Anyone here from YD? Update us!

[purple vonny]

I think it was about 2004 that I joined Yorkshire Divers forum, forerunner to TDF. Shortly after that I moved from Wales to Weymouth and met lots of online friends. Many of those members I met, I dived with or made tea for as a deck bitch on dive boats. Some stayed in my spare rooms for B&B and some ended up as holiday buddies in Cornwall, Egypt or Gozo. There was also the annual YD ski trip. So many have now stopped diving but stay in touch.

I wondered if any one wanted to update us on who's doing what? I'll kick off...
Me: Still diving a single 10 mostly, not instructing anymore, still taking rubbish photos and getting shallower and safer every year.
Others I keep in touch with:
Diving Dude - (Howard) - a grandad multiple times now. No longer tarmacking drives. Still awesome.
Buoyant Babe - Helen - diving, swimming, running, walking lots of dogs, re-married, still very bonkers.
Scuba Sue - living the good life in Gozo with Pee Bee
Digger - married and a daddy now.
Garf - married with a very very funny daughter who makes everyone laugh
London Sean - finally married to Claire and still a top bloke
Porg (Helen H)- now a fancy boat skipper ooop in Scotland
and there are so many others and I can't remember their YD names.

Portland has changed so much as a dive destination.
Scimitar is now owned by Nick , who used to skipper for Smudge. Smudge has married and left the country. Helena, who used to co-own and run Scimitar , very sadly died in 2021.
Dale and Ron have left Portland and now live in Somerset. Dive beyond in Castletown is now owned and run by Martin from GLUG. Skin Deep is now becoming a more commercial diving based business rather than recreational.

What are you all up to now?

[Nickpicks]

I'm still here.
Joined YD when I started diving in 2011. Moved to TDF along with everyone else in 2013.

Steadily increased diving until July last year, got bent, had PFO, just had it fixed. Hope to be back to diving in May/June.

[purple vonny]

Kirstie and Turbanator - still diving lots and lots and still mad as a box of frogs

[uwila]

Hello PV,
I was diving until 2 years ago when I lost my medical, which I'm hoping to get back after some heart surgery. I'm recovering well from my 2nd bout of cancer, so pretty much decrepit these days. TBHD is still as beautiful as ever she was; Eric the Fish is now 6 feet tall (I have no idea wher those genes come from) and will be sitting A levels this summer; Bob the Baby is still delightful and can even beat me at draughts every now and then.

[wibble32]

PV!
Haven't dived since Covid as I prefer warmer water, latest easing is getting me looking at trips again, also probably Gozo in Sept 2022. Would be good to meet Bob, Scuba Sue and PB of this Parish there.

Still use my YD weight buckle buckle which I wear with pride!

Rgds

[cazyoung]

Good to hear from you PV. I migrated here from YD when it was created. Last time I got wet was when we took our eldest niece to Shagra to learn to dive as a 18th birthday experience. Have discovered Portland as a holiday destination the first time staying in Red Hot Tottie's partners lovely cottage. Diving Dude seems to pop in here periodically but not post. Great to have the up-date about other YD/TDF folks thank you.

[barnaby_s]

I was on YD, can't remember what name I used on there.
I faded out from diving in about 2009 and then have been trying to come back more in the last few years.

In the Covid world I have been having some general anxiety, and pre-dive anxiety specifically which is strange as if I do make it in the water all is good.

[Helen F H]

I’m still alive!

Ended up in the Big Girl Seat on the Valkyrie for 18 months, but Valkyrie now sold and is being renamed to Honeydew and will be running out of Oban under the very capable Sarah Chan.
Valhalla is still the big bitch she has always been 200 tonnes of utter thug, and getting bigger - just extended the galley and upper deck. I’m back where I belong in the galley making huge amounts of cake.
We do Orkney (Scapa and North Isles), Shetland and Norway.

Oh and we bought Top Gun from Gary and renamed her Viking - she’s snoozing in the marina just now, no plans to run day boat with her though just a toy to play silly buggers with.

I’m no taller, but nowhere near as wide as I used to be.

[Ian@1904]

I joined YD in 2003.
Now retired from bean counting. Mostly so that I can go diving
2021 saw me do 70+ sea dives: Scapa Flow twice, Shetland, Mull, St Abbs, Scilly, even Weymuff.
Been using a Go Pro since 2013. Go Pro now upgraded with super bright lights.
To make life interesting I have been doing archeology courses with the NAS. Claire H this is all your fault. So in a couple of weeks time I am doing Side Scan Sonar stuff.
2022....Plymouth, St Abbs, Scapa Flow, Hebrides, Outliers-two week trip. Tempted by warm water stuff for June or September I will see what the Boss has to say.
If the investments go good then ultra ultra bright lights for the Scapa trip
Still on a twinset. Still irritating in person.
Still in touch with Helen and Howard.

[colinicky]

PV
Joined yd in 2004 under same user name . Have dived out of Portland once & remember you on the boat being very helpful �� Mainly dive on trips to Orkney & Shetland with H & H now .