As a coastal club , you must have plenty of opportunity to go diving .
Yes , we dive most weekends throughout the year , usually on a Saturday , and there is often a mid-week dive as well . We concentrate on the relatively shallow reefs associated with the small rocky islands off the coast at Torquay or Brixham . However , we can also reach some of the deeper wrecks that lie off Teignmouth , the Bretagne being a firm favourite . The wreck lies upright in 30m with the deck at about 20m , so it is accessible to all divers . It ’ s relatively intact up to deck level and is teeming with fish .
Tell us a bit more about your local diving
The local rocky reefs have a rich marine fauna since they are often swept by strong tidal currents . If you do come off the reef , the flat areas between the rocks are rich hunting grounds for scallops , providing you have the requisite Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority ( IFCA ) licence .
The biggest challenge for diving in Torbay is the relatively poor viz : four to five metres is considered quite good here , whereas further west , Salcombe way , they would call that poor . We often have viz of only two metres or less , so torches are essential pieces of kit .
New Year harbour dive
First Sea Trial of Torbay Diver 2
Where else do you dive ?
Each year , we try to take our own boat down to Salcombe for the weekend , which allows us to dive our own wreck , the SS Maine , and to enjoy some decent viz for a change . The club rediscovered the wreck around 1960 and negotiated to buy it for £ 100 . This enabled the salvage of the bronze propeller in 1963 and 20 years later , members also brought up the spare iron propeller lying on the deck . Sitting upright , the Maine is a very popular First World War wreck lying in about 35m .
In recent years we have run a diving / camping weekend in Porthkerris on the Manacles across the border in Cornwall , and occasional day-charters are arranged for trips further afield , to Portland in Dorset for example or down in Plymouth . Most years , the club also arranges an overseas trip : this year it was in Malta and in recent years we have had two liveaboard trips to the Red Sea .
Do you dive with a purpose at all ?
In the past , several members have taken part in seagrass surveys and some members have done British Divers Marine Life Rescue training . We also have
Loving it in February 29