A Trip Report by Matthew Lai
As a warm water diver and newcomer to the club, I thought Lundy in the summer would be a good introduction to UK diving, given that it’s not very cold, and seals would distract from any pain and suffering. Lundy is a very small island off the coast of Devon, and a breeding ground for Atlantic grey seals.
We arrived in the small sea-side town of Bideford the evening before the crossing, and woke up at 6 to send half the group off on the ferry, while the other half drove to Appledore Quay to launch Yellow (our boat). With the expert guidance from Phil, and despite us getting caught off-guard by the rapidly receding tide and beaching Yellow while taking a selfie, we successfully launched for our Bristol channel crossing at the latest possible moment as the tide went too low for the slipway to be usable.
Unfortunately, our success was short-lived. The details of this incident are classified, but suffice to say, thanks to Brendan’s keen eyes for detail (“why is there water coming into the boat?” –Brendan), and Phil’s expert boat handling, we lived to tell the tale, safely back in Appledore, where the water is now very shallow. Having missed the launch window, we had several hours to fix up Yellow, have lunch at the pub, and try again in the late afternoon to arrive in Lundy at high tide.
We departed without incident this time, on our 2 hours sunset crossing, while holding on for dear life for the entire duration, as Phil navigated the Bristol channel in what he described as “toilet” sea condition (“It’s a proper nautical term” –Phil).
Arriving in Lundy at dusk, we were greeted by the breathtaking view of the coastline, seals popping their heads out of the water next to the jetty… and a long and steep climb into the clouds to the village where our accommodation is, just a little character-building exercise to instill a sense of adventure.
Murphy’s Law
Our diving operations began on the following day. At this point, I must apologise, dear reader, that I have little recollection of what we saw on our first two dives, as my first foray into cold water involved dealing with a leaky drysuit, being significantly underweighted and having to fin downwards continuously, a DSMB spool that isn’t quite usable with gloves on, a computer malfunction, and fins that are too small.
But those are the kind of things we train for, and what a waste of time it would be if **** never hits the fan? I’m glad I got my money’s worth. Armed with some replacement kit and sage knowledge of experienced members like our glorious leader Jeremie, the following days’ diving went much smoother, though my fins continued to threaten to come off on every dive the rest of the trip just to keep me on my toes, literally.
Seals!
Lundy is a small island managed by Landmark Trust, known for its diverse corals and marine life, thanks to its status as the first Marine Conservation Zone in the UK. Of particular interest to divers are the lobsters and a large colony of grey seals that live here.
Seals are basically sea puppies – playful, inquisitive, and intelligent. The juveniles are especially curious and will often investigate divers, swim with them, and tug on their fins. There were so many seals that we all had many encounters with them, and Cathy, with her white fins, seems to have gotten the most action (note for next time).
Rust
On the following days we dived two wrecks – the Carmine Filomena and MV Robert. Carmine Filomena was an Italian cargo ship that sank in 1937, and is now well broken up and supports a beautiful kelp forest full of life – crabs, eels, lobsters, nudibranch, and of course more seals! MV Robert was another cargo ship that sank in 1975, and is the most well known wreck in Lundy.
Devil’s Slide
The final day’s diving took us to Devil’s Slide, where deep rock gullies and tall kelp forest hide giant blue lobsters… among other things. Dreamy dive through those narrow channels and between the kelp.
We went back to Ilfracombe the same way we came – half on the ferry and half on Yellow. The ride on Yellow this time was smooth as a baby’s bottom, under a bright sunny sky. A satisfying end to the trip.
So, how would I sum up my first foray into cold water diving? It’s surprisingly warm! I thought I would be bothered by the cold, but actually, with a drysuit on, I was really toasty and much more comfortable than I had been diving in wetsuits in much warmer water that felt much colder. It does require a bit more equipment, and there is no denying that drysuits are expensive, but there are always club members selling their pre-loved kit for very reasonable prices. To me, cold water diving with the club feels a lot more like an adventure with a group of friends who are all very eager to help each other out, and that is a very different experience compared to the tourist diving with commercial operators that I’m more used to. I would say I’m a convert now, and not just from the sunk cost of having bought a drysuit. Cold water diving has my (Atlantic grey) seal of approval.
We are an LGBTQIA+ friendly club 
