised artificial reef, some 105m long. This wreck is home to huge morays and scorpion fish as well as attracting many deep-water pelagics, such as barracuda, dentex, gilthead bream, triggerfish and John Dory. The fish life on her is outstanding, and this is undoubtedly the most prolific dive site in Menorca.
Grand Canyons 5-21m Kirstin says – The general topography on this dive is hard to beat. Swim through an underwater labyrinth of channels which snake through the reef just 20m from the shoreline; all open & well lit from above. No two routes are the same. At the turn point is an incredible sink-hole to drop into. Sometimes there is time to sneak into the letter-box of the Grand Cavern, right at the back of the main chamber. Grand Canyons offers a fantastic photo opportunity. (In addition to being an expert diver, Kirstin is also a talented photographer and she has considerable knowledge of the island’s wild flowers and plants.)
Tunnel Vision i & ii 12-25m
Enter into a massive crack through a rocky headland at 3m. This impressive tunnel splits into two at the centre and joins up again as it leads out of the large cave opening at 12m. Shrimps and prawns can be seen scampering around inside, along with the swift moving brittle stars. Frequently a conger eel is resident. Again there is so much to see, this divesite is worth visiting at least twice. Straight ahead, out in the open, are two wonderful drop-offs down to 25m. Sandy patches are decorated with discarded shells, while octopus do their best to hide behind pebble walls. Either return by the second passageway or follow the coastal wall back to the entry point.
For more information contact Kirstin at Bluewater Scuba, C/Llevant, Centro Civico Local 3, Cap d’Artrutx (Cala’n Bosch), 07769 Ciutadella de Menorca www.bluewaterscuba.co.uk
Tel/Fax: +34 971 38 71 83 (Office) Tel Mbl: +34 636 74 99 81 (Kirstin)
Kirstin is keen to ensure that all new recruits to diving have the ‘best holiday ever’. She runs Undersea Adventures for 12-112 year olds and the Super Grouper Dive Club for 5-13 year olds.
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