Diving Archives - Amanda Rushforth

fashion

Sapia Simone Launches Wetsuits for SS18

Posted on August 3, 2017

Whether you’re surfing in Sri Lanka, wake-surfing in Dubai or scuba diving in the cooler waters off Oman, for a couple of months a year, wetsuits are going to be part of your gear.

Dubai based designer Sapia Simone launched her label in the cooler months of 2016. It can now be found in 15 stores worldwide as well as online on Farfetch.com and seen on the pages of Conde Nast Traveller, Harpers Bazaar Arabia and Emirates Woman. Having originated in Miami, the brand exudes a tropical essence, focusing on nature, travel and fantasy across its collections.

The brand’s aim is to encourage and inspire a fresh perspective on ‘beach chic’. Sapia Simone’s design mission is to make playful and beautiful swimwear silhouettes, styles and resort wear that celebrate the active and adventurous female living across the world in a variety of sunshine societies.

Designed to provide functional support to all our aquababes, wetsuits are normally your traditional black one-piece (ok it’s sometimes grey too) what they aren’t… is very fashion focused. Yet.

Launching for the first time, September sees one of my favourite brands, SAPIA SIMONE, focusing on the more active and adventurous women. Activating in two colours, these neoprene wetsuits are modest yet sexy, with patterned sides and a front zip for wear-ability.

Why not co-ordinate with your accessories too? Who doesn’t want matching wetsuits and surf bags, designed to be completely watertight and seal in all your important belongings, so that you can surf, skate or ski with peace of mind out on the water.

travel

Kurumba: An Underwater Haven

Posted on March 31, 2017

If it’s the fish you fancy most about the Maldives and its abundant blue ocean, then the underwater world at Kurumba is for you. Named Vihamanaafushi after the word for coconut, this diver’s paradise opened back in 1972 and is one of the longest running resorts in all the atolls. Kurumba began with just 30 rooms that were all constructed using local materials with walls made from coral stone and roofs composed of palm thatch. It’s close to Male airport in the North, which makes it even more appealing for the weekend warrior.

There’s a much more relaxed and casual atmosphere here, as apposed to the other often-intimidating 5* resorts in the area, it’s perfect for families or for the solo traveller looking for a bit of winter sunshine.

Currents and reef at this time of year bring with it an abundance of fish feeding on plankton – the current moves around the island with a strong pull and limits your efforts snorkeling so you wont get exhausted quickly, you can just enjoy the ride and take in the array of aquatic action.

The reef here is less damaged than the rest of the Maldives, with less bleaching affecting the corals as apposed to the more southern atolls. Sky blue lagoons and darker reef drops are visibly different in vibrancy to the deeper turquoise shallows elsewhere.

Expect to get up close and personal with the local black tip sharks, barracuda, eels and a few house reef turtles too. There’s an app in the Maldives that’s used by the marine biologists across the islands to help identify turtles, whale sharks, manta’s and stingrays, with just a couple of close up shots, you can determine if you’ve stumbled across a newbie (which you get to name) or if they’re locals and have been named before!

For those looking to keep their head above water for a bit longer to enjoy the beautiful weather… the spa on Kurumba is a breathe of fresh air. Take in a signature massage for an hour to truly enjoy your time off. If like me you’re looking to stay a little more active in between your snorkeling sessions, sign up for a sunrise yoga with their dedicated island instructor and wake up with a little extra good energy.