News
Scubafest Cornwall Review
During the week before Scubafest, everyone was watching the wind forecast. It wasn’t looking good for any diving around the resort at Pentewan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall. There were to be two hard boats based in Mevagissey and a RIB running from Pentewan beach. During the previous week, both of the hard boats had said they weren’t going to change base to Mevagissey with the easterly winds forecasted. The RIB operators, Atlantic Scuba, were going to be on site and were going to make a decision on the morning of each day.
The event technically runs from the Saturday to the Monday, with most people arriving on the Friday. There were a few early arrivals on the Thursday to an otherwise empty camp site. The weather conditions were ideal; the sea was flat and the sun was out, but what would tomorrow bring?
By Friday morning, Atlantic Scuba had set up their pitch and the ‘Toy Town’ yurts were being erected. It wasn’t long before the yurts were being filled with shiny dive kit. Several manufacturers and distributors were exhibiting, as well as various agencies including PADI, SDI, TDI, SSI, RAID, BSAC, RNLI and the Marine Conservation Society. Sea & Sea were displaying Dive Rite, Liquivision, Seac Sub, Ocean Reef, IST and more. Liquid Sports were displaying Ursuit drysuits, Big Blue torches and Sharkskin suits. Atlantic Scuba had some Kwark undersuits for people to try and a range of Tecline regulators. Manufacturers included Suunto, Mares, Typhoon, and Apeks/Aqualung. Bauer were there, providing air fills for everyone who wanted it.
Saturday morning arrived, as did the forecasted winds and rain. Atlantic Scuba made the decision not to bring their RIB around; instead, they advised people on where to dive and what boats were available on the north Cornish coast. Divers were sent to Newquay, Port Quin and Port Gaverne for shore diving. Others were sent to Rock or Newquay for boat diving whilst any club RIBs were directed to Rock for easy launching to some great sites. The Toy Town yurts were busy, with a steady flow of both locals and divers who had decided to stay ashore.
Sunday was almost the same as Saturday; the wind had veered a little more towards the south but the sea state was the same. There was, as the Cornish call it, a bit of the Cornish sea mist that tried to dampen the spirits. Diving continued along the north coast, the yurts saw another steady flow of visitors.
Monday was by far the best day weather wise. Divers went in off of the beach, RIBs were being launched, a few more people wandered around the yurts. But the event was winding down, the camp site was emptying, and ScubaFest 2015 was over. Talking to the clubs and groups during the event, their numbers were greatly reduced because of the weather forecast. What they never realised was that there is always somewhere to dive in Cornwall. The two coasts are only a maximum of forty five minutes away from each other; with one or the other in the lee of the wind, there is always diving going on in Cornwall.
Blogs
Discover Curaçao with the Ultimate Dive Vacation Guide – 2024 DEMA Special Edition
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Curaçao offers a vibrant Caribbean culture rich in history, music, and culinary fusion. The guide reveals Curaçao’s hidden gems, including culinary hotspots, historical sites, and eco-tourism opportunities that will appeal to both divers and non-divers. Visitors can explore the island’s iconic architecture, savor a diverse range of dishes influenced by Caribbean, European, and South American flavors, and embark on land-based eco-adventures, such as hiking, cave exploration, and visiting national parks.
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News
Santa Divers take the Plunge for Charity
Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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