SCUBA March 2026 issue 163 | Page 41

CLUBFOCUS
Out and about promoting the club
There are wonderful reefs in Mounts Bay, St Ives Bay, Porthkerris and the Manacles. We dive the unique and internationally important maerl beds in Falmouth Bay. Maerl is an ancient and slow growing calcareous algae that covers the seafloor like twigs, creating a habitat full of life. There are also seagrass sites, for example off Grebe beach; one of the dozens of opportunities we have for shore diving.
What type of training is popular with members?
Many of our members join as qualified divers from other organisations and then progress with the club, starting with Sports Diver. Our Dive Leaders are encouraged and supported to help plan weekly dives as dive managers once qualified. There are also members working on their boat handling skills; more boat handlers will open up more opportunities for diving.
Tell us about your instructor team.
We have three Assistant Diving instructors, seven Open Water Instructors and two Advanced Instructors. Local shore dives in Falmouth and Porthoustock are the most frequently used training sites for Ocean and Sports Divers. Access to a pool is an ongoing problem in Cornwall. They are either not keen to have divers use them, too shallow... or so busy it’ s very difficult to get a regular booking. Not to mention how far we may have to travel.
What has the club achieved in the past year?
We appointed a Marine Champion. There are several Seasearchers in the club, supporting the long-standing citizen science project that enables trained
RIB repast
Helmet hi-jinks
Sheltering in the van
Fin fun On the RIB
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