Club Week Report - Click here for images

Saturday, August 2nd

Valentia Island was the destination for the 2008 Club Week away. In a departure from recent tradition, the trip commencement this year coincided with the August Bank Holiday. Three houses were booked at the Knights Haven Holiday Village for the week and the majority of people travelled down on Saturday with both RIBs and compressor in tow. The Royal Pier Bar was the venue for a few well-deserved pints after the trip down.

Sunday, August 3rd

On Sunday we convened on the slip in Knightstown where it was proposed we would dive Bray Head. I was a little behind time in arriving as I had been up late reading the works of Propertius (the Roman elegiac poet). I also had to find a chemist where I could purchase some prophylactics for the week. Given the propinquity of Portmagee, the proposition was that a proportion of divers would travel there by road while a further proportion would travel down by RIB. Given the propensity for poor weather and being ardent proponents of water safety we donned out life jackets and headed off. We admired the luck of the proprietors of the various spectacular waterside properties we passed as the gentle hum of the engines propagated across the water. Although predicting the weather would sometimes require the insight of a prophet, conditions were propitious for diving. After the dive, Marie propounded that we return to Knightstown for Dive #2. I stopped off briefly in Portmagee to purchase my propranolol – a drug used in the treatment of angina pectoris, arrhythmia, hypertension and other forms of heart disease. During the return trip we discussed such weighty matters as anti-Lisbon propaganda and whether proportional representation or first-past-the-post was a better electoral system. On our return to Knightstown, it was proposed we use only one RIB as a proportionate response to concerns regarding our carbon footprint.

Monday, August 4th

Bank Holiday Monday was Regatta Day on Valentia and saw a huge influx of visitors including old acquaintances from our indigenous nomadic community who we’d met recently in Kilkee. We decamped to Glen Pier on the mainland a few miles from Portmagee for some piece and quiet. Dive #1 of the day was at the nearby Puffin Island where conditions and visibility combined for an enjoyable dive. For Dive #2 we took a spin out to the Skelligs for a look at Skellig Michael and a dive at Small Skellig where the 6,452,987 nesting gannets took turns at dive bombing us scoring one direct hit and several near misses.

Liz and Declan undertook their club diver test on Monday which comprised a 2 hour written test, a 40 minute oral, a 25 minute aural, servicing a 4-stroke engine while blindfolded, making a mock MAYDAY call in the 23 official languages of the EU and donating a lung to the Jacques Cousteau Foundation for Research into Sports Diving. They passed with flying colours. Congratulations!!!!

Tuesday, August 5th

On Tuesday we returned to Glen Pier for some further diving at Puffin Island and the nearby pinnacle. PSAC’s “Little Mermaid” (aka Fiona) celebrated the significant milestone of her 1,000^th dive at a less than significant (unless you like kelp) dive site on Puffin Island.

Wednesday, August 6th

We stayed a little closer to home on Wednesday launching from Knightstown and diving nearby Beginish Island. The Boston Bar was the venue for a few beers in the evening where we celebrated Dougie’s success in passing his Cox’n test.

Thursday, August 7th

Beginish Island was again the venue for diving on Thursday although inclement conditions (not to mention a few mechanical hiccups) limited us to one boat dive. Those who took a leisurely saunter up Carrantouhil for the day had far more fun. The gentle ascent in near perfect conditions afforded breath-taking views of the majestic pinnacles of The Reeks and the valleys below. On the descent we met Lord and Lady Wilberforce Bagshot and their children Julian, Pippa, Hermione, Rosalind, Persephone, Hubert, Daphne, Aurelia, Tristan, Viola, Tamara and Portia. A BBQ at Aoife’s preceded a night dive from the slip in Knightstown before a quick pint in the Boston Bar rounded off the day’s proceedings.

Friday, August 8th

Our final day on the water saw us return to Glen Pier for further diving at the Skelligs and Puffin Island before the RIB was pulled from the water for the last time. We travelled the short distance that evening to Portmagee for a meal in the The Moorings restaurant and a pint in the adjoining Bridge Bar.

Saturday, August 9th

Gear was packed, houses tided and breakfast taken in the “Sea Breeze” before we hit the road for the long trek home to a very wet Dublin. Many thanks to all those who made it an enjoyable week but especially to Leah for organising Knights Haven, BBQ and The Moorings, to Dougie, Declan and John G for towing and to Marie and her assistants for organising some excellent diving.

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