I would like to wish everyone Merry Christmas & a Happy New year.
Kind Regards
Simon Askham - LSSAU - Snorkel Instructor
May I take the opportunity of wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and all the
very best for the New Year.
Hope we see you next Thursday.
Cheers
Geoff
Yesterday evening was the first ever time that I went scuba diving at Stoney
Cove at night time, let me tell you that I enjoyed every second of that
dive.
My diving buddy was Marg and I am sure that if you asked her about the dive,
she will agree with me that we had the best diver ever.
We saw numerous pike from small to large, about a dozen if not more than
that. We also saw hundreds of crayfish including some that had decided to
climb up the weeds looking as if they were about to bungee jump. The more
usual fish perch and roach were also around, there were tiny perch as well
as big fat ones. But the real stars of the Dive were the PIKE! Including the
one that swam straight towards us.
We appear to have cruised through yet another Splash Camp with ease –
however as we all know these things don't just happen so a big thank you to
Simon for making sure we all turned up and thank you to everyone for turning
up and making sure it all happened. Everyones efforts from teaching to
fetching and returning kit are all greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Marg
Photos can be seen in the gallery section.
This is to let you know that subject to interest, we have added an additional dive weekend to the calendar.
We had a cracking weekend in Weymouth earlier in the year and found the facilities in Portland harbour to be excellent.
Portland harbour offers some interesting wreck and scenic diving opportunities in waters of up to 20m that due to the shelter offered by the harbour, should be suitable for diving almost irrespective of the weather.
We have a number of newly qualified ocean divers and this weekend is offered as an ideal opportunity for them to extend their diving experience in sheltered open water.
Enquiries have been made as to the availability of nearby scout hut in Chickerell where we stayed in last time.
If you are interested in going, please will you let me know as soon as you can as I will need to firm up on the accommodation. It would be helpful if you let me know either way so that I know you received information regarding the weekend.
I would ask Andy Dunsworth to mention it to Wayne Potter, given you live close together.
I don’t have email addresses for some of the recently qualified ocean divers and so would ask Matt and Jim in particular to forward this email to anyone they see that I have missed. The same applies to the rest of you, if I have missed anyone, please could you let them know/ copy this email to them.
Thanks
Geoff
A most relaxed and enjoyable weekend attended by Jim, Matt Da, Geoff, James, Mark, Adam and Matt Dr, accommodation being at the Brixton Scout hut, which features safe parking for the boat and good beer in the Foxhound Inn close by but is somewhat tired as a facility, although they are making efforts to improve things.
Based on the weather forecast before we left Leicester, south westerly force 2/3 rising force 5/6, we fully expected to be diving within the confines of Plymouth Sound, a large natural harbour protected from the extremes of the weather by a long breakwater. One of the seven P’s associated with planning must have come to our aid as Saturday morning rose with fine weather, wind easterly force 2/3.
We launched at Mountbatten and, having contacted Brixham coastguard to advise them of our plans, toodled off on the twenty five minute journey round past Cawsands Bay to Whitsands Bay with the plan of diving whichever of the Scylla and James Egan Layne had the least numbers of dive boats on it. The Scylla it was. Buddy pairs agreed, Mark and Matt Da, Adam and Matt Dr, and Jim, Geoff and James, we dropped in for a look round. Unfortunately, although he had checked it earlier, James suit started to leak when we were half way down. After a few minutes on the deck the leak was considered too great for safe diving and we returned to the marker line and back to the surface. Jim experienced a problem with his ears which also raised concerns about continuing the dive and which later, having not cleared satisfactorily, resulted in Jim making the decision not to dive the rest of the weekend. Those that got onto the Scylla had an enjoyable dive and noted a considerable increase in growth and life.
We returned to Mountbatten for lunch and to fill up the cylinders and then back out to Whitsands Bay. Jim boat handled and Matt Dr and James remained on shore, having chosen not to dive that afternoon. The weather had deteriorated and the passage around the headland was sufficiently rough to make us think carefully about continuing, however on rounding the headland things improved and the decision to continue was vindicated with a very acceptable seas state over the James Egan Layne. Matt Da and Adam followed Geoff and Mark down onto the Egan Layne, the marker line dropping us onto a high point on the stern only five metres below the surface. Vis was
5-6 metres and a very enjoyable dive was had by all, even finding a large conger eel hiding down a pipe.
Cylinders dropped off for filling and collection the following day, we recovered the boat and returned to Brixton, for “Otter” and chilli spagbol. Having risen at 6am we were all pretty shattered and had retired by 10.30pm.
Sunday started at a far more human time of 7am with sunshine but the weather forecast had caught up with itself – now blowing South Westerly straight into Whitsands Bay and the breakwater across Plymouth Sound. There was no way we could go beyond the confines of the harbour. Permission granted from the Longroom, we launched (8.5 out of 10 to Matt Dr for artistic impression), toodled across the sound to the inner breakwater wall and dropped in around a Martello tower (fort), circumventing it and then heading due south to turn left along the breakwater. A scenic and interesting dive with Matt Dr and James, Mark and Geoff, Matt Da and Adam was followed by a cylinder fill (for some) and a scenic dive in 6 to 9m off Bovisand before returning to Mountbatten for boat recovery and wash down. We then returned to Brixton to repack everything before setting off at 5pm to return to Foxbox for 10pm.
Thanks to Geoff for organising a relaxed and enjoyable weekend, cost being £62 per head. Thanks also to Alan for being home contact.
This is to let you know that the next dive weekend is now looming over the horizon, to be in just over three weeks time, Friday 2 July to Sunday 4 July.
Diving will be out of Plymouth, which depending on weather conditions, will hopefully include the Scylla and James Egan Lane, with accommodation booked fairly close by at the scout hut in Brixton.
I am organising the weekend and so would ask all interested parties to let me know if they would like to go.
As emails can sometimes get lost in transit, please can you let me know either way, if you are or are not interested in attending.
Details of the other weekends planned this year may be found on LSSAU website, www.scubascouts, within the calendar, so please have a look and see which of the weekends you can come along on, the next one being in early August to the Farne Islands.
I would ask Andy Dunsworth to mention it to Wayne Potter, given you live close by.
If I have missed anyone, please could you let them know/ copy this email to them.
Could I ask that you send your responses shortly as firstly, time is required in order to complete the necessary organising and secondly, numbers will be limited to the capacity of the boats.
I have confirmations so far from Roger Cooper, Matt Drage, Adam Marczak, Jim Mills and Matt Davies
Thanks
Geoff
LSSAU – first weekend to the seaside in 2010
Weymouth – Portland Harbour – Portland Bill, late Friday 4 June to late Sunday 6 June
Another cracking weekend with Marg, Jim, Coops (part, boat handling), Geoff, Adam and Dragey Jnr attending, accommodation was provided by Weymouth Air Scouts, Granby Close, Chickerell comprising a great hut with pretty good facilities, all apart from parking which was a bit tight.
The Marquis of Granby a couple of hundred yards away, provided a suitable hostelry and meeting place having driven some 180 miles from Leicestershire to the “Jurassic” coast – what a suitable name for a beer. Buddy pairs agreed, Marg and Adam, Jim and Matt, and Geoff and Simon, we partook of some biscuits and cheese before retiring to bed.
Saturday started and finished with bright sunshine and a flat calm sea. We launched at the Sailing Centre which is an excellent facility with lots of space and more than sufficient parking. The sea was perfect for the circa seven mile sea journey around the Bill to Blacknor Point where we successfully located the wreck of the James Fennel, a former naval tug that had sunk in 1920 in some 18 metres of water. Located on the west side of the Bill close to Chesil Beach, all that remain of height are the boiler and engine with the rest an organised pile of plates and girders. It had a lot of life on it with several species of fish and crabs easily spotted. Visibility was a good at around 6 metres, albeit the silt kicked up quite easily.
We stopped at Castletown for lunch and to fill the cylinders, which was very pleasant, before travelling out across Portland Harbour to dive the Countess of Erne, a former paddle steamer later converted to a coal hulk, which broke its moorings in September 1935 and sunk after hitting the harbour wall. This remains intact with a pleasant swim through under the cross beams, all covered in weed, algae etc and with loads of fish and crab life. Visibility ranged from four metres at best to not a lot when the silt kicked up.
A quick jaunt back to the Sailing Centre to drop off Coops, who had to leave us early, and then we were back to Castletown to put cylinders in for filling before stopping on the way back to Chickerell at the Ferry Bridge, where we had the pleasure of meeting up with former unit members from Australia, Jamie and Milly, and Sam plus Sam’s mum Fiona and brother Conner. They all joined us for our evening meal – a great evening being had by all.
Sunday resumed the sunshine but the wind had risen and was making the harbour quite choppy. We left the harbour to dive on the leeward side of the middle wall under a former loading station built half way along its length. This was a scenic dive with much of the interesting features lying in the six to eight metre belt. The structures make it feel like a ship wreck and it is an artificial reef home to large spider crabs, Ballan Wrasse, Tom Pot blennies and the rare Black Face Blenny which was seen by all the divers. We returned to the Sailing Centre for lunch and to rescue three youngsters who had got into distress and might otherwise have drowned, before returning them to their waiting parents......young crows that is.
Our final dive, finishing off the cylinders, was on the right hand mid wall of the harbour, the bones of a wreck called the Craigside which for many years has been unnamed but extensive work by NAS has made identification possible there is another wreck close by Enicuri, colloquially known as the Spaniard. Both wrecks lie in approximately 12m. Visibility wasn’t the best at around 2 to 3 metres or less when the silt kicked up.
Having washed the boat and kit down, we returned to the hut to load up and prepare for home.
Thanks go to Marg and Jim for organising a most enjoyable weekend.
Simon has asked if we can take our boat to a Scouts Gala to promote the unit, we will take the boat over to Willow Park in Wigston for around 1pm in readiness for the gala/ fete at 2.00pm and then man it until around 4.30pm when we can leave ahead of the official finish at 5.00pm.
Any unit helpers would be greatly received!
Portland Dive Weekend 5th & 6th June
Anyone interested in joining the trip to Portland please notify me ASAP. We shall be travelling down on friday afternoon / evening and weather permitting having two days diving returning sunday.
Cheers
Jim
Can anyone who has a more up to date contact list forward this on.
The first dive weekend is now looming over the horizon, to be in a fortnights time, Friday 7 May to Sunday 9 May.
Diving will be in Portland harbour, where there are several vessels to go and have a look at, with accommodation booked close by.
Marg is organising the weekend and has asked me to send out an email to all potentially interested parties seeking responses from those who would like to go.
Please therefore, as emails can sometimes get lost in transit, can you let both Marg and myself know either way, if you are or are not interested in attending.
Could I ask that you send your responses shortly as time is required in order to complete the necessary organising.
Thanks
Geoff
Weymouth - Marg When 7 - 8 May 2010
Cornwall - Jim When 4 - 5 Jun 2010
Plymouth - Geoff When 2 - 4 Jul 2010
Farnes - Adam & Matt When 6 - 8 Aug 2010
Scotland/Abroad Week Trip. When 4 - 11 Sep 2010 - TBC
