Da Plan:

Meet: Between 11-12am at Brighton Marina (click here), I'll post here as soon as the final time is set with the skipper..
Bring: Complete kit including weights, two cylinders, reel & SMB, torches.
Boat: MV Ocean Fortune
Dives: Two drift dives, ca 11-14 meters
Parking: There is a free, multi-storey car park in the marina.

MV Ocean Soul

The Ocean Soul is a 12 person dive boat licenced to go out to 60 miles from safe harbour. She carries O2, First Aid Kits and full safety kit. There is a loo on board as well as a small galley for tea and coffee.

DLL has a few courses going this weekend so they won't be renting out any tanks. You'll need two tanks for each day's diving, if you haven't got that let me know as I'm arranging something with a local dive shop. However, I need to know as soon as poss to make the arrangements. Additionally a Reel & SMB are advisable, certainly one in each buddy pair so that the boat knows where to pick you up from. A knife is good here as some of the wrecks are covered in fishing nets. Finally, my experience has been that a torch is good to have for poking around under rocks and stuff. Have a talk with DLL and they can advise you on what's suitable for you.

We are planning two relatively shallow drift dives each day (11-14m); I’ve dived at least one of the drifts before and it was very pleasant. As its shallow there is good light down there and the limestone bottom makes for decent viz even if you’re diving right behind Phil “Klunk” Sinclair. My log book indicates that the dive was “sensational”, a ridge of limestone between two sandy plains with many nooks and crannies to explore. There were cuttlefish, pipefish, bib, mackerel, pollack, poor cod, blennies, coral worms, fan worms, Dead Man’s Fingers (orange and white), boring sponges, sea oranges, lace sponges and the daddy of all lobsters down there.

Da Kit

I have called the Brighton Dive Co and they can hire tanks out at STG8.50 a pop. They know we are coming, please call them and make whatever arrangements you need for your tanks and fills, and don’t forget to sweeten Mark up some as he isn’t actually planning on coming in on Sunday at all, yet…. Don’t forget, you are responsible for bringing and sorting all your own kit, including weights, tanks, fills, torches, reels, SMBs, lift bags and dynamite.

Staying In Brighton Overnight

For those of us diving both days, Pants has floated the idea of getting a cheap B&B down in Brighton and stopping out there for the evening, rather than returning to London. It seems like a sound idea, here is a link to some decent looking hostelries: HERE

Let’s keep in touch by phone and email so we know who is staying where and can, if possible all stay in the same place.

Recalcitrant Sally

One final thing, Sally isn’t sure whether she wants to take part in this, her last local dive opp before she leaves for sunny Cambridge, so please don’t lets all send her an e-mail about how she must come on this trip, its only one day, she’s going to be in London on Sunday night anyway, and that her professional nurturing reserves will be much in demand, who won’t have a chance to dive if Sal decides to look out only for herself. Tsk.

I have Sally's addy, just in case you aren't going to send her an e-mail.