Gozo Club Trip Des Powell, Sam Herd, Dave Taylor, Paul Bowman, Gemma Buckley, Scott Fennell Rich Holder.

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Gozo Club Trip 2015 Des Powell, Sam Herd, Dave Taylor, Paul Bowman, Gemma Buckley, Scott Fennell Rich Holder.

We all set off in a taxi to Gatwick in the very early hours of Saturday the 6 th June and all went very smoothly with flights, transfers and ferry etc arriving at

Once settled we all headed out in the two hired jeeps to sort out diving gear and were really looked after by the dive shop.

Food in Gozo is quite a bit cheaper than in England and quality is pretty good to in some cases very good. Drink is cheap! (Yippee!

It is a slow bimble suited to all levels with a max depth in the bay of around 12 metres. (Much deeper if you go right out!

1 Gozo Club Trip 2015 Des Powell, Sam Herd, Dave Taylor, Paul Bowman, Gemma Buckley, Scott Fennell Rich Holder. Hi all I just thought I would provide a brief report to all about the excellent trip 7 club members undertook this year in June We all set off in a taxi to Gatwick in the very early hours of Saturday the 6 th June and all went very smoothly with flights, transfers and ferry etc arriving at the Luxury Villa at about 1300hrs in baking sun! The Villa was huge and had air con in all bedrooms with very large communal rooms and a nice pool! Once settled we all headed out in the two hired jeeps to sort out diving gear and were really looked after by the dive shop. They offered us free storage and wash facilities all week for our kit and once we had sorted out weights etc it was out for a meal. Food in Gozo is quite a bit cheaper than in England and quality is pretty good to in some cases very good. Drink is cheap! (Yippee!) Day one We picked up our tanks first thing in the morning and did an hour + check out dive at Xwejni Bay. It is a slow bimble suited to all levels with a max depth in the bay of around 12 metres. (Much deeper if you go right out!) I loved the dive personally with lots of small fish, and an octopus that Sam tried to entice out Second dive is a potentially deep dive Reqqa Point. We kept it much shallower. Good vistas and wall drop offs. The environment getting to and from dive site is quite rugged and the vehicle takes a battering but great fun. Day one over and back to the villa pre evening tipples Then of course out to dine on the seafront. Restaurant next to the bay. Just lovely!

Day two saw again two dives at very well-known and renowned sites. Dive one was the Inland Sea.

Huge drop offs but we hugged the wall and made our way around the headland under the Azure Window and eventually into

Dive two was this time into the Blue Hole itself descending along until if you know where to go there is a small fissure

Depths here are over 30 40 metres although you choose your depth.

Dave Taylor on the wall dive near to the Blue Hole.

provides a sense of scale) Day Three Saw two dive more dives Billinghurst Cave (A new one for us all!

2 Day two saw again two dives at very well-known and renowned sites. Dive one was the Inland Sea. We entered via the Inland sea itself and travelled underwater through a large fissure / tunnel out into the open sea. Huge drop offs but we hugged the wall and made our way around the headland under the Azure Window and eventually into the blue hole. Fantastic dive here! Dive two was this time into the Blue Hole itself descending along until if you know where to go there is a small fissure called the Chimney. This leads up and into the Coral Gardens. Then back again down the fissure and along the wall. Depths here are over metres although you choose your depth. At halfway turn around and come up into the shallow and back to the Blue hole. Dave Taylor on the wall dive near to the Blue Hole. Gemma en-route back to Blue Hole Rich Holder in tunnel from Inland Sea towards the Blue Hole One of us (Not sure which provides a sense of scale) Day Three Saw two dive more dives Billinghurst Cave (A new one for us all!) It is huge and the one photo provides scale. The entrance and very long ladder exit provides extra exhilaration. Steep walls either side, and a sandy bottom. Then we travelled to Xlendi Bay for a light lunch in a Riviera styled café before doing a lovely dive through a long shallow tunnel and a gentle bimble around and back into the bay. This dive is totally suited to any level so really good. Billinghurst Cave above

3 Day Four Saw us diving on the Wreck of the Karwella. This is easy access from the shore (one of three actually) It is about 40metres to the sand but the deck is about 30metres so good sport diver wreck. We had great viz and the wreck is upright and easy to look in and around. Fab dive! Three of us used a stage bottle with a 50% mix and most used a nitrox mix. The second dive in Red bay was another easy shallow bimble dive around 10 metres which I loved but is second best to the wreck I must say.

Day Five Today back at the Wreck site for a dive on the MV

The wreck was again at around 39 metres and was fantastic.

deco or safety stop so we all did quite a lot.

Two caves and a sandy bay with different life again like

Again in this dive three of us used a stage and the others

The wreck whilst being a deeper one has easy access to all

4 Day Five Today back at the Wreck site for a dive on the MV Cominoland followed by a shore dive at Mgar Ix Ini. The wreck was again at around 39 metres and was fantastic. Once finished on the wreck there is a reef to enjoy the deco or safety stop so we all did quite a lot. I did 25 minutes of deco here. The Second dive is lovely. Two caves and a sandy bay with different life again like Goat fish, mullet and many others. Again in this dive three of us used a stage and the others were on Nitrox. The wreck whilst being a deeper one has easy access to all levels and the main areas are well within the scope of a sports diver. The below photos are all ones taken from the shore dive at Mgar Ix Ini.

Scott giving Jazz hands above Richard Holder shining the way forward Entrance to first cave above right

We took a trip out from the main harbour on board King Neptune with legendary skipper Tony Lautier.

that he has dived and skippered these waters for decades.

proudly on pure sand at a max of 19metres to the very deepest.

I got some great photos and even better memories. Totally fab!

5 Scott giving Jazz hands above Richard Holder shining the way forward Entrance to first cave above right Sadly on day six Sam had an ear infection and missed probably the best day. We took a trip out from the main harbour on board King Neptune with legendary skipper Tony Lautier. He is in truth a bit poorly now and his briefings are not the best but his knowledge is unsurpassed in that he has dived and skippered these waters for decades. The cost for all day including food was under 30 so off to Comino Island to dive the P31 wreck which sits proudly on pure sand at a max of 19metres to the very deepest. Dave and I were in a good five minutes before everyone due to kitting up very fast. THANKS DAVE. I got some great photos and even better memories. Totally fab! Second dive was into a Cave called Tony s Cave where you can fully surface inside. Once out of that you can if you wish continue in towards the Blue Lagoon and find a sort of open cave with arches. Dave and I found this. Such a good day I have included just a few (in fact quite a few photos!)

6 Dave Taylor points the way!

Day Eight What can you do to surpass the previous

fabulous first dive on a a famous cave called

It is truly unusual in that it is really big, also

below and above providing a real spectacle.

headed back out for a wall dive and then to use up

that none of us had done before) really clear viz

Note the entrance here into and out of water is up

7 WHAT A GREAT DAY! Just a small selection of the photos I took. Day Eight What can you do to surpass the previous day. Well for me not much however here we had a fabulous first dive on a a famous cave called Cathedral Cave (The Blue Dome). It is truly unusual in that it is really big, also you can surface and the light pours in from both below and above providing a real spectacle. Having surfaced inside for quite a while we then headed back out for a wall dive and then to use up our breathing gas we entered a shallow cave (again that none of us had done before) really clear viz here in sandstone so as the pictures reflect great! Note the entrance here into and out of water is up a long steep ladder which no issue on a flat calm day but not easy otherwise. The second dive was a return to Xwejni bay

9 The last day of diving saw quite a bit of wind on the island and our first planned dive was totally blown out so we again did a shallow dive in poor viz. I will not put any photos of this dive as most were close ups on fish with no flash. To sum up for me and I know talking to the others this trip was a resounding success. We all got on very well, The villa was great, diving was as it should be for the med and I think the photos show it well!. I am going to run a trip in June next year which is almost full but if anyone is genuinely interested I will run a second one in September when the water is even warmer. Water Temperature s varied from 16 degrees at depth to 24 max at the surface. I dived in a worn out 3mm but most I think would prefer a 5mm. In September the water is a lot warmer! Cost wise the Villa would be around 180 each for 10 Days and the flight around the Was less this year but I am providing worse case. I would need around 8 persons to make it viable but the Villa will sleep up to 12 in comfort and 16 at a push. I think 10 is a good max number! Dive packages are cheap and we all hire the jeeps through the dive company. Anyway I hope you enjoy the dive report. Des

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