Breakfast for all on the club’ s hardboat
Darren Bedford demonstrates cocktail shaking
Windy plan enacted
Barbecue food for 30 people, packed lunches for 24 divers and breakfast for“ unknown number”; such are the trials of event planning.
We were still obsessing over the weather forecasts, but eventually on Friday evening we all had to agree that RIB diving in 30 knots of wind was a bit foolhardy, even if the wind was coming off the land. To keep the group together it was agreed we would all meet for breakfast on board Condor, South Bay Scuba’ s Mitchell 31 hardboat. Anne was seen heading for the supermarket ridiculously early for more bacon, eggs and rolls. Then, just as the stove on Condor struck up at 9am, people started arriving.
Eventually everyone dispersed, ready to reconvene at the barbecue – some visited the Royal Navy museum, while eight hardy souls embarked on a shore dive on the sheltered side of The Gare.
Among the shore divers was Clare Pettinger, a member of South Bay Scuba, Darkside Divers and Rothwell & Stanley SAC. Clare said:“ The dive at South Gare was lively, with eight divers exploring the reef. Lobsters hid in crevices, crabs scuttled across the sand and we even rescued a fish caught on a hook.”
At the evening event, South Bay Scuba’ s Chair, Kev Towse, got the barbecue lit and cooked the food to perfection. Snorkelling member Rachel Ellis set up her table ready to welcome guests with the club’ s signature cocktail, a‘ porn star martini’ – then everyone started to arrive and the food disappeared rapidly. The bar manned by Hartlepool Divers was busy and all were enjoying making new friends. After a bit of coaching from Rachel they all got the hang of shaking a cocktail.
The raffle featured a superb first prize donated by Go West Sailing of Largs – a free weekend RYA training course, won by a Bradford BSAC member. Fun was had!
Sunday.... Condor goes diving
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