a day ago
Normalair Underwater Club plunges with Polar Bear Dive
Science describes the winter solstice as being the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
In the Southern Hemisphere this typically falls around June 21. So, to mark it, divers of the Emmarentia-based Normalair Underwater Club held their annual Polar Bear Dive. A fitting name, as probably only bears could comfortably handle the cold temperatures of the beloved dam this time of the year.
Read more; Whales almost eat divers
The day sees divers do more than just enjoy the sport they love; it offers them the opportunity to do a community service, and to clear the dam bed of anything that shouldn't be there.
Over the years, dives like these have found many interesting and forgotten objects, however, one might arguably surmise that, among the many treasures that lie within this mostly tranquil town, it is the club that is the real hidden gem.
Rich in 63 years of history, this club continues to celebrate and promote the wonder that is scuba diving and free diving, as well as the really interesting sport of underwater hockey.
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Chairperson of the Normalair Underwater Club Mark Botha on June 21, 2025, as he sits on a bench he helped haul from the dam bed of Emmarentia Dam many years ago. Northcliff EmmarentiaDam
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You can find out more about this club, and everything it has accomplished through the years, in one of the Northcliff Melville Times editions. So, be sure to lookout for that copy.
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