MD Christmas Dinner at The Tudor House Restaurant

Hi y'all,

We're getting close now ... to the MD Christmas Dinner at the Tudor House Restaurant , High Street , Alfriston , East Sussex on Wednesday 17th December.

For those of you who need a little help in finding it click HERE

For those of you who want some last minute info on the place click HERE

The rendezvous time is 7.30pm for drinks in readiness for 8.00pm at the table!

There is adequate parking in Alfriston but you may have to walk a few hundred metres! Take care if there is rain !

Looking forward to seeing you all there. In addition to the raffle, several MD challenges / competitions will be decided on the night! With awards & trophies to the winners. The raffle has a good selection of prizes including:-

* Air / Nitrox Card from Ocean View Diving
* A Place on a Boat Charter from Sea Zones
* A Place on a Boat Charter from Channel Diver
* The 'Mr Jack' Prize (Donated by Mr Norman Jack)
* Diving Equipment
* A bottle of Brandy
* A bottle of Gin

(Don't forget you can add more to the raffle prizes if you wish! All donations gratefully received)

Life on the South Male Atoll

I am hugely conscious that in writing this dive report I might be tempted to mirror that time honoured start of school term essay 'What I did in my summer holidays' but to do so would be so 'me, me, me' that I would run the disturbing risk of upsetting some faint heart! So to prevent that awful occurrence I'm going to write about a mate who recently went diving in the South Male Atoll.

My Mate (MM) (not to be confused with a yeast extract sandwich spread) , went diving with Ocean Venture Diving (OVD) based on the tiny ilsand of Fihalhohi on the South-West of South Male Atoll. OVD is a German operated SSI Platinum Dive Centre. The SSI agency was created by some divers who were part of PADI but decided to go their own way. They are a very friendly bunch and some of the staff have been on the island for many years.

MM did nine dives which is not a lot in a fortnight but he didn't want to upset my wife, er, I mean his wife, by being underwater too much! A quick summary of his dives was:-

1. House Reef (South ), 67 Mins , Max Depth 18.3m

2. Banner Reef, 54 Mins, Max Depth 20.7m

3. Rannalhi Bodul Giri, 52 Mins , Max Depth 22m

4. Kandoma Beru, 52 Mins, Max Depth 20.6m

5. Vaageli Faru Tila, 36mins, Max Depth 29.9m

6. Rannahli Bodul Faru North , 49 Mins, Max Depth 18.6m

7. Endiri Giri , 51 Mins, Max Depth 23.2m

8. House Reef (North), 62 Mins, Max Depth 16.8m

9. Guradoo Kuda Kandu, 50 Mins, Max Depth 25.3m

The visibility was mostly in the 15 to 20m range with a couple of dives a little less. The water was a little warmer than Stoney at 28 Deg C every day. All diving was done on 12 Litre Aluminium tanks filled with air (though Nitrox was available - but with an old gas gulper like MM there was not much point having Nitrox in 12 Litre tanks , 'cos the gas went before the NDL!).

Some of the dives were in current , some a moderate current which kept the old biffer puffing away as white tip reef sharks effortlessly headed straight into it with barely any movement in their fins. The coral in some of the dives has (sadly) seen better days but the often strong currents in the Maldives does give you the chance of seeing some bigger life. So White Tips & Napolean Wrasse were reasonably easy to spot. Spotting black tip reef sharks was even easier for MM as they swam around the shoreline all the time.

The island has readily accessible snorkeling and diving alsmost around it's entire circumference and snorkelling over the drop-off almost every day it was possible to see almost as much as by diving , just less of the bigger stuff! That said rays & turtles are regularly seen whilst snorkeling.

All boat diving is done from Dhonis (wide, shallow keel, wooden boats with cover from the sun) and the Dhonis daily criss cross the Atoll going from East to West Sides. A slow Dhoni ride across the width of the entire atoll would take about 45 minutes.

I believe MM enjoyed his little stay on the island , a gin & tonic on the beach watching the sun go down seemed to round off a days hard graft wrestling with all that heavy SCUBA stuff.

Oh - and here (above) is the obligatory Clown Fish shot! Apologies on behalf of MM for that further self-indulgence!

MD Photo Competition ~ More!

I thought I had better create some system of judging now that the deadline is approaching fast and to work out some rules (may be not as comprehensive as an Approved Code of Practice :-))!!

A small prize will be awarded at the MD Christmas Dinner so it makes sense to have all those who attend the Dinners as the 'voters'!

I think the simplest way is 'first past the post' i.e. everyone at the Dinner will get one vote and the photo with the most votes wins!

ONLY photos that are directly shown in post on the Blog between 1st January 2008 and 10th December 2008 will be eligible (allows time to collate the images for voting). Photos on linked albums or others sites do not qualify. Photos must be taken by a MDer. Qualifying photos will be shown at the Dinner.

Should be a bit of fun!

Photo comp

Can I play?, images taken in Spain about a month ago .Fuji f30 .

Photo Competition Entry

MD Photo Competition 2008

Another reminder !! Get your entries posted on the blog , the awards will be made at the MD Christmas Dinner on 17th December. If they aren't on the blog they won't be judged! Don't hang around as voting may take place at the November MD Meeting (to be confirmed!!). If you already have an entry on the blog and it doesn't have the 'Photo Competition 2008' label attached (as per this posting) let me know!

Photos from the Red Sea (Dahab)

I would like to take this opportunity to show off some of the photos i took last week whilst on holiday in Dahab. It was a great week of sun and sea.

I only did two dives which were the The Bells/Blue hole and The Canyon. The Canyon is a split in the sea bed which goes from about 18m down to 50m. We entered through a large hole at about 25m and dived down to about 30m before ascending through the canyon passed the hole which we entered through and up through an enclosed section to a smaller opening at about 18m. Fun dive and plenty to see.

The Bells/Blue Hole was the second dive and gets its name from the sound of divers' cylinders banging on the walls as they descend a semi-closed chimney straight down to 27/28m (the entry point for this dive) before popping out onto a wall that continues straight down to the deep dark depths. The dive then continues along the wall ascending slowly in stages, until at 7m we swam over the reef and into the Blue Hole and across the bottomless abyss (a 56m hole in the reef) to the shallow reef on the other side where we exited. Another very nice dive and for the first section, myself and my buddy were escorted by a friendly Cornet fish which must have been over a metre long. Apparently it was using our bubbles to hide from its prey along the wall.

So on with the pics, anyhow...

Diving in Norway

Hello Guys.
I've just got back from Norway, diving the WWII wrecks in Narvik harbour and if you are looking for future trips I'd certainly recommend it.
The wrecks were sunk in the two battles of Narvik.
Wikipedia article.
All the wrecks are in less than 30m and remarkably intact, so much so that at times I felt that I was on a film set.
Viz was around 20m and the water temperature ranged from 7-14C. Dives times were usually an hour. Two dives a day. Four merchants, three German destroyers. (we did some twice)
We stayed on the ex Swedish minesweeper M/S Galten which was rugged but a perfect dive platform.
Divenarvik
Travel times from the pier to the wreck sites were about ten minutes across the mirror calm harbour. Currents were minimal if not non existent and restricted to the surface.
Air temperatures were shorts and t-shirts most of the time despite being 200 miles inside the Arctic circle.
Meals were cooked on board by the Swedish chef Patrick and they were outstanding. Reindeer stew, Salmon steaks.........
Sunset was err...never.
Kit was collected and shipped across in advance.
Flights were from London Heathrow to Oslo then on to Evenes with a spectacular
mini bus drive around the fjords to Narvik.
Cost was high (ish) but all in, which suited me perfectly. All I had to do was turn up at the airport with some clothes and everything else just happened and what happened was stunning. I'd go again at the drop of a hat.
Some photographs.
If you want more GLOC took some stunners, they are posted on YD, search for Narvik
Hope you have a great trip to Lundy.
Jim

What a GREAT Day! TRT DIve & Dinner 22nd July

L to R: Tad & Mr Norman Jack

L to R: Stuart, Simon, Ernie, Norman, Sean, Tracey (sitting), Trez, Chris, Tad

Watching You, Watching You, Watching You!

There will undoubtedly be a lot more posts to mark the occasion of todays dive & dinner. Probably the most memorable days diving I have done. Taking a leaf out of Sean's book I'll keep this post quite short and we'll elaborate over the next few days.

The Meridian Divers dive team assembled at Brighton Marina about 11.15am this morning and were accompanied by Mr & Mrs Jack. Dive kit was loaded aboard Channel Diver , skippered by Steve Johnson. As the kit was loaded were joined by BBC Reporter John Young and a BBC Cameraman. The same BBC crew that had gone to sea with us back in April when we conducted the 90th anniversary dive.


The day was beautiful, with blue skies and strong sunshine, there was a fresh breeze that kept us cool and gave the sea a few wavelets. On the 90min steamn to the site of the T R Thompson wreck the BBC filmed the boat and Mr Jack. Shortly after coming on station nine Meridian Divers entere the water , with Ernie carrying a memorial wreath that was handed to him in the water by Mr Jack. The wreath was taken down to the wreck and fastened to the remaining upright railing amidships on the wreck. The dive was videod by Tad . The viz was about 8m and there was excellent light due the string sun. After 40mins of nitrox diving we surfaced along side Channel Diver. Back on board by the lift we removed the salt from our mouths with tea & donoughts!

Ernie fastens the wreath to the T R Thompson's railings (amidships)

After a quick run back to Brighton we cleared th eboat and headed back for quick changes before the TRT dinner aty Alfriston. During the quick change the BBC South East news played the emotional story and included Tad's video of the wreath laying. First class coverage , again.

Pre-Dinner drinks in the Garden!

At 7.30pm we gathered in the garden of the Tudor House Restaurant for pre-dinner drinks with our honoured guests. The NAS's representative Ian Barefoot was present as was boat skipper Steve. The restuarant, which we had booked entirtely served us a three course dinner in style. Speeches were made and a video of the TRT played in the background. It was a totally successful day , truly first class and apprecaited by all , not least Mr & Mrs Jack who were presented with a signed & framed photograph of the ship.

Who ordered the Goats Cheese ?

Well that's scratched the surface. Watch this space for much more!

TRT BBQ for Norman & Mary Jack

L to R : Tad, Sue, Trez, Tracey, Nikki, Ernie, Shiela, Mary, Norman

Meridian Divers were delighted to meet Norman & Mary Jack , relatives of the youngest member of the T R Thompson crew to loose his life when the ship was sunk on 29th March 1918. Mr & Mrs Jack joined MDers for a BBQ courtesy of Sheila & Ernie on a splendid July evening.

It was a lively evening of chatter as we all exchanged so many stories and were entertained by Norman Jacks stories of his time as a Chief Electrician in the Merchant Navy. Norman has certainly seen much of the world and, his family, with salt water running through their veins, is sadly no stranger to tragedy at sea.

The evening was an excellent way to prepare for todays (22nd July) dive on the T R Thompson aboard Channel Diver departing Brighton at midday. We anticipate being joined by BBC South East who are following-up on their previous coverage of the Meridian Divers T R Thompson project. It was entirelyt due to the BBC's coverage that we have been able to contact Mr & Mrs Jack.

There will no doubt be a series of postings following todays dive and the TRT Dinner being held at Alfriston this evening which is also being attended by the Nautical Archaeology Society. So wtach this space ...oh ...and of course the BBC South East News this evening!

My Photo comp entry

My entry for the photo Comp

Still taken from Video of TRT looking up at the stern

Tad

Beach BBQ Divers

Mainly Arm Chair Divers no more!

Bath Chair Diver!

A couple of photos of divers at the start of the Beach BBQ Dive on Sunday 8th . Thanks to Guy B for sending them in!

Stonking Beach BBQ & Dive ~ 8th June

Meridian Divers Beach BBQ 'Camp'

The weather and sea conditions came together for the Meridian Divers Beach BBQ and dive on the Harbour Arm, West Beach, Newhaven . It was a stonking success with thirty three divers and guests attending. The BBQ camp was pitched at about 12.30 , just in time to secure what has now become our regular plot! Within minutes the 'camp' grew with gazebo, tables, chairs and, courtesy of Matt, a near industrial sized BBQ grill ! With the 'camp' built dive kit was prepared and and the massed ranks of divers entered the water next to the Arm just before 3pm. A few shore fishemen were conveniently a few metres away and none were fishing from the Arm itself. Some jet skiers and a small RIB kept well away giving us a problem free dive. Despite the numbers the dive wasn't crowded, in nearly an hour under water I saw other divers for about a minute!

Getting stuck-in!

Water temperature ranged from 12 to 15 Deg C and max depths were no more than 10 metres. The viz was about 2 to 3 metres but on the shallower return to shore the light was good. Myriads of small bib were seen along with some small lobsters, tom pot blennies, pollack, ballan wrasse and a small conger. A very pleasant bimble and with the aid of the wall of the Arm itself a not too ungraceful exit!

Eagle-eyed dogs ensured no dropped sausage was missed!

Admittedly it was long walk from the waters edge to the BBQ Camp , but something seemed to be willing us on! After de-kitting Matt was quickly to work on the griddle and working like a trojan a phenomenal amount of food was cooked and readily consumed. Truly outstanding , good weather, good dive, good company and good & plentiful food!

Tad took his video underwater and we'll have to wait to see the edited highlights , I'm hoping his shots of duelling tom-pot blennies will come out!

Matt ~ Head Chef

Thanks to all those who came along (including the camera shy Guy, Vicky, Jack, Andy N, Toni , Steve and Laura ) and made the day a great success!

Grand Tour of Muddy Puddles ~ 17th & 18th May

Dive Team basking in the sunshine at Vobster Quay

Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan , that's what we do! Though sometimes we add a little extra to the plan! And so it was with our plan to dive the National Diving Activity Centre near Chepstow. We travelled to Wales on Friday evening (16th) and took up B&B accommodation in a beautiful valley where a field of horses and a couple of farm dogs befriended us (or we pestered them, one of the two)! Saturday morning was dull but dry as we made our way, using the courtesy buses, from the NDAC dive centre to their quarry based dive sites. Our first dive was on the BAE 146 aircraft at 26m , followed by a tour of a variety of other submereged attractions. The second dive that day started with a visit to the North Sea Diving Bell but ended in horror as we stumbled across a small but growing colony of Gnomes (see Go G.N.O.M.E post below).

On a 'wing and prayer' welcome to NDAC's North Sea Diving Bell

After taking stock of the Gnome pollution over a 'pint and a pie' back at Tour HQ , there was only one option. Relocate to Somerset and dive Vobster Quay on the Sunday. At Gnome Free Vobster we dived another aircraft fuselage , then refuelled on bacon & egg baps before diving through their tunnel to the Crushing Works and then onto an aircraft cockpit. I don't know if it was the absence of Gnomes but on Sunday the sun shone warmly and a huge rainbow trout came up to greet us on our safety stop.

Simon contemplates the Diving Bell

So is muddy puddle diving 'proper diving'? The answer is clearly 'yes', there are divers tackling deeper and more technical dives in quarries than I would want to do anywhere, but I don't think it's going to compete with diving in the sea as far as I can see from the views of Meridian Divers. It is nice, however, to be able to freely try-out different diving. Some divers are just 'plain against' fresh water inland sites and consider them not safe. It might seem extraordinary but even those divers will sanction using them when it's convenient! You need to keep an open mind, plan properly and decide for yourself!

Go G.N.O.M.E!

Pollution in the National Diving & Activity Centre - Chepstow

The grand tour of muddy puddles (17th & 18th May) brought some very strange fresh-water diving practices to light. Everyone knows that salt is vital to human life and it may be that the lack of salt in fresh water is causing fresh water diver enthusiasts all sorts of health problems. Is there any other explanation for the distorted thinking that results in the placing of models of members of a supernatural dwarfish subterranean race thought to guard the treasures of the earth underwater? What in Gnome's name is that all about? It looks as though it's too late to prevent this abberation in fresh water but there may be time to prevent this perverted pollution reaching salt water .

You can see how the little blighter above , far from guarding treasure has attracted other detritus in to the water. You allow a gnome in then it's old tyres , this is no way to support Project Aware and support marine environments. So sign-up to day to the Go G.N.O.M.E campaign.

G - Gnomes
N - Nautically
O - Offend
M - Marine
E - Environments

Go G.N.O.M.E and keep it real!

SinkOne4Seaford Pair SinkTwo@Newhaven ~ 14th May

(L-R)Tony F & Andy N prepare to dive the Newhaven Harbour West Arm.

Confuscious, he say nothing about diving! But if he did it would probably have been "Well I never!" There was a plan to do a West Beach shore dive on 14th May, four of us thought we had sorted the arrangements but confusion over wind speeds, sea conditions coupled with other pressing commitment rattled the plan and so the infamous four failed to fin! But as the agreed entry time approached so the text screen lit up! Another buddy pair were at the beach asking 'Where is everybody, the waters fine'! Doh! The absent four had been too conservative! They say 'better safe than sorry' but we managed to be 'safe and sorry'! So it was, that Team SinkOne4Seaford made a shore dive on the Newhaven Harbour West Arm. Was it any good? Yes! Six metres of viz! Damn, its 'orrible when a good plan doesn't come off!

Fortuna Wreck Dive Images ~ 11th May 2008

Some photographs from todays dive.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jimbobski/Fortuna110508?authkey=5rznynXXTzI

Excellent dive. Thanks guys and thanks Mick. I'm a post dive scone convert.
Jim

Marsa Alam

My first visit and blogg article thanks to Chris P 's invite. Well a belated couple of pictures from our dive trip with Lancing Dive Club to Egypt in March 08. These pics were taken in a large shallow bay where you normallf find the Dugon (seacow) and giant turtles. On this day just the turtles I'm afraid but impressive enough with the Ramoras and Guitar Shark around us. I missed the curry night (see article below) which from the looks of things was a hoot.

Paul Richardson

Marsa Alam Reunion Curry Night !

The weather conspired against us to put an end to the pre-curry dive but not much can come between a diver and his or her curry! It would of course be rude not to top and tail a curry with some refeshment (glass of white wine or fruit based drink for the lady ... and all that!) . So it was that we choose the Alishaan with a convenient pub just fifty metres away! Great evening, loads of laughs and more divers on more trips . Well done to Matt for putting it all together!

Girls Night In !!

On Saturday 5th April, the ladies of Meridian Divers took advantage of the fact Stuart was 'Up the Amazon' and met at Debbies for a Girls Night In.

Few drinks and the invite of a nice warm pool was too good to resist. It was decided that in the event of future dives being called off, the girls would form a sister group - The Meridian Syncro Swimmers! Fun was had with the floats and these are just the publishable pics!

The true star of the evening though has to be Puppy Parsley. Thank you Debbeie for your hospitatility and Congratulations on your new arrival! The most well behaved male I've seen in a while.