Ian Juniper Marks 50th Year of Diving by Tracy Crump
ONE of the founder members of Harlow British Sub Aqua Club has celebrated his 50th year of diving.
Ian Juniper, known to friends as Captain Speedo because of his brightly-coloured swimming trunks, has dived all over the world since learning the underwater art at the age of 17.
Since then he has snorkelled with manatees and manta rays in Hawaii, whalesharks in Western Australia and dived with the odd pike at Gildenburgh.
Such was his love of the underwater world that in 1963, together with Bill Deemer, Ian set up Harlow BSAC.
Dan Johnson, a long-standing member of the club, said: “Without Ian there wouldn’t be a club, he has been the backbone of it. What he has given to the club over the years is incredible.”
So much so that in the 1960s he oversaw the club when it reached 147 members – it was one of the biggest in the eastern region.
Having held every position in the club, Ian is now the membership secretary, while still running courses on everything from oxygen administration to boat handling.
One of the highlights of his diving career has been salvaging a wreck, MV Citrine, in Beesands, Devon, with the help of friends. Using 12.5kgs of submarine blasting gelatine they blew off the propellor, which they then sold for a tidy sum.
Ian, who was BSAC’s fifth advanced instructor, of which there are now 3000, has also helped recover bodies with Essex police and even clear a lake of all its fish in Pig Lane.
“His knowledge of diving is outstanding,” added Dan. “ I don’t think he’s got lungs, he’s got gills – he’s forever in and out of the water.”
The father-of-two went to Australia in 1995 for a family celebration and even then he couldn’t be parted from the seas. He left his wife of 39 years, Beth, to check out the rainforest while he booked up a two-day liveaboard.
It was on this trip off Ingaloo Reef that a whaleshark swam right under his legs. “It was the most incredible experience,” he said. “They are so graceful but boy can they move, we had to swim like buggery to keep up.”
Having heard many tales of Ian’s encounters Beth said: “When I married him I knew I had married diving.” “When we told his mum we had got engaged she was amazed – she thought he would never love anyone as much as he loved diving!”
With so many exotic countries listed in his dive log books, and that’s just the years he has logged them, you could be forgiven for thinking that he has dived just about everywhere.
“I have dived all of the Canary Islands – they are great because they are only short-haul and cheap to get to,” he said. “But there are lots of places I haven’t dived, which I will probably never get the chance to – that is unless I live to 200,” said Ian.
And showing no signs of letting up it won’t be long until Ian has those all sewn up too.
Pictured below, Treasurer Bill Hulse (right) hands over a log book to Ian in celebration of his achievement.
