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Kernow Dive Festival raises £8,550 for DDRC
Two weeks ago, during World Oceans Day weekend, over 200 divers from at least 15 different BSAC clubs descended on Cornwall to be part of the Kernow Dive Festival 2025. Ten RIBs and their skippers collectively carried out just shy of 300 boat dives over the weekend, with divers of all levels participating in the scheduled diving.
Not only was it fantastic to see the diving community come together to celebrate diving on World Oceans Day, but the weekend also raised funds for DDRC Healthcare Plymouth and hopefully increased awareness of their work.
The plight of UK chamber facilities has been in the spotlight recently due to the planned reduction in the number of hyperbaric chambers available to scuba divers in England.
With their number set to be cut from eight to just three, the pressure on the remaining chambers is a serious concern. Yet many divers starting out are unaware of the facilities available when things go wrong, or the ongoing research that takes place at these centres to make diving safer for everyone.
DDRC leads the field in dive medicine research, treating decompression illness and maintaining the national 24/7 helpline. Their work is essential for keeping all divers safe, and we’re proud to help raise awareness of their fantastic efforts.
Last year, the Kernow Dive Festival raised over £7,300 for DDRC Healthcare in Plymouth; this year, we’ve raised a phenomenal £8,550! This brings the total raised by the festival for DDRC to £69,760!
This is primarily thanks to the incredible support the event receives from the attending clubs, the diving industry, and local businesses, who contribute significantly to the raffle and auction fundraising activities on Saturday night.
The following businesses deserve a special mention, and we can’t thank them enough for their generosity. In no particular order:
North Coast Diving donated a full-day charter
O’Three Ltd donated a 50% drysuit voucher and a semi-dry
Kent Tooling Diving Products donated two of their reels
Seaways Diving and Suunto UK donated a Suunto Diving D6i Novo Zulu dive computer between them
Scubapro donated a pair of their Seawing Supernova fins
MARES – just add water donated three of their bags
Discovery Divers Plymouth Ltd donated a day’s diving for two divers
Seaways Diving and Engineer Aftercare Caravan, Campervan & Motorhome Warranty donated vouchers for cylinder testing and £100 off at Seaways
Liquid Sports donated a BigBlue 1300NP torch and some Sharkskin caps
Cressi donated a pair of their Origin fins
AP Diving donated an assortment of items, including flasks, dry bags, mugs and beanies
DDRC Healthcare donated a 40m chamber dive and facilities tour for up to 8 people
Dive Signs donated a selection of their Smart Emergency, MOD, and Gas Analysis sticker packs
Sharp’s Brewery donated a voucher for either a 5-litre mini cask of Doom Bar or an 8-pack of cans
Scuba Ry Divers donated a snorkel set
BSAC – British Sub-Aqua Club donated two digital SDC training packs
Porthkerris Divers donated T-shirts
Two local businesses also helped keep the divers warm and well-fed:
Penryn Joinery donated a van load of heating fuel briquettes to keep everyone warm on Saturday night, and Firewood Supplies Ltd near Penzance kindly donated several large bags of restaurant-grade charcoal for the Kernow Dive Festival BBQ.
We also need to give a big shout-out to local ghost gear recovery charity Fathoms Free, which supported the fundraising weekend with its recently refurbished RIB and experienced skipper, Jules!
Their RIB, Stingray, was the first boat out and the last boat in on both days. They said it was fantastic to support such a great cause and were pleased to help raise awareness and funds for DDRC, which provides a vital service to all divers in the region—including those who volunteer for the charity during ghost gear recoveries.
The BSAC South West Region clubs that played a major role in this year’s event included:
Bude Dive Club, whose members handled catering and, along with Peninsula Sub Aqua Club, ran the control room and slipway like a well-oiled military operation.
Peninsula Sub Aqua Club (BSAC), whose members oversaw much of the shotting of the dive sites and planned the weekend’s diving. They also have a small quiz team, known amongst other names as the Four Skin Divers, who attend Tricky’s at the Tolgus Inn every fortnight for quiz nights. Over the last 12 months, they collated all their winnings and donated £230 to the fundraising efforts!
Totnes Sub Aqua Club, whose members managed the finances and insurance and once again ran the record-breaking raffle!
A special thanks to Ponsandane Camping, who once again gave us VIP treatment, let us take over the site for the weekend, and provided secure boat storage for all attending clubs.
We’re also incredibly grateful to the team at Penzance Harbour for supporting the event year after year.
Huge thanks to everyone who helped organise the weekend, to the businesses and individuals who donated to the fundraising efforts, and to the 200+ people who took part!
It was truly a fantastic event. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, everyone had a great time—and a record amount of money was raised. Planning for next year is already underway!
Far from the usual tourist trails, on a small island in the Northern Moluccas, lies a place of extraordinary beauty: Nabucco’s Spice Island Resort. Nestled between dense tropical jungle and a powdery white sand beach, the resort offers a peaceful escape immersed in nature at its purest. With panoramic views of the turquoise sea and direct access to some of Indonesia’s most untouched reefs, it’s a dream come true for those seeking tranquility above and adventure below the surface.
The resort features just 16 spacious beachfront bungalows, each only steps from the ocean. At its heart is a beautifully designed open-air restaurant, built entirely from natural materials, where guests can enjoy a diverse selection of Indonesian and international cuisine.
But what truly sets Nabucco’s Spice Island Resort apart is the underwater world that surrounds it. The reefs of the Northern Moluccas are among the most pristine and biodiverse in all of Indonesia – and remarkably, they remain largely untouched. Thanks to the remote location, dive boats are often the only ones around, giving divers the rare privilege of exploring vibrant coral gardens, dramatic walls, and colorful drop-offs in complete solitude.
Marine life here is nothing short of spectacular. Blacktip reef sharks are spotted on nearly every dive, while nutrient-rich walls attract sea turtles, schools of jacks, and bumphead parrotfish. For macro enthusiasts, the area is a treasure trove of rare and photogenic species, including pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, frogfish, leaf scorpionfish, and several types of octopus and shrimp.
One of the region’s most extraordinary highlights is the Halmahera Walking Shark, a rare species endemic to this part of Indonesia. First described by scientists only in recent years, this small shark is unlike anything else in the ocean. Rather than swimming, it uses its muscular pectoral and pelvic fins to “walk” along the seabed. These elusive yet fascinating creatures are most often encountered on night dives – and witnessing one in the wild is a truly unforgettable experience.
The reefscapes surrounding Spice Island Resort are equally impressive. Flourishing hard coral formations spread across the seabed, interspersed with vivid sponges, large sea fans, and colorful soft corals. The biodiversity is astonishing, and the visual spectacle underwater is a dream for photographers. Most importantly, the reefs here are healthy—a rare treasure in today’s marine environment. With minimal tourism and careful management, the ecosystem remains intact, vibrant, and teeming with life.
Nabucco’s Spice Island Resort is more than just a dive destination – it’s a retreat for those seeking peace and a haven for underwater explorers looking to experience the authentic magic of Indonesia’s last true frontier.
Book your next diving adventure at Nabucco’s Spice Island Resort with Extra Divers!
If you’re new to this blog, then I am Mia DaPonte and I share my life underwater with you after I got certified as the youngest female Master Scuba Diver in the USA! You can also follow me and all my adventures on Instagram: @underwaterwithmia.
Last week my family and I returned from our vacation in Aruba, where we did lots of fun activities, and my mom and I went diving with AJ and Aruba Premier Boat and Dive.
Before you think I’m going to say it’s not great diving—it’s actually amazing! Aruba diving is truly an experience, but it all depends on who you go with. On our first day, AJ took us to the Antilla wreck. It is SOOOO cool—maybe one of my favorite wreck dives yet (but I haven’t seen too many wrecks). AJ told us the story of the Antilla wreck, and guess what? It is the largest wreck in the Caribbean! AJ guided us through the wreck. It was filled with fish and moray eels. We saw a sea turtle! My most favorite part of this dive was getting to go through some of the easier parts of the wreck. I am really liking wreck diving and want to do more!
The second dive that day, I got to choose a reef or a wreck. I chose another wreck that was more pieces than a full ship. It’s so cool to see wreckage at the bottom of the ocean, especially when I hear about why it’s there and can imagine the story while I dive.
For our second day of diving, we met AJ on the other side of the island. The goal for this day was to see some beautiful reefs! Both dives this day were beautiful. There were so many colorful corals. We saw a stingray and tons of beautiful tropical fish.
It was a lot of fun diving in Aruba, where the waters are clear. I would definitely want to come back and dive in Aruba—especially with AJ! He was so fun and told great stories. I learned so much about the island from him. Side note: during surface intervals, AJ served us butter and Gouda cheese sandwiches and they were so delicious! Oh—and he gave me and my mom great tips on how to treat the sunburns we got on our first day on the island. Haha.
The rest of the vacation was family time. We spent time relaxing on the white sandy beaches, went to the Aruba waterpark, ate at lots of delicious restaurants, shopped, and spent whole days swimming. The waterpark was a lot of fun and they had some bigger slides for older kids. My personal opinion is that the waterpark is made more for younger kids than older ones—my younger brother loved it—but it was still a good day.
Diving is always a favorite for me, but on this trip something else was even better. This was my favorite part: We were at the airport on our way home, and we were unusually early for our flight. Anyway, I knew my parents had a surprise for my brother and me, but when I asked them, they told us it was just a painting being delivered (not really a great lie, but it worked). I was just on my phone and my brother was playing video games while we waited. We didn’t even notice at first, but then my mom walked up to us with a little puppy in her arms.
He was a surprise that my mom and dad adopted from the Sgt. Pepper’s Rescue on the island! I was so excited to have a new puppy—and he’s the coolest island cunucu mutt! It was the best surprise ever. Now we have a new family member! I think it’s OK to talk about him in this blog. We, of course, named him “Reef”! It fits with my scuba theme.
Thank you for reading my blogs—this one might just be my favorite. See you next time!
Book your next dive adventure in Aruba with AJ:
Call: +297-7445406 or +297-744-2009
Email: arubapremiere@gmail.com
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