Scuba club marks a milestone
The False Bay Underwater Club, a scuba-diving club, celebrated its 75th anniversary, in Wynberg, on Saturday January 25.
The non-profit club built a clubhouse under the Wetton Bridge, Wynberg, in 1968.
“The club focuses on scuba diving (with many members pursuing underwater photography and marine conservation interests), but the club was originally more of a spear-fishing club and also had an award-winning underwater hockey section in the past. We scuba dive both in False Bay and on the Atlantic Seaboard," said club chairperson Alison Beere.
Before moving to Wynberg, the club operated from a venue in Plumstead.
The milestone celebrations included a short presentation about the club, a celebratory toast, a braai and music, said Ms Beere.
The club was founded by a group of spear-fishers, amongst them Jock Dichmont, Bill Pengelly and Cecil Knipe.
“The club’s original mission was to promote spear-fishing, underwater photography, marine research and recovery, scuba diving and social activities,” said Ms Beere.
“Each year, we take part in the annual International Divers Night (organised from Norway) and for the last two years, we have hosted the greater Cape Town diving community to come together and get the greatest number of participants in the world for that event.”
The club had faced some financial difficulties in the wake of Covid, “but, overall, 2024 was a good one for us, with an upward trend in membership and plenty of enthusiasm for our sport", said Ms Beere.
The club relies on annual membership subscriptions, regular fund-raising activities and ad-hoc donations for its survival.
“We have ten members on the committee, and the club itself has 112 members - ranging in age from a post-matriculant to over-70 years of age. Currently our most active diving members are between 30 and 55 years of age,” said Ms Beere.
