News
Meet Our Club: East Midlands Sub Aqua Club
Want to join a dive club? In this new series, we take a look at grassroots diving and find out what’s happening on the club scene in the UK and around the world…
What is the name of your club?
East Midlands Sub Aqua Club or EMSUB – BSAC 1663.
Where is your club based?
In Long Eaton, between Derby and Nottingham.
Club affiliations (i.e. BSAC, PADI, SAA, etc.)
We are a BSAC Branch but many of our current members started with other training bodies.
Where and when do you meet?
We meet at the Wilsthorpe Tavern in Long Eaton every Tuesday at 8.00 pm, except for the third Tuesday of the month when we meet at Lonsdale pool in Derby.
How do you respond to the challenge of recruiting new members?
We take stalls at local fetes and galas. We have run ‘Dive in a Bucket’ sessions with local scout groups and we also have a regular spot in a local magazine.
Some members have been interviewed on local radio and members put up posters at work and in their local area. We also sell try-dive gift vouchers.
What facilities and resources does the club use / have?
At the pub we have the sole use of a room for meetings and training lectures on a Tuesday. We are lucky also to have a member who lets us use a training room that is part of his business at the weekends.
We have around eight sets of scuba kit in a range of sizes suitable for pool work and open water dives. New trainees use the kit for their training sessions and look after them whilst training, which gives them good instruction on how to care for kit. Some of the kit can also be borrowed for dives if any of the club have their own kit in for testing.
We are also very lucky that one of our members owns a rib and he is always keen for people to go along on trips.
Our best resource are the trainers and members within the club; we all work together to help each other and to offer new trainees the best experience we can.
What sort of diving do you do, and where?
Shore diving, rib diving, hard boats, at sea and in quarries. We do lots of UK diving and have had many trips abroad. We particularly enjoy St Abb and the Farne Islands but also North and South Wales, Plymouth; from the south coast up to the Orkneys!
We’ve also recently completed a dry dive at the Midlands Chamber. It was fascinating to see everyone’s reactions at 50m and also to learn about the other work the Chamber do that is not just diving related.
Do you organise any club trips abroad, and if so, where?
As a club we have been to Spain, Egypt and Malta. Lanzarote has been booked for later this year.
Some of the club have been lucky enough to travel to Cyprus, Gozo, Thailand, Turkey, Mozambique, Cayman Islands, Roatan, Tobago, Grenada and Sudan.
Does your club have any special interests such as conservation, special projects etc?
There are many interests within the club with probably photography, history and conservation being the top three.
Does your club have any claims to fame or any particularly interesting stories… or members
Linda and Caroline organised the first East Midlands ‘This Girl Can Dive’ event in October 2015. This was a try-dive session aimed at getting 100 women to give a try-dive a go, in conjunction with This Girl Can and BSAC. We had 101 women sign up for the day and raised money for Ovarian Cancer and the RNLI. We had a lot of publicity around the Derby and Nottingham area and appeared in the newspapers and on the radio.
We have had BSAC’s youngest Ocean Diver qualify with us, aged only 12. His Dad was a member of the club when it first started 28 years ago – he was very young at the time too. And to keep on with the family theme, we have three generations of the same family in the club. They created quite a stir when the Grandson decided he wanted to learn to dive and Grandad came along with him and signed up for the Ocean Diver course aswell. Grandad learnt to dive aged 71 so he had his own write up in the papers…. the story continued when Dad and another Grandson joined too.
What are the club’s plans for the future?
To carry on diving and enjoying ourselves within the club and to carry on training and supporting our new members. It’s great to see people’s confidence grow as they learn new skills. It is a very supportive club.
Where can people find out more about your club
You can find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/emsub1663/ at our website http://emsub.co.uk/ or best of all, call us on 07591 655512 and come and meet us at the Wilsthorpe Tavern!
Finally… if you could sum up your club in just one sentence, what would it be?
A fab, fun and friendly group of people waiting to meet you and help you on your way to new adventures.
MV FeBrina Escorted Photography Trip
Dates: 5-15 September 2025
Itinerary: 10-night trip to Kimbe Bay, the Witu Islands, and Fathers Reefs. This is widely considered the best diving itinerary in Papua New Guinea.
Capacity: Only 10 spots available.
Cost: $4990 USD per person sharing.
- Two small single occupancy cabins available for $4990.
- Two large single occupancy cabins available for $5990.
Why Choose This Trip?
This trip offers what is likely to be some of the best reef diving you’ll ever experience. The itinerary has been chosen for its extraordinary variety, abundance of marine life, and the fact that you’ll encounter very few (if any) other divers. With 75% of the world’s hard coral species and thousands of documented fish and invertebrate species, including some yet to be described, this area is truly special. Pelagic fish are abundant, and highlights include species like horse-eye jacks, pickhandle barracuda, and mega-rarities like Coleman’s pygmy seahorse. The corals remain in pristine condition, and the diversity of marine life is unparalleled.
Photography Coaching
This trip includes photography coaching by Christopher Bartlett, founder of Best of PNG and a renowned underwater photographer. Christopher has had over 100 articles published and a dozen dive magazine cover shots to his name. He will cover everything from basic to advanced lighting techniques for macro and wide-angle photography, using clear examples to help you enhance your skills. From setting up gear to processing images in Lightroom, Christopher’s coaching will cater to all skill levels.
The Diving Itinerary
This signature itinerary will take you to the spectacular reefs of Kimbe Bay, the volcanic Witu Islands, and the offshore Fathers Reefs.
- Kimbe Bay: Known for its stunning coral formations, vibrant sea mounts, coral walls, and lush coral gardens. The area boasts more than 40 reef dive sites, including a beautifully preserved WWII Mitsubishi Zero fighter plane.
- Witu Islands: This volcanic island group offers diverse diving experiences, from sea mounts like Lama Shoals to coral arches and exciting night dives in black sand bays. You’ll also interact with local villagers trading fresh fruit from canoes, with a planned village visit during the trip.
- Fathers Reefs: These offshore, volcanic reefs feature dramatic underwater topography, including arches and swim-throughs. The pelagic activity here is remarkable, with sightings of sharks, rays, barracudas, jacks, and turtles. A baited dive for Silvertip sharks is included.
The experienced dive guides of MV FeBrina know the sites extremely well and are skilled at spotting marine life. You can provide a wishlist of critters, and they will work hard to find them.
Getting There
The trip starts with a one-hour domestic flight from Port Moresby to Hoskins Airport in West New Britain. The flight over mountain ranges and diverse landscapes offers a stunning preview of the adventure ahead. Regaldive will book the domestic flights for you, with an estimated cost of $360 USD for a return ticket.
As described by Professor J.E.N. Veron, former Chief Scientist of the Australian Institute of Marine Science:
“The coral reefs of Kimbe Bay take me back forty years, to a time when corals grew in lush profusion, untroubled by the problems that beset them today… I am hard pressed to think of anywhere on earth that has this combination of vibrant health, diversity, and beauty.”
Inclusions
- 10 nights of ensuite accommodation on MV FeBrina
- All meals, snacks, unlimited tea and coffee
- Final night dinner at Walindi Plantation Resort
- 8.5 days of diving (4-5 dives per day)
- Filled tanks, weight belt, and weights
- Return transfers to and from Hoskins Airport/Walindi
- Light daily laundry service
Exclusions
- Flights
- Bar expenses and soft drinks
- Nitrox
- Dive equipment rental
- Meals at Walindi prior to or after the liveaboard
- Souvenirs, personal items, and gratuities
- 10% GST on purchases in Papua New Guinea
Additional Costs
- Environmental and Safety Fees: $90 per person, payable in advance.
- Nitrox: $270 for all dives or $10 per fill.
- Equipment Hire: Available with prior arrangement.
- Alcohol/Bar: Local beers, soft drinks, and wine available at varying costs. It is recommended to bring your preferred spirits duty-free.
Payment
Payments can be made via credit card (MasterCard/Visa/Amex) or cash in AUD, USD, PGK, or Euros. Prices for bar items and additional purchases are subject to change.
Extensions
Regaldive offers pre- or post-liveaboard extensions, including trips around PNG. From 15 to 22 September 2025, Christopher Bartlett will lead a Highlands Tribes Tour, featuring bird-watching, village visits, private Sing-Sings, and the Goroka Highlands Cultural Festival. The full tour costs $3240 USD. Alternatively, a four-night option for the Goroka festival from 17-21 September starts at $1260 USD. Additional extension options include extra diving at Walindi Resort, volcano treks, WWII plane wreck tours, or diving near Port Moresby. Post-festival, Christopher will also lead a five-night Sepik River tour, exploring ancient customs and Spirit Houses deep in the jungle.
For more information or to book, contact Indigo Safaris:
Email: safariexperts@indigosafaris.com
UK: +44 771 334 27 29
USA: +1 718 312 8777
France: +33 668 74 97 05
Skype: christopherbartlett
Already available in Black, Green, Red and Blue, the D710 Dive Light from Orcatorch is now available in Pink too.
Whether you’re a recreational or a professional diver, you’ll find the OrcaTorch D710 dive light useful in your underwater activities.
With max 3,000 lumens, the D710 is one of the strongest torches in its class. You also have plenty of brightness settings to choose from if you prefer less power.
It runs on one OrcaTorch 21700 5000mAh rechargeable battery with a Type-C charging port, easier for you to charge it anywhere. Now it offers five exterior colour options: Black, Green, Red, Blue, and Pink, to satisfy your diverse needs.
Featuring:
* Uses Luminous LED, max 3000 lumens
* Uses 1 * 21700 Li-ion battery
* 6° beam angle
* Offers four exterior colour options: Black, Red, Green and Blue
* Easy operation with side titanium alloy push-button switch
* Safe lock function, prevents mis-operation
* Intelligent Over-Heat protection
* Battery indicator
* Water pressure resistant construction, depth rated to 150 meters
* Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation
* Over-discharge protection function
* Constructed from high-strength A6061-T6 aluminum
* Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized finish for durability and corrosion resistance
* Two sides coated toughened glass with high water pressure resistance under deep water
Sea & Sea is the home of OrcaTorch and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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