Newsletter
Issue 8 – 01 July 2007
Club News
Congratulations to Steve Wilkins who is now a qualified BSAC Ocean Diver and is well into his training for Sports Diver!!
Congratulations also to Pete Mowatt, our boat officer who is now a qualified BSAC OWI!!! Congratulations to Alan Davis, Damian Stafford and Rob Taylor on successfully completing the boat handling course. We’re sure these guys will help reduce the burden on the existing Rib Cox's and allow us to make even more use of the Rib for both Training and recreational diving. Review to follow...
On 19th June 2007 the club had a BBQ at the Squirrel pub in Booker. Despite the heavens opening it was a huge success!! Thank you to all those involved in organising it!!!
Forthcoming Meetings / Diary Events
03 July 2007 – Big Tuesday 8.30pm - Open Forum - The British Legion, Cock Lane
04 July 2007 - Training Dive, Wraysbury - Amanda Radley / Len Sumner
07/08/09 July 2007 - Manacles Reef Dive, Cornwall - Paul Coxon
07/08 July 2007 - 2 Day Rib Dive, Weymouth - Pete Mowatt / Simon Fennell
17 July 2007 - Little Tuesday, The Squirrel Pub
18 July 2007 - Training Dive, Wraysbury - Amanda Radley / Len Sumner
(The Clubs Full Dive/Event Program is available on the club website)
Dive Review: Poole 2007 – by Jon Pearce
No Rush to get out of Poole bay Saturday morning, a moderate south westerly breeze was turning the sea slightly lumpy, we wouldn’t be going too far!
Time to put the kettle on and consider the options with Mike, the skipper.
We decided to nose out passed old Harry rock and check out the sea state. As it turned out it wasn’t all that bad, so we rolled off the side of the “Peverille myth” and dropped down onto “peverill ledges” at twenty-five meters.
With reasonable viz, about four to five meters and plenty of life once you got you head down amongst the rocks, sea squirts, fan worms, elaphant`s hide sponge, Ross coral, velvet swimming crabs, spinney spider crabs, lobsters, nudibranch eggs and nudibrachs, were but a few things spotted.
All in all a good dive only marred by Johns camera flooding, Rita loosing a fin and Gill losing her weight belt, getting back on the boat I hasten to add!
Time for lunch and sunbathing, moored in studland bay.
The second dive of the day consisted of a hunt for some rare sea horses allegedly spotted grazing on the seabed in central Poole bay.
This was a drift dive, so as we skimmed across the sand we were lucky enough to see flat fish; leopard spotted gobies a smooth hound, hermit crabs but surprisingly no seahorses!
Just time to get back to Poole for some air from the “friendly” compressor operator and onto the campsite to pitch tents and stroll down to the local pub for a pie and pint or two
Sunday saw a change in the weather for the worse, with stronger winds and heavier seas, we nearly called it a day but, well three actually did, Len was able to galvanise the remaining four brave soles and we headed out for another dive
We had to concede to the rolling seas off shore and so headed in for a shallow dive just along from swanage bay, as it turned out we did an hour’s dive on “Tanville ledges” at about ten metres.
Sea hares up to three inches long on rocks covered in red seaweed, tom pot blennies amongst crevasses, leopard spotted gobies, crabs, lobsters, ballen wrasse, cuckoo wrasse and bib swimming amongst the rocks, a lovely dive to finish the weekend.
Meet the Committee - Gary Howard
Name: Gary Howard
Committee position: Chairman
Been a member since: 1993 (With a couple of breaks)
Diver grade: Advanced Instructor / Advanced Diver
Did you learn to dive with HWSAC: No
If no where did you learn to dive: 1983 – University of London Sub-Aqua Club (ULSAC)
What was the best part of your training: Definitely the D Test – the Snorkel dives to 7 m were really fun, although I was worried about them beforehand.
How many dives have you done: 1075
Best dive I done: 12 Nov 1995 - Pat’s Wall Cayman Islands – British West Indies – Turtle swam off the reef at about 25 m and was swimming around me and my buddy.
Funniest dive I done: A dive in Bovisand Harbour with a trainee. Showed them a pipe fish and Sea Scorpion. Later another instructor related the student’s perspective. “Gary pointed at a stick, then again, he then picked it up gave it to me and it was a fish. Then we came across a small red rock he pointed at it, then again, finally he poked it and it swam off.”
I took up diving because: It was always something I had waned to do and the scuba Club was the first one I tracked down at University.
Best personal diving destination: Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean. We went there on our Honeymoon and also went back for my 40th Birthday. But Cayman is a very very close contender
My other hobbies are: Photography (underwater as well), Rambling (through the countryside, rather than waffling)
Messages from the committee
Gary Howard (Chairman) –
Hope you are all well and have enjoyed the 2007 diving season so far (I’m afraid I can’t do anything about the Weather!).We have decided to have an Open Forum on Tuesday 3rd July at the British Legion in Wycombe Marsh. I’ll hassle everyone in for a 9.pm start. Those committee members present will quickly review what we have been up to and what is planned for the next few months. If members have anything they would like to ask the committee this is your opportunity. This can be during the open forum or afterwards if you prefer. If anyone already has questions that you would like us to address at the Open Forum please drop me an e-mail by Monday night. We hope to see as many of you there as possible. Might I add my congratulations to Pete on getting his OWI (Open Water Instructor).
Kind Regards Gary
Len Sumner (Training Officer) –
The new OD training course has been delayed for one week (2 of the
students couldn't make the 1st week). New dates are now
1st Theory on Tuesday 17th July at Cressex
1st Pool lesson on Thursday 19th at the pool
We currently have 6 possible new students for the course which is
excellent news. If anybody knows of any other possible new students,
please let me know.
We have successfully run two 'How to run a HWSAC try Dive' sessions at the pool. Thanks to all those who attended and if there are others out there that want to learn how to run a try dive, please let me know.
We are planning to run some Dive Leader training in early August
We are always looking for people to assist in the pool and with open
water training, so if you want to help and don't currently receive the
communications, please let Simon Cook (pool) and Amanda Radley (Open Water) know and they will add you to their lists
Cheers - Len
Diveoku
Please see the pdf.
Notice from Author
I hope you have found this newsletter informative. Please send me you dive reviews / photos / stories / comments / requests for the newsletter to me at: info@wycombesubaqua.com