Hotch – Page 5 – Stellar Divers

October 30, 2023October 30, 2023

Sensational Scotland

SO THAT was our 2023 trip to Lochaline & the sound of Mull; 946 miles, 168 sausages, 14 loaves of bread, 12 intrepid divers, 8 amazing dives, 2 golden eagles, a stupendous amount of laughter, great company, far too many great pictures & stories to post AND all of this in one of the most stunning parts of our UK!

THANK YOU to Ardtornish Estate & Lochaline Boat Charters for your incredible hospitality. We are counting the days until the next trip.

A Cracking busy week now, full on Instructor Exam prep for Nic, Skippy & Marco and a PADI IE next weekend plus pool, have a great week everyone, Hotch & Vic

October 16, 2023October 16, 2023

The Pillow :-)

WELL NOW Pool Pool, Capers & a Pillow!!

FIRST UP Congratulations to Lydia on becoming a PADI Open Water diver, to Daniel on gaining his PADI Advanced Open Water certification & to Julie on smashing a PADI Dry Suit Speciality.

CONGRATULATIONS also to Sam on becoming a PADI Wreck diver & to James on starting the Advanced Open Water course & well done Jess with her Open Water course. Great to see Mark, Michelle, Daniel, Clare, Rich, Family Wilson & Neil for a catch up, social and for some a fun swim around.

In the pool we welcome Paula & Dylan having a great PADI Discover Scuba Dive & Hayden having fun doing a superb PADI Bubblemaker.

WELL Done Harry & Jack cracking on with their PADI Seal Team Aqua Missions, Meredith, Jayne, Neil, Lauren, Jo & Ben doing a fantastic job cracking on with their PADI Open Water Course. Great to see Mazzer, Jack & Charles enjoying some fun swim arounds.

THANK YOU to the phenomenal dive team of Ian, Chrissy, Chris, Gareth, Ben, Claire, Steve, Gaz W, Marco, Phil, Julez, Mark, Sean, Rich, Maz & thank you to Longlands Hotel, Tewitfield Marina and all the team at Capernwray Diving & Leisure Ltd for looking after us.

WE ARE In Scotland for a week from Friday so no pool just plenty of fresh air, great diving and the odd Sea Eagle. Have a great week everyone Hotch & Vic

Brilliant Rescue Course

The rescue course was absolutely brilliant! I can now understand why most divers say it’s one of the best courses. It changes the way we look at diving in general (in and out of the water). Thank you for this.

Sam Bakri

A friendly and professional group

Just want to say thank you Stellar Divers for taking me through my open water and advanced open water courses, From the pool to Capernwray you guys have been fantastic, Vic and Hotch your team of instructors are the most friendly and professional group I have ever met. Nothing is too much trouble everything you guys have done has made me feel like family. Just need to say a huge thank you to Martin and Steve the Dive Masters and a HUGE thank you to Ian you have got to be the best instructor out there.
I will be booking more courses with you guys .
Thank You Stellar Divers I will be booking more courses with you guys very soon .

David Dunnett

Helpful and Supportive

We have really enjoyed the Open Water course and learning to dive with Stellar. The instructors have been so helpful and supportive every session, and diving at Capernwray was an amazing experience. We are looking forward to practicing what we have learned in Mauritius.

Stephen & Becky

Quite an achievement

Myself and my daughter have been a member of Stellar divers for a couple of years, during which time we have completed a variety of different different courses. My most recent being the RNLI course and Emily completed her Rescue diver course and is now working towards junior dive master quite an achievement at 16 ! None of this would have been possible without the support and incredible knowledge of Hotch and his pro team. I cannot recommend Stellar divers highly enough and would advise anyone wishing to learn to dive to give them a call.

Ian Stebbings

Fantastic Team

Stellar team are fantastic! They helped my son overcome a fear of water and now he is an open water diver. Thank you so much, the X Box might even get a rest now!!!

I’m a PADI Diver

What a weekend away, I never thought that I would ever be able to do such a jaw dropping thing! I’m a PADI Diver!! Thankyou for being great hosts, I’m so glad I joined Steller divers I’ve loved it, great bunch of people

Lee Scott

I will never forget

I was let down by another dive centre who were going to service my kit! Rang Stellar and spoke to Hotch, he opened specially over Christmas took my demand valves in and serviced them so we could go to malta. I will never forget that, thank you.

Steve Rains

Changed my life

I’m blown away! I think stellar has changed my life. The discover scuba experience was something I did years ago abroad and I had a bad experience. So I plucked up the courage to try again 10 years on and rang Hotch at Stellar. They were incredible, so friendly and helpful. Now I’ve done it I just can’t stop thinking about diving. Ben was so professional and kind, roll on doing my PADI.

Sharon Scott

An awesome dive centre!

An awesome dive centre! Hotch, Vic and the whole team were so welcoming and patient, they all really went above and beyond to make the experience one I will remember forever. I joined Stellar Divers as a complete beginner and I’m now a qualified PADI open water diver. I’m so proud of this and I know I wouldn’t have been able to achieve it without all of the support from the Stellar team – thank you! Due to my own schedule being busy & me taking a break for a couple of months I got to work with a few different instructors. I found them all to be very knowledgeable, supportive and I felt safe diving with them. Whilst I was doing the course I went on a discovery dive in Cuba so I’ve seen first hand that not all PADI qualified instructors are as good as the ones I worked with at Stellar. I completed the course with a weekend of diving at Capernwray in November and I’d fully recommend it, even just for the social after!

Laura Bushfield

Thank you for inspiring my Son

I’ve just watched your Shark Conservation video with Tom & he is now following me everywhere asking when can he dive again!! Thank you for inspiring my Son he now wants to be a marine biologist.

Mary Jackson

What a Team

I’d just like to applaud the way Simon Hotchkin and Victoria Hotchkin have set up the Covid restrictions and allowing us to be able to dive. Brilliant to start my Divemaster course with Vicky Burton you were brilliant.
Topping it off socially distancing at Girton for a cold lake dive to get Alice through the Rescue course was fantastic this afternoon. All topped off with mince pies made by Mrs W, Julia Wood. Stellar divers, what a team

Gaz Wood

Chuffed!

I would like to start by saying thank you so much for get the girls thought their PADI open water, they are both well chuffed as am I in there achievement 🙂

I thank you and your team for looking after them so well.

Jason Goddard

Pumped

Hi Hotch, thank you, Ian, Carl, and everyone else from Stellar Divers that were there over the weekend for all the help and guidance! Sheena and I really enjoyed ourselves and are so pumped to dive again.

Branden Kusanto

Friendly flexible and organised

The coffee is awesome. Always friendly flexible and organised. Calm, clear and enthusiastic teaching, whilst making the whole thing loads of fun. Hotch and the gang are the people to dive with in Lincolnshire, whether learning or just loving your diving life.

Ed Cowley

Smiling….a lot!

Hi Simon. First 2 open water dives today, including my first shark sighting. My instructor seems very happy with my skills, both in the pool yesterday and in the sea today. My mask is greatly improved, mainly just leaks when I smile, but for obvious reasons I seem to be smiling a lot. Ian’s training has prepared me well, please thank him. Jeremy

Jeremy Patton

Stingrays & Bull Sharks!!

Hi Hotch it’s Alex thought I would give you an update on my open water dives I completed 1&2 yesterday the instructor was very happy with what I learnt from you guys, a big thank you for that. I got to see some moray eels, stingrays, a bull shark , loads of fish and coral reefs it was a very good experience with no issues. Just want to say a massive thank you to you and your team you guys do a very professional and amazing job thank you very much.

Alex McLean

Amazing Time

Hi Simon with having such an amazing time yesterday both me and Emily would love to join your club, For you and your amazing team to take us all the way to becoming master scuba divers and instructors and beyond. Never before have I felt at ease talking to you and your team and trusting you all with the most precious thing I have my daughter. So if you would have us both can we please join your lovely club . Once again thank you so much.

Ian Stebbings

Knowledgable and Calming

“If anyone is thinking about taking up diving or just having a go, I can thoroughly recommend Stella Divers, I was very nervous about diving in deep water (anything above 1.5 meters!) Me and my friends had various instructors including, Vicky, Ian and Sian they were all amazing, they were patient, knowledgable and calming and when I did my open water qualification at Capernwray they managed to get me down to 14 meters ! I still can’t believe they did that, we also had an awesone time there, such a nice group of people. Thank you so much.”

Sue Wells

First Breath Underwater

Hi all, just wanted to say thank you following my first pool session. It was exhilarating and the Padi manual is correct, there is nothing quite like your first breath underwater. I am looking forward to the next one.

Jeremy

Trip of a Lifetime!!

I cannot thank you, Seasick, Vicky and the rest for making me feel so welcome and for the trip of a lifetime! I’m still processing what I saw on the dives and the experiences like hanging on a line at night while sharks circle or the hilarious deep water assessment.

Robert Ellis

You were ace!

Thanks to Ian and Dredge for all their support and help today and getting Anna and and I through our final pool session, you were both ace – bring on Capernwray x

Julia Welton

So Welcome

Thank you for making me so welcome this morning! I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to coming back again soon. I hope those who are going have a fantastic time in Egypt!

Nicki White

Many Thanks!!!

Many thanks to you and all your instructors for their time, patience, advice, understanding and knowledge, they’re all a credit to Stellar Divers.

Mark Northern

Second to None

My 9 year old daughter is currently doing her PADI Master Seal, having already undertaken a Bubble Maker dive and her PADI Seal. The care and guidance the instructors give is second to none and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Stellar Divers.

Jasmine Bailey

Best Dive Centre Ever!!

We knew we had to do the Dry Suit course, but wow we didn’t expect such a great bunch of people too. Stellar Divers are without doubt the best dive centre we have ever come across.

Paul & Donna Ryan

Bring it on!

What a nice bunch of people at Stellar, thank you for getting me my PADI! Now I want it all 🙂

Paul Green

A Lasting Impression

Hi Simon, I just wanted to say again, a big thank you to you and Vic and the rest of the instructors for all your help and patience in helping Scott through his open water course. It really was a fantastic weekend, every person on the trip was genuinely friendly….a great bunch of people. You seem to have made a lasting impression on Scott as he doesn’t care about the cold water now, he keeps telling me he just wants go back and dive again asap….He loved it. Thanks again for everything.
Ian and Scott.

Ian McDonald

A Brilliant Team

Thanks again for a fantastic weekend, it’s not possible without the time, commitment and organisation you both put in with the rest of the dive team you have built. I never felt unwelcome by anyone all weekend and I tried to make others feel that way too. It’s such a refreshing warm atmosphere in the club which is why I’ve returned and will continue to do so, that mixed in with the hospitality at the kings arms, I couldn’t have made a better choice of club to dive with in the UK.
So, thank you, very much for everything. I’m sure to be on another course very soon, speak soon, Carl

Carl Wetherill

Many Laughs!

I simply can’t recommend Simon, Vic and the team at Stellar Divers enough, with not just amazing diving tuition and support but also many laughs and great trips together.

Josh Payne

A Special Weekend

A very big thank you to all the team at Stellar Divers this weekend at Capernwray. We had such a warm welcome at the pub which continued through out the weekend. A special thanks to Alice who was just amazing, putting us at ease and going above and beyond in her responsibilities. We successfully completed our AOW and Dry Suit course under the guidance of “Sea Si” Thank you Simon for making the final dive a little bit more special by allowing time to just enjoy the fish. An amazing club with amazing people.

Claire Smales

Amazing Weekend

Had an absolutely amazing weekend in capernwray with my 12 year old son and his grandad. Vicky and Dan have both been amazing with him and we cannot thank you enough for the support and encouragement you have given him. Jack is thrilled to have qualified this weekend. Thank you once again.

Nicola Everatt

I’m a PADI Instructor!!

I just want to Thankyou both once again for helping to get where I am today. If it wasn’t for you guys teaching me how to dive I would never have this amazing Job’ hope I get to come and dive with you both again soon! PADI OWSI #407000 Specialty Instructor ? almost MSDT now!!

Leon Carrington

I’ve got the BUG!

Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the excellent training, tips and advice your team gave me on my Open water course. I had an excellent time at Capenwray meeting new people and putting my new skills to the test. Think it’s safe to say I’ve got the diving bug 🙂 you’ll definetly be hearing from me pretty soon about booking the advanced open water course! Thanks again, Kieran.

Steve Calver

Fab Weekend

Hi the Hotches, Just wanted to say thank you for a fab weekend, lovely people & fab company – could you pass on my particular thanks to Carl, Dan H, Chris & Seasick- for their support & of course Vic for getting me through the last bit lol. Looking forward to doing the next course:) Best wishes Jonesy xx

Sarah Jones

Open Water Nailed!

Well that’s it Open Water diver complete massive thanks to Simon Hotchkin and Victoria Hotchkin and the rest of the team at stellar divers and a big thanks to Bali scuba team what an awesome day cheers everyone.

Gary Hawkins

The DSD course was superb!

Thanks for yesterday the DSD course was superb. Both Helen and Gilly were fantastic and a pleasure to be around (can’t be praised highly enough). I would also like like to come back.

Jay & Joss Arend

#amazing

Just want to say a massive thank you to Hotch, Vic and all at Stellar Diving for helping Fiona and myself to become Padi certified open water divers.#amazing

Martin & Fiona Abbott

So Happy!

The team at Stellar have been fantastic, they are friendly and patient, we loved every minute. The Maldives at Christmas was beautiful and we both want to do more now so roll on spring and our advanced open water. Thanks again everyone, see you in March.

Pat & Jo Green

A Lovely Team

We went diving on holiday and had a bad experience but we wanted to try again. The way stellar have been has been wonderful especially Vic and Sian. Everyone is brilliant, right from the first day we met at the office everyone has been patient and kind. If you want to scuba dive you need to train here, we’ve found our happy place.

Stephen Moor

You have created something special!

I just wanted to say thank you for a brilliant weekend at Capernwray. At no point did I feel like an outsider, yourselves & everyone in the group made me feel welcome. I was a little apprehensive about the dive but the professional way you looked after us made me feel safe at all times. You have created something special and I wish you every success for the future. Thanks again.

Matt Stevens

PADI Discover Scuba Dive

Simon, I would like to express how wonderful the experience Grace and I had at your dive centre today and to pass on our thanks to Petra and the two gentleman who made the experience so enjoyable.

Rowland Potter

From Novice to Pro!

Hi Simon, Just updating you on my progress 🙂 I have 1 more dive to do before I can start my DM, and 11 more to go before it’s completed 🙂 just want to thank you for all the help you gave me at the beginning if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be where I am now, malta is amazing for diving! I’m doing 2/3 dives a day! I love it! Completely filled my dive log, have a new one to start using now 🙂 Dived with tuna last week, it was surreal! I never knew how big they actually were!!

Leon Carrington

A Fantastic Course

I would like to thank Vic and Hotch and Ian for all your help in such a fun and imformative course. Emergency first responder course has been such an eye opener and given me great confidence. Hope I never have to use it, but feel confident if i have to. Thanks stellar divers

Colin

A warm welcome

Hi Hotch & Vic, Just wanted to drop you a line as I didn’t drown to say thank you. From the warm welcome & even a reassuring hug from Hotch on Sunday. The whole experience was so good. Petra, Alice & Dan were all amazing. Everything was explained clearly & all my anxieties floated away from the first underwater breath. I would love for you to let me know what the next step would be.

Kate Siviter

What a weekend!

Hi Hotch! Just want to say a massive thank you to you, Vic, Lance and Duncan for a fantastic weekend! We loved every minute! So happy we chose to learn with you guys! You’ll definitely be seeing us again! (We’re already looking at the advanced course)
Thanks again! Olie & Leanne

Olie & Leanne

What a trip :-)

“Thank you for a super fantastic dive holiday STELLAR DIVERS of Lincoln – You made us feel so welcome – I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of people to spend a week on a boat with? And Dolphins/sharks to order – I’m impressed!!! I shall hopefully see you all soon – & sign me up for the next one…”

Annette Moore

Absolutely fantastic team

“Couldn’t recommend this club enough, absolutely fantastic team who put everything in to what they do. As a dad of a ten year old beginning her diving training, I’ll be honest I hated the idea, but the whole team put my mind at rest immediately. I couldn’t have asked for a better school or club to teach my little girl. My daughter will be coming to this club for years to come and will be progressing through her training with this fantastic team, thank you so much.”

Brad Bushnell

SHARKS!!

“I need to drop you a line to thank you because I am amazed at what I have achieved, from being scared of water and now a scuba diver. I’ve just got back off my holidays and had some amazing dives with SHARKS!! it was fantastic, I can’t thank the team at stella enough for their hard work and support. If you want to learn to dive or overcome a fear then these are the ones to do it with”

Steve Chambers

I loved it

“Thank you Hotch for fitting me in at such short notice, I’ve just received my PADI card and am now ready for my holiday can’t wait to try nitrox for real. Thank you again for getting me on the course I loved it and you made everything so understandable despite my questions!! Thanks see you in 2017.”

Leanne Henson

First Scuba Dive experience

“Mia thoroughly enjoyed her first Scuba Dive experience today and has talked of nothing since..thank you! She’ll be on the next course ? xx”

Emma Goy

Divemaster compliment

“Final two dives today. First hard dive to a cave at 40m, current very strong and end of cave drops to 400m! Second was a coral garden at 18m, will post some pics when I can. It’s always nice when the dive master compliments you on you diving skills compared to some of the other divers. Must be something to do with the training from Simon Hotchkin and Lance Hicks ?”

Tim Chester

Lovely to see you

“Hotch/Vic,Thanks so much for today! Was an invaluable refresh for us ahead of Corn Islands next week and also lovely to see you.”

Jonathan Batty

The ways of the diver

“Just done dive 54. I spend most of my time on these dives at the back of the group and I know it’s not the best place too be but I have become fascinated with the amount of diving styles people have and I’m thankful of being trained by one of the best, sorry two of the best, and being a member of a great group. I also find myself looking out for a lot of other divers and keeping an eye on them even thou I know the dive leader is more than capable. I’d like too thank stellar divers for teaching me the ways of the diver and some day I hope too pass these ways on.”

Colin Skipworth

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