FEATURE ARTICLES BY CLUB MEMBERS

DIVING THE WRECK ZENOBIA. CYPRUS. This is the dive that I came back to Cyprus for, on the first trip I had booked to see some of the Island and was not best pleased when I found it was on the same day. In one week there is limited time and as I was at the wrong end of the Island, it is a special trip done only if there are enough people. The distance from Paphos is about 170Km so it’s understandable. Diving on the Zenobia is quite an experience, two dives is not enough to see it all in fact a whole weeks diving here would be better. It’s a fantastic size wreck with so much to see. The picture above right shows you it lies on it’s side so you can fin along the deck. It went down with all the cargo aboard and some of this is strewn on the sea floor, mostly lorries and other vehicles lay outside so one can guess that these were on the deck when it went down.
	Above - Looking out from the bridge ! I rather think the dive guide is wondering just what I was doing there. You just cannot miss a photo opportunity like this, it’s full of places to explore and providing your buddy stays close all is well. My buddy on this dive was the Dive guide’s wife who certainly was not going to let me out of her sight and stayed real close all the time This has got to be a diving paradise for anyone. The whole wreck is covered with fish from small scavenger fish to large Groupers. They are certainly not afraid of you, I guess that they are used to Divers and also to being fed. There is a visiting Submarine which has a diver going down to do a fish feed for the tourists aboard. This is worth seeing as the fish come from everywhere off the wreck and is an added bonus. If you are keen which most are, you can go through the bridge windows and swim up. There are also doors to go through with care. I was told that you can go through the hold and see all the cargo but this did not happen for me which was a disappointment . I had armed myself with a torch specially for this but I believe that one or two of the party had not long qualified and perhaps had not the courage or skill for this experience. These are the views of one of the propellers which are enormous and hanging by one is awesome, very glad to say that they don’t move! The one you see here is the lower one on the sea bed the other one is the one I was allowed to get up close to ( Got a wagging finger for going below 31m by the dive guide). They are very careful.
Richard tell’s me that the club is planning a trip to Cyprus for 2003 if you get the chance go! This dive is a must, I’m sure it’s one of the best wreck dives anywhere. There are wall dives and many shallow dives and the whole area is alive with fish, which is a real pleasure. On one dive I had two small brightly coloured fish tapping on my mask, this was at the Amphitheatre at Coral Bay. Go and enjoy, and what is more most of the entry points are easy compared to Malta . RON BETTS I think my buddy needed the rest trying to keep up with my antics.

Christmas Club Dive trip

If anyone is interested Paul Hart is organising a Christmas trip to Stoney Cove on Sunday 29th December. In past years it's always been a jolly outing and a good chance to test out all that new kit you got for Christmas. If you are interested and not too plastered after the Christmas excess, his contact details are on the CDWC Buddy Line.

What a year !!

2002 started as ever in March with the annual season opener to North Wales to prepare us for the year ahead. A few glasses of good cheer in the infamous Groesland Arms (just to be sociable) and suddenly the mouth-watering prospect of all the club trips coming up over the next few months became apparent.
Cliff & Gwyneth took the first warm water trip of the year when they set off with an advance party to the fantastic aquatic haven, The Red Sea.

Seven days and nights of great diving and alcohol induced evenings lead to a great time had by all, not to mention a few of the group completing the Advanced Open Water. Well Done.

Only a week to get over the trip and we were all off to Cornwall for a few days diving and lazy evenings in the local hostelries. The weather was good and the days seemed to be edging towards summer, which isn’t bad for April, but, as ever, by the time we left the rain had found us and the journey home was wet, who cares though as the 4 days had been a lot of fun and some new club members had had chance to get to know some of the die hards.

May was a busy month for courses, which led to a bit of a delay in the trips, but it was definitely worth the wait for the next trip, 7 days in Malta. Now of course Malta didn’t disappoint and within a couple of days everyone had got used to the routine of getting up around 8am for the mornings briefing, followed by the short minibus journey to the dive site and 45 – 50 mins of breathtaking diving. Fabulous drop offs, great wrecks and some of the nicest and easiest caves available really did enhance what turned out to be one of the best trips of the year, hence next years trip already booked and starting to fill up. One major difference next year is going to be the accommodation choice, as we already have plenty of non-diving partners and children booked on the trip and although the self catering apartments are a great option for the singles, they are not necessarily ideal for those that want to laze around the pool all day. Be warned though, this is a popular trip and places are going fast.

The beginning of July was the month for the ill fated excursion to Norfolk, which we were led to believe was going to filled with great dives from a very good boat. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and a couple of days in moderate seas on a boat that was only half finished did little to please the group there. Thankfully I wasn’t one of them and as we have always said, sometimes it happens.

The trip to Pembrokeshire was a little under subscribed and this led to only a couple of divers making the journey in blazing sunshine down to South Wales for a few days diving on flat calm seas and great viz, if only the Norfolk crowd had known.

Scapa Flow kicked off in late August / early September and as those who went will tell you (over and over again) it was a trip that saw perfect weather and some great dives on the German High Seas fleet. Paul also got a chance to give his homemade Video housing a proper test and it pulled through with flying colours, shame on you who doubted, and before the trip came to an end, Keith managed to salvage one the best finds we have seen (since Cliff raised enough timber to build a new ship) only to give it away later that day, I’ll let you get the details from him. As happens all to often, it was soon time to pack the minibus back up and start the long journey home, although not before Cliff had managed to buy a six foot tall, 750 kilo anchor, that needed to be loaded on the same full vehicle already occupied by a group of divers, all with twin sets and stage cylinders. How they managed to nurse the minibus back to Cambridge is a mystery, but a good trip it certainly was.

Then on the last weekend of September we set back off to Scotland for the trip to Oban. Fantastic is the only word I could use to describe this one, as everyone settled in to some great dives and even better evenings in the locals around Oban. It’s trips like these that make this one of the best jobs around, so thanks to all who participated.

Now we only have a trip left to Egypt and a few Christmas Jollies before 2003 kicks in and the whole process begins again. I for one can’t wait, but in the meantime, thanks to all of you who came on the trips (as that’s really what the club is all about) and made this one of the friendliest Dive Clubs around. Look out early in the New Year for the full details on all of the trips next year but in the meantime the dates for next years trips are in this newsletter and the quicker you get your name down the better.

Richard

And finally ....

We thought, with them all being on strike, that we'd have a quiet life but oh no... now he has more time on his hands than ever. We've tried to shut him up but short of turning his air off at the hydro box there's no stopping him, so here he is again the mouth piece of the Dive Club, fittingly, with the last word for 2002, it's the Fireman...

THE END OF THE YEAR IS HERE!
By Fireman Sam.

Well people, cover me in flower and eggs and bake me for twenty minutes! It’s that time of the year where we kick out the old tat that was 2002 and bring in yelling and screaming the new 365 days we call 2003. Oh yes, and what better way to do it than with me good self at the helm. Yeah, you all know the old flannel by now. With more earth moving equipment than a fleet of JCB’s, it’s little o’ me. Ex Marine Underwater Fighting Force diver, ex porn star, ex pensive, ex perienced, oh my word! if you folks can think of anything else, I’m all ears. What??? Was that a medical phrase someone just used???

I’ve got a bit of a story to tell you folks, do you want to hear it? ok then. I walked into the pub the other day and some kind soul’s pooch had left a bit of a package on the floor. Well I didn’t see it and I went flying! Just as I’d got me self together another chap walked in and over he went as well. I walked over to him, helped him up and said, “Hey mate, I just did that” after which he gave me a right belting!!!!!!

Oh stop it your killing me! C’mon, lets open the throttle a bit. I’ll kick off by saying I hope all you hers and sirs out there have had a good a year as I have. From the high point of the dam fine jolly to Scapa Flow to the rather interesting, (and stomach churning), low point of the boat ride that was the Norfolk trip. Never mind, you know what they say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs! Many well done’s to all of you who have passed courses and things, (I’ve spent most of my time passing water!) and big thanks to those of you who helped, hindered and generally mucked in with events, jolly ups, etc etc. You know who you are so cheers people.

Ok, so what’s on the cards for next year then? Well apart from the usual iffy club battle bus driving and the weekends we call courses, the trip side of things is looking rather pucker. We’re talking Cyprus, Ireland, the old favourite Cornwall and much more besides. There is a full list of what’s going on floating around on the web site so be nice to the boss and get that overtime in people, don’t live to work, live to dive! Oh, and before I forget to mention it, NO MORE ANCHORS and I’m not talking about a buttery spread either!!!!!!

And what of me good self then folk’s? well as always I’ll be around and about popping up where you least expect me to, bringing all the blood and guts of what’s hot and what’s not. You know what I’m like people, when I’m not kissing babies, I’m stealing their sweets! I’ll tell how it really happened, not how it should have. Not so much a kick in the shin, more like a knife in the kidneys! remember, in The Cambridge Diving And Watersports Club, the Fireman always hear’s you scream!!!!!!!

Right then guys, stick a fork in me, I’m done. Time to call it a day. How about Wednesday? No, I’m only kidding. I just leave you with this last little snippet.

From me good self to all of you lovely people out there, this is Fireman Sam saying I hope you all have a very happy Christmas and a happy new year. Take care down there people.

B C’ing U around dudes.