Each month we feature a selection of your letters
We ’ re still looking for a new prize for a Star Letter , so please bear with us for a while longer . It ’ s a difficult time for the diving industry , so sponsorships are a tricky proposition at the moment .
ChatSend your letters to simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Basildon ’ s deep blue dream
WE RECENTLY EMBARKED ON A CLUB trip to Malta and Gozo – our biggest group yet at 13 members – unlucky for some perhaps , but it proved fruitful for some of us who completed the final stages of our training to obtain our credentials ! Three members were certified on this trip . We had two new Ocean Divers – husband and wife
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Martin and Jackie ( who happens to be a second-generation Basildon member following in the footsteps of her father ) and myself , concluding my Dive Leader .
In addition , we also had members who were enjoying overseas diving for the very first time – and to see their happy smiley faces and teary eyes underwater was truly heart-warming . A fantastic and successful time was had by all . Great comradery , great weather and above all great diving ! Covid pushed this trip out for a few years , so it was marvellous to get some warmer water time together and highlight why diving as a club is the absolute way to do it !
Big shout out to the team at BSAC Centre , Dive Deep Blue Malta , who provided for our needs . We are very grateful as always ! Now where to for our next club adventure ? GEMMA PORTER , Basildon SAC
APOLOGIES FOR THE MISLEADING COVER LINE ON SCUBA ’ s November issue promising a story about Newhaven ’ s wrecks . The article by Steve Slater , ʻLay it on the line ’ was in fact about Milford Haven in Wales . Thanks to Newhaven diver Sue Roundtree for pointing out the error . Would anyone like to write about Newhaven ’ s wrecks ? SCUBA Editor Simon Rogerson
More from the floppy hats
THANK FOR PRINTING MY LETTER about our young member Sam [ SCUBA Chat October 2022 , Beige on the Page ]. The guys at my club , Southdowns Divers 1430 , were really pleased to be thanked and see a photo of themselves in their familiar beige floppy hats .
Anyway , we had a bit of a chat about how Sam ( our freeloading student ) had been integrated into the club . Sam went out on almost all the dives over the summer and was a great help . His job was to pump up the RIB each time , to the tune of helpful comments from the beige floppy hat brigade along the lines of “ we all did our time ”. In exchange , the floppy beige hats showed him some boat handling skills and shared their experience . Sam also completed some Dive Leader skills during his summer . He also came on the club holiday . We had another member ’ s son along as well ; it was good to have some younger members . ANN PARKER , Southdowns Divers
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