Sunday 5th October. A great club dive organised by Sally. Eight divers got up early to catch the last of the autumn dives. Considering storm Amy has just gone through, the viz was great, and well done to Charles for an excellent video.
Scylla Dive – two full boat loads went and dived the Scylla wreck (off Plymouth).
Porthkerris weekend – A great time down there, organised by Jane and Charles. Loads of great diving, not dampened by the occasional torrential downpour 🙁 The weather was slightly against us, but it didn’t stop lots of people getting in the water.
A photo star!!
Well done to Jane for her winning entry in the Torbay Splash Photo cometition.
Thoroughly deserved for all the hard work and practice that you’ve put in with a camera. Well done Jane 🙂
September 2025
Well done to Craig H. and Jordan M for passing their Sports Diver certifications.
It’s hard work getting there, but well done.
That qualification is a good standard in diving, and accepted all over the world.
Wednesday 10th September. A great night dive organised by Craig (supervised by Andy L). 10 divers got in just before dusk, and so gradually got used to dark conditions. Well done to Gina, Nikki and Sylvia for doing their first night dive ever, and to Ben, Gemma and Jake for doing their first UK night dive. Thanks to Paula for being Assistant Dive Manager, and for the photos. Then off to the chippy for some very well earned food. 🙂
Porthkerris. A quick weekend trip. A few pictures from a brief visit to Porthkerris over the bank holiday. This has been the year of the octopus and there are certainly still plenty about. I was thrilled when one reached out a tentacle and touched my hand! The cuttlefish were also very relaxed and friendly, one doing some synchronised swimming with my buddy. 😀 Jane.
Sunday 24th Aug St Dunstan. 30m, 6m viz, and 17C. Great dive organised by Pegs.
Massive boilers, lovely swim through...huge dredging gear...so many fish it was hard to see all the metal....oh... and the sea was flat...
none of those annoying dolphins ...always delays the day!
Thanks to Clint and Anne for getting boat ready and the fabulous buddies Martin and David.
Sunday 3rd August. Well done to Pegs for running a boat dive out to the wreck of the Emmstrom. 6 happy divers made their way out to this ‘newish’ wreck, and enjoyed reasonable viz on the dive. Hopefully we’ll have a full write up soon.
Sunday 3rd August. Club dive with 10 divers enjoying shore dive and and brunch at Babbacombe. Viz was somewhat variable, but people saw octopuses (octopii) and loads and loads of crab shells. Well done Henry for completing his first UK sea dive. Then off to Romany Jones for brunch.
Sunday 27th July. Morning dive …….Sadly, the wreck of the Boma was completely hidden in the murk, so the RIB diverted over to the Bretagne.
Saturday 26th July. James Eagan Layne dive organised by Anne and Clint. Six divers make the trip to Whitsand Bay, to dive this American Liberty ship that was sunk in March 1945. The viz was reasonable, and there was loads of life around.
There was one of the biggest congers that I’ve seen in a long time, and I can understand why this wreck is quite popular with fishermen. The wind was just about ok for getting out to the wreck, and we even saw dolphins on the way there. Well done to Clint for towing the boat to Mount Batten and back.
Sunday 20th July. Sadly Jane’s boat trip to the James Eagan Layne was postponed because of high winds. So 10 hardy divers coped with very challenging conditions at Brixham. Viz was less than 40cms for most of the dive so most buddy pairs only did 30 minutes then gave up. Only one pair found a clear’ish part and enjoyed a 60 minute dive. This certianly was a ‘character building’ dive!
Wednesday 16th July. Evening club dive organised by Nik. Even though the tides weren’t ideal, it was possible to get in off the breakwater steps and see the thousands of spider crabs that are in the bay at he moment. Viz wasn’t fantastic, because the spider crabs are active, but it’s a great sight to see 🙂
Sunday 13th July Hope Cove. A great day out organised by Nik. Some great dives on the Louis Shied, and additional excitement as numerous paddle boarders were blown out to sea in the offshore wind. Help was given by club members (well done you!), and the inshore lifeboat came and rescued the paddle boarders in distress.
Spider crab invasion 🙂
Thousands of spider crabs appeared at Babbacombe. The sea bed wasn’t visible because of so many crabs being there to moult and breed. Wow what a sight, and it’s a great way of keeping novice divers off the sea bed 🙂
Sunday 6th July. Ore Stone Boat Dive, organised by Jane – My First Octopus Encounter
I’ve always loved octopuses and have often chatted with other club members about their encounters with these amazing creatures – so I was beyond grateful to finally have my own! We dived at Ore Stone, and although the viz wasn’t great, but it gave the site a calm, atmospheric feel. I spotted the first octopus tucked between some rocks – just a glimpse of an arm and that unmistakable eye watching me. Not long after, I spotted a second!
One of the best things about octopuses is their striking orange, slit-shaped eyes – they look almost alien and are perfect for spotting movement in low-visibility UK waters. Seeing not just one, but two on a single dive was absolutely unforgettable. A truly magical experience, and one I’ll remember for a long time. Gemma.
Ore Stone Boat Dive, organised by Jane. With the planned trip to the James Egan Lane blown out, 10 brave souls dived the Orestone.
Sunday 6th July. Club shore dive organised by Sally. 10 divers spent an hour looking for life at Brixham, but there wasn’t as much around as normal. It’s possible that the octopii invasion has had a knock on effect to the food chain. It was lovely and warm in the water, and we have to applaud Simon, who travelled the furthest distance (from London) to come on a shore dive with us. At least it’s a change from the inland sites up there!
June 22nd Boat trip to Watcombe caves
Absolutely fabulous trip out to Watcombe Caves yesterday with the club.
It was my first boat dive as a newly qualified ocean diver and I’m already hooked! We saw a huge amount of life – colourful fish, sponges and snails but the highlight was definitely the two feisty lobsters! Already counting down the days to the next dive. Nikki
June 19 – 22nd Porthkerris weekend organised by Sally. Some great boat dives off the Celtic Kitten, plus easy shore dives round Drawna Rock. Porthkerris is a really lovely site to go and dive. Octopii were seen on most dives. Andy L.
Always amazing what you can discover just off the Devon coast. Gemma.
Sunday 15th June – Jason finished off his Sports Diver qualification, and there was practice of dSMB deployment for him and Ben. Evie saw her first UK octopus, and then we had bacon baps in glorious sunshine. Thank you to Derek for being shore cover, and what a fabulous morning.
6-8th June. Cornish diving weekend organised by Derek and Steve. Diving at Falmouth and Porthkerris, with some great dives seeing octopus, bob tail squid, cuttlefish and jellyfish. Various folk used caravans, camper vans, tents, and air b&b for their overnight stay. Thank you to the BBQ people who coped amazingly (in the rain) on the Saturday night 🙂
1st June A parallel club dive was run at Anstey’s Cove on Sunday. This is a small bay close to Babbacombe, accessed by foot, with the car park about 300 metres away uphill. Or the beach 300 metres away downhill, if you prefer… Viz was good: being shallow, the plankton bloom didn’t obscure much light. There were plenty of sand eels and some moon jellyfish in the water column. The sea bed is mostly gravel and boulders.
1st June 2025 Club dive in amongst hundreds of spider crabs that have suddenly appeared in the bay. Dive venue moved because of the air show, so there was a bit of rock climbing involved at Babbacombe, and the viz varied from 1 to 5 metres. Then off for a very good brunch! What a lovely way to start a Sunday.
Friday 30th May. Andy L showed a series of videos on how to improve buoyancy and trim. About 20 people watched a series of presentations on how to improve your diving position in the water. This covered different methods of checking you’ve got the correct amount of lead weight, plus also how to position it.
22nd May Budleigh Beach evening dive. Well done to Derek for organising glorious conditions for an evening dive. These were first ‘real’ UK sea dives for Gina, Nikki, and Jordan. Good viz, and plenty to see in the hour or so underwater. Thanks to Petra, Phil and Chris for guiding them out to the reef and back again. This site is rarely dived these days, but it can be a real gem if the conditions are right. Sadly, the fish and chip shop had closed by the time they got changed, but shore cover really enjoyed his (hard earned) curry. Good underwater photos from Jordan.
18 May 2025 Vobster Quay
Well done to Gina and Nicky for passing their Ocean Diver practical tests. They’ve passed the theory sections, so it’s just waiting for the paperwork to be signed, and then you are fully qualified scuba divers. 🙂
It was hard work getting there, but well done.
That qualification is a good standard in diving, and accepted all over the world.
18th May 2025 Vobster Quay
A training day at Vobster for Martin, Gina and Nicky. Well done to Clint and David for putting people through their practical tests.
A lovely sunny day up there ….. and I expect the burger van provided a lovely snack in between dives.
11 May 2025
Well done to Chris, Noelia and Jayden for passing their Ocean Diver practical tests. They’ve passed the theory sections, so it’s just waiting for the paperwork to be signed, and then you are fully qualified scuba divers. 🙂
It was hard work getting there, but well done.
That qualification is a good standard in diving, and accepted all over the world.
Sunday 20th April …. Cromhall Quarry
This is a venue we’ve not used before, but one we’re considering for training when sea conditions are poor. It’s only about 90 minutes from Exeter.
Anne and Andy L went and checked it out, with Clint coming along as supervisor/shore cover.
Diving in fresh water always means adjusting your weighting, plus there’s no current to deal with. So it’s not exactly like sea diving, but it’s still diving. The site owners have put things in the water to see, and we will try this venue with students soon.
April 2025
Well done to Josiah for passing his Sports Diver certification.
It’s hard work getting there, but well done.
That qualification is a good standard in diving, and accepted all over the world.
Sunday 13th April
Spring is here and fabulous conditions were here for the club dive. The water is warming up and some cuttlefish were seen. The diving season is well and truly open.
The dive list was full (well done Sally) and we had divers doing their first UK dives – so well done to Ben and Chris. It was also Martins first club dive, and loads of happy divers went off for brunch afterwards.
Thanks to Paula for being shore cover.
Sunday 2nd March
This is the hardest time of year for UK diving, for the water is at its coldest, and the wind is somewhat unpredictable. An easterly wind overnight gave appreciable waves and sea surge, and it was borderline that the divers would get in.
Eight divers managed to get in and have good dives, with viz being reasonably good and lots to see. It was good to see quite a few people managing to dive in semi-dry suits, and getting around 40 minute dives.
Once people had warmed up, then they went off to the Sloop for a well earned brunch and to chat through what everyone has seen during the dive.
Our next club dive is on Sunday 6th April, and see the front page for more details.
Tuesday 25th Feb
Exeter Saracens rugby under 16’s sent some lads along for try dives. A great time was had by all, and they played around in the pool with all the dive kit they require in the sea. It’s great they’re considering learning to dive at an early age.
Sorry – no photos because of divers ages.
Wed 19th Feb
Desperate for a UK dive meant travelling to Plymouth. Though it was a bit lumpy, and the viz was about a metre … three hardy divers got in at the Waterfront.
So well done to Steve P, Nigel and Andy L for getting in and out safely. Big thanks to Jane and Derek for being shore cover, and ensuring the Long Room knew all about the dive.
Probably the reduced viz didn’t help much, but there wasn’t a lot of life around underwater. Never mind – it’s worth having this site as a backup for when we have easterly winds.
To banish winter blues, club members have been away ……. all over the place!!
Andy L had two weeks in the Maldives aboard the dive boat Carpe Diem. Fabulous diving with loads of sharks and rays.
Clint and Anne had 6 weeks in St Vincent. Wonderful clear warm water for all that time.
Caroline had a week in the Red Sea on a BSAC live aboard.
Gavin and Petra went diving in Mexico (off Cozumel).
Sunday 19th Jan. Club dive
Sally organised a great dive, and 9 happy divers got in and out at Beacon Cove. Considering this is mid-Jan, we were treated to good viz (3 to 4m) and people saw pipe fish, bobtail squid and lobsters.
Winter is definitely here though, and the water temperature of 9C was fine for those in dry suits. There were 4 divers in semi-dry suits, so well done to them for coping with the chilly conditions. Then off for a good brunch at the Sloop, which even had steak on the menu 🙂
Friday 10th January
Well done to Craig and Isaac for passing their Sports Diver theory exams.
It’s hard work getting there, but well done. Now you’ve only got to finish off the practical sessions.
You also need dive practice, so dive at every opportunity. Sorry the water is so cold at this time of year …. but not long till the summer 🙂
1st Jan 2025 We knew that keeping the tradition of a New Years Day dive was going to be difficult given the appalling weather forecast. Heavy rain and an offshore force 8 wind made this a very challenging dive. Fortunately, Brixham was sheltered from most of the wind, but even so it was hard going. There was strong surge with only a metre of viz, and certainly not a dive for the feint hearted! So well done to Nigel, Andy L, Derek, Jane, Charles and Paula for getting a dive logged. Thanks also to Roger for being shore cover.
- And so we start 2025 🙂
100+ dives in a year 🙂
Well done …. both Jane and Andy L managed 104 dives in 2024.
A few other club members came close to the ton, so well done to them too.
Music Quiz Results
Friday 15th Nov. Andy L organised another Music Quiz.
The club house was completely full, and it was great to see so many people there. Lots of fun and laughter over the evening, with prizes and medals up for grabs. Quiz Peacocks were simply amazing though, and scored an incredibly high 92 points!
So ….. full credit to Jake, Gemma, Rowena, Mike and Nicola. We look forward to seeing you again.
Well done to all the helpers … Petra, Nik, Evie, Sally, Paula & Anne. Brilliant raffle by Jake & Gemma, plus thank you to those that donated raffle prizes. And an even bigger thank you is to those that supported the evening and made it so much fun! 🙂
