Blog

Welcome All, 
It’s difficult to keep a diver occupied when the seas are against us and we are land based. 
As an active club though members keep busy with other interests and report daily on developments in the marine sector in the UAE and further afield. Some are very amusing at times as you will see below. 
Locally, some have been keynote guest speakers for Natural History  groups:

Other developments that members reported are some sad news with our Dugongs.
See article below. 

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​​Illegal fishing practices responsible for 20 dead Dugongs in Abu Dhabi:
Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s second largest population of Dugongs, with around 3,000 found in the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve. Dugongs, along with their foraging habitats and their migratory routes in the UAE, have been protected under Federal Law No. 23 and No. 24 since 1999. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, the UAE has an international commitment to protect local Dugong species. This represents an important pillar of the legacy of the nation’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to preserve the environment and support regional and global efforts towards the conservation of Dugongs.
Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity at EAD, said: “The Agency will continue to prioritise the protection of Dugong habitats and ensure that enforcement of the laws continues to be applied strictly, in partnership with the Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA). We strongly urge all fishermen to cast their nets mindfully, prudently and responsibly and fish in a sustainable manner – in line with our local and federal laws.”
Reference:
https://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/illegal-fishing-practices-responsible-for-20-dead-dugongs-in-abu-dhabi-2018-11-26-1.676148

A silver lining though with the ban on Gargoor Fishing Nets – We encounter these abandoned nets on the sea floor every week so welcome news and I hope that other Emirates will follow this good example. 

Ministry of Climate Change bans use of gargoor fishing nets in Abu Dhabi:
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MoCCAE, has issued Ministerial Resolution No.82 of 2019, which bans the use of gargoor nets in Abu Dhabi effective 1st May 2019.The survey revealed that the demersal fish stock is vulnerable to high deterioration; the Hamour (Orange-spotted Grouper) and Farsh (Painted Sweetlips) have witnessed a significant decline to 10 percent of their adult (reproductive) stock size and are overexploited by up to five times the sustainable limit. The decision requires all fishermen who are registered with MoCCAE to suspend the use of gargoor nets in the waters of Abu Dhabi before 1st May, 2019, the day the resolution begins to be enforced. 
Reference:
https://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/illegal-fishing-practices-responsible-for-20-dead-dugongs-in-abu-dhabi-2018-11-26-1.676148

Further afield, one member reported on a distressed Moray with the below report.

”So, one of the big morays on Inchcape is struggling with a fishing hook in its gullet. I was with students today and could not intervene. Attempting to remove the hook itself is probably not a good idea – apparently their bites are loaded with bacteria.
I do plan to return Mon/Tue to at least cut the fishing line protruding from the mouth and snagged on the wreck. The poor animal can’t even move.
This will involve some risk of getting bitten, but I can live with the odds. The sight of that poor animal desperately trying to swallow the hook while being unable to move is more than I can live with”. Reports were that divers did return and release the Moray. 

On a lighter note, in house Engineers at the club have been exploring different methods of integrated weight systems. We look forward to being a spectator at the upcoming trials. 

Welcome All, ​

The shores of the UAE are taking a battering at the moment with high pressures from all directions and not the type of sea going dive conditions that you touch with a ‘barge pole’. Although the rescue barges will probably be busy this week along the coast co-ordinating recovery of those washed up.
 

Below are some pictures that members sent in of various vessels that encountered difficulties at sea. We hope that crews are safe. Thankfully we have our trusty port professionals that keep us up to date with sea states and weather conditions. Hence, we didn’t dive last week. 
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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!

​Welcome All, 
Rather busy this week with day to day life so catching up with some Dive Logs.  

With some much needed de-fizz a few of us headed to the east coast for some commercial outfit diving. Many of our BSAC 406 divers were absent with leave this week which left no Boat Officer to do the dutiful. Mike is back in the west for a while, Ian and Bridgett are on the snowy slopes of cooler climes with some rather creative snowmen creations. Mr B is somewhere spearing his catch of the day. I think Angela is still in the Musandam although sightings have been reported of her on Telegram. Others are on work duties at home or overseas so that left a few of us to get suited and booted and head for the east coast.

The day started with a beautiful sunrise as always and headed to the Barracuda Dive Centre which operate out of Fujairah Marina.
The pretty fish are on the east coast as opposed to the wrecks and metal on the west coast. Nice for a change and easy diving for Nick, Dennis and I.

Our skipper was most helpful with trolleys on hand to shift and lift kit. There is a shop for dive supplies and Emirates ID needed for the Coast Guard. We three have Nitrox tickets so can’t say we had to do much other than analyse our tanks and board the boat and natter.

First dive was Deep Reef (30m).  Second dive was Inchscape-10 (25m).
Deep Reef is an underwater rocky outcrop. On the surface the sea was a mass of green slimy plankton but disappeared once we descended thankfully. The Deep Reef is predominately thriving with soft corals offering some shelter for the marine life to the otherwise coarse underwater sandy terrain. We were a party of 8 which was peaceful with a mix of nationalities of English, Irish and  Philipino, Emirati, Ukrainian and Indian. Another boat was also anchored up at the site and somewhat noisy during the dive after a while with underwater ‘ski-do’s’ and tank bangers. Free ascend with  SMB’s for this dive and then a  boat pick up. Cautionary note with sea temperatures as a 5mm or above is recommended and a note to self to have my dry bag shipped over from the UK. There were quite a few shivers on board but our skipper had a cup of Chai waiting for us.  The seas were calm so no challenges with currents and white horses.  Last week I lost my SMB on a wreck dive on the west coast. Rather peed off as it’s seen some sea time over the last 9 years, well used and now drifting aimlessly at the bottom of the Gulf oceans. Absolute highlight was to finally catch a Sea Snake on video slithering away. We even had the delight of a Sea Snake surfacing quite a few times when we were back on the boat.

On Inchsape 10 we descended on a permanent buoy. The first meter was again a  thick slimy green algae / plankton. Perfect Whale Shark food but alas we saw none and no reports of any in the area. The day after, there were reports of a large pod of Dolphins so a revisit in the future is needed. One of the local divers lent me his torch and quite a shock to see two huge eyes peering back which belonged to the biggest Puffer fish that we had seen in these parts.  Sadly or not, there were no Sea Horse sightings as has been the trend in the past with diving this side of the coast. One can only hope they have gone to calmer waters so they can be left alone in peace.
We had our surface interval again with Chai and snacks and headed back to port. The boat trip was only 20 minutes or so and not that far from shore.
 
Off gassing lunch was at the Marina with buddies and some warm food and drinks.
My pics I’m really pleased with this week. Some have been cropped with no cardinal sin of photo-shopping  hence just raw beauty of soft corals captured with my old Panasonic.

End of day highlight was seeing a classic 850 Mini parked outside the Marina. Being very cheeky we had a photo shoot and will no doubt own one of these one day.
 
As always, a great day with trusty buddies.
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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!

Welcome All, 
Unfortunately, we didn’t get the numbers last weekend. What with Mike heading back to deepest UK and others either working or doing other things, we were compelled to have a lie-in. This wasn’t too much of a punishment, truth be told, but it was a shame as conditions were looking very reasonable. We nevertheless met up at the club later on for a bit of socializing.
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Following on from last week’s piece about the Omani stone anchor presentation, Lamjed has sent me the Power Point presentation from which the following stills are taken:The lifting operation in 1996 must have been a very exciting time for those involved.
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Brief note from our residential trainer who’s starting a new Tec 40/45/50 combined course. There is one more space available so please contact one of us for more information. 

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On a sad note, I regret to report the passing in Lübeck, last Tuesday morning, of Paty Oldenburg, wife of former member and long time friend, Uwe. Paty had been ill with a blood condition for some time so this news was not entirely unexpected but this would not lessen the impact on the family left behind. Our thoughts are with Uwe, Jan and Jenni at this difficult time.
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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!
 

 

Slightly belatedly, we got 2019 up and running with a trip to the Jumbo. It was a full compliment of eight divers on SP125 and we were probably lucky there wasn’t more as SP312 is still undergoing repairs and is therefore unavailable. It’s never nice to turn people away.

It was an uneventful trip out to the site, although both air and sea temperatures have taken a turn for the cooler since late December when we last got out. Fleeces are strongly recommended above water (particularly in the morning) and 5mm wetsuits below it.
Despite the poor to middling visibility, we all had reasonable dives. There were countless snappers as usual on the Jumbo as well as the odd batfish, barracuda and a moses sole. A couple of the pairs saw a torpedo ray and Nick and I ran into a sea snake near the stern. A few pictures from Cara’s Go-Pro video are attached.

For the second dive we decided to visit Karen’s Dhow in the expectation of bringing back a bit of glassware. The only problem was that even though we landed close to the zero coordinate, the wreck couldn’t be found. This despite a reasonably thorough circular search. Polly did spot some cutlery sets, indicating we weren’t too far away but of the dhow – no sign. After some discussion we headed instead to the nearby No-prop (née Big-prop) Dhow. Same result. It could be that the winter storms have battered the timber dhows out of existence although the engine blocks should have still been there unless they were buried. It could also be that for some reason, we were in the wrong place. We won’t give up entirely and another search in better viz might relocate the wrecks. Let’s hope so.
After that it was back to the club and a generous quantity of decompression fluid.
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Ali Fikree has posted on WhatsApp, some photos of a new wreck he and some others have found off Fujeirah. Ali reports that the wreck is not recent, at least 50m long and split in two. He has been in touch with the Hydrographic Office who were unable to shed any light on its identity. We will keep an update on this as any new wreck is always a welcome find for the history Log. 

​​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!
 

Hi all, 

2019 has got off to a bit of a slow start with the weather playing havoc with our dive planning. To fill the void last Friday, we decided a brunch was in order so we convened at around midday at the Ajman Hotel (the one that used to be the Kempinski), the unfortunate establishment we had chosen. Actually, we had a pretty good time and we also had a good view of the sea conditions that fully vindicated our decision not to take a boat out.
The brunch officially ended at 4pm but we had stockpiled enough supplies to keep us going for another couple of hours. With the advent of nightfall we adjourned to the 10-pin bowling alley.
At this point the party split into leavers and remainers (why does that phrase sound familiar?) with a majority for remain. A good few games of bowling followed by some pool took the whole thing through to 11pm at which point the party depleted further. The most dedicated remainers stayed until the backstop – sorry closing time – and I’m guessing were feeling a bit delicate in the morning.

A few words from the guilty:
“Woke up phone-less. After recovering with mandolin and yoga I went back to the hotel where they told me that they hadn’t found a phone but would call me if they did. Too hungover to point out the obvious flaw in this reasoning I drove home using the sun as a substitute for Google maps”
Is this what they call pilotage?
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“There are several reasons I gave up brunches years ago. I just remembered them all”
​
At 3.00am an unknown dancer whatssapp’d to the group, ”I want to go home”
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Angela is looking into a link-up dive, possibly to the Dara with Dubai Natural History Group. Watch this space.
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DAN insurance website: https://www.daneurope.org/home
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Regards
Ian.

Welcome to 2019 where ever you are in the world. 

Before we embark on our new adventures for 2019, we’d like to share a snapshot of 2018.

Firstly thanks are due to those who kept the show on the road this year:

Before Ian’s log though, on behalf of all the members / non members of the club, many thanks go to Ian Hussey. Always one to encourage members to advance with training and updating skills including the weekly log that is sent out to members all over the world ( 250 in total ), which is always a welcome read. Thanks Ian. 

Not forgetting the rest of the crew:
Brian for looking after boats, compressors and setting up the nitrox facility.
Mike for getting stuck into boats and cars whenever he isn’t retired.
Cara and Michelle for training and the try-dives.
Peter for looking after our money and for his awful puns.
Allen for sterling work on the equipment, in particular keeping the tanks full.
Nick for arts, entertainment and general contributions.
A special thank you goes to Mr SD for running the blending course. (more training in 2019 so please stay tuned in for details) The above is a general snapshot of the work that goes into the upkeep of a dive club. 

And finally to all those who came diving with us (42 different divers in 2018) without whom it would all be for nothing.
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As promised then, here are a few thoughts on the year just gone:
2018 started on 12th January as it was to finish on 28th December – with a couple of dives on the Dara. This dive remains a favourite, despite the fact that the viz hasn’t been too good of late and the tendency of fishermen to drape it in nets. Clearing them entirely would be a daunting task (and probably futile) but I’m sure we’ll keep on going back. If we have such a thing as a “club wreck”, this is it.

In between we managed to dive somewhere on most weekends. There was a slight hiatus in April caused by boat registration problems, but the weather has been kinder to us than is sometimes the case, so we didn’t have to cancel very much due to strong winds and high seas. I make it 47 diving days in total, which I think is quite impressive by most standards. Wrecks visited were: Ajman Glory (2), Dara (4), Jumbo (8), Karen’s Dhow, Lion City, Ludwig, Mariam Express (6), Mike’s Tug (2), Nakheel Blocks, Nasteran (7), Neptune (3), Palm Island Tugs, Rob’s Dhow (6), Sea King 5, Suitcase Dhow (quick recce but appalling viz), Taha (4), Victoria Star (14), Wreck X (2) and Zainab (2).

We also did a trip to Ras Al Khaimah to investigate some promising looking coordinates. The numbers proved accurate, but the wrecks were small upturned barges of little interest. Polly is arranging a ‘survey’ dive in the rocky reef location in RAK. Please get in touch if you anyone is interested.

As well as the west coast wrecks, we also made a couple of trips over to the east coast with Divers Down at the Miramar or The Palms at Radisson Blu, diving the Inchcapes or Dibba Rock. The two most memorable trips were the longer ones.

At the beginning of October we took a trip over the border to dive the Damaniyat islands with Sea Oman at the Millennium Hotel. Before we even got to the islands, we were able to spend 30 minutes swimming with a group of whale sharks. Absolutely awesome. During the actual diving we saw rays, turtles, leopard sharks and the all-round abundance of fish life which is the reason we go there.

The stand-out trip, as it often is, was the Eid Al Adha trip in August, this year to Nungwi in Zanzibar. The service in the hotel and in some of the restaurants was of variable quality but there were no complaints about Spanish Dancer Divers, the dive operation that we went with. As well as some of the same species of fish that we normally see in the Gulf, there were octopus, crocodile fish, lizard fish, leaf fish, mantis shrimps and most bizarrely of all, some Indian Ocean Walkman, a kind of walking fish that may be a throwback to pre-historic times.
The dates of the Eid fell very kindly this year, so we were able to have a longer than usual break, including some sight-seeing in Stone Town. Zanzibar itself is a big contrast with Dubai with its lush greenery, ramshackle houses and decrepit roads. There’s clearly a big Omani influence dating from the time when Oman ruled the island.

And what else? Well, the equipment room is in the process of being revamped. We have acquired a couple of split a/c’s from the Wanderers replacing the old wall units and the window has been blocked in to help keep the temperature down. Some new steel frames have been installed thanks to the sterling efforts of Mikes Anthony and Millis with some assistance from Denis Rooney. Nice work guys.

The nitrox is back up and running and is now the default gas option in most circumstances. This has necessitated a few of us attending a blending course to gain the required skills. A number of us also gained a boat-driving license early in the year which is now a requirement for getting past the coastguard. It’s fair to say that this course wasn’t quite so thorough.
We did a couple of try-dives during the year. Both were successful, resulting in Michelle training a few more divers. This has yet to translate into new members but we’re looking at ways of improving this situation.

The Land Rover Discovery is back on the road after a major overhaul aimed at keeping it running for a few more years.

Of the more light-hearted moments, the two that stand out both concern Mike. First, his close encounter with a swan by the Wanderers swimming pool and second, the retrieval of his keys through a partially opened car window by means of a coat hanger and a radio aerial.

Once again Happy New Year to everyone! Safe diving in 2019 and we look forward to the year ahead. 

Hi all
As promised, Mike got a boat away last weekend to the Dara. I don’t know the full story, but I gather the viz was fair to middling and some new nets have appeared. The second dive was spent cutting some of them off. Thus ends the 2018 diving season. Hopefully 2019 starts next Friday.
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I normally use the last weekly email of the year to recap the highs and lows of the year just gone. I’ve run out of time for that and I can’t see myself finding any this evening. The annual review will therefore wait until next week. I hope you can stand the suspense.
I’m not sure how many folks will make it to the dive club on Tuesday night but hopefully a few of us will be there.
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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!
 
 
Regards
Ian
​​The Dive Club would like to wish its members, former members and friends a very happy and prosperous New Year!
                                          
Safe diving in 2019!

​No diving again last weekend. With the holiday season approaching, there are currently too many people away to get a viable dive going but Mike will be running one next weekend if there are enough takers. Never ones to waste time, Mike and Brian got busy with the boats.

In Mike’s words:
Maintenance report. 312 got the gunwale repaired. Wants sanding and drilling and next step is the welder with a new bit of SS tube.
LR has the tow electrics moved up onto the rear bumper, should be mostly out of the water now. 125 got new rope rings and a new perimeter rope. Also we tightened down a canopy support. Brian & Mike.
Many thanks, guys.
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Cara is currently on a liveaboard in the Maldives. She looks to be having a good time judging by the movies she’s posting on Facebook. Dolphins, sting rays, manta rays, leopard sharks, octopuses and others all feature in abundance. I’m not jealous honestly (well maybe a bit).
I’m hoping for some publishable words and photos when she returns.
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Next Tuesday being Christmas Day, the usual Dive Club night will not take place. However, if those who are around fancy convening at the Wanderers on Christmas Eve, we’ll have a dive table out front. There will be Christmas carols from 7.00pm onwards with mulled wine, vin chaud or glühwein according to taste.

Maybe a mince pie or two.
 
The Dive Club would like to wish its members, former members and friends a very Happy Christmas.

Hi all
There was no diving last weekend for various reasons, possibly sheer exhaustion caused by excessive partying.

Our own Christmas dinner took place and it was excellent. The event was arranged at slightly short notice so I hope this didn’t cause anyone to miss it. It didn’t seem like it anyway – we had a very good turnout for a club of our current size. It was particularly good to see Richard make it, having flown in from Saudi. Enormous thanks to the Wanderers management and staff for putting on a very good meal backed up by efficient and (as always) friendly service.

Also last week, the Wanderers held a draw for a couple of Christmas hampers, tickets having been handed out by the bar staff pro-rata to monies spent over the last week or two. The first three names out of the hat were all dive club members – Marc, me and Allen, leading to cries of stitch-up to those who don’t like getting wet. Only one of us was there to collect – let me just say that the bubbles were excellent.

​The nitrox blending courses are now over. Congratulations to those who passed it – Allen, Rayan, Nick, Ian, Ben, Marc and Polly. Very big thanks are due to Saad for doing the courses for us. I have the qualification cards so drop me a line if you haven’t yet picked yours up.
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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!