Wave Shape
Wave Shape

Swanage May 2023 Dive Weekend

Waves Shape

A great weekends diving at Swanage

By Rod Hogg

Well what a fabulous weekend! The sun was shining and everybody made it through the maze of road closures to Swanage for some great diving.

Saturday was a training day for Dylan and Andrew, doing the last part of their Sports Diver on the Valentine Tanks. This involved basic skills review (mask clearing, AS ascent) and dive leading by Andrew. The visibility was not too great due to the start of a plankton bloom and heavy rain the day before, but the lads did well and had time to view one of the tanks and it’s inhabitants (Congers, Bib, Tompot Blennies) before ascending up the shot line. Unfortunately a Go-Pro and mask were lost getting back onto the dive boat. Anybody finding these should contact the club please.

The afternoon was a drift dive from Harry’s Rocks off Studland. The skipper claimed the current was 2.1 knots, but it felt much faster and we didn’t have much of a chance to see anything, apart from a small Cat Shark which decided to swim along with us for a short while. Dylan and Andrew had their DSMB’s inflated from the start, and experienced the pull of the current first hand. Quite an exhilarating dive!

Saturday evening Steve N, Dorothée and I met up at the Scott Arms for a pint and meal with a fantastic view across the valley to Corfe Castle before returning to our respective camp sites for a well earned sleep.

On Sunday we were joined by Steve N and Steve C, Dave, Dorothée, Karen and Trevor for a dive on the Betsy Anna, an 880 tonne steamer that sank under tow in 1926. Steve N buddied with Dylan to complete his dive leading, and I buddied with Andrew. Both completed their 25m progression and are now signed off as Sports Divers. Big congrats to both of you!

For the last dive of the weekend we were joined by our previous Chairman Sharky for a scallop dive

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