Arden Divers’ latest UK sea trip saw ten divers and one partner make the long journey down to Penzance, Cornwall, before catching the Scillonian III over to the beautiful Isles of Scilly.
The trip got off to an eventful start, with the Saturday sailing cancelled thanks to high winds and 6-metre swells. Fortunately, the crossing eventually went ahead on Monday, and the group arrived on St Mary’s ready for several days of diving and exploring. Our base for the week was Shearwater House, which proved to be an excellent place to stay and the perfect hub for both the diving and socialising afterwards.
We did our diving with the excellent crew of Skin Deep. Although the weather and skipper availability meant we managed seven dives rather than the twelve we’d originally hoped for, we still packed plenty into our time on the water. The conditions kept us on our toes, with a fair amount of chop throughout the week, and a dive at Trinity Rock providing a thrill ride after we missed slack water and found ourselves battling some impressively strong current!
The diving itself offered plenty of memorable moments. At the back of Menawethan, Chris became the focus of attention for an overly enthusiastic – or, as Chris would say, “homicidal” – seal, which appeared determined to drag him into the depths. Fortunately for Chris, the seal eventually relented. We also explored the wreck of the MS Cita, while Deep Point turned out to be an unexpected highlight after our original dive site had to be abandoned due to rough conditions. Among the old scrap metal, tyres and even abandoned cars, we discovered a shy octopus hidden in a crack, as well as a beautiful greater pipefish. Throughout the week we were treated to fantastic marine life, including nudibranchs, spider crabs, cat sharks, colourful anemones, starfish and, of course, more inquisitive seals.
The diving may have been the main reason for the trip, but the evenings were every bit as enjoyable. We sampled the food at the Bishop & Wolf, enjoyed several home-cooked meals together, tucked into traditional fish and chips, and rounded off the celebrations with a barbecue for Will’s 21st birthday, complete with cake and candles. As always, the company was every bit as important as the diving.
In a final twist of typical British holiday timing, the best weather of the entire trip arrived on our last day – when none of us were diving! Still, despite the challenging conditions, everyone agreed the Isles of Scilly had been well worth the journey and we’re already looking forward to returning in the future.
Huge thanks go to Sophie for organising a fantastic trip, to the crew at Skin Deep for looking after us on the boat, to everyone who helped with the long drives to and from Penzance (and all the associated kit logistics), and to everyone who made the week such an enjoyable one.
