SCUBA Oct 2026 issue 169 | страница 22

TWOSOPHIES

Simon Rogerson with ever-present camera

Rachid Naja, Sophie Heptonstall’ s favourite buddy

Who is your favourite buddy?

SR: It has to be our beloved magazine editor, Simon Rogerson. We have done many, many dives together over the years. We have the ability to know where each of us is at any point, know that the skills are pretty good and there is never any worry about what we are going into because we will look after each other and keep our buddy checks going throughout each dive. Apologies to anyone else – and you know who you are – you all come a close second. Promise!

SH: That’ ll be Rachid Naja from Bushey Divers. It was seeing him on trips around every 12 months and watching his continued enthusiasm with his progression. I saw him go from a fresh-faced Sports Diver to a rebreather diver over a run of trips, and honestly, his enthusiasm never dipped for a single second. That kind of appetite for everything club diving has to offer is infectious, and it’ s exactly what turns a good buddy into a great one and brings everyone together.

		Best pub for post-dive drinks
The seafront at Dale	The Mountbatten hotel’ s bar	SR: I do most of my diving in Plymouth and so the Mountbatten Hotel is up there for good reasonable pub grub, great service and generally loads of room to chill and spin the post dive stories! SH: Going back a fair few years now, it had to be The Griffin in Dale, down in Pembrokeshire. I’ m not sure if the bigger appeal was the amazing coastline and views there or that it never seemed to have a proper closing time— I lost count of the dive plans that got hatched( and, let’ s be honest, quietly abandoned) in that bar.	Best surface interval snack SR: Cornish Pastie with some HP sauce and salt- perfect! SH: A new favourite- Jason at Wreckspeditions coconut truffles. Definitely ask him for them if you’ re up in Dunoon on Starfish Enterprise.
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