A confession – I mainly like scuba diving because of its similarities to the video game series Pokémon. Hear me out. You travel around the region, exploring different areas, gaining experience by diving (or, in Pokémon, battling). When you’re ready, you can try for your next certification (or Gym Badge). Sometimes you learn a new technique (or a new move) … Read More
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish – West Bay – 27-28th July 2024
Thibault-culosis /ti.bo.kjʊˈ.ləʊ.sɪs/ n. An infectious diving malady. Symptoms include a relaxed attitude towards diving, approximately 15 minutes of lateness for ropes off, and confusion about who is responsible for said lateness. It must be said that the trip got off to an inauspicious start. We had multiple dropouts for some unlucky reasons, including a last minute bout of shingles, of … Read More
Portland, July 2024 – Or, Five Go Mad in Dorset
Sports Diver trips hit different. We don’t need no education – we’re already happy to smash a drift, go into deco, get pizza and do it all again the next day. Let’s introduce the Famous Five: Thibault, Dive Manager, proud inventor of the Delayed Surface Marker Baguette (actually a regular DSMB with a French flag attached – same thing); Dan, … Read More
Swanage – July 2023
This was a different dive trip. A low-pressure system over Ireland brought heavy winds to theChannel coast. Laura’s WhatsApp messages grew ever more ominous as the weekend drew nearer:probably no Percy, maybe no shore diving, and only hopefully some diving at all. Laura and Nathan explored possible shore diving sites on the rain-soaked Friday. The winds hadn’t yet reached their … Read More
West Bay – May 2023
During the Early May Bank holiday we had a wonderful time at the West Bay, Dorset. The dive was organised by our diving officer Aidan Fewster. It was a very long drive for me from Central Milton Keynes to Bridport and guessed what I was the first to check in at the Parkdean Caravan Park (because I have retired) & … Read More
Weymouth and Portland, April 2023
Being convinced to go on the trip at the very last minute, there wasn’t much time for me to be prepared for what a dive trip over the long bank holiday weekend encompassed. One thing was for sure: there would be a lot of diving. We arrived in Weymouth in the late evening and to two wonderful haven caravans. We … Read More
Outboard Engine Maintenance Course
On 12th Feb nine of us headed down to Southampton to take a 1 day course in outboard engine maintenance. Many thanks to our Equipment Officer Tobias for suggesting and organising this! BACKGROUND Historically our old engines were looked after by Nigel and Keith. Their stellar efforts meant that we got 20 odd years of life out of the things … Read More
Swanage May 2022
Swanage was my first club dive trip since my long awaited Ocean Diver qualification, which was prolonged by a year and half due to the lockdowns. I got my gear ready weeks in advance, excited for my first UK dive. Alex picked me up and we headed out to Dorset on one of the sunniest weekends of the year. Whilst … Read More
West Bay trip report – April 2022
Our trip to West Bay started for me with a road trip Friday afternoon with Nathan Piper in the club Land Rover to pick up the RIB boat from the depot. Leaving London around lunchtime and arriving in West Bay late afternoon. West Bay is a quaint little British fishing village with a modern dose of tourism. Consisting of a … Read More
Weymouth 2021
In the middle of June, I joined the club for the first time to go diving in Weymouth. To me, it was a bitof miracle that the trip worked out, because I had only recently joined the club (think five days ago),the only equipment I owned were a mask and fins and I had no mode of transportation.But in my … Read More