A SOCIETY VISIT TO KALYMNOS?

Proposal for a special trip to the home of Greek sponge diving

Nick Baker has suggested that we should organize a Society visit to Kalymnos, the home of Greek sponge divers.

Bill Braithwaite and I took a 'few days out' to see the island and speak to local personalities including the Mayor and tourist organizer.

Faith Warn and her partner Al Smith ensured that our stay was worthwhile and spent many hours transporting us around the sights of the island.

We visited the Nautical Museum (2 Greek helmets and suits), the sponge centre, the Sea World museum (2 helmets and suits) and the preserved mansion of Nicolaos Vouvalis, the millionaire sponge merchant. We also met Drossos Saroukis who has the only working equipment on the island and lonnis Saroukis who represents the divers. I managed a dive in exceptionally clear warm water and came back with a piece of sponge!

The whole trip including air fare, hotel B & B, nightly dinners, transfers and a number of bottles of wine cost us in the region of 450 pounds each.

Since returning, the Managing Director of Kalymnia Yachting has written suggesting that a visit could include seeing the museums, local diving - including helmet demonstration diving from a sponge divers boat, a cruise on a traditional caique for as many days as we wish, a demonstration of local dances including "the diver's dance" and a conference with presentations on the life of sponge divers.

Some members need to go during the school holidays, but others have expressed a preference for off-season months. Perhaps a compromise might be the Easter holidays in 2002.

If you are interested please contact me on 020 8876 0735 as soon as possible so that I can make further arrangements.

Reg Vallintine