Julies Journal

ESAC Year 2007

With our website being unavailable throughout the last year, I thought I would write a short summary of our years diving experiences,

Brixham 10th Feb

cancelled due to bad weather!

Sharm el sheikh 4th March

9 club members took part in this trip to sharm, we went all inclusive for a week in naama bay; diving was good; as usual; did Shark Reef, Yolande, SS Dunraven, Straits of Tiran (freezing cold wind and sick all the way there)! and Ras Mohammed to name but a few.

Lesley Felt it was a bit chilly too!

Sean, Geoff, Tim and Paul braved the early start and did the Thistlegorm whilst us girls sunned ourselves by the pool! (Alan was an honoury girl for the day)! I did my 100th dive on Jackfish Alley, it was an incredible dive, we were taken through some caves which were very pretty -if a little bit close for my liking! We saw a leopard shark and a crocodile fish and at the end I saw two manta rays! according to our dive guide your 100th dive is supposed to be performed naked, but not wanting to frighten the fish or my dive buddies I declined!

Preparing to dive...

100th dive coming up!

A good weeks diving for all.

Hope Cove 6th April

The weather this week was the best of the year! we had a lovely few days diving the Maine, Burgh Island etc. the vis was good and the sea was calm; not an awful lot of life but still very pretty.

Me and Shirley chillin'

Four faulty fishing rods!

Dartmouth 21st April

The vis was awful this weekend, the May bloom made the water like pea soup! We launched the boat at Dartmouth and dived out of Blackpool sands, the sea was a bit choppy which made getting in and out of the boat bit difficult! couldn’t see much so we went scalloping!

Lulworth cove 5th May

Really bad vis again, dark and gloomy, quite a lot of life this time though, did the Black Hawk which was quite good.

West Wales 25th May

See 'Ode to Pembroke' below!!

Ode to Pembroke

And so it was to Pembroke
That we went for this weekend
Praying up to 'him' above
Good weather he might send

We all arrived and all pitched up
The sun was shining bright
With just a little gentle breeze
No good to fly a kite

Up next morning still no wind
"Dive skomer" we agreed
Pile all our kit onto the boat
And leave at some great speed

Fantastic dive for one and all
So now back to the site
We drink some lager and some wine
And barbecue tonight!

We drank and talked and drank some more
All sat around the fire
"I haven't had that many" Julie said
(You bloody liar)!

Time to go she thought and said
"Goodnight" through all the smoke
Then up the bank she tripped and fell
Two teeth and ankle broke!

She should have had more sense you see
You thought she'd have more brains
The whole world and is wife are wise
To Marcie's drinking games!

When we woke at 6am
The wind it was a blowing!
We heard the shrieks from Mrs Mills
And heard Bob say "we're going"!

Next to go was Elliot
Poor John his fate was sealed
He took the fly sheet off his tent
Which blew to the next field!

All the rest in caravans
Tied them down real hard
For last year we remember
Rocky's blew away like card!

As evening fell we did decide
Bad weather we would snub
So off we went - well most of us
And piled into the pub!

About an hour later
On Nick's phone a call came through
"Tell Paul, come quick his tents blown down
We don’t know what to do"!

We hurried back up to the field
Poor Paul he was distraught
It pained him more to leave the round of drinks
That he'd just bought!
T'was at this point the tent went flat
James screaming like a banshee
"Get in there Jase, go on my son
And save the Glenmorangie"!

The whisky saved we packed our stuff
Which in the van did sink
And then we went back to the pub
And finished off our drink!

So there's a lesson to be learned
With thoughts of this weekend
Our diving club has lots of folks
On whom we can depend

Before I go to nurse my wounds
Just one thing remains
To thank our local hero
Yes of course it's Jason Haines!

Anglesey 9th June

Cancelled!

St Abbs 16 June Boys Week

Good time had by all - as usual - booze - dive - golf!!

Lyme Regis 14th July

Absolutely lashed it down with rain - horrible muddy campsite - Paul and I abandoned camping and went B&B! Diving was ok though apparently although I didn’t partake as I had only just had the air-cast removed from my broken ankle! (See west Wales)!

Lundy Island 28th July

the weather has been awful and several members of the club have been affected by the terrible floods, we decided at the eleventh hour to carry on with the trip but not to take the boat or diving gear and have a chilled out kind of walking, picnicking, drinking weekend! Paul and I missed the ferry; we were stuck in traffic on the M5! luckily we weren’t the only ones and another ferry was put on the next morning! brilliant weekend.

Three wise monkeys!

ESAC rambling society!

Hope Cove 11th August

Really lovely weekend, good weather; good diving; good company!

Mr.kenty relaxing after a dive.

name that tune...

Anthony's impersonation of Mahatma Ghandi!

Penzance 24th August

Dived out of lamorna cove all week, excellent diving, good vis and calm sea, perfect, we saw sunfish and basking sharks and there was even a dolphin playing in the bay! the campsite was good, Jackie, the owner, was very helpful and great fun