The aim of this weekend was to provide a Club dive / snorkel trip, to give newer members experience of the sea and rhib diving, and to provide a BBQ and social evening for all members.  It was also the start of the Great Shark Snapshot week and we were keen to support this annual survey.

Friday dawned bright and sunny, perfect conditions for a BBQ weekend! Everyone was in high spirits as we packed our cars and left Macclesfield in the glorious sunshine. We knew the weekend’s forecast was less promising, but it didn’t damper our enthusiasm as we hit the road. We all made Anglesey in good time, and after a hearty dinner at the Holyhead Sea Cadets (with Dave’s efforts seeing him dubbed Master Chef of the night!), we spent an enjoyable evening going over the activities we had in mind for the weekend. Loz and I presented Saturday’s diving and snorkelling plans and buddy groupings, whilst Dave and Clemmie discussed the forecast and its impact on the dive site selection and our launch options for the boats.

Everyone woke early on Saturday morning. An action-packed day beckoned, and grey skies weren’t going to put us off! A small team went to launch the boats from Bol Sach Slipway (aka the ‘Fisherman’s Slip’) at Holyhead Harbour, whilst the divers assembled their kit at Newry Beach to load it onto the boats coming around to meet us. Carefully negotiating the rocks in the shallows, both boats then set off for the intended dive site at North Stack. The site was recommended by Phil due to the prevailing conditions. We were hopeful the land would provide adequate shelter from the Force 2-F3 south westerly winds for a morning dive and were relieved to see this was indeed the case as we arrived on site.

At North Stack, Phil and his slick team on Top Cat dropped a shot for the diving buddies to use as a reference on their descent. With the calm water beckoning, everyone was kitted up and rolling overboard in no time at all. The first dives of the weekend were a resounding success, with the highlight being Anna and Will completing their first RHIB dives, buddied by Ken and Doug. Everyone else emerged with stories of vibrant seaweeds, wrasse swimming between the rocks, sun stars and colourful sponges. Meanwhile back in the inner harbour, snorkelers Loz, Rob Hughes, and I were enjoying an hour-long snorkel over the reef at Newry beach. We spotted a large shoal of tiny juvenile fish over the small jetty by the Maritime Museum along with larger fish darting around in the crevices. Compass jellyfish and comb jellies were also seen. This was a very enjoyable snorkel despite the worsening topside conditions. Many thanks to Helen and Steve Welton for providing shore cover in the rain and taking photos!

The RHIBs returned to Newry Beach for a lunch break and cylinder change and were back out for a second dive in short order. The decision was taken to return to the North Stack wall, which presented the best of options in the conditions. On this occasion, we dropped our divers in at the east end of the wall so their dive would conclude around the area their first dive had commenced. On this dive, catsharks were spotted by buddy pairs Doug & Will and Helen & Paul, so a positive result for the start of the Great Shark Snapshot week, much to my pleasure! Clearly it was a good choice of site, with everyone making the most of their max dive times and happy divers surfacing on both boats.

A short passage back to Holyhead and the RHIBs made their way back to Bol Sach slipway to be recovered. This time, as it was low tide, Phil took the opportunity to show everyone how to use recovery strops with Steve Welton’s assistance and, after observing Phil demonstrate the process step-by-step, it was Dave’s turn to try with Cheshire Cat. It was then time to return to the Sea Cadets for the highlight of the weekend – the BBQ!

Saturday evening saw the rain stop and the sun appear in time for us all to gather at the Sea Cadets for the BBQ. As the weary divers, snorkelers and assistants returned to the bunkhouse, they were greeted by wonderful smells wafting through the carpark and a hive of activity from Clive, Janice, Paul, Pam and an army of assistants who had turned out to help. The car park was also swiftly fulling with yet more club members and guests arriving for the BBQ. They must have smelt the lovely cooking smells! Once we’d all showered and changed, everyone gathered to make the most of the evening – and what an evening it was. The bunkhouse was bursting, with seats in short supply. The dining area was packed wall to wall with divers and snorkelers exchanging stories of their day. The kitchen was a hive of activity, with every passing hour bringing new dishes to tempt us with. Outside, a cluster of club members debated grilling techniques around the BBQ, whilst the overflow of people then spread down the path into the car park with even more attendees perching of the pathway wall. It was bustling! Such a wonderful atmosphere and lovely evening as we chatted away into the night.