HOME

 

Diving The Rother Way.

The Rother Diving Club Quarterly Newsletter.

(October 2006)

 

Welcome to Rother Diving Clubs latest newsletter.

 

This newsletter is to let you know the goings on within your club.  To inform you of forth-coming events, dives, tips, club procedures, rules and regulations.

 

………………………………………...

 

AGM (October 2006).

 

The Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday 20th September.  Usual topics of course were, the current committee standing down and voting in the new committee.

The list of your new committee is shown below, but the biggest change was the departing of Bill Marriner as club chairman.  Bill one of the founding members has been the biggest driving force in the club for some years, but is now setting off for pastures new in Cyprus, where he and Aafka plan to spend a year running their new businesses with out returning to England for the summer.  (We wish them all the best).  So by way as thanks from everyone at RDC, for all his enthusiasm and input a new position as “Honorary Club President” has been awarded to him.

Bill says “I’m not leaving or washing my hands of the club, and can still be contacted by phone or email”.  “I still want to continue to be part of RDC and if anyone has questions or queries don’t hesitate to get in contact”.  “Also if you are looking for a fantastic holiday in Cyprus just call”.

Also Shaun Collins has stood down as club DO.  Shaun is staying on the committee and will still be around if you want to call on his vast diving knowledge.  Thanks Shaun for all you’ve done as DO over the past few years.

Other news from the AGM.  Diving Officer Shaun Collins congratulated the club on dives carried out this season, though the majority of dive where carried out by three members (Nicky Hiller, Tony Skipping and Rachel Marriner).

Also congratulations to Tom Hollick, Tom has been awarded the RDC founders-member, Member of the year shield for 2006.

 

 

Message from the Chairman.

 

Chairman Jaki Beaton

Firstly, I would like to welcome everyone to a new and (hopefully) exciting year.  There have been quite a few changes to the committee as a result of the resent AGM and the club now has a new Chairperson and Diving Officer as well as more General Members than ever before Rother Diving Club has always been about socialising and having fun as well as diving and training so, we would like to hold fund–raising event in the future that will both raise funds for the club and raise our profile amongst the local community, which in turn will encourage future new members. The first step in this process is to encourage you all to get involved and also get an idea of the sort of event you would like to attend and help organise (there’s no such thing as a free lunch here you know!).  So please let me or anyone on the committee have your suggestions and inspirations.

Here’s to a great year.  Dive Safe and Only Leave Bubbles.

 

 

Messages from the Committee.

 

Diving Officer (Mike Thorpe).

Mikes wrote a lovely piece which if you received this newsletter by email is another attachment or the last page if you’ve received a hard copy.

 

 

Training Officer (Steve Hollick).

Steve writes.  “Well done to Julia Tilling and Tom Hollick for completing the simulated dives and to Mike Thorpe, Tony Skippings, Steve Hollick and Ian Sayers for completing their Diver Supervisor lectures and passing their exam”.

“Elementary lectures have recently started so if you want to give a hand or just have a refresher let me know”.

 

 

Boat Officer (Ian Sayers).

Ian writes.  “Sitting on Inspiration during this years dive extravaganza watching Rother Diver cruising along side, made all that hard work carried out over the last couple of years well worth while.  The dives we have made off Rother Diver have been great fun (I’m sure all involved will agree).  The only down side is that again it hasn’t been used as much as it could or should”.

“The more dives carried out the more Rother Diver will go towards paying for its self.  Diving I know is a time consuming activity, places are always limited so the best plan for next year would be to get Rother Diver out more often.  Saturdays, Sundays, and week days.  It makes sense the more Rother Diver is out, the more we all dive”!

During this winter we have a few more jobs to carry out on Rother Diver.  Once completed, we intend to get some boat handling courses organised.  We need more boat handlers.  “Watch this space”.

 

 

 

 

Club Treasure (Lisa Cherry)

A notice from Lisa.  Don’t forget it’s that time of the year again!  Membership renewals are now due.

 

*********************************************************************

 

Equipment Officer (Ian Scott)

Please wash off and return equipment to cage after use.  If you are not training and use air in the pool, please make a small donation to RDC.  If you find any faulty equipment please inform me.

 

 

Diving Report.

 

Recently we have been for our annual trip to Zeeland Holland to Dive and Party with our Dutch friends.. I can only say that if you haven’t been before you’ve missed a great weekend.  Not only did we dive all our favourite dive sites, we also dived the fantastic Zeeland Bridge (hard luck Tony) put into the dive schedule just for us. 

The Dutch are great hosts, loads of Food and more than enough Beer. 

They had quite a few new members this year and it was great making new friends.  With 40 plus people staying for the weekend, I can safely say every one had a great weekend.

Look out for next years details.  It’s well worth going.

 

Don’t forget if you are arranging any diving to inform Mike (Diving Officer) of your intentions. Not only for safety but he might know if anyone else would like to dive.

 

General News.

Dates for Your Diaries.

November 04th ……………..Fire works party at Mike Thorpe’s

.                                               (Please inform Mike if you plan to attend)

December 03rd                       TDI basic Nitrox Course (see Nicky Hiller)

December 25th                        Christmas Day

Early March 07                      Philippines Diving Holliday (see Nicky Hiller)

 

 

Congratulations to Cathy & Rubin on the birth of there first daughter Aneska Isabella

 

 

Congratulations to Chris and Stephanie. Who got married in August

...............................................................

 

Christmas Party.  Julia is currently trying to organise a Christmas party/meal.  If you have any ideas or can help please let her know.

 

 

Kit Maintenance.  Now the season is coming to an end, why not think about getting your kit serviced and ready for next season while you’re not using it (Dave E).  All the dive shops get very busy at the beginning of the season, so beat the rush.

 

 

Nicky Hiller is currently organising a diving trip the Philippines in early March 2007.  If you are interested in clear, warm water diving speak to here soon, before it’s too late.  Also the basic Nitrox coarse Nicky is organising is open to all standards and is very useful qualification to have.  Ask her for more details.

 

 

Rother Diving Club Weekend Dive Extravaganza May/June 2007.

 

We have been asked to look into organising another Diving weekend in England for the Dutch to come over.  We will be probably looking at Late May early June 2007. Dates to be announced soon. .

 

 

Your 2007 Committee:

 

Chairman:                   Jaki Beaton                Diving Officer:           Mike Thorpe

Training Officer:        Steve Hollick              Boat Officer:              Ian Sayers

Equip’t Officer:          Ian Scott                     Treasurer:                  Lisa Cherry

Secretary:                   Sue Scott

 

General Committee Members:         Cathy Chapman, Shaun Collins, Nicky Hiller, Michael Jackson, Ian Kent, Chris Scotcher, Tony Skippings, Julia Tilling.        

 

Thanks to everyone for standing this year.

 

If you have any suggestions, ideas or fund raising thoughts please talk to anyone in the committee.

 

 

The club will be getting a new diary for next year.  This will be at the club on Monday evenings and at all club meetings.  If you want to arrange a try-dive or any other activity within the club, you will be able to check dates for availability.  When arranging try-dives please make sure you also check with Steve.

...............................................................

Members Feature.

 

Markus Griggs Writes: 

Fancy a change?          

Within a club environment, it is always tempting to stick with what you know, especially when it comes to the choice of dive sites.. You know that you’ll be able to find & shot a particular wreck you know it’s relatively safe, you know the exact depth so there won’t be any nasty surprises when you get there.  BUT just remember that when you want something different than the Oceana, Alaunia, Rio and Duchess that this area does have so many more wrecks to offer.  Here is just a little bit more info about a few of those that are easily available to RDC using Rother r Divers.

 

Lalen Mendi (50.40.938N 000 14.132E - 33 meters) Situated to the south east of Beachy head just over 7 nautical miles from the marina, this 2138 ton collier sank after being torpedoed by the German U-boat UB-56 whilst on passage from Middlesbrough to Barcelona.  She is now very broken but still a very worthwhile visit.  She lays from east to west and is 6-7 meters proud in parts.  Working on Dover tide tables, to get the best from a slack divers should be getting in 15-30 mins before high water or 30mins before low.

 

Blanefield (50 40.938N 000 14.132E – 33meters) This one is another steamer originally 3411 tons and carrying government supplies at the time when she sank following a collision on 1st May 1906.  For many years this was known as the Adventurine but in 1998 a local diver/skipper who had dived the wreck many tomes before, found the bell which gave up the wrecks true identity as the blanefield.  Again fairy broken but normally abundant life on this one.  Similar dive window as the Lalen Mendi.

 

Joseph Robert (50 41.615N 000 15.067E – 34meters) This one lies amongst a confusing cluster of wrecks which have cause many disagreements and discussions between fishermen and divers over the years.  There is even a pretty broken sub (known as the U-40 but it isn’t!) very close by which you can swim to when the viz permits.  The Joseph Robert was a French trawler which sank in 1968.  Smaller than many of the wrecks in the area but still a good little dive.

 

Pontos (50 42.863N 000 34.797E – 38 meters) I am particularly fond of this one as I was involved in the discovery of the identity of this previously unknown steamship when one of our divers discovered the brass boss of the external steering wheel revealing her identity.  Unfortunately because of my skippering commitments I have not dived her since before she was identified.  The Pontos sank in 1899 following a collision in thick fog.  Many sheep and cattle were lost and 2 crew died in the collision.  The rest were saved.  This one is a little bit further away being approx 11 miles from Sovereign but is less dived than many of the closer wrecks.  Much of her hull lies twisted and upside down but there are a number of breaks which allow for some careful investigation.

 

There are also many, many more, some of which have not even been identified yet.  Let’s get out there before the misinformed, do-gooders get us banned from all wrecks. That is not to say that we should not respect these wonderful artefacts, especially where any loss of life was involved either during wartime or peacetime.

 

 

 

 

 

Next Newsletter out early January

If you have any stories, dive reports or if you like to add anything else

let me know during December