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August 2008 Newsletter | |
August already and the diving season is in full swing, though not without the usual let-downs thanks to the weather. BBQ events at Chesil and Lulworth were both blown out, but at least the sun shone down on us for the Red Arrows day; see below. The weather was also kind to the group that visited the Scillies last month for 6 days of great diving. So fingers crossed that the remaining weeks of summer will perk up a bit and the wind will drop ! |
Update ... what has happened in the club since the last newsletter | ||
Diving |  | |
We're about half way through the season and diving our way through the dive plan; the online booking system is working fine. June began well, with some great dives on the Betsy Anna, the Brittlestar Beds and the Well, but the last two weekends were cancelled due to the weather. Sadly, this included the Chesil BBQ evening; the second year in a row we've missed this due to the weather, and also Fish Watch weekend at Kimmeridge. The bad weather continued into July with another social event, the Lulworth BBQ also cancelled. But July ended in a better fashion with some good diving, including the Clan Macvey and Whitehouse High Spot. There's been a few boat issues, but fortunately these have been resolved speedily, with little disruption to the dive plan. | ||
 | Red Arrows | |
One event that couldn't have had better weather was the Red Arrows display, part of Swanage Carnival week. We had three boats full of club members and family (including Arnie the dog!) who all had a spectacular view of the event from the middle of the bay. Thanks to Chris for coming up with the idea and including it in the dive plan ! |
Scillies Trip |  | |
13 club members, a mixture of divers and non-divers, spent a week on St Martins in the Scilly Isles in July. The divers did 12 dives over 6 days and the non divers did some island-hopping ! It was a great mix and everyone had a fabulous time. Dive sites included Trenemene, the Cita, King Cadwallon, Plympton and many plumose and jewel anemones were seen ! Trip report to appear shortly, in the meantime, check out the Gallery section for some photos. |
 | Boat Cleaning | |
So when you've taken the day off work to go diving & hauled all your kit down, only to find it cancelled because of the weather, why not scrub the boat instead ? That's what Jeremy & Peter did to IPSAC last week, giving her bottom a good pressure wash to get rid of the green stuff building up on her. Took a while, but still easier than the scrubbing brushes used last year ! Jane & Jayne supervised, then cleaned up the trailer, including the all important rinsing of the hubs ! Pics of the activities are in the Gallery. |
Up and Coming ... details of forthcoming events | ||
Diving |  | |
Still 2 months of diving to go ! So keep checking the dive plan for updates and book yourself on. On Saturday 16th August, a dive by full moon is planned in the bay; let's hope its a lovely clear night ! the following day is RNLI day on the pier, so we will be hosting the Under the Pier Show as usual. Please come and help out at this; contact Robin if you're able to help. | ||
DWT Underwater Artist | |
Once more the club will be helping out the artist selected for this year's Dorset Wildlife Trust/Society of Wildlife Artists Underwater Art Award. This year's choice is Swanage based artist Antonia Phillips, who will be joining us on some dives later in the summer, seeking inspiration for two pieces to feature in the Society of Wildlife Artists annual exhibition in the autumn. |
 | PMWR Species Hunt | |
The Marine Reserve at Kimmeridge is asking divers to help record certain species they see on their local dives. In particular, a parasitic isopod, often seen attached to wrasse, and the snakelocks anemone shrimp, hosted, as you guessed, in snakelocks anemones. These are alien species that have appeared on a few occasions nearby. If you see either of these, please send any information together with any photographs to confirm identification to the Marine Warden at Kimmeridge : kimmeridge@dorsetwildlife.co.uk Further information can be found on PMWR's website HERE |
Price Increase |  | |
Unfortunately, to help with concerns relating to increases in fuel prices, the decision has been made to increase the cost of Wednesday evening dives to £10, bringing them in line with the rates for all-day dives on Sundays/Tuesdays. This will be effective from 1st August 2008. |
Why not Organise a Dive ? | |
The club needs more volunteers to organise dives and become Dive Coordinators; those currently doing this are more than happy to assist you and guide you through the process. Remember, being the Dive Coordinator puts you in charge, so you can choose your favourite dive site and everyone will follow ! So, if you have a favourite dive spot that's not on the plan, why not add it ? Any questions, just ask; there are people willing to help ! |
 | On Time for Diving | |
Please try to ensure that you arrive at the pier on time; the 6.00pm time listed for Wednesday evenings is the departure time for the boat (at the discretion of the Dive Coordinator), so please make sure that you and your kit are ready or you may be left behind ! Don't assume that you have time to get a fill if you arrive late, and save your chats, cups of tea for on the boat ! We're all guilty of this at times; with the evenings drawing in, time is of the essence and the boat has to leave on time to avoid disappointment. |
2008 Annual General Meeting | |
Advance warning of a date for your diary; this years AGM will take place on Friday 10th October at the Visitor Centre, Durlston. Further details to follow nearer the time. |
Gate Guardians Needed ! | |
The Wednesday evening dives from the pier are always very well attended, with at least one boat going out and several divers going under the pier. This is only made possible by the goodwill of the Pier Volunteers, who man the gate later than the usual 6pm closing time just so that IPSAC members can have a dive. Can you help out at all ? Spare a Wednesday evening when you don't fancy a dive just to help out the volunteers ? Please give some consideration to this and if you are able to help please contact the Pier. |
Pool Sessions | ||
No more pool sessions now until later in the year. Time to get that kit in some salty water ! | ||
Club Diving Rates | ||
Evening Dives (Mondays and Wednesdays) £10.00 per person | ||