The Committee

Jim Boyd 512x512

Jim 'Safe Bubbling' Boyd

Chairman

I started diving in 1972 whilst based in the Maldives. Awarded military diving supervisor (SADS) in September 1981 and gained BSAC Advanced Instructor August 1994. Held positions as Training Officer and Diving Officer on several RAF stations where I have planned expeditions in the UK and overseas. I have dived all around the UK and overseas including Gibraltar, Cyprus, Red Sea and Ascension Island.
Dave Hall

Dave 'Rockin' Hall

secretary

I started diving in May 1994 after my wife volunteered me for a try dive whilst on holiday in Cyprus. Since then I have experienced diving in many various locations around the world. All have been varied, from the cold Artic to the hot Equator. My most memorable dives are block ships in Scapa Flow, the Trenamene wall dive in the Scilly Isles, an encounter with a huge basking shark at the Skellig Islands and Cenote diving with my eldest daughter. Oh and a little place in the Pacific full of Japanese shipwrecks which the name escapes me! 😉 Since the inception of the Seahorse Dive Club, I have served on the committee as Secretary for 17 years of the first 24.
Paul Cole

Paul Cole

Membership Secretary

I learnt to dive in 1996 (yeah I know, last century) with Scubaleisure, who were affiliated with Aqualeaisure in Melksham. Soon after gaining my PADI open water qualification I went on holiday to the Red Sea with my brother, who had qualified 3 years earlier, where we did our Advanced course. Then we joined White Horse dive club as it was called then and dived regularly in Lyme Bay on Mark Horton’s rib. White horse became Seahorse dive club in 1997.

In 2004 I became a PADI Divemaster and assisted White Horse diving with students for several years. When White Horse ceased training I started helping JC Scuba with students, which I am still involved with and enjoy.

I have dived various locations in the UK and abroad, including, besides several trips to the Red Sea, Turkey, Corsica, Caribbean, Philippines and most recently Thailand.

Andrew Osborne

Andrew 'Ossie' Osborne

Treasurer

I have been diving since 1991 and have dived in many locations both in the UK and around the world, always looking for a new venture.  My training was done within the armed forces under BSAC rules and I started diving with a single cylinder and now use a twin set with side slung bailout. My most memorable dives have to be Truk Lagoon closely followed by Ascension Island. I am a carpenter by trade for an exhibition company when I am working when I’m not working you will find either with a pint of beer or eating a curry.

Ben Horton

Social Secretary

Mark Lewis 512x512

Mark 'Boat Bitch' Lewis

Web Monkey

Relatively new to the sport, I started diving in 2012 while on holiday with my daughter. Since then I’ve dived in many locations around the world including the Maldives and Chuuk Lagoon. Having dived single cylinder, sidemount and twinset, I ventured to bubble free world of CCR in 2019.My bias is tin rather than coral as I’m fascinated in the history that lays behind each shipwreck’s demise. Our British waters are littered with such maritime history. It’s hard to pick just one or two, but my most memorable dives and their background stories have to be SS Mohegan, the Coronation, SS Rondo, SS Breda, SV Fenna, U-Boat UB-55, U-Boat UB-78 and HMS Flirt. In 2021 I joined the Nautical Archeological Society and in 2022 I dived Holland No.5 with an invitation to dive the Klein Hollandia twice.I enjoy technology and trying to get down with the kids, you’ll likely spot me down Caffè Nero jostling for my Latte Frappé and paying with my iWatch Apple Pay.
Bill King

Bill 'Merlot' King

General Duties

A struggling old bugger who appreciates the good buddies who belong to this club. Look forward to a varied diving season. Now, where’s the Merlot?

 

Mark Hampshire

Mark ‘Hammy’ Hampshire

General Duties

I started diving back in 1990, with Mark Horton, did a one week intensive course at Stoney Cove, followed by a weekend down in Portland, first sea dive being the Countess or Erne. Hooked on wrecks from that point. Qualified as a Divemaster in 1998, and then started doing a few IANTD courses. Favourite Wreck dive is a strange one. Consisting mainly of a pile of bricks in Lyme bay, The Heroine.

Tom Bryer

Tom 'Vape Crusader' Bryer

General Duties

I started diving with Mandy in 2018 whilst we were on holiday in Lanzarote. The bug bit and we continued our diving journey when we returned to the UK. After some further PADI training we have enjoyed furthering our diving experience both in the UK and abroad. Diving regularly with other members of the Seahorse club has enabled us to refine equipment, trim and buoyancy along with additional training from agencies such as GUE. Being a member of the Seahorse club has greatly facilitated our ability to go diving and we very much enjoy the Seahorse club diving ‘expeditions’. Fun, not only in the water but also out of it.