As a Ocean Diver trainee who’d never been on an open water dive in the UK before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the Easter Trip to Portland. I was definitely excited to finally get into the sea and experience the British coast from below the water, but had no idea how I’d find managing the somewhat chilly temperatures and variable conditions. However, after the first day of diving, I can safely say I was absolutely loving diving in Portland!

While that’s partly due to Dorset’s wonderful ocean scenery, I think the biggest credit goes to the amazing work of OUUEG’s instructors. They did a tremendous job of guiding us trainees through everything, with considerable patience for our faffing around with kit, surprise ascents, weighting issues, and various other “learning moments”. The fact that at least 4 of us trainees (including myself) finished our courses over the trip (and I’m sure more will finish soon!) is a testament to their fantastic teaching.

We explored various parts of Portland on the trip, and took in a range of conditions. Visibility on dives ranged from a few metres to a few centimetres. The weather ranged from glorious sunshine to horrendously stormy. This gave us a good opportunity to visit Portland Bill and enjoy the sea conditions from the comfort of a café, spend quality bonding time in a sauna, and to go out on our boat Seahorse and experience all of the joys of a rollercoaster! Sites explored included weedy beaches, muddy bottoms, and best of all, several wrecks! My personal favourite dive took place on the Countess of Erne, where I finished my final Ocean Diver lesson and managed to see jewel anemones, cup corals, big sponges, dead man’s fingers, and some very large crabs.

It would be remiss of me to mention the excellent catering we provided to ourselves (and enjoyed!) on ET. Highlights include two BBQs (we now have a club BBQ for future trips!), fajitas, and some very tasty apple cake (and of course many, many Lidl pastries). We also enjoyed several other land- based activities. The wreck appreciation session, the reg appreciation session, finning workshop, and of course the sumo game were all duly appreciated. Annie (our beloved CPR dummy) had a tremendous time on the Basic Life Support and Oxygen Administration courses (and in her various romantic exploits!). I had such a lovely time staying with the Caravan 45 gang that I took the keys home with me (an accident, I promise!).

I’d like to thank all of OUUEG’s exceptional officers, planners, and instructors for making ET 2025 such a resounding success. Thank you so much George, Xianming, Karim, Yuya, Marius, Holger, David, Ben, and Shannon! Your hard work, late nights, early mornings, and ability to put up with trainee-induced shenanigans were immeasurably appreciated by all of us. Special thanks must also go to Becks from BSAC, who did a spectacular job of organising us in spite of our spectacular propensity for faff, and worked hard as shore manager to keep us safe and on time!

To summarise, I had an incredible time, and can’t wait for the next trip!

from Boyi:

This is my first trip with OUUEG and I couldn’t have asked for a better one! It was just amazing to be able to go beyond fun dives and actually get our hands stuck in doing something for the ocean. I loved learning about reef ecology and the local community’s interactions with conservation in nightly briefings. In my opinion it’s unique opportunities like this that make OUUEG so much more than a diving society. And the people, of course! It’s the best welcome I could’ve had as a new member.

from Matt:

Benjo arranged a diving trip to Watamu in Kenya. David, Boyi and I went along. We helped with efforts to restore the local coral reef. It was two scuba dives a day. We had the option of fun diving; but we all preferred the coral conservation dives; so that is mainly what we did. The restoration had a number of activities, such as weeding; collecting samples; and planting the samples. It was all incredibly rewarding; for example weeding the reef left it unrecognisable, and way healthier than before.

I didn’t know much about corals before this trip. I learned a lot from the briefings; Benjo’s expertise was apparent.

Watamu is a lovely spot with plenty to do in the afternoons and evenings after dive. There is a marine conservation zone, so the sea life was in good shape. The turtles were a particular highlight for me.

We stayed at A Rocha, a conservation charity. This was way better than staying at a hotel; it got us a lot more involved with the local community than would otherwise have been the case.

It was my first visit to East Africa, and it was brilliant; I cannot recommend it highly enough, can’t wait to go back.

from David:

When the opportunity came up to go to Kenya and dive I couldn’t really say no. I’d only ever been to Egypt, so to see more of Africa seemed like a no brainer and to help give something back to the conservation of the oceans a fantastic opportunity.

Benjo put together a fantastic diving programme, inside and outside the local reef. Our local dive operators, Harry and Tina, from Turtle Dive and their awesome team, looking after us and keeping us safe. Starting with an easy shake down dive, with Benjo introducing us to the very basics of coral observation, ecosystem and recognition.

As the week progressed, with great nightly briefings, we went on the hunt for ‘Corals of Opportunity’ (broken storm damaged pieces), gathering them in shopping baskets. Then onto underwater coral garden weeding (under the watchful eye of some local green turtles), before the nursery reefs and the coral tables. Finally planting baby corals back onto old lost coral heads.

The trip flew by. The sunsets (and sundowners) were amazing. If you get a chance, go. You’ll have a fantastic time. Thank you to Benjo, everyone at A Rocha and to Turtle Dive.

If you want to know anything about corals and coral conservation please reach out to Benjo, he really is an amazing coral conservation guru.

Diving in the ocean for the first time was simply incredible. An entire other world exists beneath the waves that works in entirely different ways, and to be able to visit that world is breathtaking. From the colourful wildlife going about their business to the remnants of historical wrecks being reclaimed by nature. Absolutely stunning.

I had felt well prepared coming into it, having completed my training in the pool sessions and quarry trips to practice the skills necessary to keep myself and my buddy alive in hostile conditions (if need be), and despite some nerves everything went (mostly) to plan! Soon after a fresh 5am start, we were walking down the pebbly beach into a village of crabs among the chalk reef off Sheringham, Norfolk. Working around the current both in planning and during the dive was a surprise to me, but our expert instructors ensured it wasn’t a problem and we were able to properly draw in the beauty of our surroundings.

Learning to scuba dive started off as just a crazy “Why not” idea for me, but thanks to the OUUEG community it has quickly become an obsession. So many members of the club have offered their time and expertise to teach newbies like me and share their passion for the wonders of the underwater world. The entire course has been a damn good time. I’m now looking forward to joining many of the club trips over the next few years!

OUUEG divers on the wreck of Steam Ship Rosalie

The Team

You too could look as happy as this by joining us on our future adventures!

A highlight reel of the sites. Courtesy of Karim.

Day 1: 26th June

With no diving planned, day 1 served as an opportunity for everyone to arrive in Naples and spend the day enjoying the fine food and views. Unfortunately, many of the trip goers suffered some degree of delay, but all bar one unlucky trip report writer (who’s flight was ultimately cancelled) managed to arrive at a reasonable time. For those in Naples, it was a quiet evening of enjoying what would become our local pizzeria, Lucrino’s. For me, a taxi ride from Gatwick to Luton and a pleasant stay at manor house with 30 peacocks on easyJet’s dime.

A view that unfortunately puts British dive sites to shame.

Day 2: 27th June

Dive 1: Secca delle Fumose

The first dive of the trip was described by David as the “best site within the archaeological park”. The site is home to a number of imposing Roman towers and high levels of volcanic activity meaning there was plenty of opportunity to use the thermal vents to heat up. The dive is one of the deepest within the park, however, only sits at a depth of 13m and so served as a nice warm-up dive and for some the first opportunity to enjoy being under the sea without having to use a drysuit. I was fortunate enough to make it over in time to watch the group disembark the RIB, with plenty of smiles and stories abound.

The first trip out, minus one very sad OUUEGer! Courtesy of Roy.

Dive 2: Ninfeo di Claudio

For my first dive we visited perhaps one of the more iconic sites from the park, Ninfeo di Claudio. The building was constructed in around 40 AD by emperor Claudius. Throughout the dive we could see the outline of the ancient buildings and had the unique experience of swimming down a Roman road. In addition to a number of simple mosaics, at the site are 6 reconstructions of statues that have since been moved to land for preservation. It was believed the statues resided in a banquet hall and tell the story of Ulysses and his trickery of the cyclops Polyphemus. These statues include Ulysses giving Polyphemus the drugged wine, Dionysus (god of wine) with a panther, Dionysus with an ivy crown, and a statue of Antonia Minor with a small child.

A particular fierce three way stare off between Jenny, a fish and statue – winner still to be determined. Courtesy of David.

The statue of Dionysus with his grape vines hanging to the side. Courtesy of Karim.

Happy campers at the end of the first day of dives! Courtesy of Roy.

Excursion: Monte Nuovo

After a long but incredibly enjoyable first day, we divided up depending on what we wanted to do most (showering, napping or eating). Myself, Matteo, Jack, Rosie and Yuya ran over for pizza at Lucrino’s and after which someone had the incredible idea to climb one of the youngest mountains, Monte Nuovo, immediately located behind the dive centre. What was initially promised as a 15-minute walk, resulted in us accidentally taking a turn into a garden, finding an outdoor gym and having a pit stop at what I have deemed the best water tap in all of Italy. This took 30 minutes after which we finally reached the start of the trail. The trek itself wasn’t so bad once we reached the shade, with incredible views down into the crater that are not done justice by a camera. The evening was spent eating an excessively large watermelon, eating seafood at Roberta’s and playing with the hotel’s cat, Cesare.

A quick pit stop where we would quickly learn that neither tomato sauce nor cheese is guaranteed in Italy.

The faces of 5 people 2 hours into a 15-minute walk after a long day of travelling and diving.

Day 2: 28th June

Dive 3: Solchiaro Procida

Having managed to get a good night’s sleep the day before we began the day sailing out to Procida island and after a mild bit of current at the surface, got down and had a relaxed swim along the seabed. Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much variety in the sea life, but there was a number of pretty fish, barracudas, sea sponges and (at least for someone not used to diving outside of British waters) great visibility.

Yuya, me, Rosie(’s hand) and OUUegg ready for another day. Courtesy of David.

A snapshot of the life at the bottom of the sea. Courtesy of David.

Dive 4: Terme del Lacus

My second (the group’s third) dive at the archaeological park allowed us to visit a new site home to a large spa facility built within a home. We were able to see beautiful multicoloured mosaics that are kept hidden under the dirt to preserve them, similar building ruins as at Ninfeo di Claudio, alongside a number of column ruins and evidence etched into the stone showing the site of doors and of stands to hold umbrellas. Given the size of some of the mosaics, I felt bad simply waiting for our guide to have to cover them up by herself and so assisted in moving debris back on – I later learnt I was being honoured by being allowed to help as she would go on to shoo a couple of other divers off when they came over to also help.

A snapshot of the much larger mosaic. Courtesy of Karim.

Excursion: Castello Aragonese di Baia

After a short rest, we regrouped and took a short bus ride to visit the Baia castle. The castle as well as boasting easily some of the best views of the coast, is home to a number of wonderful exhibits outlining the history of the area. It is also home to the original statues we had observed at the Claudio Ninfeo. We proceeded to walk into Baia in search of somewhere to eat, eventually settling on the only open restaurant by the port, allowing us to marvel at the classic Italian hot dog and chip pizza, and introducing several members to the joys of the triangle game.

The group reunites at the castle.

Karim, Rosie and Matteo with Vesuvius looming in the background…

One of the original statues found in the 1980s – not quite as worn down as me by the end of the trip.

After waiting an hour for a bus due every 10 minutes, we successfully braved the journey home on foot.

Day 3: 29th June

Dive 5: San Pancrazio Ischia

For the first dive of the day, we split into 2 groups (above 20m and below 20m). Having only a handful of dives under my belt following an 8-year hiatus, I opted to stay below 20m. The rock face is home to a large number of barracuda, breams and “an absolutely massive octopus” for those who were lucky enough to be at the back of the group. The group who went to 30m were lucky enough to see a large number of sea fans, which unfortunately weren’t too prevalent in our location.

Back aboard for one of the longer boat rides of the trip.

The illusive sea fans. Courtesy of Karim.

Dive 6: Villa Protiro

One of two dives to Villa Protiro due to it’s enormous site had us immediately descend on the ruins. Rather amusingly, after only a couple of minutes diving I watched as another diver dropped to the seafloor and began digging with some zeal into the floor below. After a few horrified moments of trying to work out what had possessed a member of OUUEG (and how long we had until they noticed and tried to deport us all), I realised that the rest of my group was accounted for, and we were actually watching an archaeologist at work. We moved across the rest of the site, including being able to view some particularly beautiful and intricate mosaic patterns across the floor. At the end of the dive we attempted to take a group photo of us all with the OUUEG banner however this unfortunately did not go quite according to plan and an already not ideal visibility was made worse by 14 of us all attempting to congregate around the banner whilst avoiding hitting any ruins or crashing onto the mosaic.

One of the more intricate mosaics at the archaeological park. Courtesy of Karim.

An attempt was made.

Excursion: Boating

Ever the boatman, Stefan arranged for an additional boat excursion where most of the group went to enjoy the surroundings of Ischia. Due to a history with seasickness, I declined, however my spot was taken by the infamous OUUegg who given his mucky state at the end of the dive seemed to have had an incredible time.

The glamorous Penny enjoying the rather interesting view.

Day 4: 30th June

Dive 7: Punto Pizzaco Procida

We again returned to Procida, however unlike the previous dives where we had been able to gently follow the sea wall up and down, the wall was like a cliff face descending to around 40m. Demonstrating some incredible situational awareness and buoyancy skills, the group stayed almost perfectly together and at the 20m mark we had agreed as our maximum. We were again greeted with some beautiful sealife, though the highlight of this dive was watching as Karim flicked a clip open and shut in front of an octopus to try and get it’s attention, only for it to ‘run away’ and earn the ire of a rather small fish who proceeded to repeatedly ram itself into the poor octopus with about 6 divers all watching in earnest. Additionally, on this dive we encountered a number of videographers filming the wildlife along the seawall. With better visibility and slightly smaller group, we successfully reattempted to get a group photo with the banner.

A small snippet of the octopus fleeing from us and having to suffer abuse at the fins of an annoyed fish. Courtesy of Matteo.

Success at last (I’m a lot happier than this picture would otherwise suggest)! Courtesy of David.

Dive 8: Villa Protiro

Upon returning to Villa Protiro we perhaps achieved a world first as Stefan successfully created a dive bell for OUUegg to join us as we traversed the villa again – truly there is nothing more surreal than watching a man ferry a fury egg in a water bottle above 2000 year old underwater mosaics as the dive planner attempts to capture photos. This marked one of the more exciting adventures in the archaeological park, as we were able to view a number of mosaics, including dolphins, gladiators fighting, the sun and bird, in addition to watching as our guide used her regulator to illustrate how the thermal vents would circulate air across the complex.

What came first, the chicken or the egg, the myth and the legend? Courtesy of David.

Mosaic of a gladiator fight. Courtesy of Karim.

Dive 9: Secca delle Fumose (night)

Marking my first ever night dive, we visited the first dive site of the trip. Having not seen the site during the day, I admittedly became a little bit navigationally challenged and ultimately ended the dive having thought there was only 2 or 3 towers that we had passed by as opposed to the over dozen actually residing over 10m below the surface. Despite the incredibly overbearing nature of the towers in the darkness, it was one of the most peaceful dives I’ve done, with us able to regularly stop to admire the (night)life growing and living around the buildings.

Ghosts of night dives past. Courtesy of Rosie.

Day 5: 1st July

Dive 10: Ninfeo di Claudio

Unfortunately the site we had originally intended on visiting was not open and so we were offered the choice of where to go, choosing to return back to the Claudio Ninfeo. The site was as beautiful as before, however this time we took the time to slow down, appreciate the view (and take several photos of one another at the site).

A walkthrough of the former banquet hall. Courtesy of Matteo.

Dive 11: Secca della Formica (ant reef)

The final dive of the trip, and perhaps one of the most fun, occurred in the middle of the channel and as we had been informed at the surface, allowed us to experience temperatures alternating between Italian cold and Italian freezing. The dive was a first for nearly all of us as we were offered the opportunity to perform a cavern dive. The start of the dive saw us descended to around 20m where we swam underneath a beautiful archway, getting to see all the beautiful flora and fauna we had become accustomed to on the reef alongside it. When we arrived at the mouth of the cavern, as we had been briefed, we proceeded in single file, having to swim low to enter and ascending upwards towards the exit. I was fortunate to have a fabulous buddy in Matteo who (since I didn’t have a torch) regularly stopped to check that I had enough light to see the route and also to be able to see the fishes that were swimming further into the cave at either side of us. As we left, we were greeted with the most beautiful sight as rays of sunlight passed into the cave. We left one by one, and soon the two groups merged into a final OUUEG shoal. We finished the rest of the dive by following along the walls and ascending under another two archways before returning back to the boat. As the buddy pair at the front of the pack, we would occasionally turn around and be greeted by the rather incredible site of around 15 divers all following along behind us. We finally made it back to the dive centre where we posed for one last group photo and thus ended the diving in Naples.

A trip under an archway. Courtesy of the best buddy of the dive, Matteo.

Excursion: Descent into (Lake) Avernus and final meal.

At the end of the dive, myself, Rosie, Matteo, Jack, David, Penny and later Jenny, all made the trip to the formerly much larger volcanic crater lake Avernus. We successfully avoided falling into Hades and instead go to enjoy a temple of Apollo and a terrifyingly large number of cats as we slowly melted from the heat. We made it back in time for our final group meal, as Roy was leaving a day early, before making a well-earned late-night trip to a bar.

To an Italian it looked like an amphitheatre, to the Brit it looked like a temple – unfortunately for Matteo 1-0 to England.

Truly the best photo to grace our collection.

Day 6: 2nd July

As we were unable to fly home for an additional 24 hours from the end of our final dive, we decided to use the extra day to visit the most famous Roman ruins, Pompeii. After our bus managed to accidentally cause massive levels of road chaos, we set off safely. We were all amazed by the absolute scale of the city, realising almost immediately we didn’t have enough time to see everything. The group I was in managed to visit some of the most famous sites, including the amphitheatre, forum, the odeon, various temples, villas with frescos, and brothel. We returned back for a final outing for pizza and gelato, thus bringing an end to our trip.

Possibly one of the most cultured eggs to grace OUEGG and perhaps Italy. Courtesy of Rosie.

Leo, Matteo, Rosie and I scoffing one final gelato – probably our 5th+ of the trip save from the cone eater David.

Fin.

Tight family of Conger Conger

These beauties are conger eels, and you can see them on many dives all around Great Britain. But seeing many of them together is not that common. Their teeth are sharp — don’t harass them, or they can bite a chunk of you off. Otherwise, aren’t they lovely? :-)

This Conger of Congers (yes! Conger is also one of the the official collective nouns!) was spotted on the wreck of sailing vessel Avalanche South West of Portland Bill.

Unforgettable encounter

Bright and early, the morning after finishing term, a big group of us from OUUEG headed down to Portland for a fun diving trip organized by Karim. Upon arrival we were greeted by a very choppy ocean and high winds – so our skipper made the wise decision to call off boat diving for Saturday. However, this didn’t stop us from going out and having three incredible shore dives near Portland Castle instead. Included was my first night dive – which I loved! This site was shallow but full of marine life. My favorite encounters were the nudibranchs, gobies, pipefish, plaice, shrimp and lobsters.

A shoal of fish captured by David

That evening, we went to Portland Bill Lighthouse for an amazing view – and even saw a group of Manx Shearwaters fly past us. We all loved seeing Pulpit Rock, which is one of the tourist attractions in the area. It was formed in the 1870s after an arch was cut away by quarrymen, and the leaning slab was added to give the appearance of an open bible leaning on a pulpit! We stayed in Portland outdoor center hostel – which was a good location and had a very nice cafe beneath it where Oscar got the largest English breakfast I have ever seen!

Oscar getting a photoshoot by Portland lighthouse!

Sunday was calmer and allowed two boat dives at Balaclava Bay, on The Dredger and then the landing craft! We saw seals, shags and oystercatchers along the breakwater and David told me all about the unique history of the area. My highlights included seeing a giant conger eel skeleton, another nudibranch and a juvenile cuttlefish. We all managed to make it home in good time – with some very efficient tiding away. The last dive on this trip marked my 20th dive – hopefully lots more with OUUEG to come!

What can I say about ET? It was fantastic and so good to be back at Porthkerris. Even though the drive down on Good Friday was a bit of a beast! The big question though, was would the weather play fair and let us dive? Yes it would and although the surf was a challenge and the vis probably not as good as we’d like, and after being frequently tumbled, we made it safely in and out of the water most day! We launched seahorse for a successful trip to the wreck of the Volnay and even got some training done! But the weather didn’t always play fair and some evenings we were as wet on the beach as we were in the sea! Well some of us were as wet in the sea as we were on the beach! The odd leaky dry suit. The caravans at Kennack Sands were a welcome retreat. Warm, comfortable and a great place to rest, recharge and enjoy some fantastic food. Thank you to all those that fed us so brilliantly. Bellies full and beers or ciders in hand, we chilled out in the evenings as we waited for MC Clara to give us the daily report, in rap! (See below) and some tunes on the guitar from Benjo.

Easter Sunday was a wipe out – but if it’s too rough to dive then it must be good enough to surf right? So Rosie called on her ‘surfer dude’ connections and half of use headed to Newquay to catch a wave, while others made fun packed trip to the Seal Sanctuary. A day that ended tastily with a Cornish pasty or two! The end of the week saw more frequent trips to the local – The Potters Bar – with some great folk music. A great lunch at Fat Apples, a cold dip in the sea, a hike or two and a night of sea chanties at Cadwith Cove.

After a great week, tired, smelly and ready for a week of sleep, a few bits of kit lighter we all headed home.

Thank you to everyone that made my ET such fun, diving with such great friends, old and new. Some amazing cooking and fantastic food, amazing company and great laughs. But most of all a huge thanks to Graham our Expeditions Officer for pulling it all together (and towing the boat!), to Kirill for driving the kit van and of course to Captain Haddock for getting the trailer fixed up.

David Brock

Clara’s Raps

The no diving day rap

well we woke up and made up our minds
that scuba wasn’t gonna happen this time
and instead of going under
we caught some waves
in the morning there was thunder
then the clouds went away

everybody stood up
on there two feet
all except david,
face first in pasties.

after a long day
in the washing machine
we made our way home
for some good cuisine.

yam, corn, and all things hot
whipping up goodies in a big pot
although the onions weren’t chopped as good
i’m the best slicer in this neighborhood.

now let’s toss some back
and sing some tunes
beer tastes better underneath the moon.

we can make our way to the pub
and make some friends
i don’t want this trip
to ever end

but before it does
hopefully we can get in the water
see some magic
like harry potter

ouueg is the best indeed
and there’s no place id rather be…

The rain rap, tap tap

we though the rain went away
but the rain came back
rain rap, rain rap, tap tap

we made our way down
to porthkerris
for another day
below the surface

rain in our face
and clouds in the sky
but we got in
without batting an eye

some spider crabs
sea urchin or two
uncontrolled ascent
washing machine round two

when we came up
outta the water
the waves took us out
like lambs to the slaughter

already looking like there’d be no second wave
but kirill and ben went in anyway

they made their way out and they did not stop
by the time they came up they were
taken to the rocks

graham and shannon finally made a dive
with superhero tom right by their side

david then called it
us all drowining on the shore
when he saw mick
drenched down to his core

so we packed the van then headed back
for some hot tea and sweet little snack

then rosie wanted to dip her toes in the sea
so along came her, leo, graham ben and me
we all went for a swim in the water
til our toes froze and the shivers startered

ben had to be saved by some kirill hugs
and we all caught the cold water bugs

we said by to ben
and the curry pot got hot
hoping for some scuba tomorrow
yeah hopin a lot

but for now we’ll settle for some night time massages
this is clara’s night time rap
let’s hear some applauses

Clara Fronabarger

And from Leo

The weather may not have been ideal, but diving at Porthkerris Beach was nevertheless tons of fun! Made new friends, sampled new recipes, and enjoyed the water even on the choppiest of days. The anemones, crabs, and urchins more than made up for getting pulverised by the waves. The trip is now forever immortalised in our special stash…

Leo Cox

Photos and videos

More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sbi8q6rbM95bDV56A.

What a fantastic evening! Thank you to everyone who came and made it so special.

Link to Google Photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7N7vGZrxKHe7rHjG6

We were honoured to have many former members join us, regaling us with tales of their time in the club. Please see the photos below for a glimpse into OUUEG’s past.

Special thanks go to the college staff for their hard work and the delicious food, Jonathan Lawrence, Art Crawford, and Rebecca Gill for the photos and speeches.

Photos

OUUEG in the 80s

• https://tbtluk-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/jonathan_tbtl_com/EvMiEiy1erlAiiBD19e_B1IBrNLQ61UoyGEnqQNz-nTKkA?e=IlhIiP Courtesy of Jonathan Lawrence & co

OUUEG in the 90s

• https://photos.app.goo.gl/bBmKvH2jZp2n8wQo9 Courtesy of Art Crawford & co
• https://photos.app.goo.gl/uaQHqxdRgWN5ayGM8 Courtesy of Rebecca Gill & co

Information below for posterity

On Wednesday 20th March 2024, the Oxford University Underwater Exploration Group (OUUEG) will be celebrating its 60th anniversary.

To celebrate, we will be hosting a formal dinner at St Hilda’s College, Oxford.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LzyTx7MyydWfawJn8

Registration is now closed.

The dress code is formal.

Schedule

Oxford Times front page, OxBSAC and OUUEG

After a bit of kit help, a great dive briefing, and a quick buddy check we took the plunge into the depths (2.8m). We split into two pairs and headed out into the left side of the lake. Although the water was a bit chilly (7℃) the vis was relatively good. We soon spotted our first crayfish amongst the weeds. Hovering well clear of the crap on the bottom we circled around over the weeds and junk that had been thrown in. Amongst the weed we spotted shoals of tiny fry and Kirill soon got his eye in gathering up crayfish. It wasn’t long before we spotted an old bike frame and Kirill lugged it back to shore. After the planned 30 mins we surfaced and clambered out with our treasures.

Back in Town Club’s HQ we de-kitted and changed in the warm and were treated to some fantastic home-made soup. Great start to 2024.

A massive thanks to the Town Club, who invited us along. Thanks to Kirill my dive buddy and to Paul Gorse-Burton for the great photos.

Early on the Saturday morning, six of us headed down to Plymouth to spend the weekend diving off the clubs RHIB, Seahorse, moored at Plymouth Yacht Haven Marina. In the late morning, after emptying the large amount of built-up rainwater in Seahorse, we headed off to dive around Penlee Point and the Rame Peninsula.

Seahorse at the start of the day, she’s had a lot to drink! Xianming at the helm

The visibility was not good on this day, but nonetheless I enjoyed my first dive in the ocean. Almost immediately after getting to the bottom, Kirill picked up a large spider crab and waved it in front of me! Despite the very poor visibility we could make out lots of kelp swaying in the current, many starfish and even ribbon worms. We also dived at breakwater fort on the way back and saw many coral fans on the way down. At the bottom there was rather a lot of litter, including lots of smashed crockery. It was also interesting to see Plymouth universities marine biology experiments that had been set up there.

After getting back and eating at the pub, we all slept very well in the lake house, our accommodation. On the Sunday we got up at 8 and drove for 5 minutes to the marina. We set off to Eddystone rocks, with Kirill telling us about the interesting history of the location on the way. It was a cold day, but the visibility made up for this! I had been expecting the same visibility as the day before but was shocked when I backward rolled off the boat and could see the rocks and kelp so clearly all around me.

As a biology student, I found it amazing seeing the organisms I’ve been learning about in lectures in their natural habitat. This included many starfish, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, spider crabs and cuckoo wrasse.

My favourite moment was when Kirill pointed just below us, and we saw the massive head of a conger eel poking out of the rocks! This was our only dive of the day as we were running low on fuel at that point, but we were all satisfied with the dive.

We had a great time, and I am looking forward to future expeditions with the club!

OUUEG in motion

Eddystone Lighthouse, former home to the famous lead-eating Henry Hall

The Plymouth Sound, what a nice day!

Rosie getting warm after a nice dive