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DIVE TRIPS
First Dive of 25!
Story & Underwater Photos: Keith Waugh
Surface Photos: John Kerr
5th January 2025 found 10 members of Clydebanksac enjoying their 1st dive trip of the New Year at St Catherines Seal Reef, Loch Fyne. I was also pleased to be making my 3000th dive. The Bahamas or the Red Sea would have been preferable, but St Catherines turned out to be a memorable substitute, as Mother Nature provided a large octopus for me to video and several other divers to enjoy. We’d heard that one had recently taken up residence on the reef.
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The weather for our first Dive Trip of the year was dry and almost bright with thin cloud, but a bit on the chilly side, with an air temperature of around 6 degreesC, and the water was a balmy 8 degreesC.
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Thanks to everyone in Clydebank who joined in with my milestone dive, in particular Gordon Anderson, who raised our spirits on such a cold day with a wee nip of malt whisky before our 2nd dive (the 3000th) Tut! Tut!
Recent new members Helena and Bohdan also completed some open water training. Well Done to them on such a cold day.
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The party were: Andrew Sinclair, Gordon Anderson, Gordon Kirkcaldy, David Richford, David Ryrie, Jemma Anderson, John Kerr, Bohdan Shevchenko, Helena Fox and myself.
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Who is next for a “milestone” dive??
Sound of Mull 2024
Text & Photos:Keith Waugh
10 members of Clydebank Sub Aqua Club plus 2 guests, had a great weekend of Diving in the Sound of Mull. Our annual trip was set up by Andrew Sinclair, but owing to work commitments he had to pull out, so Gordon Anderson took over the organisation. We stayed at Highland Basecamp, formerly known as the Lochaline Dive Centre, in Lochaline, where we enjoyed comfortable bunk rooms, sleeping 2 per room plus a very comprehensively fitted out self catering kitchen and a large lounge area. Every bunk room has its own toilet and shower room.
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On Saturday morning, at the crack of 08:30, we enjoyed a slightly bumpy ride up to Auliston Point in Loch Sunnart to dive the sheer wall which is always covered in vivid life, in particular the Redfinger soft corals, "Dead men's finger" soft corals and anemones.
There was another group of divers, also staying at Highland Basecamp, who were on the Hispania before us, but despite the numbers, the fish life, mainly large Ballan wrasse and Pollock, did not seem too upset at this mass intrusion!
The diving was courtesy of Lochaline Boat Charters owned and operated by (Malcolm) Cameron McNeill, a very experienced skipper with the Dive boat "Peregrine".
Upon arrival on Friday evening, most of us dived the east side of the Lochaline Pier, where the bottom is at around 60metres ..... give or take!
Saturday lunchtime found us in Tobermory. The fish & chip shop owner was very upset that Andrew could not make it!!!
Saturday afternoon found us on the famous, colourful, fish covered and brilliant Hispania. A bit of a current on the wreck and the visibility was not so good, only around 4metres. Apparently there had recently been dredgers in the area!! Nevertheless, I certainly recognised various parts of the superstructure, the winch gear up at the bows and the companionways, covered in orange soft corals, Plumose anemones and red seaweeds.
Sunday morning and an 08:30 start again (for goodness sake) and we were off to the Rondo, another famous and well dived wreck. I hadn't been on Rondo for about 10 years,(shock-horror!!) but it was still where we left it! A great dive again only slightly marred owing to the reduced visibility, but no current, so that was a bonus.
Rondo lies on the north-east side of Dearg Sgier between around 8metres and 50metres. The most interesting part, from a photography point of view, is the stern where the propellor used to be installed. Divers can be framed in the kelp covered steelworks.
Sunday afternoon found us on the deep wall near the site of the John Preston Slate wreck, before heading the short distance back to Lochaline and the long trek home.
An excellent weekend, with the usual "wit" & "crack", very loud "wit" & "crack", topped off with the sighting of 3 Sea Eagles. They 3 of them sat in the sun for around an hour.
Thanks again to Gordon Anderson for organisation of the trip, to John Morgan, our Branch Diving Officer, for organising the dive parties and to Malcolm, "Peregrine" skipper, for counting us all out and counting us all back!! No one threw up on the boat, so that was another bonus!!!
The party consisted of Gordon Anderson, John Morgan, Michelle Morgan, David Richford, Brian Tierney, Niall Brittain, Jemma Anderson, Gordon Kirkcaldy, John McNealis, Keith Waugh plus guests Paul Doyle and Peter Gunn.
Seal Island, Loch Fyne
14th April 2024
Photos & Text: Keith Waugh
Despite the weather forecast members of Clydebank Sub Aqua Club decided that it was about time we took the boat out for a spin, now that spring has sprung and the long, hot summer days are approaching!! (Aye! Right!)
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The venue was the islands in Loch Fyne, known by divers as Seal island, but their Gaelic names are Eilean Aoghainn and Eilean Fraoch. The plan was to dive the deep cliff on the south-east of Eilean Fraoch and then dive the shallower east side of Eilean Aoghainn.
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Unfortunately, the far from satisfactory wind and sea conditions would make safe boat cover for the 2nd dive a little hazardous, so we opted for 2 dives at Eilean Fraoch.
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There were not many fish around but the underwater scenery was still worth the effort, with vertical walls coming up from 40 metres and a good covering of still life including sea squirts, fanworms, anemones and soft corals.
The party consisted of John Kerr, John Morgan (BDO) Michelle Morgan, Gordon Anderson, David Ryrie, Gordon Kirkcaldy, Stuart McKechnie, Don Pieris, Keith Waugh.