Malcolm Nobbs - 2014 July

I did not expect to ever dive Leybourne Lake again but in 2014, Graeme “Spotty” Hastings and I organised a Reunion Dive at this the site of our March 1995 qualification as BSAC Novice Divers, Spotty collecting the keys for the padlocked gate which guards the private road to this dive site. Joining us underwater were Paul Hymers, Sharon Meadows and Dave Wood. And as Surface Cover or later at the nearby Nevill Bull Pub, my wife Mary, Jon Clark, Mel Hymers, Spotty’s partner Jackie Moore and Chris and Svenja Powell.

It was a lovely day topside but below the surface the visibility was appalling. In the past Spotty has often been the cause or so I claimed but this time the culprit was undisputedly a full-on plankton bloom. I didn’t realise it but everyone else sensibly abandoned the dark green water after 20 minutes while for a full hour I nostalgically felt my way round my old stomping ground as Paul gallantly stayed kitted up near the water’s edge just in case I got into trouble. On this occasion I didn’t and once out of the water, I quickly changed as we were running late for our rendezvous at the Nevill Bull Pub. We raced off in our cars to the pub, Spotty hastily locking the Leybourne Lake gate before following us.

Which we very unfortunate as Paul was still by the lake changing out of his dive kit.