8 Go mad in The Scillies July 2016 (Bob Prior)

8 Go mad in The Scillies July 2016

When I started to write this report I thought I would sound like a Scillies tourist office rather than the deputed expedition’s officer, if you have never been to the Scillies then you should, it’s really that simple! Our planning started about a year ago as there are so few dive boats there you need to get in quickly especially as many clubs repeat book, think on that, there is a reason, could it be the warm water, good viz, beautiful scenic dives, the wrecks or maybe the close encounters with seals!

The Scillies lay about 2 hours by ferry off Lands End so a leisurely drive on Friday, some stopping at Weston, Honiton to meet the lovely Tina at The Otter Inn then a short drive to our overnight B&B in Penzance with the obligatory decompression fluids and grub.

If you have ever caught a boat out of The Travco Pier in Sharm you will have a sense of what it’s like getting the ferry to The Scillies, of course being English we were more polite. The crossing was fab, clear sky’s, unusual for July 2016 in the UK, with sightings of dolphins.

The Scillies are beautiful and as you approach the islands you get fantastic views of what’s ahead. Diving with Dave McBride of Dive Scilly on his boat Tiburon starts early with two dives, leaving the afternoon free to explore this beautiful place or enjoy local decompression fluids & a kip at the B&B, the skippers house “Schiller”, so named as rumour has it was built with gold from the “SS Schiller” wreck.

The Scillies are not the easiest of places to reach but the rewards are fantastic, I said already what a beautiful place it is but I feel the need to say it again, rumour has it the club will go there again in 2017, get your name in quick is what I would say! It takes longer to reach The Scillies than to get to Egypt but once you’ve been you will want to go again. My reason for going to The Scillies again was to dive with seals, what will yours be?