BUBBLEDIVERS
RECREATIONAL CLUB
The BUBBLEDIVERS vzw was born in 2011.
In 2015 the General Assembly appointed me as chairman.
I consider the democratization of the club as one of my most important achievements.
At the beginning of 2022 I decided to step aside and leave room for new blood.
ON REGULAR BASIS
During the school year, training sessions take place in the swimming pool 'Strop' Ghent.
Every two weeks, and even more frequently in the high season, you can participate in an outdoor dive.
We offer a variety of dive sites. Something for everyone.
From beginners to highly advanced levels; in summer but also in winter time; at home and abroad.
The family oriented club counts ~ 60 members, of which around 40% are women and 10% are children.
We also involve non-divers from the family through various activities.
Social cohesion is high on the agenda.
WEEKENDS
ASCENSION WEEKEND
Twice a year the BUBBLEDIVERS go on weekends.
During Ascension weekend 2019 we visited Portland UK.
Portland offers some of the best diving in England with a wide range of options.
We focused on wreck diving.
For this we chartered the SKIN DEEPER, an 11m catamaran, specifically built for divers and equipped with a diving lift, fully licensed and insured to carry 12 passengers and 2 crew members.
ZEELAND WEEKEND
The children and teens have just passed the exams and the school report period.
After a year of working hard, the adults are usually ready for some rest.
Traditionally, the BUBBLEDIVERS go to Zeeland NL in the first weekend of July.
QUARRY WEEKEND
Especially the southern part of our home country Belgium has a lot of quarries. We distinguish sandstone, porphyry and marble.
When the economic operation is no longer profitable, the pumps are stopped. Many quarries then get a second life as a dive site.
The water is usually clear. Winches, drill heads and cable cars remind us of a rich past.
Nowadays we can also see plane, car, bicycle and ship wrecks ... or even stranger objects such as skeletons, mannequins or road signs.
Often sturgeons, pike and carp are bred.
In October 2019 and October 2021 the Bubbledivers organized a true quarry weekend.
THEME DAYS
RESCUEDAY
The certifications level of the BUBBLEDIVERS members vary widely: from beginner to course director.
Beginners can learn from the more experienced members. The latter are happy to play a mentor role.
In general we can say: 'the more you dive, the better you get'.
However, experience shows that rescue skills are sometimes an exception to this. After all, we do not need them so often when diving safely.
For this reason, the club organizes an annual refresh day.
In 2019, we welcomed Karel Decaluwé, head of the emergency department AZ Groeninge and instructor at SIMcenter Flanders.
ADVENTUREDAY
The BUBBLEDIVERS Adventureday is a kind of team building event.
At the 2019 edition, the members had to assemble a bicycle under water, followed by a sprint competition on land.
The 2024 edition focused on archaeological finds.
TRIPS
Our foreign club trip is an annual highlight.
In recent years we have traveled to Malta, Egypt, Thailand, Mexico and the Maldives, among others.
You will find a selection below.
EGYPT
In 2018 we did one of Egypt's most popular: the North Wrecks and Reefs trip.
We were treated to old shipwrecks, stories of heroic deeds, colorful coral gardens and an amazing marine life.
MEXICO
In 2019 we went to Yucatan Mexico.
We visited various cenotes and caves and explored the wonderful world of stalactites and stalacmites.
A wealth that goes back to the time of the Maya.
The sea brought variation with turtles and nurse sharks.
MALDIVES
Due to the corona crisis, our trips of 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled.
The travel agency went bankrupt, but luckily we were able to get our prepayment back thanks to good insurance.
The relief was great when we were allowed to travel again after a two-year break.
The Maldives did not disappoint.
We saw gray reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, silky sharks, nurse sharks, reef manta rays, eagle rays, turtles... even a whale shark.
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