Dancing with Dolphins…
The first weekend trip of the season sees a return to the ever-popular St Abbs Marine Reserve. We will be diving around the reserve from Wavedancer which has a heated cabin which is very welcome early in the season. Accommodation will be two nights B&B at the Home Arms in Eyemouth.
Trip Sec: Andy Batley
Cost: £150
Opening: 04/02/21
Post expires at 12:00pm on Sunday 9th May 2021
Totally Tropical St Abbs
Another chance to see the delights of the St Abbs Marine Reserve with hopefully some of the warmest water temperatures of the year. We will be diving around the reserve from Wavedancer which has a heated cabin and a flying bridge. Accommodation will be two nights B&B at the Home Arms in Eyemouth.
Trip Sec: Andrew Lamb
Cost: £150
Opening: 17/06/21
Post expires at 12:00pm on Sunday 19th September 2021
‘It’ll be reet!’ was the motto of the weekend.
We’re creatures of habit in Robin Hood Hood Dive Club and true to form the weekend’s fun and frolics started with a few welcome beers in Oblo with Steve, Keith and Amanda leading the way as the first to arrive, soon to be followed by Bev, Andy, Jay, Sue, ‘Birthday Boy’ Nigel and eventually Tom. Ian decided to spend the evening in his room to finish charging his torches but the rest of us decided that with a very civilised ropes off time of 10.45am the next day – It’ll be reet!
Next morning Tim and Liz made a very early start at 5am to arrive just in time for breakfast, leaving a very disgruntled Merlin in the van. Whilst the day dawned bright and sunny the wind had whipped up a bit of a swell but our intrepid skipper Gary was not to be deterred and we headed out on Wavedancer with only one fully working engine and a slightly bent prop – It’ll be reet!
After a leisurely sail past St Abbs Head we arrived at our dive site, Anemone Gullies, for what turned out to be the first of four cracking dives over the weekend. With 15+ meters of viz and abundant life, including wolf fish, octopus, shoals of Pollock & Herring, wrasse, lots and lots of lobster and a 1.5 meter long Anglerfish (Tim/Liz – you do know things look bigger under water?) everyone agreed that UK diving does not get better than this!
After the second dive of the day at West Hurker we headed back to Eyemouth and despite a VERY lumpy steam, during which the skipper was heard to say “better have a Haribo before we die”, the boat was full of very happy smiling divers – It’ll be reet!
A couple of deco beers, showers and a meal at Oblo provided the evening entertainment before everyone turned in for the night to be up bright eyed and bushy tailed for a 9.30am ropes off.
Sunday kicked o_ with a superb dive at the much maligned Pettico Wick followed by Skelly Hole and Anemone Gullies to compete another memorable diving day.
Thank you to our skipper Gary and his crew, Dougie “Aye”, Graeme and James for looking after us on the boat and to Jade and Alex at the Home Arms.
Thanks to all for making this another cracking Robin Hood Dive Club trip!
Pictures courtesy of Jay Lawson.
