Umhlanga Spearfishing Club (USC) end of year Function and Prize giving 2021

Umhlanga Spearfishing Club (USC) end of year Function and Prize giving 2021

End of year functions are always fun to attend and the USC end of year bashes are no exception to this rule! Well done Club Chairman Kyle Richter and Diving Diva Christal Botes on making this year’s event extra special.

The Bear has decided to rejoin the club and has heard rumours that big things are afoot for 2022!

Ladies division and now Juniors/scholars!

Running a Spearfishing Club is challenging and running a Club that is sport orientated in COVID times must be one hell of a job. Looks like restrictions are being opened up so 2022 should see some great events from USC. Sodwana blue water open and Crayfish compo are open to the public whereas Club champs, Diving Divas (ladies Champs), Dec –January Snoek skins, Grand Slam and Species compo are club members only. Club Membership is currently open for people to join the club and costs R450 including end of year bash (spit braai!) club t-shirt and cap plus the compos above! Whatta deal! Especially if you need diving buddies, advice, tips, reports and boat dives!

Contact Diving Diva Christal Botes on 073 390 9374 WhatsApp for details and I have attached a pdf USC entry form to this post.

Well I only managed to pitch at the Function just before 6pm at Wings Club Virginia Airport Durban North. It normally starts around 1pm for Family to come down and bring kids for jumping castle etc before the serious stuff starts around 6pm ish followed by dinner and a dance to tunes spun by Durban’s original Dj and long standing club member Stuart Green AKA Firestarter.

To say a few lads and ladies had a head start on the drinking before I arrived is an understatement of note! Club member Paul THB had donated a whole keg of draft from That brewing Co. and the lads had given it a good sampling already. R30 gets you a 500ml plastic beer mug and it is drink it till it’s done!

I saw a lot of old faces and quite a few new ones at the function and this bodes well for the club in the new year. It was also great to finally meet Paul and Taylor Toich in person after doing articles for them in the past (Taylor’s 1st Daga Salmon and Border open 2021) but via social media. What a lovely couple…be seeing you two for a dive East London or Kei sooner rather than later! Also awesome to see North Coast divers I have not seen for a while Andrew Hayworth, Christo Muller and Zander.

Prize giving went well with MC Chairman Kyle Richter and Diving Diva Christal Botes assisting. Some of the stories that came out while I was there were totally unbelievable. Newbie James Purcell did very well this year getting most improved diver, placing 3rd in club champs (was running 2nd but Stuart Green’s late entry slab 11kg plus Brusher put him in 2nd bumping James to 3rd) and also getting shared Dick of the year award with Christo Muller was priceless! Hahahaha…

Also Master Alistair Jones getting biggest fish of the year (17kg plus Cape Tail) and most records broken in the year (Cape Tail and Brusher) and placing 2nd in the Grand Slam year compo! Aweh!

Well done Andrew Hayworth on placing 1st in Club Champs and Master Richardt Botes on placing 1st in the Grand Slam compo! 7 fish out of the 10 selected species is a new achievement for Master Richardt ! Aweh! And well done Diving Diva Taylor-Rose Toich from East London on placing 1st in the ladies Diving Diva USC Champs! Aweh! Great to see ladies joining and growing the Club.

Needless to say prize giving done the crowd ploughed into the spit braai for dinner and thinned out dramatically after bellies were full and quite a few peeps had long drives home. BUT!!! The hardcore Club members prevailed and the tunes pumped from DJ Stuart Green and the Dance was on. Next thing around last call at the bar this bottle of Jaegie appears out of nowhere (Kyle you evil individual) Hahahaha… Richard Forman was Zulu dancing and The Botes couple were cutting rug big time with Kay, Candice and Tanja bopping along to the tunes. James was definitely on his second wind with Dylan not far behind. Thanks on the spot camera man Morne for capturing the action. Nope I am not going to share the videos here. Join the club then I will PM you!

I have included pictures from the various divers with fish from the year and pictures of the prize giving and function.

Can’t wait for next year already! SEE you there!

CLUB CHAMPS:

1st Place: Andrew Hayworth

2nd Place: Stuart Green

3rd Place: James Purcell

4th Place: Daniel Cilliers

5th Place: Clive Honiball

6th Place: Rowan Coleman

7th Place: Leon Grobbelaar

8th Place: Dean Lailvaux

9th Place: Morgan Griffiths