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The Harbour at Scraggane Point is the base for Waterworld, Ronnie and Pat Fitzgerald's luxurious diving centre and the home of 30 members of the Hampstead Sub Aqua Club for a week in June.

To all our amazement, the weather was fine and the sea calm. "Where was all that Irish rain?" we asked. The diving was gentle, in the clear waters around the Magharee Islands, and we managed two dives each morning leaving the afternoons free for excursions, walks or just slobbing around.


Waterworld is perched at the tip of a narrow strip of land sticking out into the Atlantic. Looking South you get great views of some of the highest mountains in Ireland. The windswept rocks of the Magharee Islands are dotted around the north of the point, washed by deep Atlantic currents. Illaunimmil, Inishtooskert, Illauntannig, Reennafardarrig... their names do not ease the completion of diving logs.


The huge 10m rib made shipping 12 or 13 divers to the dive site a very spacious and rapid exercise. We had even more space when the Salcombe team went sightseeing.

Damion and Tom provided tea and biscuits but you were advised to keep your head down or use an SMB to ascend when the boat was in the area unless you wanted a very short hair cut - any interest Bert?

While the hardboat was marginally slower, it was a lot easier to get back into - a bonus for the elder generation of divers (eh Wilson and Tompkins?).

It had the added bonus of Ronnie driving and his colourful language, a local dialect that appears to be shared by local fishermen, particularly when they think that their nets have been run over.


Divers were
impressed (Guillaume),
amused (Charlie),
unsettled (no names),
bored (train and 4x4 drivers),
and flooded (Ross)

but we particularly enjoyed the Brandon cliff and canyon diving.


And when you get tired of relaxing there are always the excellent Irish pubs.

Does Terry looked more relaxed in his natural surroundings we ask?


But we didn't just go diving on this trip. Click Fungi to see what we got up to in the afternoons...


ross@rosscattell.co.uk