In fairness, there was a trophy for 2nd place. I'm sure Kiwi can put up a picture!!

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I don't get sea sick, the sea gets sick of me!

Great day on Port Phillip Bay, flat conditions with around 5m vis. 5pairs signed on for a four hour comp and they covered a lot of ground. Fish included a very respectable deep body jacket for Port Phillip Bay and this time of year, other jackets, red mullet, magpie perch, snapper, blue throats, zebra fish, dusky morwong and garfish. Fantastic to see all pairs weighing in at least one specie as this can be a very trying location, so well done to all those that competed.

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The following is SFD Senior member Rob Torelli’s memory of the history of the Valdes Competition.

Enrique Valdes (now deceased, died approximately 18 years ago in a SCUBA diving accident near Phillip Island). He was a SFD club member in the clubs early days. He was good friends with myself, Warren Threlfall (AKA Bones) and Rick Devries. We all went to school together. He would be aged 47 now if alive.

In about 1995 l introduced a “Pairs diving event” for SFD and he won it with former state champion Lou Hadju. It was in the first few years of the club.

The following year he died so we named the trophy after him and held an annual competition called the Valdes Pairs Competition. General layout was it was a 4 hour comp followed by a social BBQ and prize giving. (Dive 9 am-1pm).

Crayfish were on the list and normal club rules would apply except we would use 1 float and swim/dive as pairs. One of each species and normal scoresheet except crayfish were added.

Encouragement was done for pairs to pair up with “1 experienced and 1 lesser diver” to encourage newcomers and safe diving. Generally, “tame” destinations were picked like Cape Patterson (pre marines reserve), Smiths Beach, Mornington, Flinders, etc. BBQ and a park nearby were always factor when deciding locales.

Typically, the Valdes family would come down and “mingle” along with numerous of the Valdes friends for the BBQ. His brother Nelson has dived it a few times with me. Summer was generally chosen (Jan/Feb or March) so kids could enjoy the weather and water. It has been reasonably well contested with up to 12 –13 pairs.

Some people have confused it with the Victorian Pairs Championships. I have always encouraged it more as a “social comp” with emphasis on safety, pairing up with novices, etc but others have taken it much more seriously. I am not sure of the exact wording on the trophy but initially (when Valdes was diving in the first year it was a more serious “State Pairs” comp). There is probably provision for a genuine State Pairs comp and this comp.

This is a “rough” account of the event.

Cheers

RT

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