Recent Events by Club Members

Sunday 26th July. The Coronation dive ….. nearly! Sadly, we couldn’t control the weather, and the dive site presented us with nasty waves and a big rolling swell. So we found a sheltered bay between Rame Head and Cawsands, and had some fun there. Well done to Nik for organising, and Nigel for towing the boat.

Sunday 19th July. Our Marine Champion (Sally) and club chairman (Nik) both organised litter picking dives. Sally’s was at Plymouth Waterfront, and Nik from the boat. Eight divers went to Plymouth, and thanks to Rick for being shore cover.

Six keen litter-picking scuba diving wombles from Exeter BSAC headed out on the club boat for a marine clean-up dive to previously unchartered Torquay Pier. Leaving from Teignmouth we headed out in good weather towards the.. er..English Riviera. The sun was shining but not overpowering, making for a perfect day on the water. Arriving and dropping into approx 5 metres of water we explored for ocean garbage along the pier wall and metal pillars running beneath the walkway.

In a small area there was an abundance of life. We spotted blennies, lobsters and a conger eel tucked away inside a pipe only to then make a daytime appearence when disturbed. The real stars of the day, however, were the several hundred soft-shelled spider crabs that seemed to have taken over the place

The wall was also home to a large spread of craggy oysters but ..alongside enjoying the wildlife, we got to work removing marine trash. Any bits of plastic, food wrappers etc were bagged up. Among the haul were fishing weights, snagged crab nets, a plastic bucket, a vape, a mobile phone, hotel room card, a lost cap and bundles of discarded fishing line. We also came across an abandoned “ghost” lobster pot which we opened to free the unfortunate creatures trapped inside.

After the first dive, we enjoyed lunch on the harbour steps. One hungry diver still in a damp wet suit hot-footed it to the local fish and chip shop! We then swapped out our cylinders and headed to our second site, London Bridge, a natural sea arch along that stretch of coast. Visibility there was good, allowing us to explore the site’s swim-throughs and rocky features.

Back in Teignmouth, we finished the day by sorting through our haul of rubbish. This is a stinky job but it’s an important part of helping to protect our local marine environment.

All in all, it was a fantastic day of diving, adventure and good company. We came home with some good memories and the satisfaction of knowing we’d made a small but worthwhile difference to the sea we all enjoy so much

Well done to William and Grace for passing their Ocean Diver qualifications.

Lots of hard work to get qualified, but now you can dive anywhere in the world down to 20 metres. 🙂

Sunday 5th July. Sally organised a club dive at Beacon Cove. It looked beautiful there, and loads of divers went to see what life was around.

Friday 3rd July. Andy W and Andy L left their dry suits behind, and had great dives in semi-dry suits. As a follow up to the beach clean they found an abandoned lobster pot that had been deliberately cut open, and not attached to a surface buoy. This lobster pot would have just stayed on the sea bed, slowly deteriorating. A lift bag was used to bring it in, and ex-cafe owner Wayne is arranging for it to go back to a local fisherman.

Friday 26th June. Fit Steps with Paula. And now for something completely different ….. one of our divers ran an hour of fitness for any club member that wanted to come along, and there was a reasonable turnout for the session. Good fun, and people really seemed to enjoy it – no matter what age!

fitstepswithpaulainexeter@gmail.com or 07971 774528

Sunday 21st June – Another underwater clean organised by Sally. 12 divers went in and cleaned up more underwater rubbish. Amazing views of spider crabs getting ready to moult. Well done to Oli and Jay for diving in UK waters, and then almost everyone had brunch at Romany Jones cafe.

Tuesday 16th June. Exmouth Docks. This site now requires special permission to dive, and viz was great for Derek and Steve. Lots to see at this interesting site, but it’s not a site for beginners. The current rushes in, then pauses just long enough for a dive, then the current rushes out again. This can be an amazing dive site, and you can get down to 24metres. 🙂

Sunday 14 June, four intrepid divers struck out from Mount Batten slipway for the James Eagan Layne in the club’s RIB. With Nigel at the helm, the journey was fast and smooth, only getting a bit more lumpy as we rounded Rame Head. Totnes SAC kindly let us use their shot line, so Nick and Nigel were soon descending for an atmospheric (OK, a bit murky) dive around the bow and through the holds among the varied WW2 cargo. As always on this terrific site, time flew by and all too soon it was time to return to the surface. Jane and Charles then had the opportunity to enjoy the wreck’s delights. The freshening wind meant that the return to base skippered by Charles was unavoidably slower and bumpier then the outward leg.

We switched to the Mew Stone for a smooth ride (thank you, Jane) and a very relaxed and scenic second dive across the shale, following a small ridge. A cuttlefish gave Nigel and Nick a fabulous display of colour-changing camouflage, while Jane and Charles enjoyed the company of an octopus. It was then time to head home, with high water making the boat recovery a lot easier for Nick.

Thank you to Nigel for towing and for everyone for making it a very enjoyable Sunday.

Sunday 14th June – Training weekend. Anne organised a trip to Vobster. Well done to Alex and Rosie, Mollie and Maddie for getting lots of Ocean Diver training completed.. Thanks to Nik, David, Clint and Andy L for instructing, and well done to Martin, William and Saskia for diving.

Sunday 7th June. Another great club dive organised by Sally. Well done to both Lizzy and Finn, who were trying ‘cold water diving’. Eleven divers went in at Brixham, and enjoyed reasonably viz, despite fairly high winds on the previous day. Ben was brilliant as shore helper, and after the dive almost everyone went off for a good brunch.

Sunday 17th May. Underwater beach clean. A brilliant morning organised by our ‘Club Marine Champion’ Sally. 14 divers accepted the challenge of clearing the area round the breakwater of any debris that shouldn’t be there. This was mainly lost fishing tackle, and there were 10Kg of lost fishing weights, 2Kg of fishing line (that’s a phenomenal length!), a lightweight crab pot, and half a fishing rod. Lost fishing line gets entangled around sea life, and it’s great to get it out the water. At the end the seal appeared – as if to say ‘Thank you!’ So well done to all the divers, and especially Sally, Derek and Cherry.

“Big waves of applause for our amazing club members Nikki, Petra, and Nik.

The trio recently headed to sunny Exmouth and Hele to complete their BDMLR Marine Mammal Medic training and refresher courses. It wasn’t just about soaking up the sun; they’ve been honing the vital skills needed to rescue and rehabilitate the incredible wildlife right off our coast.

A massive thank you to those who supported the mission by providing the loan of cylinders—your generosity made this essential training possible.

Whether it’s a stranded seal or a dolphin in distress, these three are ready to dive in and help.”

Thanks,

Dave Hansen (photos credit Louise Round – BDMLR )

Sunday 26th April. Seven members of Exeter BSAC headed to Lyme Regis for a fantastic day diving the wreck of the Baygitano. The low tide created ideal conditions for a team-building exercise, and the morning sea was sparkling gently, giving us a smooth run out to the site.

We split the day into two waves. Nick took the helm as cox for the first launch, delivering everyone to the shot with precision. For the second wave, Nik stepped in as cox and kept things running just as efficiently. As predicted, the wind and sea got up a bit in the afternoon – not enough to prevent us diving, though enough to make for a bumpy ride.

Both dives were excellent. Visibility was good, with the May bloom not far away and the temperature a comfortable 12 degrees. The wreck was teeming with life — shoals of fish weaving through the structure: crawfish around the boiler: crabs, lobsters and conger eels tucked under the plates, and a healthy covering of jewel anemones and soft corals. The Baygitano remains a reliable favourite, offering atmosphere, history, and plenty to explore.

A successful day all round, with great company, safe diving, and a wreck that never disappoints.

Sunday 5th April – Club dive organised by Sally. 9 divers went in at Babbacombe, looking for cuttlefish and octopus. The water is warming up, and small fry are around. Several divers found cuttlefish, and almost all went off for a well earned brunch afterward. Even the sun came out to play as we got changed, and it was a great morning.

Sunday 29th March. Rescue skills day. Organised by Jane, David and Andy L, Lots of club members got involved, and we had trips out on the RIB, as well as shore based rescue skills. It was a hard morning, but with some fun, and the general feeling was that people wanted to do it again next year. A great day, special thanks go to Clint and Ann for organising the RIB 🙂

Friday 27th March. Disaster movie night. Petra and Nik showed 6 videos of dives that ‘went wrong’. Each video prompted a discussion on what went wrong, and possible ways that this scenario could have been avoided.

Friday 6th March. Street SAC fire. Rob and Mick kindly gave an excellent talk on how their fire started, how they rebuilt things, and what lessons were learned from this catastrophic event. It was an enlightening evening, because most people aren’t aware that 100% oxygen can self combust if it’s hot enough. It doesn’t need a spark to set it off, and that was what happened in their barn. Fortunately the boat was out that day, otherwise more fuel would have been added to the fire. Lots of things to learn here, and many thanks to Street SAC for coming over.

Monday 1st March. Club dive organised by Sally. Sadly, the winter weather has been terrible, so limited enthusiasm for the club dive. Only six divers went in at Brixham, but everyone had a good time, and the water has now warmed up to 10C (yippee!).

Feb 27th. Kit lecture. Andy L talked through how to look after dive kit, and how to minimise malfunctions. Included were easy repairs, and how to avoid missing dives from equipment failures. 22 people present, so a good turnout.