As usual, trips I organise have little foybles...

Our trip to Chepstow never actually took place in the end. As the weather had been sooooo cold, at the last minute the few of us who were signed up to go to Chepstow decided it would be too cold outside the wigwams in the evening and so at a very late stage it was decided to change the venue to Nemo33.

Nemo33 is a deep swimming pool on the outskirts of Brussels. It is 35m deep at its deepest point with shelves at various other depths along with a swim through and the temp is 33 C. It is the deepest pool in the world !

We left London Scuba at 05:30 to catch the Le Shuttle train from Folkstone to Calais and then drove to the pool.

We registered at 12:30, pool opened at 13:00 and we got a short breifing on the pool and procedures. We the had 10 mins free diving in the shallower sections before donning our scuba kit (all provided as part of the dive - you have to use thier kit except you can use you own mask & computer) and entering the pool again for a 45 min dive.

It is a great dive venue and I will be sorting out another trip soon.

We then spent the afternoon & evening in various Cafes and sightseeing in Brussels it self and drove back the following morning.

Details of Nemo33 can be found here

Tags: Brussels, pool, Nemo33

Hi All,

I'm sure one of the other guys will post a detailed report on the club trip up to chepstow, so I though rather than repeat that I would cover (slightly tongue in cheek) what we learned on our trip away!

• If you call a two day trip away a holiday enough - it will actually feel like a holiday.
• The number of people to actualy come on a dive trip can be calcualted by:
  Number of people who said they will come - People who suddenly have to work one day + Last minute extras = Number of Divers (this number will always be one less than the number of beds booked at the hotel).
• It is possible to get 3 divers + all tanks, weights and kit inside one Vauxhal Astra and get from Lingfield to Wales and back on one tank of fuel.
• Fraser appears to develop automotive torrets at about 35mph - this is funny for 5 miles and then irritating for then next 290 miles.
• When a hotel is billed as a 3 Star, it will not have hair dryers, conditioner, free stuff - please remember to take your own or ask your room mate. It's not possible to have a shower using the hand wash!!
• Gordon Ramsey does not work at Weatherspoons! However there will be a lot of food, it will be cheap and the company will be great.
• Ken can safely be assumed to be turning up 3 hours after whatever time he has said he will - don't wait for him before ordering dinner.
• Do not take Fraser out for a curry the night before you are planning to stay in a hotel with him!
• Chepstow Dive Lake has to be one of the best inland dive sites in the UK.
• The staff are very understanding and helpful when divers surface demanding lifts, air fills and coffee - not always in that order.
• The battery on any camera will give up 1 second after you have lined up the best fish photo of your life, and 1 second before you actually pressed the shutter.
• Lindsey is a highly competent dive professional - until tanks and weights have to be moved - when she becomes all girly and gets the men to do it.
• UK diving can look like the Med with a little sun and a lot of imagination.
• Audi should only make one car, with one set of options and in one colour - this would save a great deal of argument on road trips. Whatever car they make will not be suitable for diving - LIVE WITH IT!! (this is a bit of an in joke - as Fraser / Lindsey to explain - Kieran now develops a nervous twitch whenever an Audi is seen or mentioned)
• Car sharing is a great idea - it's good for the environment, makes up for your own cars inability to carry anything bigger than a snorkle and a great way to learn all about your co-passengers hopes / dreams / sexual preferences!!
• Fraser can safely be relied on to offer to share the driving 2 seconds after you have pulled out of a garage / service station where there is no possibility of switching drivers for 60 miles.
• It is possible to eat pizza at 70mph while driving, but only where your passenger is willing to act as the air hostess and service it on a tray made from the box lid.
• It is not possible to stop your passengers dropping it all over your car!
• The fuel gauge failing on the homeward leg of the journey will cause panic in your passengers who suddenly have visions of spending the night on the M25 in the rain.

I'm sure my fellow divers will add comments about this, but before they do:

• Fraser, Lindsey, Simon G and Ken are some of the best guys ever to go diving with, really do make two days feel like a holiday and you are garunteed to love every minute of the trip. Thank you to all four of them for amking it such a great few days.

Safe diving

Kieran

Tags: UK Diving, Dive Club, Chepstow, Dive Trip

My first shore dive...  A great experience and one I will not forget in a hurry. A big thanks to all you guys who were there for a fab day.

Tags: Dive Trip, UK Diving, Shore Diving, Newhaven