We are a family friendly club run by volunteers. We teach the techniques of breath hold diving, allowing you to see sights above and below the water, both around the British coast and of course more exotic places around the world. We are a local club providing training in snorkelling to British Sub-Aqua Club standards, the emphasis is on safety throughout our training, and having fun along the way.
6 Jan 2002
Dorking Snorkelling Club delegation at the Earlscourt Boat Show
The jouney began for 'The Frog', our official club boat name, when a small club delegation, including junior members, went to the Boat Show in Earlscourt.
You will note some younger faces who are still around, buying the boat was the culmination of a lot of work and saving from a club perspective. At this time the club was running two 45 minutes sessions on a Sunday morning, in the old Dorking Swimming Pool and then moving to the new Sports Centre.
4
May
2002
Taking ownership of our new boat
At the time 'The Frog' cost £8,169.05, Graham collected the boat from Barnet Marine and took it to one of the instructors (Dave K.) homes in Reigate. Dave had is own boat and the equipment and knowledge to run the engines.
You see that Giles was excited to hear the engine run for the first time!
This was an important task as we were preparing to take 'The Frog' out for its maiden voyage the following Day.
5
May
2002
Maiden Voyage in Chichester Harbour
'The Frog' getting wet for the first time, seems happier than Wendy to be in the water.
'The Frog' fully laden and out in open water for the first time.
Smiles all round!
June July
2002
First Expeditions with 'The Frog'
With Initial Sea trials complete, 'The Frog' was put into service on our Pagham trip in June.
Our first senior trip to Cornwall with 'The Frog', we learnt that you need to have the engine pitch correctly set-up after we flooded the boat in open water. The sea state was rougher away from the shore and we proved that RIBs are impossible to sink!
Our family weekend trip to Swange was even more popular with the new boat to try out. We split the group up and defined the rule of a maximum of 8 fully equiped snorkellers at a time.
July
2021
Maintenence Costs
'The Frog' has given many years of service and has required regular maintence over that time. The club has been fortunate to have Dan as our mechanic and also in recent years our primary towing support.
In 2021 our main outboard was no longer serviable and therefore we needed to source a new one. Procuring a like for like outboard proved more of a challenge than expected, in the end we settled on a race tuned 2-stroke outboard. This new outboard cost over £6,500.
You can see in the picture Dan giving it a run.
We have also had to replace the trailer £2,500, as this is key for safe boat transportation.
April
2026
Repairs identified at the Swanage weekend 2025
During our annual Bank Holiday trip to Dorset in 2025, we noticed that the cones at the back of the boat were leaking air. There was no immediate risk to safety as there are many air chambers in the tubes.
'The Frog' was put into its usual winter hibernation and then awakened in preparation for the 2026 dive season. A check of the cones did not reveal any further deteriation but we decided to investigate the costs of a cone repair.
New Tubes
A repair was not recommended by the boat specialists due to the age of the boat and the complexity of the repair.
The replacement of the boat approximately £8,500, and had other costs such as potential new trailer associated with it.
The compromise was to put new tubes on the boat, effectively giving us a nearly new one. In April 2026 we received our first quote for re-tubing the boat, £6,317. We have received another quote for approximately the same value and decided that we would pursue this option.
Boat Donations
Dorking Snorkelling Club is not as big as it used to be in terms of membership. We ask for a donation from members when we use the boat, this covers fuel and stoarge costs.
To be able to complete the re-tube of 'The Frog' we have received incredible donations from the following organisations.
Member Donations
The club has some funds saved to support the running of the club, i.e. replacing broken fins, Lifejackets, etc. and has since the covid pandemic tried to balance the books by keeping subscriptions down while facing increased running costs.
If members and their extended families are willing to make additional donations, to help cover the current financial hurdle, they can do so by using the links below.