However, it all came flooding back early on Saturday morning as 11 of us headed out of Portland Harbour in the two club RIB’s and 5 miles across the bay to the wreck of the British Inventor. The water was cool, the air was cooler and dive times were realistically short.

Of course, the early season diving pretty much guarantees some fun and games.   Be it the DO forgetting his weight belt, the Dive Manager thinking he had clipped on his SMB when he hadn’t or a first class diver putting his torch into his mouth as he rolled over the side of the boat.

Hardly the London Fashion Show!

A welcome warm lunch in the sailing centre café and the realisation that Posh Dave was missing started some questions about where he was last seen. Had the dodgy toilet door got the better of him? Did he have to report home for an exceptionally long time? A few searches proved fruitless. The solution lay in the centre tannoy system. As we prepared for the second dive, across the Olympic venue Tom’s voice bellowing for “Posh Dave” will long remain in our memories. You will be relieved to know there were two cafes; Dave had found the second one.

........ Gone!

Going.......

A few more Dive Leader training drills and another wreck saw us in the pub by 5pm and back to the Bunker for one of their famous 3 course feasts and soon to bed. Sunday morning offered a little more warmth in the air but the promises of “reduced faff” did not quite materialise. Nether the less the final wreck dive of the weekend was complete and the boats washed down by 11am.

Thanks to Tom for all his organising, Dean for getting both boats ready and all who went for making it the great social event (with a bit of diving) that it always is.

Statistics for the weekend:

• Water temperature: 7 degrees
• Air Temperature: 1 degree
• Best creature: Large Thornback Ray
• Biggest loss: DSMB and Reel
• Worst excuse: “My wife’s back hurts”

Right to Left: Brian Maskell, Chris Hunka, Jackie Maskell, Marcela Turanova, Len Hards, David Allen and Richard Rayner

So how do you become a Guinness World Record holder?*

It’s easy, get involved in SCUBA Santa’s this year. Once again this charity fund raising event will be held at Vobster Quay on the 19th of December 2010. A group of us will be heading down for the day with our regulation specified Santa or Mrs Claws outfits to participate in the qualifying dive.

This is a very sociable event and we are looking to stop on our way back to enjoy a lovely Sunday Roast.

If you are unable to make the 19th of December, you can still support the RNLI, through sponsorship.

Further information can be found here.

Or E Mail: Me@DavidCAllen.co.uk

*Subject to rules and conditions being meet by participants and subject to Guinness World Record officiating and verification

 If you are interested, contact Dave Tresidder.

Did you know that Sea King is now stored in Newhaven making the diving even easier and the days even shorter? A full days’ diving for £15 or £20 within an hours’ drive of the club house, so home in time for dinner!

If you thought it was about time to get in the water and have just realised that there are few hard boat dives being run at the moment, then maybe it’s time to come along.

Spaces avaiable this coming Bank Holiday weekend. Email us, call us or see us at the club. This coming weekend is being organised by Dave Tresidder (Sat) and Gren Hamlyn (Sun).

In the meantime I have included a link to the schedule and current bookings.

Click on title to navigate to article and activate link to schedule.

Schedule

The costs are £260 per person,which includes 3 days hardboat diving (6 dives), four nights caravan accomodation, some basic food and packed lunches, BBQ and drinks weather permitting.

There are 42 from the club going already and we have 2 dive boats doing the same itinerary’s

All prices are per person per day

There are also 2 Self-catering apartments that sleep 4/5 persons at 710 Euros per apartment per week. These may not be available for long.

Flights will be in the region of £180 but I cannot be certain until I have some idea of numbers and can talk to British Airways

There will also be a cost for a coach to and from the airport but that will depend on numbers and hence the size of coach.

There will probably be a reduction for children but I have not had that confirmed yet.

Please can you let Brian know as soon as possible if you are interested as he needs to start giving the hotel and dive centres some numbers. He will be away for a week from the 31st january and will need to have an idea of numbers soon after I return.

MAY BANK HOLIDAY (1st, 2nd, 3rd MAY 2010)

This year the club will be running its annual club trip to Portland over the early May Bank Holiday on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd May 2010.

The trip will be split into two with 12 divers diving off the hard boat Skin Deeper and staying at Margaret’s house in Weymouth and 14 divers diving off the RIBs and staying at the Bunker in Portland .

The trip is open to Ocean Divers and above. Whilst there may be an opportunity to get some skills signed off primarily this trip is for everyone to go diving and have fun. If you do have specific skills that need to be signed off then please talk to Gren beforehand to see if this will be possible.

The cost of the trip will be £240 if you are diving off Skin Deeper and staying at Margaret’s house and it will be £145 if you are diving off the RIBs and staying at the Bunker.

These costs include, 3 days diving (2 dives per day), 3 nights accommodation on a B&B basis, a BBQ (weather permitting on the Saturday night), an evening meal with wine on the Sunday night, and a packed lunch (no packed lunch for those on the RIBs).

A list will be going up on the board this Thursday (weather permitting) and all places will be on a first come first served basis. Please note the usual club booking rules apply: If you put your name down you are responsible for the full cost unless you can find a replacement.

Regards

Ian

• We anticipate two ribs for start of season (subject to selling of Kingston Diver and purchase of new RIB).
• The diving is mainly based out of Newhaven but other venues will be considered
• We have standardised the cost to £20 or £25 per day based on 6 divers on board,  depending on fuel costs subject to a minimum of 5 per boat (costs increase by £5 per diver). 
• In case of oversubscription, people who have contributed to boat maintenance days will be given first refusal (within reason, qualification)
• Trainees, crossovers or newly qualified Ocean divers are to be encouraged to get involved.
• Dive trip rules apply with regard to payment – sign up + pay up.
• RIBs can only be hired for diving related activities
• Trips are dependent on the availability of qualified persons (Dive Manager, Diver Cox, someone to tow ).
• A list will be published on the Club notice board in due course.
• If you have any questions contact Chris Hunka, Ian Emery or Dave Tresidder. 

Let’s go diving!