History behind Skin Deep Diving

As a diving operator and a company skin deep has quite a history in and around Weymouth when it comes to diving talk. I took over the helm of Skin Deep back in 1998 from the late Andy Smith who was the founder of Skin Deep Diving. Andy started out with a small wooden boat named 'Hunters Moon' back in the 1970's and was actually one of the first skippers to develop an effective charter service for divers as well as the dive ladder with the centre spine prior to that there were ordinary ladders. His later boats bothl named Skin Deep, were a Freewood 35 and a Lochin 38 which I took over from him. Many of you will perhaps remember Andy and even perhaps went diving with him, so I figured with the all new look Skin Deep website why not run a page remembering some of the old days. Skin Deep continues to keep the regular customers coming back perhaps mainly because of Margaret Smiths fantastic cooking or could it be that we still find the virgin wrecks like the old Skin Deep days. What ever it is we hope you keep coming back and I'll keep running Skin Deep well into the new millennium and beyond........... Cheers Ian Taylor.
Ian Taylor

Dave Eavesham with bells he recovered during the early days of Skin Deep
Mick Steer and Andy Smith to his right
Some of the early customers and divers with Skin Deep
 Binnicle from the Pomeranian John Nutting with the bell from the Francisca
Here's some old Skin Deep pictures I've dug up from the old days, click on them to enlarge.
Above left; That's dave Eavesham with a couple of bells he brought on the decks of skin deep, one from the Finnborg.
Above Centre left; A shot of Mickey Steer and Andy Smith to his right, a shot from way back in the 1970's.
Above centre right; Mickey Steer's got the the binnacle from the Pomeranian over his shoulder. Click the image to enlarge you'll see Bruce Grahamslaw to the left with a blue T shirt on, Roger Webber with his Red Bobble on, Jeff Betts with a white T shirt on.
Above right inset; A shot of that Pomeranian Binnacle.
Above right; That's a young looking John Nutting with a proud look on his face, and so he should be he's just discovered the bell off the Franciska.
Over the years we've had a number of ships bells recovered to the decks of Skin Deep
To see some of these why not visit the Skin Deep bell vault click here
Bill Reid and Alan Dunster
Left; Andy Smith and Dave Wilkins with Amphora and a bell from the Finnborg
Centre; Two of my long time customers & old customers of Andy~ messers Bill Reid & Alan Dunster
Right; Old Kingston Diver Dick Tye with a site telescope he once recovered.
News of the HMS Affray discovery Scooters on the back of the old Skin Deep News from diver magazine
Left; News when Skin Deep Hit the headlines with the discovery of HMS Affray
Centre; Aquazepp scooters on the deck of the old Skin Deep when the Starfish team were in training for Britannic 98
Right; News from Diver magazine when we all sadly lost Andy
These are Ian Taylors mates Old Starfish Enterprise team on Skin Deep HMS Limbourne team 2002
Left: These are my so called mates having their picture taken with me. HMS Limbourne 2002 expedition
Centre; A picture of the original Starfish Enterprise team on the old Skin Deep who were at one time regular customers
Right; That's the HMS Limbourne 2002 expedition team led by keith Morris in the centre of the picture.
Below Left; Perhaps one of the best artifacts to have been recovered to the decks
of Skin Deep the Dolphin Binnacle stand from the Athen.
Below centre; The helm recovered from the L H Carl
Right; A picture from the mid 1990's when everyone including the deep guys used open circuit.
Dolphin Binnacle Stand L H Carl helm Skin Deep in the Mid 1990's
Andy Smith on the back of the old Skin Deep during the deep wreck diving hea day.
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