See http://www.baltimore.ie for help in finding accommodation.

Aquaventures/Stone house B&B will fill bottles over the weekend and
facilitate any running repairs needed with Scuba gear over the
weekend (www.aquaventures.ie).

CorkSAC wants You!

Not a member yet? Well, we’re always looking for new members. While our trainee diver training has commenced for the year, divers with an existing qualification (PADI, SSI etc.) can join throughout the year.

If you want to see what we get up to, scroll down the blog or check out the the following videos of our members diving in Ireland:

=> Our annual August holiday in Portmagee, Co. Kerry
=> A couple of visits to Dingle.

If you’re interested in joining up please send an email to committee@corksac.info

Click HERE for the full article.

Well done Tim for organising this exposure for the club.

There are numerous  operators offering access to this world heritage site (one so vast that it is visible from space). Last August two CorkSAC members took a liveaboard out of Cairns with the Deep Sea Divers Den (http://www.diversden.com.au).

Deep Sea Divers Den differ from many operators in that their live-aboard boat, Ocean Quest, stays at sea. Clients are transferred daily on a shuttle boat. Their setup offers a rare degree of flexibility as divers can choose a trip of any duration departing any day of the week.

Facilities on the boat were excellent and the staff friendly and knowledgeable. Ocean Quest dives on Norman & Saxon Reefs which are busy dive sites but offer a great chance to see many tropical favourites as can be seen in the following video.

The procedural motions included the reports of the (now previous) committee including the Chairpersons report (Don McCarthy); the treasurers report (Rory Keane); the diving officers report (Mercy Fenton); the secretarys report was delayed (Niamh Thompson in absentia and having a great time down under); the training officers report (Fiona Duggan); the equipment officers report (Jim Murphy) and finally the public relations officers report (Rene Gonzales).

During the discussion of the treasurers report many things about the clubs aims and goals were discussed (since there is a strong financial link here). A subcommittee was suggested to investigate plans and suggest the necessary steps that would be required to take us there. A number of volunteers agreed to help the clubs new Chairperson and Treasurer in this.

The new committee for the forthcoming year was elected. They are: chairperson – Don McCarthy; treasurer – Steve McDevitt; secretary – Niamh Thompson; diving officer – Mercy Fenton; training officer – Dave O’Riordan; equipments officer – Jim Murphy (to be assisted by Seamus Twomey); family liason officer – Paul Murphy; and in the tightly contested vote for public relations officer – Joe Bater (guessing by the size of the voting slip stacks it was a narrow contest with Anthony Patterson).

The honours of the Diver of the Year went to Seamus Twomey, and Club Member of the Year to Jim Murphy both of whom are thoroughly deserved for their contributions to the club, and for both being jolly nice folk all around!

Please let us know if you’re coming, by filling in this form.

The task given to us by the Navy on Friday was to do a inshore search between Roscarberry and Glandore, taking in the islands “Adam” and “Eve” in Glandore harbour. It took about five hours before the need to re-fuel took us back in for a meal generously supplied by locals. By that stage force five easterlies had caused the navy to ask that RIBs of our size search in pairs. After Lunch we made the call that it was no longer safe for a boat of our size to continue. Indeed the plan for Donnacha to drive it around to Baltimore was abandoned and we pulled the boat out to send it by road.
I did not think that it would be appropriate to bring a camera; but such a methodical search of the inlets, beaches, and caves of the coastline, especially before noon when the sea was relatively calm, was interesting enough in its own right. Kingfishers and an eagret, were spotted along with many seals. Most of the coxing was done by Donnacha and Dave Connaghton. The fact that about mid-day we were due the lowest low tide in 25 years kept us alert for navigational hazards. I stayed in the bow for most of the search and once or twice ominous reefs appeared to either side or ahead, calling for some tight manouvering. Later we had to move further offshore as the waves grew higher.

So far, there’s nothing in there for Ireland. I was tempted to insert the Sovereigns, then I had visions of divers from all over the globe coming to dive the wreck of the Nellie, see the Grotto, or even search for Rory’s missing dive computer, and I just thought that, well, maybe, they might be a little disappointed.

Anyway, I think it might be worth adding some of our favourite sites in there.

Anthony