A group of Belper divers headed for Plymouth on the last Friday in September as all forecasts indicated a fine weekend with little wind!

Windy conditions much of the summer had thwarted our attempts to dive in calm waters here for a while. And on the last occasion was such that even Martin Sharman lost his breakfast – it was the sea conditions wasn’t it!

Anyway, arriving about 10.30pm we parked the club rib at Queen Anne's Battery and met a few of our group for a welcome pint or two at the Thistle Park, a pub within easy walking distance with a good selection of locally brewed beer on offer. Late arrivers are sure of a drink as the doors have been known to be open till the early  hours. We enjoyed our drinks and discussed the following days possible dive sites.

Saturday morning looked promising as we launched the rib and headed to Hand Deeps where a fabulous colourful reef dive was enjoyed by all divers with sights of John Dory’s amongst many other fish.

                John Dory

I unfortunately am unable to dive at present but know and love this site and the conditions were almost perfect although the vis was reported to be a little murky. It was then decided to spend a little time looking for the wreck of the Totnes Castle a paddle steamer and a new site for Belper, but we had no luck, so headed for an old favourite The Persier.  This again proved to be a fantastic dive with abundant fish life including apparently the largest conger eel seen.

     Tompot Blenny on the reef (yes it is the UK)

Incredibly the day seemed to have slipped by and it was time to head back to Plymouth to refuel the rib for the following day. We of course refuelled with the local brew, unfortunately the live music was disappointing, not the quality we have seen from a variety of bands who frequent the Thistle Park, but the diving had more than made up for that.

 A cloudless bright and still day greeted us on Sunday morning so we headed out to the Eddystone Lighthouse 12 miles offshore, it was one of those rare days where the lighthouse could be seen in the distance after leaving the breakwater, amazing, I think we were all pinching ourselves.

       A fine day at the Eddystone

As the conditions were so favourable two dives were taken where there again was an abundance of fish life and a sighting of an even larger conger eel than the previous day. A very happy group of tanned faces returned to Plymouth which gradually appeared through the heat haze. The last weekend in September had in fact been one of the best for weather for Belper divers this year. There was one downside, when o when are the road works on the M5 on the bridge at Bristol ever going to be completed? Thankfully this delay has faded into the background as we had had such a brilliant weekend, thanks for everyone’s efforts to bring it all together.

By Anne  - A Belper Diver