This issue of SCUBA should be hitting your doorsteps around mid-December . I hope it offers some inspiration in these winter months , when good dives are hard to come by . This is the time when British divers do our planning ; we pour over charts in pubs and clubhouses , identifying new marks and places to explore . We store our kit diligently , drysuits in mouse-proof boxes , regulators bagged and set aside for a timely service .
Of course , there are those who continue diving through these lean months , defying the odds of a British winter . There are always the lakes and quarries , where visibility can dramatically improve thanks to the seasonal thinning of algae . Or then again , the viz can cloud up in a few days if it ’ s been raining heavily . Save for the rosy glow of Pool Night , there are few certainties for the winter diver .
Yet more unpredictable is the sea … some of my own South Coast haunts remain close to undiveable for the duration , but there are little windows where things stay calm long enough for a winter ’ s shore dive . These dives take place against the odds , magical interludes in a grey season ; honey for the soul . In winter , fortune favours those who persevere , and of course it helps if you live close to a stretch of protected water .
Going back to this issue , I ’ d like to draw your attention to two instances of triumph over adversity . First , we have Aberdeen Sub Aqua Club , which has won the coveted Heinke Trophy . Aberdeen ’ s members succeeded in halting a period of decline that threated to reduce the club to unsustainable numbers . Not only did they weather the pandemic , they managed to build membership and are now facing a bright future , thanks to perseverance and open-mindedness .
Also in this issue ’ s HUB is the paralysed diver Dan Metcalfe , whose refusal to lay down in the face of life-changing injuries ( from two separate road accidents ) has been an inspiration to us all . Diving helped Dan through his struggle with PTSD , and he astonished us all with his marathon dive in Stoney Cove . Dan recently qualified as an Instructor with Bingham SAC , so it was only fitting we featured his latest success in SCUBA .
Wherever you draw your own inspiration , I hope it strikes at some opportune moment this winter . I wish you all a very happy Christmas ; see you in 2024 .
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : Whip corals on a seamount in Kimbe Bay , PNG , by Simon Rogerson
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