We didn’t make it out last weekend and we weren’t alone in that. Despite the uncertainty over which weather bulletin to trust, the forecast for Friday was unpromising to say the least and threatening to become worse condition as the day went on. No-one seriously argued when Mike called it off and his decision was entirely vindicated by the gales on Friday causing huge waves on Ajman Corniche. What it was like further off-shore one can only imagine.
So no diving to write about but Barry Thomas’s email that I included last week has caused some comment.
Gavin Halling sent the following from Australia:
You may recall my visit of a couple of years ago when I was lucky enough to be able to dive with the club on the Dara some 20 years after my last dive there. I was a club member from ’75 – ’79.
I can add a couple of other names to the raft photo. The bare chested guy standing and leaning on the oar is John Lewis who now lives in Alaska (working on oil ice platforms).
The guy in the blue shirt to the left of John is Jim McGrath who was also from the UDF. Kay’s surname was Turpin and was married to Alan a Telcom engineer (working for someone like BT). I do recall Kay had a remarkable capacity to use very little air and generally came back with at least half a tank!
It was good to see a couple more photos of Mark Haine who married my wife’s (Helen) sister Jo.
Gavin came diving with us (the Dara of course) in May 2009 on his way through the area and a photo taken on Hamriyah beach is attached. Gavin I think has a Dara porthole on his porch in Australia.
It was John Lewis who returned the “Trucial States Sub-Aqua Club” plaque to us from Alaska. John sent a couple of then and now photos (attached). He met his wife, Vicki at the club bar in 1978 and they look to be enjoying themselves in Alaska. I don’t suppose a 3mm is enough though!