Dacorum Sub Aqua Club
Going Down - June 2000 - Page 3 of 3
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Best quote from a trainee
One trainee when off course on a compass bearing was heard to say “must be the magnetic disturbances from cars in the car park”!
Farne Islands Trip
Seven of us have just had a very good diving trip to the Farne Island’s, which are just north of Newcastle near Holy Island. This has got to be one of my favourite places to dive and has recently featured in ‘Dive’ magazine as an excellent place to go if you want to see ‘Grey Seals’.
The club has always stayed in Seahouses and uses a local skipper, Ian who also runs an excellent B &B with his wife Ailsa, which sleeps 12 people. As Steve and Clair were blown out of the trip due to work commitments, Dave and I inherited the Peach Room with on suite facilities (very posh). Our evening meal was eaten locally or you can eat in Seahouses, which is about a 15 min walk. We ate at the excellent Longstone Hotel, a 2 minute walk and a 60 minute wait after ordering, but the 12 giant prawns that Howard couldn’t finish made the wait worthwhile, - that and 2 pints of Theakstons.
The
following morning after breakfast we drove onto the pier, after picking up our
lunchtime sandwich at the local bakers, and loaded our cylinders onto the boat.
Most dives are about 20-30 minutes out of the harbour so if there is a bit of a
sea running then it’s ‘Stugeron’ time.
We had two dives a day, and lunch was taken on the boat in the shelter of the islands. We were able to watch the ‘twitchers’ watching the many types of seabirds that the Farne Islands attract.
At this time of the year the sea is very cold only 8o C so the dives were not that long up to 35-40 minutes. It’s worth suffering the cold to dive with the seals. They are so friendly and playful, they sneak up behind you and nibble your fins and then whip in front of you to watch your reaction. They are almost human, with a pair of the most beautiful darkest eyes I’ve ever seen. Elaine and I were very lucky, they just seemed to want to follow us and play. We decided it was the bright pink parts of our dry suits they liked. There is so much to see, the wall diving is spectacular, and every wall is covered in ‘Dead Mans Fingers’ such a horrible name for something so stunning. There are crabs and lobsters in abundance and the starfish just about cover everything else.
If you get the chance it’s a dive area not to be missed.
And girls, Ian is running all girl dives next year. See me if you’re interested!
Margaret
Next Farnes Boat Trip
The next boat trip to the Farne Islands is from Saturday September 16th to Monday 18th. At present the trip is full, but see Claire if you would like to put your name down as a reserve.
Library News
As
many of you will know we are setting up a DS-AC Library for the use and enjoyment
of all members.
It is intended that material will be available on a range of Media from Books, Magazines and pamphlets, to Videos and even CDROM.
A small charge will be levied for the loan period typically 50p to about £2 for a one week loan dependant upon the item, with relatively steep fines for late returns as an incentive for prompt returns. This will also fund the purchase of additional material for the library in the future.
If anyone has any material at home gathering dust on the bookshelf, and you would like to donate it to the club, it will be very much appreciated, and will enable as many people as possible to enjoy what ever it is you have.
We are interested in any material, which is remotely or directly related to diving, e.g. it could be travel, photography, or sports related. Reasonable quality amateur Videos would also be welcome.
A list of available material will accompany future issues of Going Down magazine, but an up to date list will be available on the club website once the library is up and running.
Periodically the library will be brought to Thursday club meeting nights at Dacorum Sports centre to allow you to browse at your leisure.
Please support this project and help me get it off the ground - Remember it is your club, your library.
If anyone has any questions please feel fee to give me a call or drop me an email
Steve Dearman
01442 243527
e-mail steve.dearman@btinternet.com
Don’t forget the web page on http://dsac.virtualave.net
Date last updated : 22/06/01