Op Crayfish an Invasive Crayfish Investigation. Thank to a grant from the Lottery Fund of £19, 990. 00 Harbour Lights SCUBA Diving Club will be investigating the American Crayfish that is devastating our waters.
Our first meeting was at Camelot Rugby Club on Monday 4th May 2026. This was all about the program we will be undertaking, & some of the kit & equipment we will be using. Plus, a chance to me one of the American Crayfish they will be investigating [his name was Colin].
The program starts proper on Thursday May 16th, 2026, at Everyone Active where they will start their SCUBA Diving course leading them to become qualified SCUBA Divers with SSI. Later, they will also undergo training to become 1st Aiders with SSI.
This is just a start of their adventures. We will keep you updated each week as to what that have been doing.
The photo is of the young ones [there must be a song there] at Camelot Rugby Club looking over some of the SCUBA Diving kit, the nets that they will be catching the American Crayfish in. And of course, Colin the Crayfish.
Diary:
04/03/2026 - Start of Op Crayfish
07/05/2026 - Meeting with Students for Op Crayfish
14/05/2026 - Paperwork
21/05/2026 - Meeting with Students
28/05/2026 - Study Session, Introduction to Scuba Equipment
04/06/2026 - Study Night
11/06/2026 - First Night in the Pool
18/06/2026 - Scuba Diving Course Work
25/06/2026 - Scuba Diving Session
02/07/2026 - Course Work
09/07/2026 - Pool Scuba Diving Course
16/07/2026 - Exams
20/07/2026 - Redbournbury Lake, 5 Nets in the water, 2 gone missing
23/07/2026 - Scuba Diving in Pool
25/07/2026 - Someone has taken the Crayfish out of the nets
29/07/2026 - Wrysbury Lake, 4 traps have been put into the water, have been hidden
Our Latest grant (Project name: Youth Environmental Diving Programme: Invasive Crayfish Investigation) is for £19,990 from the Lottery Fund is to train 20 young people (10 in 2026 and 10 in 2027). More Information on this Later.
In 2025, Harbour Lights Scuba Diving has received a £5000 grant from Community Action Decorum to introduce 100 local young people to Scuba Diving. We were overwhelmed by the amount of young people who signed up to have 2 hours of Scuba Diving lessons.
The Ton-Up SCUBA Diving session that was financed by Levelling Up & Community Action Dacorum. We have completed our mission to take 100 young people [10 at a time over seven months] from the Dacorum area & give them a taster session of SCUBA Diving for two hours in the pool at Everyone Active in Hemel Hempstead Herts.
All the spaces were taken up in a very short time with 23 young people put on the reserve list.
They came from an assortment of backgrounds. Scouts, Mencap, Young Helpers plus a group of Foster Children to name but a few.
The Grant of £ 4,980 00 came from Levelling Up & Community Action Dacorumfor which we are more than thankful.
Water skills were taught along with how the SCUBA equipment works hand signals for use underwater. Kitting up into the SCUBA Diving equipment then into the pool, buoyancy on the surface, how to breath with the regulator in your mouth holding onto the side. How to fin on the surface breathing with the Reg in their mouths. Then the best part finning underwater. Down they went with our instructors, one instructor to three young people, with another Instructor acting as a Safety Diver in the pool. Plus, a Safety Diver on the side circling the pool. Exercises were undertaken. Time goes by very quickly when you are underwater.
The photo shows the last 10 young people on the course. They were from the Young Helpers along with Simon Aulton Chief Executive of Community Action Dacorum who arranged the session for them.
A special thanks goes to Loretta Anderson. The lady at Community Action Decorum, the Round House in the Marlow’s. Without her help & guidance the Ton-Up SCUBA session would never have happened.
Ever thought of giving SCUBA Diving a go? Two clubs in Hemel Hempstead that meet at Everyone Active.
For young people contact Matt at Matthew_sharks@outlook.comif you are under 18 years of age. They meet at Everyone Active every other Saturday.
For Adults contact Gordon at gharland@hlsd.org.ukOver 18 years of age we meet at Everyone Active on a Thursday night.
Photo below £520 funded by the Lions Club in Hemel Hempstead to help finance the training of young members:
In 2023, the club received a community fund of £10,000 to retube the club's RIB (Photos Below)
Councilor Ron Tindall presented a cheque for £ 500.00 to Harbour Lights SCUBA Diving Club and Matthews Sharks SCUBA Diving Club a few weeks ago after a request for funds to buy a Resusci Anne and other 1st Aid training equipment for the two local SCUBA diving clubs. The other Resusci Anne we had was over twenty years old and had seen better days. We knew this, when on our last 1st Aid course her head came off in one of the students hands. Bill Pratt the 1st Aid instructors at the time pronounced Resusci Anne, dead.
We applied to Ron for £500 grant from the Local Budget Scheme and having money put aside from Bill Pratt’s New Years Day SCUBA dive in his Shorty in one of our local lakes [some people will do anything for money] we were able to buy a Resusci Anne plus a host of other 1st Aid equipment to replace our worn out training aids. 1st Aid is important to us SCUBA divers, as we have a tendency to dive in remote areas. Plus you never know when you will need it, SCUBA diving or not.
Nick Tessier, one of our clubs 1st Aid instructor, seen in the photo above, is instructing club members on how to perform CPR. As one of the team said there was more huffing and puffing than in a council meeting.
If you have ever fancied learning to SCUBA dive, or had a go while on holiday, or if you are a SCUBA diver, and just want to keep your skills up to date no matter who you learnt to SCUBA dive with. Contact Gordon on 07748 176906 or Email Gordon.