Club Trip 2004 to Malta

by Alex Liddon

"Want to go diving in Malta?"
"When?"
"Sounds Good to Me!"

If it wasn't for that conversation in the bar at the sports centre one April Tuesday then this would be a very short report consisting of a blank page. But Dave made the week sound so inviting, sun, warm water and good visibility, what more could an Ocean Diver need?
Oh yes, to be a qualified Sports Diver and once again Dave's organizational skills came in to play and we were all signed off in time for October.

So the day finally arrived and Gary Knights, Gary Pembroke, Paul Catchpole, George Shepherd, Alex Liddon and the Whitlam family: Dave and Karin and Kyle Littlejohn all headed off to the Island of Malta.

Day 1. Tuesday 12th
George, Gary P, Paul and I met at Gary K's house so we could travel in convoy and we arrived in plenty of time for our long check in at Norwich Airport.

Following consumption of over priced snacks, the Whitlams arrived and we all checked in and headed to the departure lounge. There was only one slight hitch Karina had not changed her passport to her new married name, however after 10 minutes everything was sorted and we headed to the bar where, as I had never flown before, everyone suddenly had a scare story about flying.

Arriving in Malta at 10pm we collected our things and Dave, Karina and Kyle headed off to their house and the rest of us met Joe our taxi driver who would give us our first taste of Maltese driving. I think we all wondered what we had let ourselves in for before the car finally stopped at the Sands Apartments in St Paul's Bay.

Day 2. Wednesday 13th.
Paul and myself met the two Garys and George and headed for a walk to get our first daylight look at Malta before meeting Dave and Karina at Maltaqua where after breakfast in the café next door we collected our weeks transport - 2 jeeps and a van, cylinders and weights. We then headed off to Cirkewwa for our first dive and here we met Sharky a professional diving photographer who took our pictures when we finished our dive.

Dive 1: situated on the northwest of the Island, a good dive to start our intro into the Mediterranean Sea. Lots to see and do on this dive including a statue of the Madonna. Max depth 20-25m.
After returning to Maltaqua for a cylinder refill and lunch we headed to Qawra Point for our second dive.

Dive 2: Short walk over rocks to dive site. Shallow reef dive. Lots of fish and plant life to look at.
After the dive we said goodbye to Dave and Karina and headed home to wash equipment and hang it up in the Sand's drying room before going into St Paul's where we tried the local brew and food.

Day 3. Thursday 14th
Gary K got up early to fill the cylinders and he continued to do this for the rest of the week. We then all met up with Dave and party at the café for breakfast before heading to our fist dive site Anchor Bay that was built as the set for the 1980's film Popeye.

Dive 3: Reef and Cave dive. Max depth 20m. Lots to see including an octopus and starfish.
After lunch we headed to Manoel Island for a dive by the old Royal Naval Hospital.
Dive 4: a good rummage dive to see what the sailors chucked overboard over the years including hospital beds. There is also a torpedoed barge lying up the sloping wall.

That evening we headed to St Julian's for a meal and a walk through Paceville, before heading to the bar across the road from Sands for a nightcap.

Day 4. Friday 15th
We met Dave and headed to Cirkewwa this time to dive the tugboat Rozi.
Dive 5: a little bit further out and deeper then our last dive here. The Rozi is 30m in length and was scuttled in 1992. She sits upright on the sandy bottom at approximately 34m. A very good dive with lots of fish.

After lunch we headed on what turned out to be a scenic drive to our second dive site. Dave assured us he was not lost but wanted us to get a better view of the island. However our dive on the two tugs at Zonqor Point was aborted as we could enter the water ok but the surface conditions made a safe exit impossible. We therefore headed back to Cirkewwa a little later that evening for a night dive.

Dive 6: a repeat of our first dive at Cirkewwa only this time at night.
After this dive Gary P, Paul and myself went back to George and Gary K's room where Gary had prepared filled baguettes and then over the road for a pint.

Day 5. Saturday 16th
Today we met Dave, Karina and their friends and headed to the neighboring Island of Gozo for two spectacular dives in close proximity. There were a lot of tourists and divers at this location and many souvenir stalls.

Dive 7: the Blue Hole an excellent dive that takes you out of the Blue Hole and into open sea. Depth can drop down to 60+ metres. Coming back into the Blue Hole there is a cave to explore while decompressing.
When we exited the dive we carried our cylinders to the filling station and returned to the café and stalls before walking to the next dive site.

Dive 8: Dewjra, Inland Sea. We swam through a cave into open sea. The view was stunning though we had to be aware of small boats taking tourist on sightseeing trips.
After the dive and when we had all finished packing up, me, George and Gary P took a trip on one of the small boats to see what the view was like on the surface.

That evening we walked into St Paul's for another visit to the restaurant from Wednesday night.

Day 6. Sunday 17th
Today the diary was blank with leaving the 5 of us to entertain ourselves so Dave could spend time with his friends. We therefore had a leisurely morning Gary P, Paul and I decided to take a day off from diving.

Dive 9: Gary K took George off for a shallow dive at Cirkawwa so he could get a picture of the Madonna and Gary P and I went along to act as surface cover and get in some sunbathing. That afternoon we headed to Valletta, the capital of Malta for sightseeing. We visited the Upper Barracca Gardens, which have memorials to the many sailors lost in these waters over the years and also Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill. We walked along the sea front and saw Manoel Island on the other side of Grand Harbour. By then it was early evening so we went for a scenic drive to St Julian's for a Chinese meal.

Day 7. Monday 18th
Today was Gary P's 40th Birthday.
We met Dave at 9:30 in St. Julian's and headed to the Blue Grotto. To dive the Um El Faroud this was scuttled in 1998. The wreck sits upright in 35m of water.

Dive 10: After a surface swim out we submerged and once on the wheelhouse split into two separate groups. Dave, Paul and Gary P ventured into the wreck and Gary K, George and I headed to the stern to feed the fish. We then all met up again and returned to the shore.

Once we had packed our kit in the cars Gary P, George, I and Kyle took a boat trip out into the Blue Grotto to see all the different colored rocks.
Dive 11: A final return to Cirkewwa where Dave and Karina headed off to do their own dive and the rest of us followed Gary K on a repeat of the dive he did with George on Sunday.

That evening we headed off to Dave's for a buffet and drinks before cutting Gary P's birthday cake and heading out into town.

Day 8. Tuesday 19th.
Today was the day for handing back the weights and cylinders borrowed from Maltaqua and buying last minute souvenirs. After packing we left our bags in Gary K's room and headed to the café one last time for breakfast. Then Joe arrived to take us back to the airport, only this time he was not in such a rush and the drive was slightly better then last Tuesday. Then after an uneventful flight we were back in Lowestoft.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first overseas diving holiday and would like to thank Dave for organizing it and Karina for looking after my glasses whilst I was diving. I also must thank Gary Knights for all his knowledge of the Island. Here's to our next visit!

Photos by Alex Liddon and Gary Knights