Club Trip to Portland

There are lots of places to dive along the South Coast but it’s always fun to go and try new places. This year the club took the rib off to Portland for four days and here’s is a report from Russ T our training officer.

Portland Expedition 2025 – Trip Report

A team of enthusiastic club members recently headed to Portland for the 2025 expedition, towing the club boat and staying at the local YMCA. The plan was simple: dive from Friday through to Sunday. But as any UK diver knows, the sea often has its own agenda.

Friday – Best Weather, Best Dives

Friday turned out to be the highlight in terms of both weather and diving. With calmer seas, we managed two fantastic dives:

• Aeolian Sky – 9 divers explored this iconic wreck, enjoying relatively good visibility and calm waters.
• British Inventor – 7 members set off in search, but only one buddy pair managed to locate the wreck. Still, a great adventure!

Unfortunately, one member’s rebreather failed—despite just coming back from a service—forcing them to sit out. These things happen!

The evening ended with some well-earned Chinese and Indian takeaway and, of course, a few beers shared among friends.

Saturday – Challenging Conditions, Great Encounters

Saturday brought tougher weather, but that didn’t stop us:

• Bally Bay – Despite the swell, we spotted scallops, spider crabs, and even had a rare encounter with a common octopus—a highlight for one buddy pair!
• Countess of Erne – A smaller team of 4 headed out for this dive. Fewer divers meant less silt, which made for surprisingly good conditions. A dolphin sighting at the surface topped off the day!

In true club tradition, Saturday evening featured a brilliant BBQ courtesy of our duty chef, Dave—thanks, Dave! And yes, more beers were involved.

Sunday – Weather Wins Again

Sunday’s weather continued to play up, but 6 divers suited up for one last outing. The original plan was to dive the Landing Craft and Bombardon Unit. However, due to some navigational misfortune, divers were accidentally dropped on a lobster pot instead of the wreck.

Let’s just say… the surface language was colourful! Despite offers to go back in, the group opted to call it a day.

We wrapped up with a smooth recovery of the boat, a thorough kit wash down, and began the journey home.

🙌 Thank You!

A big shout-out to:

• All the dive managers who led on the day
• The trip organisers for making it happen
• Dave, again, for the BBQ
• Every member who supported and participated in the trip

Despite the weather and the odd equipment hiccup, it was another memorable club expedition—full of laughter, great diving, and good company. We’re already looking forward to the next one!