Hellfins March Newsletter
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Did you wonder where our chairman was? Allan Hesse has just returned from a two-week holiday in Antigua. While he was there he got married - which was a surprise for Adele! They had a three-day honeymoon in St Lucia and are, by all accounts, sorry to be back.
Congratulations you two!
NEW MEMBER
Welcome to Hellfins Shona. Shona Price is an instructor who has joined us since she moved to London from York. Shona's already actively training in the club. We're glad you picked us to dive with!
LOGO COMPETITION
Lots of fantastic entries are in. You can vote online at or you can email your choice to nicky if she sent them to you already.
All votes to be in by Wednesday 13th March please.
TRIP TO LUNDY
Renowned for its playful seals, apparently August is also good for basking sharks.
Lundy Island Marine Reserve and skipper Clive Pearson were featured in Dive magazine recently and the weekend of 3rd & 4th August is the only date left this year.
Accommodation can be on the island in a campsite - if available as high season or B&B in Clovelly. Cost - for 6 - £40 p/p per day - 2 dives per day.
As the 3rd & 4th are the only dates we need to get back to Clive Pearson with a firm reservation by 8th March but sooner the better. If you are interested in the trip please email Jo ASAP.
SOUND OF MULL
How do you fancy spending the May Bank Holiday diving in the beautiful Sound of Mull, in sunny Scotland?
We have the opportunity to charter the dive boat 'Jane R' from Oban for 3 days, Saturday 4th - Monday 6th May.
We want to try to fill the boat (12 spaces available), so that we can then choose dive sites suitable for all abilities, from beginners to advanced.
There are some fab wrecks, for example the Breda & Thesis also dive sites suitable for beginners.
The boat costs GBP 55 per day per person, this includes all diving, air fills, tank hire, weight hire, 3 meals a day and accommodation on the boat.
We'll sort out the transport once we know who is going, but the options are : overnight train, fly / drive, drive.
In order to book please send a 50% cheque deposit payable to Mike Wilkinson for GBP 82.50 to 71 Dyke Drive, Orpington, Kent. BR5 4LY
DEPOSITS ARE PAYABLE BEFORE 10th March so that Mike can secure our booking.
Any questions, call Mike on 077 207 17069.
SCAPA FLOW
There are three of four places left on a trip to Scapa Flow that Crispin is organising with his other club the Sea Urchins (SAA). Email Crispin if you're interested. Details below.
Where: Scapa Flow is a body of water about 12 miles across surrounded by the Orkney islands off the north of Scotland. The boat and the accommodation are at Stromness, a town on the Orkney 'mainland'.
Why: At the end of the first world war the entire German High Seas Fleet of seventy ships was scuttled in Scapa Flow. That's why.
Dates. 24th to the 30th Aug. 2002.
Boat: The Sharon Rose, a converted 67ft trawler. It can work as a liveaboard but we're taking it as a dayboat as all the sites are within easy reach. Air, tanks and weights come as part of the price and the boat has an onboard compressor for air or nitrox (extra). Diving would start on Sun. the 25th Aug. and continue for six days until Fri. the 30th Aug. We would be able to put our kit on board the boat on Sat. 24th pm.
Accommodation. Crispin have booked the 'Orca Hotel' on a self-catering basis for the 24th -30th Aug. It's two minutes walk from the boat so there should be no need to have a car on the island unless you want one. It sleeps twelve in six rooms.
Travel. Goes something like this. The prices are all subject to change, but they give an idea of the cost.
Road. You can drive and take the car on the 2 hour ferry crossing (£74 for the car and £31 per person) or leave the car at the ferry point at Thurso.
Rail. From Kings Cross to Thurso via Edinburgh (£81 return) then the ferry (£31 return).
Air. To Kirkwall on Orkney. £262 BA return from London, £116 return from Inverness or £146 return from Edinburgh.
How much: Apart from the travel. The boat will be £160 ea. incl. air, tanks and weights. The self catering accom. will be £100ea. sharing a room. A room on your own will unfortunately probably cost double. There are also B&Bs nearby. That's it.
Contacts: www.orcahotel.com and www.jeanelaine.co.uk for the boat operators Scapa Flow Charters. There is also an enthusiastic write up in December's 'Dive' magazine with some fine photos.
An idea: The wrecks are all in the nitrox range down to 40m. If several of us got trained up we could safer, longer, clearer headed dives. Let me know if you're interested.
What to do: Send Crispin a deposit of £100. Cheques made out to SEA URCHINS SAC. His address is 171 Brook Drive, London SE11 4TG. As usual it's on a first come first served basis.
CORNWALL
Mike is organising a trip to Cornwall over the extended June Bank holiday weekend, Saturday 1st - Tuesday 4th June.
We'll be diving around a reef called the Manacles which is just 5 minutes offshore using the RIB from Porthkerris Dive Centre which is on the Lizard in deepest Cornwall.
We've had many an enjoyable weekends diving at Porthkerris in the past.
The cost is £12.50 per dive and we have the choice of camping, caravan or B&B for accommodation.
To reserve your place send a cheque payable to Mike Wilkinson to 71 Dyke Drive, Orpington, Kent.BR5 4LY for £97.50 (7 dives at £12.50 plus £10 deposit for accommodation)
Please also state your preference for accommodation.
If you would like any further information, please call mike on 077 207 17069.
STORM TRIP - PLYMOUTH
Only a few places left for July 20/21st on the club's annual two-day diving trip on the Storm, in Plymouth. For those who haven't been on this boat before, the skipper is friendly (unlike so many UK hard boat skippers) and experienced and Plymouth is a UK diving Mecca, with a varied selection of wrecks (such as the Persier and the James Egan Layne) and scenic sites (such as the Eddystone Rocks).
Costs will be in the order of GBP 60 for two days diving plus GBP 3.50 per day for packed lunches. You'll need two cylinders and you can hire Extra cylinders locally. We'll organise B&B accommodation nearer the time, but you can budget on that being up to GBP 25.
Let Richard know if you're interested (including details of your current diving grade). A deposit of GBP 30 will secure a place, sent to Richard Thrale at: 9, Courtenay Avenue, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5ND.
COURCHEVEL
I thought we'd found a brand new diving destination until one of the party setting off this weekend told me they were planning to be on the piste for a week. Good luck out there guys, and don't forget to set your computers for altitude.
BOWLING NIGHT
Wednesday 13th March @ County Hall Waterloo we have the lanes booked from 7-10pm and access to the bar.
A great chance for a bit of a get together and swap skiing photos, sign casts etc..
EASTER PARTY
If you haven't told Nicky you're coming to The Loop on Friday 22nd March tell her now: nicky@hellfins.com
More details in the diary.
TRAINING
A big thankyou to Mike, Shona and Chris for their entertaining Sports Diver Lectures.
Sports Diver Theory Exam: Wednesday March 20th 7.45pm, Old Shell Centre Bar. Bring pen, calculator and a set of BSAC 88 Tables.
Good luck everyone!
There will be trips from late March through to May to get those open water dives done. More details in the diary.
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