Swanage Canned !

Just a quick note to say the weekend has now been completely canned due to very high wind`s even though there was a faint chance of getting in tomorrow.
Just like to say thanks to those who booked on and for bearing with the to and fro phone calls over the last couple of days.
As nearly all the boats have been called this weekend were going to Vobster tomorrow for a dip if anyone would like to join us.

Swanage weekend 16-17th May

Hi to all
This is a post for you that are coming to Swanage this weekend and can't make Ocean view wednesday evening for a quick meeting .

Firstly the camping is at Woodhyde campsite , you're allowed onsite after 11am and must leave your pitch by midday Sunday , although if you want to prolong your visit I'm sure they'll be accomodating, as mentioned before to all we've taken 1 electric hookup for charging torches,phones,light`s kettle and most importantly fridge for cold beer,if you want one call and ask (electric not beer)

http://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/ for address and other details of site ie prices.
.
The boat "Smooth hound" http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/

The dives, Saturday-08.45am ropes off firstly the Kyarra all info here:-http://www.divesitedirectory.co.uk/dive_site_uk_england_south_coast_wrecks_kyarra.html
second dive 13.00pm a drift dive will call to find out what depth etc (just checked its up to us max depth 24m)

Saturday afternoon/evening : dive the Pier, have a look around, back to tent for a BBQ and a few beers up to you guy's n gal's.

Sundays dives: 09.00am ropes off to dive Aeolian Sky details here http://www.divesitedirectory.co.uk/dive_site_uk_england_south_coast_wrecks_aeolian_skye.html 2nd dive scallop drift/Black Hawk bow.

SS Black Hawk (Bow Section)

After so much High Explosive has been used on this site it is a bit of a scrap heap. Individual features can be identified but there is no overall feeling for the size and shape of the vessel, unlike the stern. One of the features that is in evidence is a boiler that has been shattered open revelling all its innards. There is meant to be an anchor on a length of chain on this site but we have yet to find it. The nice thing about this site is that it is in 18m not 48m. So diving it on a rich Nitrox mix give`s you just about unlimited dive time, which makes a nice contrast to the dive on the stern. (Lifted from BSAC site)

Swanage Dive Trip ~ Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2009

There are a couple of places now available on this trip arranged by Matt at Ocean View. Before going to the Red Sea I had advised Matt that I couldn't go as I lost my dog sitter - but due to sinus problems while away, I can no longer dive for the time being anyway.

Chris and Trez have also had to drop out so it'd be great if there are a few of you out there that want to do these great dives. This is Matt's posting to give you the details: Please post a comment or contact me direct if you can fill the places.

hi all, I have 1 space left on my trip with Divers down at Swanage for 2 days diving on their hard boat "SMOOTHHOUND". The weekend`s diving is for 12 divers and the itinerary is as follow`s Sat 16th may ropes off 08.45am to dive the KYARRA then a 2nd dive in the area then Sun 17th ropes off 09.30am to dive the AEOLIAN SKY + 2nd dive the cost is £85 pp which is payable up front . Accomadation and travel i will leave to you to sort out as i think there are a few different ideas about where to stay and i for one am going where it`s cheapest so i have found a campsite a mile from the seafront to stay or some are finding b+b`s to stay at.

Links to sites http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/
http://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/prices.html

Swanage Trip~16-17th May 09

Hi all,
Been a while but now my harddrive is working again.
Just to let you know that this trip is now booked and to remind you to have a look and book your accomadation for this weekend,the majority are camping but i know some are looking for suitable b+b`s if you know of any good one`s please post so others can book aswell.
Hope everyone`s well look forward to seeing/diving with you soon.

Swanage ~ 16/17th May 2009

Hi all,
Just a little poke to all the people that haven't sent me there cheques for £85 for this trip coz we need to book up asap or lose the boat.

PAID :-)
Chris p
Prometheus
Sean
Tracy
Matt
Anna
Jim

Steve l

Trez

Tad

George

thanks to all i have all the cheques will now pay for the boat

Unfortunatley, Gary has had to pull out of this trip due to a surgery so there is 1 space left be quick coz it will go

Swanage Trip ~16-17th May 2009

Hi all,

As the trip is full can I please have full payment £85 (diving only) by the end of January. Dives include Kyarra, Aleolian sky and drifts

http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/

Camping Site below :

http://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/prices.html

Divers
1.matt PAID
2.sean
3.anna
4.trez
5. chris-p PAID
6.jimbob
7. steve l
8. tad
9.tracy
10. gary s
11. prometheus
12.george

Swanage~16-17th May 2009

hi all,
will be looking for payment in January for this trip £85 pp but feel free to pay early if you can spare it
list below
http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/
http://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/prices.html
Divers
1.matt
2.sean
3.anna
4.trez
5. chris-p
6.jimbob
7. steve l
8. tad
9.tracy
10. gary s
11. prometheus
12.george

Swanage~16-17th May 2009

Hello all,
after the last meeting i`ve spoken to Divers down at Swanage and prebooked 2 days diving on there hard boat "SMOOTHHOUND".
The weekend`s diving is for 12 divers and the itinerary is as follow`s Sat 16th may ropes off 08.45am to dive the KYARRA then a 2nd dive in the area then Sun 17th ropes off 09.30am to dive the AEOLIAN SKY + 2nd dive the cost is £85 pp which is payable up front .
Accomadation and travel i will leave to you guy`s to sort out as i think there are a few different ideas about where to stay and i for one is going where it`s cheapest so i have found a campsite a mile from the seafront to stay at and i know a few of you have your own b+b recommendations.
Links to sites below
http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/
http://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/prices.html
Divers
1.matt
2.sean
3.anna
4.trez
5. chris-p
6.jimbob
7. steve l
8. tad
9.tracy
10. gary s
11. prometheus
12.george
Reserve list
1.
2.
3.
4.

Swanage, Menage et Trois!

Leave house at 04.30 [caffine needed!!!!!!] pick up Sean + George for a day diving at Swanage :

DIVE 1:
After arriving at Swanage, parked on the pier, kitted up, found out it was now a 2 tank dive and got the kit on the boat, a cat called Smoothhound operated by Divers Down. Tt was a 40min steam out to our first dive Aeolian Sky a 10,000 ton Greek freighter. We went down the shot after waiting for the current to stop running and desended to the bottom at 31m, we made some checks and started to tour the wreck its very damaged for such a young wreck [@30yrs old] lots of life on here, vis was 4-6m,really good dive but as it was so big a twin set would be best.

DIVE 2:
This was a drift dive looking for scallops but as we had a 2.5hr car drive back and it was really hot we left the goody bags on board. This was a cracking dive LOADS of life big edibles, decent lobsters, spiders, scallops and lots of fish, vis6-7m , depth 15m this was my best dive of the day

DIVE 3:
Swanage pier is a must if you dive here not deep just a really good rumage around loads of fish , too many to list, very nice dive also tug a few fishing lines while you'rethere eh Sean!!!! This was a great day out thanks to George for sorting this one out, Sean for doing what he does best and the weather gods for turning a blind eye!

PS this will be a good weekender, wrecks n drifts ,oh yes!!!!!!!!! Got home 20.15, I'm knackered

Lobster Supper at Swanage

The best made plans as they say! Four of us actually made it to Swanage Pier on the Friday 4th July and three entered the water for the Pier dive! What was supposed to be a 'stop-off' on the way to Looe became the signature dive of the aborted trip!

Travelling to Swanage was a bit of a pain, well to be fair much of the blame for that lies in Sussex roads (what's new!) normally getting West of Chichester (and out of Sussex) is a bonus but delays on the roads in Hampshire just added to the fun! The best part of the journey was the very short chain ferry ride at Sandbanks. Still , arriving at Swanage the sun was shining and the sea in the sheltered bay was quite calm. To get us in the mood for spotting marine life some shellfish were consumed at a kiosk on the promenade , then with plenty of parking spaces on the pier itself , we kitted-up for a short walk to the steps into the water. All very genteel. I can't say it was the best viz we'd had on the pier dive but it was good enough for a nearly 60 minute dive.

Max depth 4.5m which pretty much equates with much of my former inland dive site experience! So I suppose 32% Nitrox was an unnecessary luxury! And with 150 bar of the stuff left at the end of the dive I could have happily done two dives on the same cylinder. We saw shoals of 'fry' and some larger wrasse , a few spider crabs and a single flat fish. Not too much of a massive list. But it was pleasant enough.

So where did the lobster supper come into the equation? Good question! Well, while some others have fallen from the moral high ground of a 'no take' policy and gone for trophy photos with the largest creature they've killed, we are more confused! I say confused because whilst no lobsters were taken by us we were able to overcome the dilemna but just having four of the blighters served-up with thermidor sauce and washed down with a couple of bottles of pouilly fume at our hotel over looking the bay that evening! Diving can be soooo arduous at times but luckily three more courses followed by coffee & liqueurs eased the strain.

A night in a room with a sea view , waking to glorious sunshine across the bay , a cooked breakfast and a stroll down the private steps to a secluded beach set us up for Saturday. But on reaching Devon by early afternoon the weather fell apart so we cancelled the next stages of the hurriedly assembled plan B and headed back to East Sussex , where, of course , the sun was shining!

Final score, a day and a half of sunshine, one shore dive, four lobsters in a delightful dinner versus half a day of duff Devon weather. Oh , and more than a glass or two of petrol!

Swanage or Bust (or both)

With the weather collapsing the Looe Dive Trip , one or two or even three of us are still going to try to get wet at Swanage with a gentle little Pier dive before the worst of the weather hits Dorset! Well that's the plan! We'll be there at 2pm tomorrow (Friday 4th) . Not wishing to make life too rushed we'll be staying over in the town that night. I sense a celebratory glass of something on the cards!

It may not be too grand - but it's something! Shame I've just filled my 15 Litre cylinders with Nitrox, don't suppose I'll be using much out of those fills!

Looe 5-6th July, Swanage 4th July 2008

Swanage:
Friday - Meet at 12:00 on the Pier (for those diving the Pier)

Looe:
Friday - Meet in Hotel bar 20:00. Last person buys the drinks all evening !
Saturday - Meet at the Dive Centre at 10:00. Returning at 17:00
Sunday - Meet at the Dive Centre at 11:00. Returning 18:00.

What we dive and when will depend on the weather.

Please remember to bring the following:-

Log Book
Certification cards
Proof of UK Sea diving from a boat in the last 6 months
Own equipment - including:-
Computer/watch
Reel
SMB
Torch
2 Tanks.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Don't forget to ring me on Thursday evening.

Sheila

Swanage photographs

Swanage Dive Trip

Well here it is .....that place of divers pilgrimage , the Pier at Swanage. Some would say that you cannot truly call yourself a UK diver until you have dived the Pier. Well that might be a load of ol'tosh but Swanage is a lovely week-end dive trip location. It's in ready striking distance from those living on or near the Merdian line on the south coast.

There are plenty of good B&Bs at reasonable prices, loads of places to eat, a pleasant bay, a promenade that meets most divers needs (good cheap food and drink!) and of course there is a diver centre with gas station actually on the Pier. The Pier has free trolleys to carry your dive kit and the dive boats tie-up a few yards from the dive centre. It's convenience diving!

Our trip (15th & 16th) turned out to be a great social but weather, last minute cancellations, equipment and other events took some of the shine of the diving ! Never one to be too concerned about my nosh I just happen to mention in passing that the Anchor Inn does a tasty dish of scallops and the Italian restaurant down the road presented a very enjoyable bowl of mussels in a white wine sauce!

Several of us stayed at Buddies B&B where hosts, Lesley & Jason looked after our needs with enthusiasm. They say they are diver friendly and they are! Here I go again .... the breakfasts were all you could possibly ask for ! Jason is a Divemaster and operates dive tours through his business http://www.scubadivingtours.co.uk/ . Interestingly Jason knows an old acquaintance of ours....Amro Shehata of the MV Valerie fame! Small world eh?

Personally my diving was limited to two dives on the Kyarra. Swanage's most famous wreck. During our stay divers were pulling up perfume bottles from the wreck just as they have been doing for decades, there seems to be plenty more to find! The second dive was better than the first and gave us a nice slow cruise from the bow to nearly the stern. Visibility was around 4m with our max depth at 28.7m. The sea conditions on surfacing from the second dive, on Sunday, were much better than Saturdays when it was almost possible to hide a dive boat between the waves.

It was good to see Sheila & Ernie on the trip but sad that four divers were unable to join us through events having booked. We certainly had a good time 'debriefing' the dives in the evening !

Swanage Dive Trip ~ 16th & 17th June 2007

Due to house moving dates we now have a vacancy on the above trip to Swanage with four wreck dives planned. If you are interested please let me know / add a comment.

SWANAGE DIVE TRIP ~ BOOKED!

SWANAGE ~ HERE WE COME!

I am pleased to announce that the Boat Charters have been booked for four dives (two on the famous Kyarra) and that cheques have been received from 10 divers (there are two more places if we have late joiners!) . A list of B&B accommodation has been circulated to those taking part and I know that some of you have already booked your rooms. Now all we need is some lovely weather! And of course some more trips in the diary!

Diving at Swanage

At the last meeting several locations for trips were earmarked for research. I said I would look at Swanage.

Whilst we have some thinking to do on fiting all the different trip dates on a calendar I will email the network with some Swanage dates / details to be thinking about. There may be more , this was a first 'trawl'!