SCUBA do Lanzarote

After an icy cold weekend trip to Portland where we explored all the pleasures the Dredger wreck has to offer, Imperial College Underwater Club was off to bigger and better (and warmer) places. Lanzarote was the choice for the inauguration of the ICUC winter tour, not least because we heard the wine was cheaper than petrol. With three associate members and four “I should be in lectures” members, there was a good balance of experienced members and those who were yet to learn the endless inside jokes. After a sufficient acclimatisation period of cheese and chorizo, it was time to get into the water.

Although no one was keen for the standard shake out dive, we were all pleasantly surprised, especially Jo “Ms. BSAC” Beresford, as there were cuttlefish at almost every turn. The afternoon dive was also a pleasant surprise as the abundance of nudibranchs was also ideal. Likewise there were plenty of scorpionfish and bearded fireworms to keep us on our toes, or more accurately, our hands off the reef. The next morning marked the first of many dives where we all flirted with the maximum allowed depth, except for Andreas “Was No One Else Legal” Georgiou, that is. The Blue Hole was the chosen dive site, although it was quite dark, and thus the more exotic name of the Black Hole was used. Red Cross was the afternoon boat dive, and was well worth the five minute ride. To top off a great day, we went back in after dark for a night dive filled with more cuttlefish, nudibranchs, and some giant sea hares.

While it wasn’t a Sunday, we still went to the famous Cathedral the next day – it just happened to be 30 metres under water. It wasn’t until the afternoon artificial wreck graveyard dive that Keshwyn “Computer Bending” Annauth actually monitored his depth. Unfortunately, the drysuit donning guide was strict about the “don’t go inside the wreck” rules, which did not please Olivia “Penetration Keen” Ashton. The next morning had something special in store, two seahorses, leading Alex “Baby Instructor” Leonard to call the unnamed dive the “Seahorse Safari”. The afternoon held in store a welcomed shallower dive, allowing everyone to breathe a bit more than usual. The night was topped off with a final night dive, with Karim “Fashionably Late” Nahas leading from the front. The final dive involved a serious surface swim, but Grouper Run did not disappoint, and there were plenty of the giant fish to spot.

The last night ended back in the water sans clothes

The trip ended as most ICUC trips do, and that was with a few decompression beers, wines, sangrias, shots, and ice cream. Carrying on the tradition attributed to the legendary previous chair Theo, the last night ended back in the water sans clothes. Luckily Josh “Hides Your Clothes” Mo was on hand to help everyone dry off first.

All in all it was great escape from wintery England for some beautiful diving and decent company. ICUC is already planning more trips abroad for the coming months, with plans for Belgium, Italy, and the Scilly Isles taking shape. If you’re already a qualified diver and are interested in these trips, give us a shout at scuba@imperial.ac.uk.