Destination: Dorset Coast Dates: 24th - 26th May (Bank Holiday weekend) Minimum qualification: Ocean diver Trip type: Fun, plus some Training by prior arrangement with Instructors Spaces: Flexible |
I'm planning a trip to the Dorset Coast (Swanage to Weymouth). This is aimed particularly at new Ocean Divers wanting to explore a new area and expand their diving horizons, but also at DL Trainees wanting to build on their Dive Planning and Marshalling skills and at Boat Handlers wanting to develop their sea skills. Obviously anyone who just wants to go diving is very welcome too! Accomodation for those doing more than one day can be arranged by divers for themselves if they want something luxurious or, for more hardy souls, we will be camping at the Woody Hyde Farm campsite just outside Swanage. You'll need to provide your own tent or find someone willing to tent-share. Transport is likely to be in members' cars. Mail Tim for more info, and let him know
* How many days of the trip for which you will be available?
* Do you want to camp, and if so
- do you have a tent?
- could you offer tent space to a less fortunate diver?
* Do you have transport of your own, and if so
- would you be able to offer a lift to another diver (or two!) as well?
* What is your current diving qualification?
* When you last dived?
* Whether you want to do boat driving?
* Whether you want to do marshalling?
* Whether you can supervise boat driving?
* Whether you can supervise marshalling?
* Are you willing to help out with trip organisation? Initially this is not a commitment, just an indication to me of who is interested to in order to assess the potential for the Trip. I'll then mail those who have expressed interest who will have first dibs on places on the Trip. Once I have an idea of numbers and requirements I'll be asking for Trip Deposits for Camping and for the Boat - the Camping Fee will be non-refundable and the Boat Fee will only be refundable if the Trip is cancelled due to bad weather. General Club Policy for Deposits is outlined on the WebSite here. |
The trip will run for three days over the Bank Holiday Weekend but is flexible if people want to come for one, two, or all three days. The schedule is intended, weather-permitting, to be: * Saturday 'GET WRECKED'
Diving Portland Harbour and nearby sites. These are some of the classic shallow wrecks of the Dorset area, with an ex-paddle-steamer barge a dredger, a cargo ship, and an experimental WW2 landing craft all idepths of 15m or less. I hope we will get to dive as many of these as possible. The shallow wrecks, particularly the dredger, are perfect to try out a Wreck Survey after the style of the Nautical Archaeology Society surveys, if you are interested in trying out something different and the visibility is good enough for it. Portland Harbour is a perfect place to try your first Dive Marshalling or to practise some real Boat Handling in sheltered water. * Sunday 'TAKE IN A REEF'
Diving the reefs and coastine of Dorset between Weymouth and Swanage. This includes some of the classic wildlife dives of the Dorset coast, particularly Durdle Door and the Kimmeridge nature trail, as well as the scattered wreck of the Black Hawk (bow section) as part of a Drift Dive with the possibility of spotting flatfish and thornback rays. These nature dives are perfect to try out a 'seasearch' survey in the style of the Marine Conservation Society if you want to try adding something to your diving. I will see if any of my friends in the MCS would be interested in coming along to help out. The Dorset Coast is a little way from Weymouth and a great chance for less experienced Boat Handlers to do their first Passage Planning and easier open water Boat Handling and Diver Coxing. The site is also a very good one for Dive Leader Trainees to practise Marshalling. * Monday 'ROLL YOUR OWN DIVE'
Following the weekend's dives, Monday is a chance to pick your own Diving Schedule based from Swanage. Options include taking the RIB out for the day to a more remote and deeper wreck site with the option of a faster Drift Dive as well, taking a Chartered Commercial Shuttle Service for a wreck dive from Swanage Pier, or diving the Pier itself, which is very shallow (3m), and so is perfect if you want to try out underwater photography or have a very long dive watching wildlife. This is a good chance for someone to build on the previous two days and run a more advanced Boat Handling expedition, transiting from Weymouth to Swanage and finding an offshore wreck. There should also be multiple chances here for Dive Marshalling. Out of interest, the photograph of Divers in Training, which is to be seen on the opening page of this WebSite, was taken beneath the historic structure of Swanage Pier |
