Late 1953 a keen group of North Shore spear fishermen formed as a spear fishing Club with scuba diving emerging as an activity within the Club. From this group The Dolphin Underwater Club was formed in 1954 and is now the oldest continually running Scuba Club in New Zealand. To this day we still have some of the founding members.
The Club has had some members excelling in underwater photography, taking out some major photographic awards. Jenny and Tony Enderby, members of the Club are very successful Freelance Photojournalists contributing to over 70 magazines in 10 different countries throughout the World, publishing 7 books of their own including the publication of their Lonely Planet Book Diving and Snorkelling in New Zealand.
Club membership peaked in 1974 when Tony joined the Club in his early 20s when there was a waiting list for over two years as the Club had a limit of 100 members.
Today the Club operates as the NZ Dolphin Underwater and Adventure Club with the inclusion of activities to cater for the non-diving partners, family and friends of the members. With tramping, camping, mountain biking, kayaking, sailing, overseas holidays, BBQ’s, dining out and many other activities mixed in with a wide range of organised dives mostly around the northern New Zealand Coast. The most popular being the Poor Knights especially for underwater photography. Other dive trips the Club enjoys, either for the day or overnight, include the Bay of Islands, Aldermen Islands, White Island, Mercury Island, Little Barrier, Mayor Island, the Cavalli Islands, Great Barrier, the Mokohinaus and the always popular family days outing to Goat Island. South Island trips have also included Stewart Island, the Fiordlands, D’Urville Island and the Marlborough Sounds. Members also take on environmental issues with regular cleanups of reefs, harbours and Lake Pupuke.
We pride ourselves with our safety record; encourage divers to continue their education to at least the Rescue Diver, to keep themselves out of trouble and to be there to help others in case they may need it. We occasionally have pool sessions to practice our skills, and encourage younger members to come along and have a go on scuba.
Our kayaking trips venture from Lake Pupuke and North Head to as far a field as the Bay of Islands, Oakura, Whangaruru Harbour, Whanganui River and Lake Waikamoana. Some South Island kayaking has included the Marlborough Sounds, Lake Rotoiti, AbelTasman National Park etc.
Mountain Biking is also a much enjoyed part of our Club with regular trips to Woodhill State Forest and the Hunua Ranges and occasionally to the Redwood Forest in Rotorua and doing the 42nd Traverse in National Park.
Some recent Club tramping trips have been to the Pinnacles in Coromandel, the Okura coastal walk and staying at Dacre Cottage, Whatipu, Waitakeries, Mt Te Aroha, Mt Ruapehu and also New Zealand’s famous Tongariro Crossing. Along with all the other diving and fun activities over the years, there have been members enjoying many overseas dive trips together.
The club is based at Lake Pupuke, Northcote road extn. Takapuna. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm and have regular guest speakers. Come along and meet us! See our Contact Page for more details.
The Dolphin Underwater Club support the New Zealand Underwater Association
NEW ZEALAND UNDERWATER ASSOCIATION
The New Zealand Underwater Association came into existence in 1953. At the time, there were already a number of regional clubs scattered throughout NZ, the Dolphin Club being one of them. The Association was formed when members from the Whangarei Spear Fishing Club, the Auckland Underwater Club, the Dolphin Spearfishing Group based on the North Shore of Auckland, and the Penguin Underwater Club from Tauranga held the inaugural meeting of NZUA in the Trans Tasman Hotel in Auckland. They formed an Association with a common interest in diving, and the New Zealand Underwater Research and Spear fishing Association was born.
The mission of the New Zealand Underwater Association is to be the recognised lead organisation for promoting, advocating and achieving safe and enjoyable underwater activities in NZ. Representing not just divers and snorkelers, but also the entire population of New Zealand in the goal to maintain, sustain, and develop awareness of the Marine Ecosystem. The NZUA are still a strong part of the diving industry to this day.
The NZ Dolphin Underwater and Adventure Club are financial Members of the Underwater Association, we support their aims and goals, and send delegates to the AGM, often having Club Member representation on the Board, with two of our Dolphin Members being Life Members of NZUA.