August 2009 Newsletter

You may be fooled into thinking that this is the November newsletter, with the grey skies and drizzle outside, but no, it is August and yet again we are in the hands of the lovely English weather :-( So not as much diving has been happening as we would like, the familiar phrase 'perhaps we'll have an Indian Summer' springs to mind once more...

Fingers crossed for Saturday's Under the Pier Show; see below.

Jayne

Update ... what has happened in the club since the last newsletter

Diving & Dining

Unfortunately the weather was unkind to us yet again for the Summer Solstice BBQ on Chesil beach and the event was cancelled. This being the third year running its been binned, alternatives are being considered, so if you have any ideas, please let us know. The day out at Lulworth shifted along the coast a bit to Man O War Bay, where a select group of divers spent a relaxing afternoon on the beach getting their dry suits sandy (fell asleep, actually, is what I heard).

The dive plan has one of the largest chunks of red I can recall, with almost all July dives cancelled due to the wind; even the word 'gale' is mentioned !! At least it started with a great dive on the Betsy Anna, always a favourite, and ended with a very bouncy ride out from Kimmeridge in quite a swell, though the dive was good ! Kimmeridge BBQs have been few and far between, and Wednesdays at the Black Swan also not as frequent as usual, so we have dining as well as diving to catch up on in what's left of summer.

DWT Diving in Dorset Group

Emma at Kimmeridge has set up a yahoo group encouraging divers to report and share marine sightings, called the Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Diving in Dorset group. If you join this group you'll have an opportunity to discuss topics on the online forum, view and upload images and obtain verification on unknown sightings. For more information on becoming an active member of the group, please visit Diving in Dorset Group

Pier Camera and Hydrophone

There's lots of progress with the Pier Camera Project; after fitting the clamp to the pier leg, installing the cabling, and finally the camera, you can now see a live feed in Divers Down on the pier. The hydrophone is also up and running, drop into Durlston to have a listen. Thanks to everyone who helped out with these; Robin reports that there's still plenty more to do:surveys, building habitat, setting up the camera etc so look out for the next chance to play 'Silly Billys' underwater.  

Up and Coming ... details of forthcoming events

Dive Plan 09

Keep an eye on the Dive Plan; there may be a lot of red but dives are being rescheduled all the time, so if your favourite site was blown out, it may well reappear later in the season. Dive co-ordinators are also encouraged to add dives to the plan where they fancy, so keep checking it for updates.

Under the Pier Show

This week is Swanage Lifeboat Week and on Sunday 16th we will be running our annual 'Under the Pier Show'. Anyone willing to help out on the day (jobs include helping set up the tent without it blowing away,a bit of camera work in hopefully more than 1m viz, cable monkey, posing for the crowds in dive gear while being prodded by small children) then please let Robin know. Or, just turn up at around 9.30 - 10 to help set up.

AGM

That time already - the AGM will take place on Friday 9th October, at Durlston, so please add the date to your diaries. More details to follow, but its likely to be our usual 'bring a plate' event.

The Nautical Archaeology Society

NAS is an organisation offering courses in maritime archaeology, open to both divers and non-divers of any experience level. If you are interested, you can request to be added to their mailing list to receive further updates on current courses. Visit their website here for more info.

Christmas Party

This year we need a new venue for our Christmas party and this has sparked some debate amongst members ! Some have suggested that, with the 'credit crunch' upon us, cheaper alternatives should be considered, one being a 'do-it-yourself' Christmas dinner, for example in a village hall, with us cooking or bringing our own food. But the decision is yours, as a club, and not solely mine, so I need your input ! The options we have are:

1. A 'DIY' Christmas dinner in a village hall (volunteers to cook, serve, clean up will be required!)
2. A sit down dinner at a local hotel/restaurant
3. Postpone a meal out as (2) until the New Year, when prices may be lower, availability easier.

I have phoned round a few local places and here's the kind of thing on offer :

Purbeck House Hotel - £19 Festive Carvery (min 30 people)
Springfield Country Hotel - £28.50 4 course dinner and disco
Chilled Red, Swanage - £25 for 3 courses (limited dates left)
Purbeck Vineyard - £25 for 3 courses

So its time for another poll. I did something similar a couple of years ago and member's preferences then were very clear; perhaps the current economic climate has changed things. Please help me make a decision that will suit as many members as possible by taking a minute to vote. If you have ANY other suggestions, be they different ideas, alternative venues, please add those in the comment box and I will investigate. Just click HERE to vote.

The results will be viewed in a weeks time (17/8/09) and a decision made based on these results, so please vote ASAP !!
Thanks for your input.

Dates for Your Diary ... a summary of what is planned

16th August - Under the Pier Show
9th October - AGM