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West Lothian Sub Aqua Club
Scotland
Our history - 2008

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2008

December : November : October : September : August: July
June : May : April : March : February : January

December
20 Dec Xmas party at the Fairway, Bathgate. 40 of us had a rocking good night with yummy food.
16 Dec Committee meeting and Sport Diver lectures at the Community Centre followed by pool training.
14 Dec

St. Catherine'sXmas dive! A great day diving, training, eating and generally having a good time at St. Catherine's Council Yard, Loch Fyne.

Click on Boyd's image, right, for more detail.
09 Dec Sport Diver lectures at the Community Centre followed by pool training.
07 Dec Diving at Greenends Gulley, Eyemouth.
02 Dec Sport Diver lectures at the Community Centre followed by pool training.

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November
30 Nov

aspitrigla cuculusDiving and training at South Gortein, Loch Fyne and St. Catherines, Loch Fyne. A lovely day but bitterly cold with ice on the surface of the loch.

Red Gurnard, Aspitrigla cuculus, in Loch Fyne by Jim Anderson.
25 Nov Sport Diver lectures, Committee meeting followed by pool training at 8.15.
23 Nov

prawnDiving at South Gortein, Loch Fyne.

Yellow knee prawn in Loch Fyne by Jim Anderson.
18 Nov Sport Diver lectures followed by pool training.
16 Nov

Following the conferance we go boat diving from David Ainslie's MV Porpoise 2 in the Firth of Lorne to Jeannie's Reef and the Garvellachs.

Portrait of a femele dragonet by Jim Anderson.
15 Nov

Scotsac conferance at Oban.

Jenny Young wins a Scotsac/Suunto award for her work on behalf of the Branch - many congratulations and thanks from a grateful Branch too!

Jenny with ScotSac Chairman Andy Murray and Suunto General Manager John Sinclair.
Image by Don Lees.
11 Nov Sport Diver lectures followed by pool training.
9 Nov

Common whelksThe weather put paid to our planned boat dive on MV Little Blue so some of us went to Ardcastle, Loch Fyne for some diving and Master Diver training.

Egg laying Common Whelks, Buccinum undatum, by Jim Anderson.
4 Nov Pool training.
2 Nov

swansDiving and Training at 12.9 Mile Mark, Loch Fyne. A beautiful calm day but chilly out of the water.

A family of swans paddling in the shallows by Jim Anderson.

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October
28 October Committee meeting followed by pool training at 8.15.
26 October

Hermit crabDiving at South Gortein, Loch Fyne.

Hermit crab in dog whelk shell by Jim Anderson.
21 October A relaxed night at the pool.
19 October Diving at Loch Fyne.
14 October Pool training.
12 October

Diving and Training Sport and Master Divers at South Gortein, Loch Fyne.

Detail of spiny starfish, Marthasterias glacialis, by Jim Anderson.
07 October Pool training.
05 October

Loch FyneDiving and Training at Lephinchapel, Loch Fyne on a glorious day. Sunny and calm all day let lots of light onto the top of the reef.

Image by Jim Anderson.
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September
30 September Pool training.
26 - 28 September Eigg

A wonderfull weekend diving from the MV Mary Doune. Click on the image, right, for more information on the trip.


Image of the harbour entrance with An Sgurr on Eigg by Jim Anderson
23 September Committee meeting at the Community Centre followed by Pool Training.
21 September

ClingfishDiving at Greenends Gully, Eyemouth on a lovely late summer's day - or maybe the first day of summer this year. Water temperature 14° C.

Image of Clingfish by Jim Anderson
20 September

Ten Pin Bowling night at Deer park in Livingston. Great fun!

See here for details.
16 September Pool Training.
14 September

Yarrells BlennyDiving and training at South Gortein, Loch Fyne.

Image of Yarrell's Blenny by Jim Anderson.
09 September Pool Training.
07 September

CrayfishA great day diving on MV Silver Swift out of Oban.
We dived the Slate Wreck and the Grey Rocks in the Sound of Mull.

Image of the very large crayfish on the Grey Rocks by Jim Anderson.
02 September Pool training.
   

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August
31 August

Diving. Some of us went to Loch Fyne and dived Barmore Island on a calm and midgy day.

 
26 August Pool training.
24 August

Liocarcinus depuratorDiving and training at 12.9 Mile mark, Loch Fyne. Congratulations to James Maxwell who completed his Sport Diver training today.

Image by Jim Anderson of mating pair of Liocarcinus depurator crabs under a ledge at 12 m.
19 August Pool training.
17 August An afternoon out of Eyemouth on the MV North Star.
12 August Pool training.
5 August Pool training.
3 August

Silver SwiftA day out of Oban on the MV Silver Swift. Click on the image, right, to link to the story of the day.

Image by Jim Anderson.

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July
31 July Pool training.
27 July

Sea mouseDiving at Lephinchapel, Loch Fyne on a glorious day.

Sea mouse, Aphrodita aculeata. Image by Jim Anderson.
23 July An evening dive on MV Selkie out of St. Abbs where we dived Tye's Tunnel.
22 July Pool training.
20 July

Dog FishA day out diving on MV Little Blue out in Loch Fyne where we dived the south end of Barmore Island and from north to south along Buck Rock.

One of the many Dog Fish seen on the bottom next to Buck Rock. Image by Jim Anderson.
15 July Pool training.
13 July

Spider CrabDiving and training at Kentallen, Loch Linnhe. Congratulations to Andy and Shona Smith who completed their open water training today and are now Sport Divers.

Image of another small Decorator Spider Crab and friend by Jim Anderson.
08 July Pool training.
05/06 July

Lobster2 days diving in St. Abbs off MV Selkie with super skipper Peter Gibson. On the Sunday we dived Skely's Hole and the Ebb Carrs.

There are always lots of lobsters to be seen here during the summer.
Image by Jim Anderson.
01 July Pool training.

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June
29 June

Great PipefishDiving and training at the Garden Centre and Rocky Point, Loch Fyne.

Great pipefish, Syngnathus acus, at 12 m.
Image by Jim Anderson
24 June

Committee meeting followed by Pool training.
22 June

Thornback rayDiving and training at Lochside Cottages, Loch Leven.

We often see Thornback rays at this site.

Image by Jim Anderson.
17 June Pool training.
15 June Diving
10 June Pool training.
08 June Diving at various sites on Loch Fyne.
03 June Pool training.
01 June

Black guillemotDiving and training at 13 Mile Mark, Loch Fyne.

Image: Black guillemot, Cepphus grylle, by Eric Rigg.

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May
27 May Committee meeting followed by pool training.
25 May

UrchinDiving at 12.9 Mile Mark, Loch Fyne.

Image Urchin and soft coral by Erik Lornie.
20 May Pool Training.
18 May Training and diving at South Gortein, Loch Fyne.
13 May Pool Training.
11 May

LumpsuckerAn afternoon out of Eyemouth on the MV North Star. Two dives around St. Abbs Head.

Image of Lumpsucker and eggs by Erik Lornie.
06 May Pool Training.
04 May

Anemone

Image of anemone by Erik Lornie.

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April
29 April Pool Training.
27 April Diving and training at
22 April Committee meeting followed by Pool Training.
20 April

Stevie and lobsterDiving and training at Ardcastle Jetty, Loch Fyne.

Stevie McLaughlin examines a large lobster that has lived nearby for many years.

Image by Jim Anderson.
15 April Pool Training.
12/13 April

Jewel anemonesA grand weekend diving from the MV Mary Doune. Click on the image, right, for details of the diving.

Jewel anemones by Jim Anderson.
8 April Pool Training.
06 April Diving at Loch Fyne.
01 April Pool Training.

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March
30 March

ShrimpDiving and training at Seven Step Reef, Loch Creran. We joined up with Stirling University Branch for a very interesting day!!

A tiny shrimp. Image by Jim Anderson.
25 March Committee meeting and pool training.
23 March

pomatoschistus pictusDiving at various sites on Loch Fyne.

Male Painted Goby, Pomatoschistus pictus, displaying to a nearby female.
Image by Jim Anderson.
18 March Pool training.
16 March SSAC AGM at Stirling University.
11 March Pool training.
09 March

MV PeregrineBoat dive trip out of Dunstaffnage with Skipper Alan on the MV Peregrine.
We dived Liath Sgeir pinnacle near Lismore in the morning and the wreck of the SS Thesis in the Sound of Mull after lunch on board.

Image of the Peregrine at Dunstaffnage by Jim Anderson.
04 March Pool training.
02 March

Squat lobsterDiving at 12.9 Mile Mark, Loch Fyne.

6 mm Juvenile Spiny Squat Lobster, Galathea strigosa, on the body of a tunicate.
Image by Jim Anderson.

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February
26 February AGM
24 February

Bull RoutDiving and training at South Gortein Loch Fyne.

Juvenile Bull Rout, Myoxocephalus scorpius, portrait.
Photograph by Jim Anderson
19 February Pool training.
17 February

Squat lobsterDiving and Training at St. Catherine's Council Yard, Loch Fyne.

Little squat lobster portrait.
Image by Jim Anderson.
12 February Pool training.
10 February

Sea starDiving around Loch Fyne.

Feather star perched atop a metal spike covered in ascidians and sponges.
Image by Jim Anderson.
05 February Pool training
03 February

hermit crabDiving and training at Rocky Point, Loch Fyne.
Congratulations to Shona and Andy Smith on starting their open water training.

A tiny hermit crab, Pagurus cuanensis, with a sponge for a home.
Image by Jim Anderson.

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January

29 January Pool Training.
27 January

Diving and Training at Lephinchapel, Loch Fyne.

 

Image of Spider Crab by Jim Anderson.
22 January Committee Meeting at the Community Centre followed by Pool Training.
20 January

Limacia clavigeraDiving and training at 12.9 Mile Mark, Loch Fyne.

Image by Jim Anderson of the little yellow and white nudibranch, Limacia clavigera, that is all over the remains of the kelp at this time of year.
15 January Pool Training.
13 January

Palaemon elegansDiving again at Lephinchapel, Loch Fyne.

 

Image of Palaemon elegans by Jim Anderson.
8 January Pool Training.

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