Blog

  • Tube Worms On The Dara

    Welcome All, 

    We almost had a full boat at the weekend but that had reduced to seven come Friday morning. That’s still not bad. The target was the Dara, mainly because I wanted to go there having not seen it for a long while and having read some of the recent reports.

    The sea was flat calm to start with although we took longer than we should have done to reach the wreck due to the GPS giving me some strange messages. We got there in the end and anchored at the first time of asking (or so we thought). Angela, Polly and Peter were first down the line and found the line had somehow detached itself from the anchor. Fortunately, there was very little current, so after securing the line to the wreck, they found the anchor not far away and carried out some underwater repairs.

    The wreck itself has changed a bit over the winter, as reported by Brian a couple of weeks ago, but not as much as I was half expecting. Still, some further exploration as clearly called for. The viz was not as good as the last visit but not all that bad and we had a nice couple of dives. The fish life is as plentiful as ever, particularly near the cathedral entrance although there were no really memorable sightings (sharks, turtles, rays) this time around. There is an anemone and clownfish at the forward end of the promenade deck, which is a common enough sight on the east coast but not so much over this side.

    (Polly reports;
    The video footage captures a Tube Worm showcasing it’s beauty. Peter and I took some time to observe and I think I managed some ‘underwater commentary’. Quite fascinating to watch hence the star feature this week. 33 degrees was  recorded on my dive computer so the seas are warming up for the summer months.) 

    One thing I did notice was that the wreck is remarkably clear of nets compared to previous visits. We’ve had a go a net clearing in the past and have made a small difference but have generally been defeated by the scale of the project (and the tendency of fishermen to dump more nets as soon as you start to get somewhere). Well some people have clearly had a good go at it and the result is a wreck in as clean a condition as I’ve seen it for a while. Respect to those responsible.

    Presumably due to regional tensions, the coastguards are very conspicuous at the moment. They came down to inspect the boat and count numbers on the way out and we had a visit from a CG vessel while we were anchored on the wreck. On the way in there was another head count and boat inspection. This is understandable in the circumstances and they were all very nice about it although they did seem a bit baffled as to why we’d want to go out in a boat and not come back with supper.

    I can also report that the water temperature is a very pleasant 33° and my wetsuit has gone back into the cupboard for the summer.
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    Volker Motzkus writes:
    And now for something completely different; I’ve actually managed to book a diving holiday in Gozo/Malta. From 29th September until 5th October this year. And only now do I realize that that is their high season… oh well.
    I’ll be staying in Xlendi on Gozo, and be diving with the fine folks of St. Andrews Dive Cove. Check them out here…. https://www.facebook.com/standrewsgozo
    It would be great if anybody from the club happened to be in the area at the time… so I thought I’d put the word out. Anybody up for spontaneous Gozo/Malta?
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    The DSDC Musandam dhow trip of 5th – 7th September still has a couple of places left I understand. Let me know if interested.
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar.
    See you there!
     

  • Stormy June and DSMB’s

    Welcome All, 

    No diving at the weekend, mainly because a combination of a birthday brunch and a family visit ruled out all the available boat drivers. The weather wasn’t too promising either although DSDC managed to get out to the Neptune in lumpy seas. At least it stayed dry offshore if that makes any sense. “Dry” land was subjected to some epic thunderstorms through the day which is not normal for June. In fact, the weather had been a bit strange all week. The photo below is the Oceanic Hotel in Khor Fakkan. The poor sods in the foreground are vainly trying to keep sea water out of the swimming pool.

    I had an email from former member, Soren Kjaer, last week. He was mainly responding to the news of Sergey Yurchenko’s death which shocked him as much as it did the rest of us. Soren related a marvelous anecdote about a night out he had with Sergey when visiting him in KSA, which regrettably I can’t print in this email. Suffice it to say that it involved the copious consumption of certain beverages that wouldn’t meet the full approval of the Saudi authorities. We’ll draw the veil at that point.

    He goes on to say:
    Similar discretion must be given to the following story concerning a diver we shall call “B”, who made a visit to a local dive centre we shall call “X”.
    X: This is your dive guide [pointing to a young male]
    B: Do I have to?
    X: Yes
    B: [to guide] OK – how many dives have you done here?
    Guide: Not many – I arrived last week in the UAE.
    B: [unreported remark]
    10 minutes into the dive, DSMB deployed to safely surface to relocate the lost instructor… he was found on the surface holding on to his DSMB.
    There’s a bit more after that but again, draw the veil.
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    A message from DSDC:
    With the success of the one-day dhows we are looking to see if a two-day dhow would be possible again. This would not be every month but if popular maybe we could run one a couple of times a year. A dhow is great way to experience the Musandam and is a great staycation
    We have booked a Dhow with Al Marsa departing Thurs 5th Sept returning Saturday 7th Sept
    The dhow configuration is as follows. 
          Red Dhow 76ft:
    Ø  5 Standard double cabins (2 cabins sharing 1 bathroom)  
    Ø  1 Standard single cabin
    Ø  2 En-suite cabins (private bathroom)
    Ø  Maximum amount of passengers for live aboard trips: 15
     
    (All bathrooms include a toilet sink and wet-room style shower)
    Price per person, payable in advance is 
    – Non Diver 1,010 AED
    – Diver 1,140 AED
    Spaces and cabins will be allocated on a first come first reserved basis there will be no blocking of spaces so everyone has a chance to get on board. 
    This booking is only open to club members, sister club members and immediate family if we do not fill the spaces we will open it to a wider audience.

    If anyone is interested, please let me know. Two spaces are still left, I believe.
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar.
    See you there!

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  • Calm Seas And Fair Winds Sergey Yurchenko

    ​Welcome All,

    I’m very sad to have to report the death, in Moscow, of Sergey Yurchenko.

    Sergey was a member of BSAC 406 for a number of years before relocating to Saudi Arabia. Those who knew him will not forget his irrepressible humour, not to mention the occasion when he fell asleep on the side of boat when we were expecting him to do a backward roll. Never to be forgotten.

    ​The following was posted on WhatsApp by Kim Edwards, a friend of his:

    ​​
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  • Pool Time – Drills and Skills – Camera Testing

    Dear All, 

    Friday Dive was called. Our sleeping dive beauties ( name not mentioned )  didn’t make the dive so that left the three of us to improvise. 

    ​We headed for an early Wandies Breakfast instead and decided to get suited and booted and do some pool drills and skills. Always good to keep the SMB skills up to date so we did some practice with deployment. As much as this looks an easy task to do in the pool, underwater is a different story all together. At the same time, Polly did some camera stunts to check some settings on her camera. Nik demonstrated using the SMB reel and buoy and Hans following directions. A good day to hang around the pool and ‘get at one with kit’. We all had some practice with the SMB and hope to get back to the ocean next week. 

    Dive Club meets every Tuesday in the Dive Bar.

    Try Dives are free of charge and we use the Club swimming pool for training. 

  • Ajman Glory And The Dara – Turtle Rescue

    Welcome All,

    Brian has a few observations on the Dara. Video has captured the bow section, all be it very briefly:

    On the 5th Day of Peed my Dive Marshal said to me, ”First the Ajman Glory, then, Mmmmm-Veeeee-Dara, with a Leopard Ray and goooood viz”………..

    Did anyone notice that there is a portion of the Dara where the keel hull has rolled ‘up hill’ and there is no longer a large over hang, a physical change something that defies the law of gravity. When swimming on the surface, you can clearly see she has been hit by another ship. There is a large scar running down the top at 8mtrs where portions of the wreck has been flattened. When this reached the keel the wreck has been pushed out towards the sand. This would also explain how and why parts of the quarterdeck have sheered and slid to the sea bed. Also, why now, that are so many nooks and crannies to explore that were never there before. 

    Dive 1 was the Ajman Glory, ‘fort time and three the abbot’, it missed second time we threw the anchor so it set it’s self in the cargo hold. Then, we noticed we were in raging river, no no……….it was ripping current. We dropped the ladder on 312 in the water. Back in the day, the strength of the current was determined by the angle of the ladder. The new ladder however, being fixed in both ends, would be no good for giving you an idea of the speed of the current. Wrong……….The current was so fierce the ladder was aqua planing on the surface. 

    Polly and Rayan were wave one. They took strain getting to the anchor and soon enough were on their merry way. Wave two got away as well with some fancy rope work. Wave 3 aborted the dive because of the current. Brian and Jim were wave 4. 

    The viz on the bottom was the best I have on the Ajman Glory. You could see everything including the *******in the ‘front locker’. I found an anchor someone had lost in the cargo holds and recovered some stainless steel chains. A Black Ray was found sleeping next to the prop with Jim and I having a close up look. Polly captured the Black Ray  on video ( see attached video below ) that circled them both before settling down. At the bow we saw a small group of common Grey Sweetlips. 

    Dive 2 was back on the Dara. On the way there we noticed a sudden change in the water colour and on further investigation a 5 mtr drop off in the sea bed was identified. A further dive site possibly. At the Dara were lucky enough to catch a slack tide. Dive buddy waves 1,2 and 3 all got down without incident. Jim and I in at the end dive. Again with clear viz, and relatively new nets I was blown away by the colourful corals on the wreck. About 10 minutes into the dive the current picked up and it was not long before were were watching the sand grains run along the sea bed. Just in front of the boilers, 2 Leopard Rays were on the sand. Polly captured one on video as it swan gracefully away. Note from Polly; ”yes I did grunt at the Barracuda that came in a bit close. Yes I told it to foxtrot oscar as heard on video”  On the third lap between the Cathedral and stern we lifted the anchor and surfaced. Awesome dives. 

    Back at GCHQ, we noticed a baby Turtle struggling on the surface. We picked it up and noticed unwanted sea growths had encapsulated the poor turtles’ shell and eyes. We transported in the a cool box and big thanks to Paul who rushed the little guy to the Sharjah Aquarium. It is now in quarantine and hopefully makes a full recovery. 

    Dive Club meets every Tuesday in the Dive Bar. 

    We hope to see you there. 

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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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  • Victoria Star And The Nasteran – Dolphins

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    Welcome All, 

    ​Though I’ve been away, the diving has continued.

    My thanks Cara and Nick for the following, also for Brian’s notes on the WhatsApp group. Video footage will be available soon. 

    First Cara:

    Divers: Cara, Allen, Brian, Hans, Nick, Polly
    Dive site: Victoria Star and then Nasteran 

    Thanks to Brian for the wake-up call (and fine), Allen and I were actually able to make the dive. Upon arriving at the club, we soon got ourselves down to Al Khan Port to embark upon the Vic Star. Hooked on the first attempt, we all had an enjoyable dive with little current and OK vis (we have had much worse conditions on this site in the past). Within the cargo hold the current was nil and there was the best viz that I’ve ever seen in there, which meant we were able to explore around the concrete blocks more than we had done in the past. 
    Fish life was the norm, with Black Spotted Snappers, Arabian spine cheeks and Goat fish. Plus the occasional curious, yet scared, Yellow Bar Angel fish. For the newest member of the BSAC 406 club, Hans, he did very well as Brian managed to enjoy a 50 minute dive with him. Kudos to him for good air consumption and braving the waters in only skins whilst the rest of us were donning 3 or 5 mm neoprene. However he did spend a few minutes looking for a dive computer which was already on his wrist. As a newcomer, we decided not to fine him for this.

    The second dive on the Nasteran was a more enjoyable one, as the viz was a little better and there were some nice swim throughs to be done. Allen secured the anchor in hole in the wreck, exactly where I was I pointing at a lovely big crab… I presume the crab moved. Again there was the same fish life, but our keenest interest was in seeing the infamous mummy Octopus and her eggs which Brian had discovered on last weeks’ dives. As Allen and I excitedly and expectantly lifted the rock, to our disappointment, there was no octopus or eggs. I can only hope that the eggs hatched rather than becoming fish food for some of the goat fish which I’ve seen lifting rocks and looking for morsels of food before.
    Allen and I continued our dive, and as we went to turn around the stern of the wreck, came face to face with a beautiful Stingray. Usually when this happens, you get spotted and they scarper – on this occasion it seemed completely unaware or unbothered of our presence, so we got to have a good look at it, but did not get too close as thoughts of Steve Irvine were close to mind. The rest of the dive was relaxing and uneventful until the end when the anchor was no longer secured in the hole (I think the crab moved it)  We had heard some chain clanging and boat engines and had wondered what was happening on the surface. 
    Not to worry, a free ascent on a DSMB is always a nice skill to practice. Upon boarding the boat, Brian spotted a pod of Dolphins hunting. So we sat and ate lunch whist watching the Dolphins. Unfortunately for Nick and Polly, they had gone by the time they had surfaced, but they did see the Ray on the wreck. Newbie Hans got another open water wreck experience first, as he and Brian sent up the anchor on SMBs, but seemed to take a while to ascend after that. 

    Eid Al Adha
    The proposed Eid trip to Mafia is not now going to happen. Perhaps we got over-ambitious but there were too many who couldn’t make or were doing other things. A thought for next year:
    With the newly generous public holidays, we could do it at Eid Al Fitr rather than Eid Al Adha, which would bring it into May rather than August. Get in touch if you would like to join the club on our dive excursions. 
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar. 
    See you there!

  • In Search Of The Dara

    Dear All,

    Thank you to Cara and Nick for the following dive log. 

    Divers: Cara, Allen, Rayan, Nick, Polly, Denis
    Dive site: MV Dara 

    This day’s diving marked a first – Allen’s first as a licensed boat driver. It was also the first time we had ever been diving with BSAC 406 without Ian, Brian or Mike to guide the newbies. As Nick put it, it was the first adventures of BSAC 406 next generation. Upon arriving at the club, we worked together to make sure we did everything was done correctly, as per the written instructions, and away we went to Hamriya Port with the MV Dara in mind.
     
    After successfully getting past the coastguard checks, we went to turn on the boat’s GPS and sonar device, but to no avail. Not to be deterred we had the idea to look up the GPS coordinates for the Dara and enter the coordinates into Google Maps and use our mobile phone to find the location of the wreck. After 20 minutes of boat driving getting the blue dot (us) closer to the red pin (Dara), we arrived at our dive site. We hoped. The next problem to overcome was hooking the wreck. Without sonar we were unable to use the fish finder to locate it, but the viz was so good, we decided to do a surface circular search, trying to keep the blue dot on the red pin, with me hanging over the bow shouting back as to when I saw wreck and fish.  The next problem was knowing whether we had actually hooked the wreck, as without a speedometer, we had no real idea of our movement except for said blue dot/red dot, coupled with the fact there was no real current to speak of. 
    Thankfully there is a buoy near the Dara, so with some two point trig, we determined we were not moving and sent the first two divers in. For those of little faith on the boat, there was some reticence to go in the water only to find sand, but Polly and Nick went down first with the aim of doing a circular search and securing the anchor if the wreck was there. After 50 minutes Polly and Nick surfaced and we were informed we were hooked on the rope of a fishing pod, which was very secure (thanks to circular searching) and there was a line going off to the wreck. 

    So Allen and I kitted up. The viz was great, so we decided to stay at the Dara for the second dive (HAHAHA) The viz was excellent, as was the fish life. As well as the usual fish, there was a Ray (spotted only by Nick and Polly) and lots of Reef fish usually associated with an East coast dive including Yellow Spotted Box fish, Parrotfish, Thick Lipped Wrasse, Crescent Tail Wrasse, Angel fish, Clown fish and I even spotted one of my favourites, a Porcupine fish. We got to do some lovely swim throughs of the cathedral and freed many fish from certain death in ghost fish pods. Retrieving the anchor was a bit of a mission, but we managed it and were soon heading back to port on a south east bearing of 155O, we had a well-deserved beverage beside the pool. 
    A successful mission for the intrepid “next generation” of BSAC 406 and with thanks to Ian, remembered to put the bungs in the boat – apparently, they are important.
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    Nick had a slightly different take on the Dara dive:
    Fridays’ dive was a triumph for hope over probability. With all of the old guard being busy, BSAC 406, the new generation, decided to put out a boat.

    Captain Allen successfully towed the boat out of the yard without demolishing any walls and we headed off to Ajman. Our second victory of the day came courtesy of Rayan with some arabic interpretation. 

    This victory however was short-lived, as we then noticed that we didn’t have a functioning GPS. Faced with the possibility of turning back, we had a quick huddle, and decided to “try and blag it” – The Dara – biggest ship and greatest chance of hooking it blind- and shallowest, so best chance of spotting it from the top- was our choice. We put the coordinates into Cara’s phone. Instead of sonar, we had me with an anchor in one hand and me head over the bow, spotting fish (we saw a Leopard Ray).
    Once over fish, in range of the GPS and the marker buoy, we put down the anchor and circled around. Once established that we had hooked something so myself and Polly went down first. I was amazed by the viz 15m+. In a combination of looking at the lines of the fishing pods and “Enimimainimo”, we reeled off and found the wreck about 20m off from the pod.
    We secured the reel on a block. The next job was to identify the block/anchor point in relation to the ship. We swam into the current. The current was running bow to stern.  After a complete circumnavigation, it turned out that the block was 15m from the stern.

    Swimming around the Dara, we spotted lots of fish we normally associate with the East coast, Parrot fish, Box fish, Angel fish and a Leopard Ray hanging around the stern.
    Given the circumstances, we decided to stay on the Dara for a second dive. The circumstances, like the viz., were awesome. Each diver had been given the mandate of “you’re diving, today, plus one”, and each diver rose to the day.

    It goes to show that a dive club, like a band, is so much greater than the sum of its parts, when we work together.

    Once all divers were safely on tera firma, myself and Allen felt a distinct, ‘Beef o’fu++ing clock” moment………..
    That justifiable moment continued into the night with great company.
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    Eid Al Adha
    The proposed Eid trip to Mafia is not now going to happen. Perhaps we got over-ambitious but there were too many who couldn’t make or were doing other things. A thought for next year:
    With the newly generous public holidays, we could do it at Eid Al Fitr rather than Eid Al Adha, which would bring it into May rather than August. What do people think?
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar. 
    See you there!

  • Octopus Of The Nasteran – May 2019

    Hi all
    We had an almost full boat at the weekend which was very gratifying. The main reason for this was the return to the fold of those that for some strange reason, prefer to go hiking or fishing during the winter months. Anyway, the initial target was the Sea King 5 but it quickly became obvious that the sea state wasn’t going to allow this, so we diverted to the much closer Nasteran. This proved very interesting in a number of ways, so much so that we stayed for two dives on the site rather than moving on elsewhere for the second dive.

    First a word about the wreck: the Nasteran is an upside-down landing craft in about 22m of water, almost directly offshore from Ajman. Once little more than a metal box and hence not much dived, it became much more interesting when the sides started to corrode and break up, allowing us access inside the wreck. It was here that Uwe discovered the spare propeller that now adorns the outside of the Dive Club office. There are two levels for exploration: the cargo deck which being upside-down represents the space between the deck and the seabed and the lower (upper) deck which was the living accommodation.

    On exploring the wreck, we found significant changes due to last winter’s storms. The cargo deck has partially collapsed towards the seabed, effectively cutting this section in two although there seemed to be a route between them on the starboard side. Many of the holes allowing access into both upper and lower sections have become enlarged although the entrance near the bridge seems to be a lot tighter now. No doubt we’ll do a further visit or two to assess the wreck’s condition more thoroughly.

    The viz was excellent and we saw the usual angelfish, snappers and shoals of jacks and barracuda. There were also a couple of large sweetlips. The highlight was just off the wreck where Brian turned over a rock to find a small octopus guarding a collection of eggs – young octopuses waiting to be born. I don’t ever remember seeing an octopus on the west coast before and in fact they’re not common on the east coast either. A memorable experience.

    The sea state was pretty poor by this time and it was a slow journey back, but well driven by Cara and back at the club we were joined by Richard and Sharon, Richard having the weekend off from Saudi. A few refreshments followed. An excellent day.

    From Angela:
    Here are a few photos from the weekend.
    If you zoom in on the octopus detail photo you can see the spotted body of the baby octopuses. Brian’s eyesight was better than mine -he could see that underwater.
    The flatworm has a nice reptilian pattern.
    The anemone hermit crab has a symbiotic relationship with the anemone – the crab benefits from camouflage and protection and the anemone benefits from a ride and scraps of food. The symbiotic relationship with the plastic bag is yet to be determined.
     
    Eid Al Adha
    Response to this year’s Eid trip has so far been disappointing. At some point we will need to decide whether to proceed and I would greatly appreciate it if those who normally participate could indicate their intentions this year. See below logs for details about the trip. 
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
    ———————————-
    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar.
    See you there!
     

  • Musandam Dhow – Sea Horses And Sharks – DM Nick Reporting

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    Musandam Dhow Trip 05/19

    ”Only in the UAE.” I thought as I passed a 110km/h speed limit sign, a cop car, and a white saloon at 125km/h and the saloon started following me and flashing its lights and waving arms out of the window. However, this turned out not to be an irate motorist who had forgotten about the buffer limit on the E611, but Denis, who in true Irish style, had been half-way to his destination when he realized that he didn’t know where he was going to and his GPS was on the blink. After a brief roadside conference, we decided that Denis would follow me, following my (unblinking) GPS. 

    Once arrived safely at Musandam border we went over, marveled at the ratio of cars to Musandam residents (about 4:1) and tried to park up, but were intercepted by Omani police. They directed us to the divers parking area and requested to see NOC insurance papers. Other drivers had their papers as they had checked out the situation and requested the needed documents from their hire companies/insurers. With some further to do……… I was back on the dive.

    On the dhow it turned out that 10 divers had canceled last minute so we were only 8. We had plenty of space to spread out. Michelle gave me an instructor exam as a DM knowledge review. I went below deck and succeeded in both passing the exam and making myself mildly sea-sick. Then it was dive time.

    The first dive was Lima Rock. I dived with Denis and Polly. On the surface there was so much algae and jellyfish that it actually affected buoyancy. I swan down with my arms to get out of it. Once on the bottom the vis was really good – 10m or so. We saw the usual suspects of Wrasse, Parrot Fish, Trumpets, Morays and a small Turtle at the end. 

    For the second dive we were at Al Wahida Rock. Same buddy team. Denis wanted to cut down his gas consumption and after chatting with Michelle, Polly and me. decided to try exhaling through his nose and swimming in the tec position. 

    Again the vis was dismal on the top but decent on the bottom. The overhang of the rock meant that it looked a bit dark and claustrophobic, so us 406ers were well at home. We saw the same fish as above and a Turtle again at the end of the dive as if to say “That’s all folk!” Denis came up with 20bar more compared to me on the last dive so job done all round.

    Denis then made his way back by speedboat relay as he was heading back to the Emirates. Some of us pushed on for the night-dive.This was a mistake! We’d chosen a shallow dive around Lima rock for the divers to make them comfortable about the depth at night. Unfortunately, the vis was dismal. Myself and Rotu lost the rock on the way down (vis zero), spent 20 minutes re-orientating ourselves before we decided to call it. Allan, Ying and Claudia called it 10 minutes later.

    The next morning we started with Octopus Rock. A great dive, though you have to be careful with the current. Michelle saw a shark, Me and Polly saw a seahorse, so Polly was happy. There were also nudis and general fish.

    We finished off with another dive on another rock. Again, the usual suspects. The food on this boat is exceptional. The guys put it together on a couple of hotplates even when they’re fasting themselves! 
    So top diving weekend and highly recommended!
     
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    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar.
    See you there!
     


  • Mikes’ Tug And Jumbo Revisit – May 2019

    Welcome All, 

    First of all, congratulations are due to Allen who as of last Wednesday, joins me on the main club committee. The Dive Club currently constitutes 33% of the Club Committee and 50% of the Trustees so our credit round here ought to be good. On behalf of all Club Members, thank you for the work that both Ian and Allen do for the club.

    Now for the dive stuff, we had two parties out at the weekend. Michelle organized a trip up the Musandam, about which I have no reports, but I assume they had a good time. Meanwhile the rest of us took a boat out to sea on this coast, taking advantage of what was promised and indeed turned out to be almost flat seas.

    The sea was so calm that Cara wound the boat up to some colossal speed causing her cap to go flying and a short trip back to pick it up. We proceeded more sedately from that point, though still making good time, and on the way saw some sea snakes and a breaching eagle ray.

    First target was Mike’s Tug on the grounds that we hadn’t been there for a while. Although small, there is often some good sea life on the wreck, and this time we saw what looked like a Hermit crab conference, some big Yellow Tuna and some Dusky Sweetlips. There were the usual Snappers, Angelfish and Bannerfish and some Barracuda on the anchor line on the way up.

    For the second dive, the Jumbo got the vote and it’s only a couple of km away. Had we but known it, DSDC had been there earlier but they’d gone by the time we arrived. Rayan spotted a shark on his dive although there’s no photographic evidence. We do have pictures of some rays and a sea bream was also spotted. Regrettably, most of this had vanished by the time Connie and I got down the line but we had a good dive nevertheless. The viz was good, the current was negligible and the water has started to warm up. We had to allow plenty of time to disentangle the line that Allen laid to the wreck (the anchor having fallen on sand). Such was the complexity, the line seemed to have entered a space-time continuum between the anchor and the wreck. We got it sorted out in the end. Thank you to Cara for the pictures. 

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    For reasons too complicated to explain (read: can’t be bothered), the following picture appeared on our WhatsApp group:
    This was described by Allen thus:
    “…looks like a grumpy DM, who was supposed to be off today, has a hangover and is signaling to 3 brand new open water divers who haven’t dived since they did the course in Thailand a year ago…”

    Inventive alternative descriptions may also be published at a later date.


    Eid Al Adha
    Response to this year’s Eid trip has so far been disappointing. At some point we will need to decide whether to proceed and I would greatly appreciate it if those who normally participate could indicate their intentions this year.
    ————————————
    DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home

    The Dive Club meets every Tuesday night in the Dive Bar.
    See you there!