Dive of the year

[Spiderman]

2008 was a poor year for many with a non summer, rough seas and poor viz but despite it all there were some good dives had and some good fish were brought home. FOM gave us an opportunity to celebrate some of the good times (thanks to Glowworm OMD and others who ran this for us) but I thought it might be worth having a thread for us all to post our "dive of the year".

This is not a competition - just a chance to brighten up a cold winter day with some good stories.

The plan is simple; choose your best dive of 2008 (regardless of whether it included your best fish or not) and write a report here. If you can include photos or video so much the better.

 

[glowworm]

Every dive is a good dive but i think several stand out.

1) 1st Launch of SS Crash & Burn
2) Personal Best Bass
3) Personal Best Plaice
4) Diving off Nothe Fort in October and November exploring new places.It just felt so good seeing and interacting with different fish species.

 

[Spiderman]

My top two dives of 2008 were:

1. A dive at Oddicombe that included finding my first pink finger anemones and my first big lobster

2. My first dive with all three daughters at Thurlestone which included a pipefish sighting

 

[podge]

It just felt so good seeing and interacting with different fish species.

And then eating them rofl:fridayrofl


My 40th birthday dive was a good one, day off work which was spent with mates on my boat, shot an early Mullet and when i got home there was a birthday cake in the shape of a dive mask waiting for me. Yes a good day all in all.

 

[flyflicker]

That has to be that crazy dive at Kennack Sands Cornwall to find some vis; Ben drove us there and back in a day, not arriving home until 8pm, in some dreadful weather and all for one tiny mullet rofl The worst of all I was heading on my summers hols 7am the next and I hadn't packed - PANIC! But it was worth it to see Podge & Jim slurping their hot chocolate sheltering from the downpour in that packed cafe!

But best catch has to be my sole

Oh yes and getting April's FOM

and Vobster Quay

Hopes for 2009: Ben will finally get his 10lb bass and for some calm seas...........

 

[scottwilson]

Out of the three years Ive been spearfishing 08 was my best. I beat my Personal Best twice and met some great people. The one trip that always makes me smile the most is unplanned kayak dive I had down Plymouth way when I should of been at work

The weather was just right with calm sea's and great viz, perfect for exploring a new spot. I paddled around the coast and took in some of the best views Ive seen in years. I landed up with three pollack that day and the biggest smile across my face.

Happy days.

 

[Jonny250]

Good thread!

For me, this has been my first year of spearfishing and i've had many many new and fun experiences; some 'best' include:
- getting up at 2am to fish the low (last March) came back to find ice on the windscreen.
- a big 'rug' of a Sole.
- stunning vis one day in september (but few fish around).
- the night when 5 of us went for a night dive at Pembroke.

The best of all was probably the week of the August DB Guernsey Spearo Holiday, for the social as much as the spearing - and the mad 'where should we try today?', followed by a mass exodus to the chosen beach

 

[foxfish]

No memorable dives or catches for me last year but I will go along with jonny regarding large amounts of fun during the fish-in.
Cooking huge quantities of lobster & Podge somehow picking out the winning ticket that won him the giant lobster just made my day.
Sitting outside Victor Hugo's cafe drinking cappacheno first thing in the morning with my mates after the night before = great stuff.

 

[podge]

Shiny1, that is some day with the Lobby, bass and what a Bream.

Foxy my man I reckon I’m still digesting that Lobster, and Victors coffee and Danish Pastries are without doubt the finest I’ve tasted, and believe me I’ve tried a few.

 

[Old Man Dave]

I have to say that every dive for me is a good dive. I know it sounds corny and I know that some dives are better than others but after 40 years of diving I still love it.

With all the poor vis and bad weather which was so untypical for us here, I suppose it is not suprising that it was a poor year for me. I certainly didn't catch any specimens, PB's, large hauls or unusual species.

I certainly enjoy the DB Guernsey Summer Fish-ins and 2008 was yet another pleasure for me. I also was pleased with the FOM's. Making the trophies for appreciative recipients was fun. Sadly the poor conditions somewhat scuppered the CI FOM's but the UK ones had some fantastic entries.

Talking of FOM's. Is there a FOY based on the FOM winners, or FOM entries or even open to any catch from 2008? There was some talk of this long ago.

I might be persuaded to make a trophy if there was interest.

Dave

 

[fearthespear]

Smashing stuff!

Apart from all of the socials and my first ever night dive, Brett and I had a good day (same day when Glowboy had his big bass). Lousy fish wise with Brett having the largest slice of bad luck (fish around 8lb speared and then lost!). We had a superb hot (!) and sunny (!) day yomping along the Purbecks to find some cracking vis at Mupe. It was really good to feel the sun, dive in clear water and then meet the lads in Weymouth to check out GW's pb.

The pics are of the bay and Brett taking a rest (spearocam photo Scott!)

Please let 2009 be warm......

 

[napper]

No pictures and not quite up to the Shiny mark for the catch........

Mid August early morning, no one else in sight on the North Cornish coast, clear sky, lazy and perfect sea conditions, diving on a small reef running 50 metres parallel to the coast surrounded by clean sand With 10m visibility disappearing into the blue I had been in for about an hour, one nice 3 ½ lb bass on the belt, not forcing it, no kit problems, no clock watching, hitting the absorbed, relaxed and enthralled moment without even noticing.
I dropped down onto the reef at about 7 or 8m. Oh there’s a fair size Dogfish over there, don’t often see them here. Hey! Is that a Red Mullet? Definitely don’t get them around here much, too late and he slips off. I try to settle down in the kelp and watch the Dogfish move off as the usual Pollack linger over towards me. Two Grey Mullet on a mission shoot past above to the right, bolting under the three Garfish that have come from the opposite direction being followed by a small shoal of Mackerel. I still haven’t got settled as I turn around and get buzzed by 30 or so Schoolie Bass using me as a way mark before heading seawards. I glance down at the jostling pair of Ballan Wrasse before heading to the surface fishless but dragging my jaw. Total time for the dive was less than 1 ½ minutes.

It all seems all far far away now

 

[the_milkman]

2 for me:

1. With FearTheSpear and SurfnSpear at Grove Point in May. Great company, fantastic viz, some of the best of the year for me, and we were in for 6 hours. A bit disappointing catch wise, but we all came home with good eating bass. My wife was due in 2 weeks, and I had 14 missed calls on my mobile and an almighty boll*cking when I came home...

2. My first night dive with UKSpeao and Almostafish. Water temp warmer than the air, gin clear water, a full starry sky, bioluminescence and I came home with my first brill.

Here's to 2009! :friday