Timing is everything. I was just is the process of getting my kit ready at 7.00 last night for the dive today and I get a text saying the dive was cancelled. So all had to go back and be stored away.
The reason was the sea fog. I understand the reason why fog is such a problem. Not that the boat might hit something or miss the dive site but both of those cannot be dismissed. The major reason from my point of view would be that the skipper could not guarantee being able to see the surfacing divers, even with our big red SMBs and torches.
I have a very nice warm dry suit but I still really don’t fancy attempting a surface drift in 7ºC foggy seas across the busy English Channel to France, if I was lucky!
I have never seen so much fog for so log, Sherlock Holmes, Victorian London eat you heart out!
This was my last planned dive before my trip to New Zealand in February and I have diving booked there. I hope to dive on the Rainbow Warrior, and felt that I needed to keep dive fit to get the most out of my New Zealand diving.
I will see if I can sort out a shore dive somewhere, possibly.
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Sunday, 19 December 2010
The Far Mulberry Night Dive 12th December 2010
Now this is a dive I really enjoy, but to be honest I was not feeling my best and in some ways not having dived since September a lack of diving motivation. Don’t get me wrong I know I will enjoy the dive and feel great about it afterwards, which is my motivation when feeling less than keen on going out on a cold day for a dive!
I have previously dived at night on the far mulberry on two occasions and those have been fantastic. All the crabs and lobsters came out to play!
This time it was much later in the year so maybe a different night life to be seen.
The surface water was calm and still with an air temperature of 7°C according to my dive computer. I was diving with Adrian and Simon as a threesome, which can be a tricky combination. Simon was diving with a re-breather, with Adrian on Nitrox and me on air, what a group, but it was just a 10 metre dive.
Going down the shot line it was a bit of a shock to find an odd rectangular metal mesh object caught on the shot line. I have caught the object on the video and it is 3 by 2 feet in size and appears to be some sort of crushed lobster pot sort of thing. Worryingly this object had what appeared to be sharp spikes coming out of it and it was about a metre from the bottom.
With the normal practise of keeping eye contact with ones buddy during descent, difficult during a night dive, one would not be paying full attention to anything on the shot line below you.
I saw this object as did Adrian and we were both worried that Simon who, with his re-breather was be coming down slower than us, might get caught on it. So it was lit up with our torches, Adrian’s torch being the big beam.
The water was very clear with a viz of better than 8 metres and a temperature of 9°C and with my extra layers under my dry suit I was warmish.
Sadly I did not see any lobsters or edible crabs but the fish were around and the sea snails were out mating! Not quite my thing but interesting.
Another worrying object was under the ‘bow’ of the Far Mulberry, on the left of the ‘bow’ as one might look at it. It seemed to be a 6 by 4 foot version of the one caught at the bottom of the shot line. I enjoy this ‘sort of tunnel’ with the fish in the corner. This time we were drifting along and came face to face with the ‘tunnel’ blocked with this spiky object. No video taken as I was too busy turning round and signalling to my buddies that this was not the way to continue.
Not a lot of life but what was there was easy to see, mainly Pollock, and not moving much staying close enough to have a good look.
Apart from that an excellent dive, with Adrian and Simon always in perfect formation, well they are regular dive buddies, so minimal stress keeping together.
As with previous videos of a night dive it never comes across looking as good as it was during the dive.
Or click on the link to the website The Far Mulberry Night Dive
I have previously dived at night on the far mulberry on two occasions and those have been fantastic. All the crabs and lobsters came out to play!
This time it was much later in the year so maybe a different night life to be seen.
The surface water was calm and still with an air temperature of 7°C according to my dive computer. I was diving with Adrian and Simon as a threesome, which can be a tricky combination. Simon was diving with a re-breather, with Adrian on Nitrox and me on air, what a group, but it was just a 10 metre dive.
Going down the shot line it was a bit of a shock to find an odd rectangular metal mesh object caught on the shot line. I have caught the object on the video and it is 3 by 2 feet in size and appears to be some sort of crushed lobster pot sort of thing. Worryingly this object had what appeared to be sharp spikes coming out of it and it was about a metre from the bottom.
With the normal practise of keeping eye contact with ones buddy during descent, difficult during a night dive, one would not be paying full attention to anything on the shot line below you.
I saw this object as did Adrian and we were both worried that Simon who, with his re-breather was be coming down slower than us, might get caught on it. So it was lit up with our torches, Adrian’s torch being the big beam.
The water was very clear with a viz of better than 8 metres and a temperature of 9°C and with my extra layers under my dry suit I was warmish.
Sadly I did not see any lobsters or edible crabs but the fish were around and the sea snails were out mating! Not quite my thing but interesting.
Another worrying object was under the ‘bow’ of the Far Mulberry, on the left of the ‘bow’ as one might look at it. It seemed to be a 6 by 4 foot version of the one caught at the bottom of the shot line. I enjoy this ‘sort of tunnel’ with the fish in the corner. This time we were drifting along and came face to face with the ‘tunnel’ blocked with this spiky object. No video taken as I was too busy turning round and signalling to my buddies that this was not the way to continue.
Not a lot of life but what was there was easy to see, mainly Pollock, and not moving much staying close enough to have a good look.
Apart from that an excellent dive, with Adrian and Simon always in perfect formation, well they are regular dive buddies, so minimal stress keeping together.
As with previous videos of a night dive it never comes across looking as good as it was during the dive.
Or click on the link to the website The Far Mulberry Night Dive
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Cancelled Dive today
Today’s dive with Wightdiver has been cancelled, due to the weather. This was a dive on the 'Lord Percy' a working barge with concrete cement bags on it and yes it is the one named after me!
I am not to upset as after the bad weather and the rain the viz would have been terrible!
Next dive booked is the Mulberry Night Dive on the 12th December on Wightdiver.
So far this year I have had 8 cancelled dives! The joy of a UK Solent diver.
I am not to upset as after the bad weather and the rain the viz would have been terrible!
Next dive booked is the Mulberry Night Dive on the 12th December on Wightdiver.
So far this year I have had 8 cancelled dives! The joy of a UK Solent diver.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
The Waldrens drift dive 19th September 2010
This was the first time Dan or I had done a Waldrens drift dive, we were diving with Simon Bradburn (Southern Coastal Charters) on his boat Stormforce 2.
For the first time ever I stupidly forgot to spit in my face mask before a dive. The result was a mask that constantly kept fogging up so I was constantly flooding it to a have a clear mask.
Sadly the viz in the dive was not that good at 2~3 Metres, so it was a touchy feely dive as we floated along. Therefore the video is not as interesting as I would like and the gloom does give it that ‘sinister’ feel to it, which was not the case.
The bottom is a mix of sandy areas, reef and large boulders that are about ~2 Metres across. There is a complete mix of life from the Pollock, Bib to the very friendly Wrasse of all types.
I was rather please with the first piece of underwater video where I was able to keep Dan in the frame on the way down. It is nice to have on record a very text book safe decent procedure; we were only some 2 Metres max apart with Dan keeping his eye on me all the way down.
Dan and I went equipped with hooks for any crabs or lobsters. My ‘hook’ has a flatfish spike function so I was seriously on the prowl in the sandy areas.
Dan caught two Dogfish with his bare hands, we saw another 4 Dogfish but at some distance.
This was a very good drift dive with a constantly changing sea bottom. With a good visibility this would be a fantastic dive site. The variability of the sea bottom coupled with the large boulders, gives shelter for fish means that there is a lot of fish about. There would be even more fish to see with better visibility.
Odd that there were not as many crabs or lobsters to be seen as I would expect. Either ‘picked clean’ or because we were on a drift we did not have enough time to look down their deep hidey holes!
This dive lasted for 70 minutes and was 15 Metre deep at the beginning slowly rising during the drift.
The weather was taking a turn for the worse; we all knew that, so the trip back to shore was a bit on the bumpy side.
Or go staight to the video website use the link Waldrens drift dive 19th September 2010
For the first time ever I stupidly forgot to spit in my face mask before a dive. The result was a mask that constantly kept fogging up so I was constantly flooding it to a have a clear mask.
Sadly the viz in the dive was not that good at 2~3 Metres, so it was a touchy feely dive as we floated along. Therefore the video is not as interesting as I would like and the gloom does give it that ‘sinister’ feel to it, which was not the case.
The bottom is a mix of sandy areas, reef and large boulders that are about ~2 Metres across. There is a complete mix of life from the Pollock, Bib to the very friendly Wrasse of all types.
I was rather please with the first piece of underwater video where I was able to keep Dan in the frame on the way down. It is nice to have on record a very text book safe decent procedure; we were only some 2 Metres max apart with Dan keeping his eye on me all the way down.
Dan and I went equipped with hooks for any crabs or lobsters. My ‘hook’ has a flatfish spike function so I was seriously on the prowl in the sandy areas.
Dan caught two Dogfish with his bare hands, we saw another 4 Dogfish but at some distance.
This was a very good drift dive with a constantly changing sea bottom. With a good visibility this would be a fantastic dive site. The variability of the sea bottom coupled with the large boulders, gives shelter for fish means that there is a lot of fish about. There would be even more fish to see with better visibility.
Odd that there were not as many crabs or lobsters to be seen as I would expect. Either ‘picked clean’ or because we were on a drift we did not have enough time to look down their deep hidey holes!
This dive lasted for 70 minutes and was 15 Metre deep at the beginning slowly rising during the drift.
The weather was taking a turn for the worse; we all knew that, so the trip back to shore was a bit on the bumpy side.
Or go staight to the video website use the link Waldrens drift dive 19th September 2010
Saturday, 6 November 2010
The Seahorse Drift Dive, Selsey 18th September 2010
The Seahorse Drift Dive Selsey 18th September 2010
Again a diving video that has been delayed by sickness and too much diving (could you believe that)!
This was a drift where for the first time I had a real plan to catch some fish. I had even spent money on a hook/spike to catch flatfish. My previous 2 attempts with stabbing a flatfish with my diver’s knife proved to be unsuccessful. The fish proved to be so strong that they lifted me up and then swam down and away. So the spike was on trial!
The drift dive was excellent! 3~4 m viz, three Plaice seen , one small thorn back ray seen, none of these were on video as I was in hunter gatherer mode. Also one very large thornback ray on video but sadly caught in a large net that was along the sea bottom. Too dangerous to try and free as we could have caught as well.
The sight of a monofilament net was rather scary needing to keep clear of it and we had to stay with it as our drift track was almost running inline with it for a while.
The water was very flat with clear blue skies at the time.
I suppose it was the fish catching that made this dive, the sea bottom was rather flat and boring to be honest but that was the type of bottom that the fish like. The 4 fish we caught were all filleted on the day and put in the freezer and the left over bits were dipped in flour and pan fried after the filleting and eaten by all.
This was the first time I had ever filleted a fish and used Youtube to learn the skill. I felt that it was importance to respect the fish by making the best use of it.
I caught it so I had to fillet it!
Or you can follow the link to video website:Seahorse Drift Dive, Selsey
Again a diving video that has been delayed by sickness and too much diving (could you believe that)!
This was a drift where for the first time I had a real plan to catch some fish. I had even spent money on a hook/spike to catch flatfish. My previous 2 attempts with stabbing a flatfish with my diver’s knife proved to be unsuccessful. The fish proved to be so strong that they lifted me up and then swam down and away. So the spike was on trial!
The drift dive was excellent! 3~4 m viz, three Plaice seen , one small thorn back ray seen, none of these were on video as I was in hunter gatherer mode. Also one very large thornback ray on video but sadly caught in a large net that was along the sea bottom. Too dangerous to try and free as we could have caught as well.
The sight of a monofilament net was rather scary needing to keep clear of it and we had to stay with it as our drift track was almost running inline with it for a while.
The water was very flat with clear blue skies at the time.
I suppose it was the fish catching that made this dive, the sea bottom was rather flat and boring to be honest but that was the type of bottom that the fish like. The 4 fish we caught were all filleted on the day and put in the freezer and the left over bits were dipped in flour and pan fried after the filleting and eaten by all.
This was the first time I had ever filleted a fish and used Youtube to learn the skill. I felt that it was importance to respect the fish by making the best use of it.
I caught it so I had to fillet it!
Or you can follow the link to video website:Seahorse Drift Dive, Selsey
Friday, 5 November 2010
Diving the Far Mulberry 4th September 2010
This dive was with my son will on his 5th dive since he qualified. He does have trouble with his ears going down due to the constant ‘bugs’ he picks up at his work. Apart from that Will has taken to diving like a duck to water, It is a real joy to see his relaxed nature underwater and still carrying out his checks as per his training.
I have now dived 17 times on the Far mulberry but I still enjoy it, always exploring different sections of it and finding new and finding interesting things to see. I have dived it in less that a 1 metre viz and still made our why back to the shot line! I was really impressed with that dive, even though it was rubbish!
This time the skipper was Simon Bradburn, who runs Southern Coastal Charters with his boat Stormforce 2. This was Wills first trip with Simon.
This time I took the clockwise route around the Mulberry. I have a tendency to take the anticlockwise route, as at the wreck it is the hardest to start that route and hence not taken by most dives. Less divers less kicked up silt and so better viz, it is plan maybe not the best but a plan.
A soon as we got to the bottom of the chain we could see the number of shoals of fish. The Pollock appeared to be out in great numbers. The best area for fish was the ‘bow’ of the Mulberry with a large shoal of fish just hanging there.
Just off from the ‘bow’ a large shoal of fish swept past, to be honest I don’t have a clue what they were but I will leave that to the viewer to work out for me.
So again a great dive on the Far Mulberry for me as well as being able to see Will discovering the wonders of the sea life underwater. Note the scene where Will carefully picks up a brittle star and places it on a rock to hold in his hands while he can observe it.
The nice thing about diving the Far Mulberry is that you can get an hour’s dive easy and the only limit is the skipper telling you that you have to be back up in an hour!
Or go staight the video lin Far Mulberry 4th September 2010
I have now dived 17 times on the Far mulberry but I still enjoy it, always exploring different sections of it and finding new and finding interesting things to see. I have dived it in less that a 1 metre viz and still made our why back to the shot line! I was really impressed with that dive, even though it was rubbish!
This time the skipper was Simon Bradburn, who runs Southern Coastal Charters with his boat Stormforce 2. This was Wills first trip with Simon.
This time I took the clockwise route around the Mulberry. I have a tendency to take the anticlockwise route, as at the wreck it is the hardest to start that route and hence not taken by most dives. Less divers less kicked up silt and so better viz, it is plan maybe not the best but a plan.
A soon as we got to the bottom of the chain we could see the number of shoals of fish. The Pollock appeared to be out in great numbers. The best area for fish was the ‘bow’ of the Mulberry with a large shoal of fish just hanging there.
Just off from the ‘bow’ a large shoal of fish swept past, to be honest I don’t have a clue what they were but I will leave that to the viewer to work out for me.
So again a great dive on the Far Mulberry for me as well as being able to see Will discovering the wonders of the sea life underwater. Note the scene where Will carefully picks up a brittle star and places it on a rock to hold in his hands while he can observe it.
The nice thing about diving the Far Mulberry is that you can get an hour’s dive easy and the only limit is the skipper telling you that you have to be back up in an hour!
Or go staight the video lin Far Mulberry 4th September 2010
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Diving the Boxer & Bembridge Ledges drift 1st August 2010
It has been some months since I have updated my blog. It was a combination of a lot of diving followed by a long spell of some bug or bugs giving a protracted period of man flu and a cold. This also followed me over into my holiday and stopped me diving in Cornwall.
The dive on the Boxer was interesting on two points, it was a three diver group and it was a dark dive. The darkness was due in part to the plankton and part due to the silt.
No one got lost, which was very good and also it was a good dive. A good dive mainly because we took our time looking in the nooks and crannies for the life that was there.
The video makes it look a lot darker than it really was and with the torch light it always appears darker.
I dived with Dan, my regular dive buddy, and Brendan, who we met up on Wightdiver. Normally I really don’t like threesome diving as it is so much hard work checking and keeping together. This time with Dan where we know each other underwater so well it worked.
We made our way to the base of the wreck and worked our way around and then slowly worked our way to the highest point of the wreck. Diving on a wreck in the dark means that it appears to be a totally new wreck compare to have previously dive it with good viz.
We found 5 lobsters all small and a very larger conger eel. The Bib were there and close up but the Pollock were just on the limit of visible distance away.
We dived at slack water but the tide started up as we were starting to ascend.
I think that is one of those dives that only regular and hardy Solent divers would enjoy, all other divers would just chalk it down to experience!
Or go to the link Diving the Boxer & Bembridge Ledges drift 1st August 2010
The dive on the Boxer was interesting on two points, it was a three diver group and it was a dark dive. The darkness was due in part to the plankton and part due to the silt.
No one got lost, which was very good and also it was a good dive. A good dive mainly because we took our time looking in the nooks and crannies for the life that was there.
The video makes it look a lot darker than it really was and with the torch light it always appears darker.
I dived with Dan, my regular dive buddy, and Brendan, who we met up on Wightdiver. Normally I really don’t like threesome diving as it is so much hard work checking and keeping together. This time with Dan where we know each other underwater so well it worked.
We made our way to the base of the wreck and worked our way around and then slowly worked our way to the highest point of the wreck. Diving on a wreck in the dark means that it appears to be a totally new wreck compare to have previously dive it with good viz.
We found 5 lobsters all small and a very larger conger eel. The Bib were there and close up but the Pollock were just on the limit of visible distance away.
We dived at slack water but the tide started up as we were starting to ascend.
I think that is one of those dives that only regular and hardy Solent divers would enjoy, all other divers would just chalk it down to experience!
Or go to the link Diving the Boxer & Bembridge Ledges drift 1st August 2010
Thursday, 9 September 2010
A Far Mulberry drift 31st July 2010
Now this was a nice dive but I had aspirations for a great dive!
This type of dive is only organised, to my knowledge, by Mulberry Divers, where we are set down on the far Mulberry with the tide running and then it is up to the diver whether or not they stay on the Mulberry or at the time of their choosing drift off. Our plan was to have a nice quiet dive around the Far Mulberry and then drift off.
The time around the Mulberry was very good then after circumnavigating about three quarters of the Mulberry we drifted off.
This was Will’s fourth dive and his first drift dive. The SMB deployment went very well and Will was to have the SMB. I was worried that if we became separated I could deploy my SMB but I could not let a complete novice with an SMB need to deploy on his own. Will managed the handling of the SMB very well, he was a little tense holding it so did get shoulder ache but he’ll get better at it.
There is an interesting scene in the video when Will comes out from the shelter of the Mulberry and is ‘hit’ by the tide and he is rolled over.
The drift was the ‘hunter gatherer’ part of the dive to locate and catch flatfish or what ever was fair game. Will had made a spike to that end.
Sadly the word was out that there were ‘hunters’ out on the prowl and there were no fish to be seen!
The Far Mulberry is a fantastic dive site and I have lost count on the number of times I have been there. I have even done two night dives!
Sadly I know the site so well that on one occasion there was only a 1.5 m viz and I still made it all the way around and back up the shot line. Still there are new things to find and see so I keep coming back.
Or go to the link A Far Mulberry drift 31st July 2010
This type of dive is only organised, to my knowledge, by Mulberry Divers, where we are set down on the far Mulberry with the tide running and then it is up to the diver whether or not they stay on the Mulberry or at the time of their choosing drift off. Our plan was to have a nice quiet dive around the Far Mulberry and then drift off.
The time around the Mulberry was very good then after circumnavigating about three quarters of the Mulberry we drifted off.
This was Will’s fourth dive and his first drift dive. The SMB deployment went very well and Will was to have the SMB. I was worried that if we became separated I could deploy my SMB but I could not let a complete novice with an SMB need to deploy on his own. Will managed the handling of the SMB very well, he was a little tense holding it so did get shoulder ache but he’ll get better at it.
There is an interesting scene in the video when Will comes out from the shelter of the Mulberry and is ‘hit’ by the tide and he is rolled over.
The drift was the ‘hunter gatherer’ part of the dive to locate and catch flatfish or what ever was fair game. Will had made a spike to that end.
Sadly the word was out that there were ‘hunters’ out on the prowl and there were no fish to be seen!
The Far Mulberry is a fantastic dive site and I have lost count on the number of times I have been there. I have even done two night dives!
Sadly I know the site so well that on one occasion there was only a 1.5 m viz and I still made it all the way around and back up the shot line. Still there are new things to find and see so I keep coming back.
Or go to the link A Far Mulberry drift 31st July 2010
Diving at Babbacombe Bay 24th July 2010
I am lucky as my wife Shelagh supports my diving, which is the only reason we would get to Babbacombe bay by 08:30!
I teamed up with Dave for the two dives and as Dave is also into taking underwater pictures that was good for me.
The two dives were the best diving I have dad at Babbacombe. Ok the viz was poor, well not that good, but it was the sea life that was there to be seen. Equally my underwater navigation worked well, a mix of a working compass as well as a bit of local knowledge recognising some of the underwater landmarks.
The large wrasse that liked to use ‘mushroom rock’ as a shelter as well as the two large lobsters that did not stay completely in their holes. That amazingly large crab one could play with without hurting it. I still cannot understand why the dogfish I picked up whould not uncoil itself and swim off, as they usually do!
The shot at the end with the pile of spider crabs was a sight to remember, not for the diver who has a thing about crabs!!
Was that a spider crab mating frenzy or am I showing my ignorance of crustacean behaviour?
Or link to video site Babbacombe Bay 24th July 2010
I teamed up with Dave for the two dives and as Dave is also into taking underwater pictures that was good for me.
The two dives were the best diving I have dad at Babbacombe. Ok the viz was poor, well not that good, but it was the sea life that was there to be seen. Equally my underwater navigation worked well, a mix of a working compass as well as a bit of local knowledge recognising some of the underwater landmarks.
The large wrasse that liked to use ‘mushroom rock’ as a shelter as well as the two large lobsters that did not stay completely in their holes. That amazingly large crab one could play with without hurting it. I still cannot understand why the dogfish I picked up whould not uncoil itself and swim off, as they usually do!
The shot at the end with the pile of spider crabs was a sight to remember, not for the diver who has a thing about crabs!!
Was that a spider crab mating frenzy or am I showing my ignorance of crustacean behaviour?
Or link to video site Babbacombe Bay 24th July 2010
Saturday, 21 August 2010
A days diving at Babbacombe Bay 11th July 2010
This days diving was the most intense shore diving I have done for almost a year. It was a very early start to get at Babbacombe Bay by 08:30 to beat the rush and so ensure a spot with the limited parking places there. It also meant that we were one of the first customers at the beach café.
I was teamed up with Wendy; or rather Wendy was teamed with me. The viz was not that good and has been better but still a lot of life mainly crabs in abundance, still a very good dive.
JC Diving were also running a rescue diver course and I volunteered to help out if then needed any ‘dead or dying divers’. Anyway I was to be a ‘lost diver’, with Tigger calling for help. We had a simple dive to start with and then I ‘settled down to be rescued”. Tigger when to the surface and called for help.
I tried to make friends with a fish, I called him Bill, but like all friendships with fish they don’t last long!
Some 40 minutes later Tigger turned up to check if I was alright, which I was, and we played a few games of rock scissors paper to pass the time. I get board rather quickly so we didn’t pay for long.
Just as I was leaving I was found and rescued! From then on the rescue played out very well. The delay in getting to be was cause by one small error, by not marking the spot where the surfacing diver called for help. The diver drifted and so when they started the search for me it was in the wrong place.
Ok it was an error but the divers on the Rescue Course will never let that happen in a real emergence, so it will save the life of a diver if it ever happens.
After the debrief I had a cup of hot chocolate and then Wendy and I went out for another dive a bit short this time as Wendy was running against the clock to get back to her house.
A day with some good diving and I learnt a lot, a great day overall.
Or link to the video Babbacombe Bay 11th July 2010
I was teamed up with Wendy; or rather Wendy was teamed with me. The viz was not that good and has been better but still a lot of life mainly crabs in abundance, still a very good dive.
JC Diving were also running a rescue diver course and I volunteered to help out if then needed any ‘dead or dying divers’. Anyway I was to be a ‘lost diver’, with Tigger calling for help. We had a simple dive to start with and then I ‘settled down to be rescued”. Tigger when to the surface and called for help.
I tried to make friends with a fish, I called him Bill, but like all friendships with fish they don’t last long!
Some 40 minutes later Tigger turned up to check if I was alright, which I was, and we played a few games of rock scissors paper to pass the time. I get board rather quickly so we didn’t pay for long.
Just as I was leaving I was found and rescued! From then on the rescue played out very well. The delay in getting to be was cause by one small error, by not marking the spot where the surfacing diver called for help. The diver drifted and so when they started the search for me it was in the wrong place.
Ok it was an error but the divers on the Rescue Course will never let that happen in a real emergence, so it will save the life of a diver if it ever happens.
After the debrief I had a cup of hot chocolate and then Wendy and I went out for another dive a bit short this time as Wendy was running against the clock to get back to her house.
A day with some good diving and I learnt a lot, a great day overall.
Or link to the video Babbacombe Bay 11th July 2010
Saturday, 3 July 2010
A days diving at Babbacombe Bay 27th June 2010
A lovely clear sunny day and I got to Babbacombe Bay 08.40, with a very supportive wife.
The sun was up the mist was there he water was flat calm and inviting. Kev and Viv were there and the opportunity to dive in the Bay at nearly high tide was so attractive. So we dived as a threesome. We had a sort of a dive plan “that way and then round a bit and come back”. That proved to be very successful as we came across a cuttlefish that was very happy to be photographed. This was a lovely dive.
Kev and Viv left to be busy fort he rest of the day and then to have an evening dive at Budleigh.
I met up with Simon and Gavin to the afternoon dive. This was a dive that was planned to be further out and move across the bay. Some crabs at the beginning but on the way back to shallower waters I came across the biggest spider crab I have ever seen before at the bottom of a permanent buoy. As we moved across to the mushroom rock the life we could see began to increase with a large pipefish in the last minutes of the dive. This was another really lovely dive.
Babbacombe is a great place to dive where you can have a very relaxed dive, not a lot of depth but with a lot of life. Also there is a very nice café serving freshly cooked hot food as well as hot drinks.
You just have to get their early to ensure that you get a place in the very small car park!
Or you can go via the link: Babbacombe Bay 27th June 2010
The sun was up the mist was there he water was flat calm and inviting. Kev and Viv were there and the opportunity to dive in the Bay at nearly high tide was so attractive. So we dived as a threesome. We had a sort of a dive plan “that way and then round a bit and come back”. That proved to be very successful as we came across a cuttlefish that was very happy to be photographed. This was a lovely dive.
Kev and Viv left to be busy fort he rest of the day and then to have an evening dive at Budleigh.
I met up with Simon and Gavin to the afternoon dive. This was a dive that was planned to be further out and move across the bay. Some crabs at the beginning but on the way back to shallower waters I came across the biggest spider crab I have ever seen before at the bottom of a permanent buoy. As we moved across to the mushroom rock the life we could see began to increase with a large pipefish in the last minutes of the dive. This was another really lovely dive.
Babbacombe is a great place to dive where you can have a very relaxed dive, not a lot of depth but with a lot of life. Also there is a very nice café serving freshly cooked hot food as well as hot drinks.
You just have to get their early to ensure that you get a place in the very small car park!
Or you can go via the link: Babbacombe Bay 27th June 2010
Friday, 2 July 2010
Diving on Lanes Rock, Budleigh, Devon 24th June 2010
This dive was an evening dive, but with it being so close to the longest day of the year felt more like and afternoon dive. This is Jurassic Coast Diving’s Annual BBQ après dive of course.
I try to dive with Jurassic Coast Diving, based in Exmouth, when I am down in Devon and have the available time. They are a family run dive centre with close and very loyal regular divers.
Budleigh beach does not have a lot to inspire one as it is a large pebble beach but the views of the area are lovely. There are no clues to the reef that lies some 50 metres off shore fortunately marked by a small orange buoy. Lanes Rock (the name of the reef) is a small strip of abundant life some 80 metres long and a couple of metres wide.
What Lanes Rock lacks in size makes up for in the amount of life living on it. There was a tide running and in hind site Tony and I should have carried out a surface swim rather than missing the reef after a underwater swim.
Lanes Rock just teams with crabs, mainly spider crabs, and some very large crabs at that. Tony and I came across a cuttlefish, pipefish, lobster and a number of fish. The interesting thing was the number of crab shells we saw. The only explanation was that we were seeing the remains of crab shell that local fishermen had thrown overboard after they have been producing dressed crab.
This was one of those relaxed fun dives followed by a really nice BBQ and fun company.
Or you can go via the link Lanes Rock, Budleigh, Devon 24th June 2010
I try to dive with Jurassic Coast Diving, based in Exmouth, when I am down in Devon and have the available time. They are a family run dive centre with close and very loyal regular divers.
Budleigh beach does not have a lot to inspire one as it is a large pebble beach but the views of the area are lovely. There are no clues to the reef that lies some 50 metres off shore fortunately marked by a small orange buoy. Lanes Rock (the name of the reef) is a small strip of abundant life some 80 metres long and a couple of metres wide.
What Lanes Rock lacks in size makes up for in the amount of life living on it. There was a tide running and in hind site Tony and I should have carried out a surface swim rather than missing the reef after a underwater swim.
Lanes Rock just teams with crabs, mainly spider crabs, and some very large crabs at that. Tony and I came across a cuttlefish, pipefish, lobster and a number of fish. The interesting thing was the number of crab shells we saw. The only explanation was that we were seeing the remains of crab shell that local fishermen had thrown overboard after they have been producing dressed crab.
This was one of those relaxed fun dives followed by a really nice BBQ and fun company.
Or you can go via the link Lanes Rock, Budleigh, Devon 24th June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Diving the Mixon Hole 20th June 2010
After yesterdays stunning viz, I was looking forward to some equally good viz when diving the Mixon Hole. The Mixon Hole is an interesting underwater feature that is worth exploring for that alone. It is also a haven for wildlife crabs, lobsters, flatfish, dogfish, and tope.
Simon the skipper dropped us off at the 7m edge and we swam along towards the edge. Amazingly we saw a cuttlefish on the way. The edge is rather interesting as there is just this sharp drop. I cannot say I carry out my descent in any elegant way at all.
I want to see the mud wall as I go down but the wall is not vertical but at a 60 degree angle. Therefore I have to keep backing away from the wall by using my hands to shove myself away. This tends to make for a rather messy decent and I tried several techniques on the way down and all were not good.
Sadly the Viz was not so good at about 3 metres, mainly due to lots of bit of seaweed. The dive plan was to keep to the edge of the Mixon Hole as we felt that there would be more life and indeed it was a haven for crabs and even a few lobsters.
I sent up my SMB after we got to the bottom and it was a struggle with it working against the tide. It took Dan’s help to reel it back in as it eventually was dragging me backwards. I think that the next time I send up an SMB from the bottom of the Mixon Hole we will swim with the tide.
Dan final found and caught a suitable large crab followed by a dogfish which both ended up in his goody bag. The crab found the dogfish and decided not to let it go when we were on the boat and it took a lot of effort to separate the two!
On the assent to the top of the hole I came across a cuttlefish trying to blend in with the mud walls. Also we just caught a glimpse of a tope on the way up and a very brief view of it on video.
One of the nice features about diving on the Mixon Hole is that the 5 metre safety stop is just a couple of metres above the bottom outside the hole so there is still a lot to see!
Simon the Skipper of Stormforce enjoys the driving of the boat and so we had a speedy trip back to shore. This was a great day and a very nice dive.
Here is the link to the videoDiving the Mixon Hole 20th June 2010
Simon the skipper dropped us off at the 7m edge and we swam along towards the edge. Amazingly we saw a cuttlefish on the way. The edge is rather interesting as there is just this sharp drop. I cannot say I carry out my descent in any elegant way at all.
I want to see the mud wall as I go down but the wall is not vertical but at a 60 degree angle. Therefore I have to keep backing away from the wall by using my hands to shove myself away. This tends to make for a rather messy decent and I tried several techniques on the way down and all were not good.
Sadly the Viz was not so good at about 3 metres, mainly due to lots of bit of seaweed. The dive plan was to keep to the edge of the Mixon Hole as we felt that there would be more life and indeed it was a haven for crabs and even a few lobsters.
I sent up my SMB after we got to the bottom and it was a struggle with it working against the tide. It took Dan’s help to reel it back in as it eventually was dragging me backwards. I think that the next time I send up an SMB from the bottom of the Mixon Hole we will swim with the tide.
Dan final found and caught a suitable large crab followed by a dogfish which both ended up in his goody bag. The crab found the dogfish and decided not to let it go when we were on the boat and it took a lot of effort to separate the two!
On the assent to the top of the hole I came across a cuttlefish trying to blend in with the mud walls. Also we just caught a glimpse of a tope on the way up and a very brief view of it on video.
One of the nice features about diving on the Mixon Hole is that the 5 metre safety stop is just a couple of metres above the bottom outside the hole so there is still a lot to see!
Simon the Skipper of Stormforce enjoys the driving of the boat and so we had a speedy trip back to shore. This was a great day and a very nice dive.
Here is the link to the videoDiving the Mixon Hole 20th June 2010
Diving the Far Mulberry 19th June 2010
I had great hopes for today’s dive. The plankton was supposed to be dieing the wind has not been high for the last couple of weeks and neither has there been any heavy rain. That for me in my untutored technique of underwater condition forecasting was the mixture for GREAT VIZ!!!!
Down on the East Beach at Selsey met some incoming divers for a chat who reckoned the viz in the Mixon hole was over 15 m!! Yeah right, were these divers narked or what, over 15 m in the Solent? Even if it was over exaggerated that still meant the viz will be good.
At the Mulberry Divers shop we were warned that the wind was playing around and Steve, the skipper, may have to re-site the dive to the other side of Selsey Bill for some shelter.
As it happened Steve felt that the wind was ok to dive on the Far Mulberry, it was getting a bit bumpy on the way there but was fine as we were dropped off.
The dive was listed as a Mulberry Drift, the plan being to drive to the wreck then as a point when the tide felt strong send up an SMB and drift off the wreck. It was a nice dive plan, with a controlled start to the dive with things to see. The drift part of the dive gives a different view of the bottom with minimal effort.
This dive on the Mulberry was the first trip of the day to the Far Mulberry with my son Will. Yes viz was great, as were the panoramic views when the sunlight came out. I saw Will a number of times just looking into the distance across the rolling swaths of golden sand and plant life that surround the Mulberry just taking it all in. Looking at the Mulberry for sea life it was lobster, edible crab, and spider crabs were there. Pollock and some wrasse were around. Lots of juveniles of bib and pollock were there. It was a lovely dive, where we could move against the tide in the shelter of the wreck by crawling on the bottom then had the luxury of ‘drifting’ the long lengths of the Mulberry. Therefore we stayed on the Mulberry and did not drift off. A 61 minute dive that could have gone on for longer apart from Will, in his wetsuit, getting cold and that we had specified a max dive time of 65 minutes.
It was nice to be at the bottom and see the buoy at the top or at the buoy and see the bottom. The safety stop was equally nice for a change with the view, where you could see the fish taking an interest in us. The only down side was the lack of large shoals of fish that occurs from time to time at the Mulberry, which when they occur is absolutely stunning. This was a cracking dive with the Mulberry being everything one expects from it.
Here is the link to the video: The Far Mulberry 19th June 2010
or just click on the window:
Down on the East Beach at Selsey met some incoming divers for a chat who reckoned the viz in the Mixon hole was over 15 m!! Yeah right, were these divers narked or what, over 15 m in the Solent? Even if it was over exaggerated that still meant the viz will be good.
At the Mulberry Divers shop we were warned that the wind was playing around and Steve, the skipper, may have to re-site the dive to the other side of Selsey Bill for some shelter.
As it happened Steve felt that the wind was ok to dive on the Far Mulberry, it was getting a bit bumpy on the way there but was fine as we were dropped off.
The dive was listed as a Mulberry Drift, the plan being to drive to the wreck then as a point when the tide felt strong send up an SMB and drift off the wreck. It was a nice dive plan, with a controlled start to the dive with things to see. The drift part of the dive gives a different view of the bottom with minimal effort.
This dive on the Mulberry was the first trip of the day to the Far Mulberry with my son Will. Yes viz was great, as were the panoramic views when the sunlight came out. I saw Will a number of times just looking into the distance across the rolling swaths of golden sand and plant life that surround the Mulberry just taking it all in. Looking at the Mulberry for sea life it was lobster, edible crab, and spider crabs were there. Pollock and some wrasse were around. Lots of juveniles of bib and pollock were there. It was a lovely dive, where we could move against the tide in the shelter of the wreck by crawling on the bottom then had the luxury of ‘drifting’ the long lengths of the Mulberry. Therefore we stayed on the Mulberry and did not drift off. A 61 minute dive that could have gone on for longer apart from Will, in his wetsuit, getting cold and that we had specified a max dive time of 65 minutes.
It was nice to be at the bottom and see the buoy at the top or at the buoy and see the bottom. The safety stop was equally nice for a change with the view, where you could see the fish taking an interest in us. The only down side was the lack of large shoals of fish that occurs from time to time at the Mulberry, which when they occur is absolutely stunning. This was a cracking dive with the Mulberry being everything one expects from it.
Here is the link to the video: The Far Mulberry 19th June 2010
or just click on the window:
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Diving on the Far Mulberry 12th June 2010
This was my first dive with Mulberry Divers this year and it was my son Will’s first dive on the Far Mulberry. The weather today was great with a flat calm sea.
Sadly there was an incident as our dive boat approached the Far Mulberry and I was kitted ready to drop off the boat. Another diver appeared in the water and started screaming; sadly my first reaction was that it was a diving drill. Tone our skipper moved our boat toward the diver and I was able to grab her hand and hold her to our rib.
Tone was then able to get to the diver while her boat’s skipper came along side to pick her up. During the period we were holding her we learnt that it seemed that she dived off the boat early while her boat was manoeuvring and was hit by the prop. Her suit was cut but not her skin just badly bruised.
It appears that there was a misunderstanding between the skipper and the diver that resulted in the diver thinking that she had an instruction to dive off the boat.
Will and I went down the shot line but Will had problems with his ears and it took a bit of time to get to the bottom. At the bottom I realised that my cylinder has slip somehow and Will had to give it a shove back into the right place. I later found out this was the result of a rather cheap cylinder mesh that I had just fitted, it just would slip even with the BCD clip set up to be tight.
The viz was rather poor at the bottom of the chain about a meter, we followed the chain around the sea floor and then the rope to the Mulberry.
The viz at the bottom of the chain was just over a metre but the viz varied across the Far Mulberry 0.5m at its worst to 2.0 m at best. The plankton was the main culprit for the poor viz. A very popular site with 4 boats when I was there at 15:30, but I only came across two other diver pairs.
Will and I enjoyed our dive around the Mulberry, coming across dogfish, lobsters and looking into the hidey-holes, loads of bib and wrasse. We then came back up the chain at the end of the dive. It was a lovely dive as always with the Far Mulberry.
Watch the video via this link: Diving on the Far Mulberry 12th June 2010
a quiz? who can see the joke with the long intro music?
Sadly there was an incident as our dive boat approached the Far Mulberry and I was kitted ready to drop off the boat. Another diver appeared in the water and started screaming; sadly my first reaction was that it was a diving drill. Tone our skipper moved our boat toward the diver and I was able to grab her hand and hold her to our rib.
Tone was then able to get to the diver while her boat’s skipper came along side to pick her up. During the period we were holding her we learnt that it seemed that she dived off the boat early while her boat was manoeuvring and was hit by the prop. Her suit was cut but not her skin just badly bruised.
It appears that there was a misunderstanding between the skipper and the diver that resulted in the diver thinking that she had an instruction to dive off the boat.
Will and I went down the shot line but Will had problems with his ears and it took a bit of time to get to the bottom. At the bottom I realised that my cylinder has slip somehow and Will had to give it a shove back into the right place. I later found out this was the result of a rather cheap cylinder mesh that I had just fitted, it just would slip even with the BCD clip set up to be tight.
The viz was rather poor at the bottom of the chain about a meter, we followed the chain around the sea floor and then the rope to the Mulberry.
The viz at the bottom of the chain was just over a metre but the viz varied across the Far Mulberry 0.5m at its worst to 2.0 m at best. The plankton was the main culprit for the poor viz. A very popular site with 4 boats when I was there at 15:30, but I only came across two other diver pairs.
Will and I enjoyed our dive around the Mulberry, coming across dogfish, lobsters and looking into the hidey-holes, loads of bib and wrasse. We then came back up the chain at the end of the dive. It was a lovely dive as always with the Far Mulberry.
Watch the video via this link: Diving on the Far Mulberry 12th June 2010
a quiz? who can see the joke with the long intro music?
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Diving the Bomber 7th June 2010
This was by far the best dive of the year! I could not take general views of the wreckage as all the fish got in the way. So sadly the dive video is less of a record of the wreck and more of the overall dive.
Hellen the skipper took her time before dropping the shot line and it was right in the middle of the wreck area. The wreckage is not that high in places but the shot was right next to the largest piece.
The viz was very good maybe 3-4 m even with the 6 of us ‘stirring up’ the bottom and especially with the weather being so overcast. The bottom is mostly gravel with some silt but not much of that.
The wreck is only over some 30 feet diameter and needs a lot of work to work out what one is looking at. In hindsight I should have tried to float some 3 m above parts of the wreck to get better pictures but there was too much drift for that. The amount of material in the water prevented, with my little camera, using the flash.
From what we can work out, it had two engines, it would appear that the engines are ‘face down’ in the sea bed and so it is difficult to see or count the number of blades each engine had. It is a radial engine and the video clearly show two of the engine cowlings, well that is what I think they are.
There was a large solid object within the wreckage field that needs further investigation to make sense of what it was. At first sight I thought that it was another engine with struts on it but it did not appear to have the same symmetry as the engines
There was a large panel that was ellipse in shape that contained two large circular sub-panels each about 4 feet in diameter. That did not make sense to me, and still does not even after the dive.
This is the first dive that I have been trying to use my brain to seriously work out puzzles underwater, apart from the arithmetic during my training. It just goes to show that one has to be focus on just the one aspect of a task during this sort of investigate dive to make headway. Well in my case at least.
Roy and I moved north to a point beyond the wreck and then tried to get back to the wreck and failed to find it again. At Roy’s suggestion we moved to a drift dive and floated back onto the wreck. I can honestly say I am in awe of Roy dive diving navigation skills!
We joined Adrian and Simon another buddy pair filming a cuttlefish who was enjoying the limelight. I always have a sense of pride in the way divers just enjoy looking at the underwater creatures it is a simple pleasure.
Next time I dive on it I will have to take a lot more time around each piece. I think that I will have to be selective of my dive buddy, who will be happy to spend most of the dive around just one or two objects while we measure and examining the bits. This will entail a lot more of pre-dive planning.
As a dive it has it all, interesting objects and loads of life around.
Hellen the skipper took her time before dropping the shot line and it was right in the middle of the wreck area. The wreckage is not that high in places but the shot was right next to the largest piece.
The viz was very good maybe 3-4 m even with the 6 of us ‘stirring up’ the bottom and especially with the weather being so overcast. The bottom is mostly gravel with some silt but not much of that.
The wreck is only over some 30 feet diameter and needs a lot of work to work out what one is looking at. In hindsight I should have tried to float some 3 m above parts of the wreck to get better pictures but there was too much drift for that. The amount of material in the water prevented, with my little camera, using the flash.
From what we can work out, it had two engines, it would appear that the engines are ‘face down’ in the sea bed and so it is difficult to see or count the number of blades each engine had. It is a radial engine and the video clearly show two of the engine cowlings, well that is what I think they are.
There was a large solid object within the wreckage field that needs further investigation to make sense of what it was. At first sight I thought that it was another engine with struts on it but it did not appear to have the same symmetry as the engines
There was a large panel that was ellipse in shape that contained two large circular sub-panels each about 4 feet in diameter. That did not make sense to me, and still does not even after the dive.
This is the first dive that I have been trying to use my brain to seriously work out puzzles underwater, apart from the arithmetic during my training. It just goes to show that one has to be focus on just the one aspect of a task during this sort of investigate dive to make headway. Well in my case at least.
Roy and I moved north to a point beyond the wreck and then tried to get back to the wreck and failed to find it again. At Roy’s suggestion we moved to a drift dive and floated back onto the wreck. I can honestly say I am in awe of Roy dive diving navigation skills!
We joined Adrian and Simon another buddy pair filming a cuttlefish who was enjoying the limelight. I always have a sense of pride in the way divers just enjoy looking at the underwater creatures it is a simple pleasure.
Next time I dive on it I will have to take a lot more time around each piece. I think that I will have to be selective of my dive buddy, who will be happy to spend most of the dive around just one or two objects while we measure and examining the bits. This will entail a lot more of pre-dive planning.
As a dive it has it all, interesting objects and loads of life around.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Diving the Mixon Hole 5th June 2010
The last time I dived the Mixon Hole it was 26th June 1988! It was part of my snorkelling test where I had to ‘free dive’ to the edge of the Mixon and pick up some weeds to prove I could snorkel to 7m. Dan my dive buddy also dived it a couple of decades ago.
Dan and I have been trying for over a year to dive the Mixon Hole but with the bad weather we were ‘blown out’ some 4 times. So finally we did!
Simon who runs Southern Coastal Charters picked us up from the East Beach at Selsey.
We got to the Mixon Hole a bit later than planned and we did find there was a current running at the bottom. There did not appear to be any current at the surface so that was a bit odd.
The north wall appeared to be less steep than I remembered it but there was more life. The descent is a little tricky as you are descending a slope, so we tended to bump a lot on the way down. Next time we will face into the Hole and gently swim forward. As soon as we got to the bottom a dogfish swam between us, which I think was pretty cool.
We came across an active spider crab of a reasonable size. Dan and I both caught a dogfish with our bare hands, which we both ate later. I did catch a lobster but it was too small so let it go.
The main event was me trying to catch a flatfish and failing. With all my air out of my dry suit and BCD I used my diver’s knife to stab him. He was strong enough to lift me up off the bottom a few inches which enabled him to move down as Dan tried to put him in the bag.
I never realized the adrenaline would get to me with that sort event. Afterwards my heart was pumping as was my breathing down at 26m. I made a conscious effort to calm down but I did use a lot of air.
Score so far: Flatfish 2, Percy 0
We left the bottom with 4 minutes of bottom time left and had a very steady assent. Lovely dive and we are planned to dive it again in two weeks time.
Link to video Mixon Hole 5th June 2010
Dan and I have been trying for over a year to dive the Mixon Hole but with the bad weather we were ‘blown out’ some 4 times. So finally we did!
Simon who runs Southern Coastal Charters picked us up from the East Beach at Selsey.
We got to the Mixon Hole a bit later than planned and we did find there was a current running at the bottom. There did not appear to be any current at the surface so that was a bit odd.
The north wall appeared to be less steep than I remembered it but there was more life. The descent is a little tricky as you are descending a slope, so we tended to bump a lot on the way down. Next time we will face into the Hole and gently swim forward. As soon as we got to the bottom a dogfish swam between us, which I think was pretty cool.
We came across an active spider crab of a reasonable size. Dan and I both caught a dogfish with our bare hands, which we both ate later. I did catch a lobster but it was too small so let it go.
The main event was me trying to catch a flatfish and failing. With all my air out of my dry suit and BCD I used my diver’s knife to stab him. He was strong enough to lift me up off the bottom a few inches which enabled him to move down as Dan tried to put him in the bag.
I never realized the adrenaline would get to me with that sort event. Afterwards my heart was pumping as was my breathing down at 26m. I made a conscious effort to calm down but I did use a lot of air.
Score so far: Flatfish 2, Percy 0
We left the bottom with 4 minutes of bottom time left and had a very steady assent. Lovely dive and we are planned to dive it again in two weeks time.
Link to video Mixon Hole 5th June 2010
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Nab Tower Evening dive 26th May 2010
This was the best dive ever on the Nab Tower and to be honest the video just does not do it justice. It does show it looking darker than it really is, I guess that is the difference between the ‘mark one’ eyeball and the CCD camera.
We had a rather rapid descent to the lowest tier around the Nab Tower. Within minutes Dan, my buddy, snatches a lobster, which was too small so had to be released.
We slowly progressed up from tier to tier. We were able to see shoals of Pollock, which stayed around the divers. The real highlight was that we saw two cuttlefish in two different locations.
Of course it was full of other life gobies, wrasse and crabs. The link to the video is Nab Tower Evening dive May 2010
We had a rather rapid descent to the lowest tier around the Nab Tower. Within minutes Dan, my buddy, snatches a lobster, which was too small so had to be released.
We slowly progressed up from tier to tier. We were able to see shoals of Pollock, which stayed around the divers. The real highlight was that we saw two cuttlefish in two different locations.
Of course it was full of other life gobies, wrasse and crabs. The link to the video is Nab Tower Evening dive May 2010
Monday, 31 May 2010
Anchor Reef Drift 22nd May 2010
Drift dives for me have been very much a ‘pot luck’ thing, until this year, I would have nornally said dull and boring, the minutes dragging by looking at a muddy bottom!
This drift dive was really very nice and the Anchor Reef off Bracklesham has a varied bottom, without the mud, to keep any diver interested. When I mean any diver I have to restrict that to a ‘non blue water’ diver or especially a Solent diver.
The visibility was about 3 metres; the fish were about but usually kept their distance (I must remember to shower before a dive). The tide, for the diver, was a bit odd as it felt at times it was less of a drift but more of an eddy, surge, and wash about. The skipper Simon reckons both sets of divers were moving against the tide, which gives you some indication of the situation.
The depth varied from 8 metres to one point at 4.8 metres, in itself not a problem but maintaining my buoyancy was a constant effort, as was clearing my ears!
Dan, my buddy, has a strange affinity with the underwater life! How he gets hold of crabs and lobsters without getting his fingers pinched or nipped when he shoves his hand in their ‘hidey hole’ I never will know. This time he grabs hold of a dogfish!!
Dan let it go, I think that it is his way of keeping his animal grabbing skills honed, for those more important lobsters. I have since been checking out the skinning and cooking of dogfish!
This dive has been my longest to date at 75 minutes long with still 100 Bar in the cylinder. We really only stopped the dive as Simon was giving us a recall by revving his boat engine! We knew he had a pick up for the next set of divers after us.
Check out the video of the dive. The opening sequences have been taken from Google Earth and I believe the boat is in fact Simon’s boat.
Here is the link to the video Anchor Reef Drift 22nd May 2010
This drift dive was really very nice and the Anchor Reef off Bracklesham has a varied bottom, without the mud, to keep any diver interested. When I mean any diver I have to restrict that to a ‘non blue water’ diver or especially a Solent diver.
The visibility was about 3 metres; the fish were about but usually kept their distance (I must remember to shower before a dive). The tide, for the diver, was a bit odd as it felt at times it was less of a drift but more of an eddy, surge, and wash about. The skipper Simon reckons both sets of divers were moving against the tide, which gives you some indication of the situation.
The depth varied from 8 metres to one point at 4.8 metres, in itself not a problem but maintaining my buoyancy was a constant effort, as was clearing my ears!
Dan, my buddy, has a strange affinity with the underwater life! How he gets hold of crabs and lobsters without getting his fingers pinched or nipped when he shoves his hand in their ‘hidey hole’ I never will know. This time he grabs hold of a dogfish!!
Dan let it go, I think that it is his way of keeping his animal grabbing skills honed, for those more important lobsters. I have since been checking out the skinning and cooking of dogfish!
This dive has been my longest to date at 75 minutes long with still 100 Bar in the cylinder. We really only stopped the dive as Simon was giving us a recall by revving his boat engine! We knew he had a pick up for the next set of divers after us.
Check out the video of the dive. The opening sequences have been taken from Google Earth and I believe the boat is in fact Simon’s boat.
Here is the link to the video Anchor Reef Drift 22nd May 2010
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Camberwell and the Luis 9th May 2010
This dive was scheduled to be the U1195 & drift. Roy the skipper was not happy with the weather/sea surface over the U1195 area. In his opinion that type of sea surface would be very lumpy and the resulting diving viz very poor. So his recommendation was dive the Camberwell followed by a Drift starting at the Luis.
The viz on the Camberwell was great I would guess about 10+m. It was so good I got the camera out during the descent. Dan caught a very large lobster that put up a real fight not to go in his goody bag. Sadly it was a female with eggs so it was let go.
The other lobsters were too small. There was a very large edible crab but it was a long way down in the wreck and neither Dan nor I were interested in him. Dan and I were on air so we were dive time limited but moved to the higher parts of the wreck to increase our dive time when the bottom time got to 7 minutes left.
There was a lot of life on this wreck and other divers had fun picking up bottles!
The second dive was to be dropped off on the Luis and then drift off. Dan and I stayed on the wreck using the old hand over hand technique and the tide running kept the viz good at about 5m. Dan was again in lobster hunting mood but all the lobster were far too small to be taken.
The boat ride back to Eastney was rather rough in places, which told all the divers how rough the sea could have been. Truly excellent diving with the best viz ever for a dive that deep and the second dive was great as well.
Don’t just believe me check out the dive video Camberwell and the Luis
The viz on the Camberwell was great I would guess about 10+m. It was so good I got the camera out during the descent. Dan caught a very large lobster that put up a real fight not to go in his goody bag. Sadly it was a female with eggs so it was let go.
The other lobsters were too small. There was a very large edible crab but it was a long way down in the wreck and neither Dan nor I were interested in him. Dan and I were on air so we were dive time limited but moved to the higher parts of the wreck to increase our dive time when the bottom time got to 7 minutes left.
There was a lot of life on this wreck and other divers had fun picking up bottles!
The second dive was to be dropped off on the Luis and then drift off. Dan and I stayed on the wreck using the old hand over hand technique and the tide running kept the viz good at about 5m. Dan was again in lobster hunting mood but all the lobster were far too small to be taken.
The boat ride back to Eastney was rather rough in places, which told all the divers how rough the sea could have been. Truly excellent diving with the best viz ever for a dive that deep and the second dive was great as well.
Don’t just believe me check out the dive video Camberwell and the Luis
Saturday, 15 May 2010
The Luis & Drift 3rd May 2010
Another blown out dive! I had been watching the weather websites and it was not looking good and at best it would have been a very rough ride out into the Solent with a very dodgy pick up with the wind at F4~5. As it was, Skipper Roy for the Wightdiver had been watching it very closely then the wind moved up to F5~6 which scrubbed it.
Babbacombe Bay, Devon, shore dive 1st May
An unplanned bit of diving, sort of courtesy of my wife. A trip to Devon to visit my mother-in-law in hospital but my wife decided it would be better if she took the train from her mother’s house to the hospital and I would go off diving. Yippee!
So I contacted JC Diving in Exmouth and tagged along with one of their training dives. I met up with Nick who I have dived with before on trips with JC diving. Drove down to Babbacombe Bay and then met up with Tony who bypassed the whole meeting up at the dive centre thing. Babbacombe is a great place for a shore dive with the one exception of the limited parking, so the advice is to get there early!!
There is a very nice café that can supply all those hot post diving food and drinks also the table & chair to do the shore cover while you eat and drink. Entry and exit is fine, there are just a few slippery stones around to take care of or I should say avoid.
I am what you would call a slow diver, which is great as my air consumption that shoots through the roof if I do any serious finning. Nick and Tony really taught me how slow one can really dive we sort of had a drift dive in the bay with just the eddies moving us around. Sadly the effect was that Nick got very cold with his lack of movement. I was all toasty in my dry suit compared to Nick and Tony in their wet suits (brave souls with a water temperature of 10 °C).
Just after Nick gave me the universal divers sign that he was totally frozen and should make our way back we saw a cuttlefish about 18 inches to 2ft long. It appeared to enjoy the attention of being photographed. Always a good sign that water is getting warmer.
After that we finned back to shore. I was rather chuffed that my navigation back to the shore was impressively good this time, as we routed straight back to the mushroom rock and then right back to the slipway. Actually I think that it was more fluke than skill, but it was impressive.
After we de-kitted we had some hot drinks and food from the café while we carried out the shore cover for JC Diving. It was a bit wet by now with the rain. I don’t know about you but I do go off diving in the rain, cold wind fine, it is just something about the rain.
Nick had lost his core body temperature and called off the second dive. I also called off the second dive as I appear to have a slight dry suit leak and had got rather cold by now so packed up to meet up with my wife.
A great days diving and great company and the cuttlefish was a real plus!
Here is the link to the video Babbacombe Bay shore dive
So I contacted JC Diving in Exmouth and tagged along with one of their training dives. I met up with Nick who I have dived with before on trips with JC diving. Drove down to Babbacombe Bay and then met up with Tony who bypassed the whole meeting up at the dive centre thing. Babbacombe is a great place for a shore dive with the one exception of the limited parking, so the advice is to get there early!!
There is a very nice café that can supply all those hot post diving food and drinks also the table & chair to do the shore cover while you eat and drink. Entry and exit is fine, there are just a few slippery stones around to take care of or I should say avoid.
I am what you would call a slow diver, which is great as my air consumption that shoots through the roof if I do any serious finning. Nick and Tony really taught me how slow one can really dive we sort of had a drift dive in the bay with just the eddies moving us around. Sadly the effect was that Nick got very cold with his lack of movement. I was all toasty in my dry suit compared to Nick and Tony in their wet suits (brave souls with a water temperature of 10 °C).
Just after Nick gave me the universal divers sign that he was totally frozen and should make our way back we saw a cuttlefish about 18 inches to 2ft long. It appeared to enjoy the attention of being photographed. Always a good sign that water is getting warmer.
After that we finned back to shore. I was rather chuffed that my navigation back to the shore was impressively good this time, as we routed straight back to the mushroom rock and then right back to the slipway. Actually I think that it was more fluke than skill, but it was impressive.
After we de-kitted we had some hot drinks and food from the café while we carried out the shore cover for JC Diving. It was a bit wet by now with the rain. I don’t know about you but I do go off diving in the rain, cold wind fine, it is just something about the rain.
Nick had lost his core body temperature and called off the second dive. I also called off the second dive as I appear to have a slight dry suit leak and had got rather cold by now so packed up to meet up with my wife.
A great days diving and great company and the cuttlefish was a real plus!
Here is the link to the video Babbacombe Bay shore dive
Monday, 3 May 2010
Camswain and the Bembridge Ledges Drift 25th April 2010
Finally a chance to be back in the water!
Normally I really don’t like to dive in a threesome, but diving with Dan and Roy it was so easy. To be honest the conditions on the Camswain were not the best. There was too much muck which blanked out the sunlight. I think that was a plankton layer that killed the light, with the traditional green sea.
So credit all round for staying together and seeing the life that we did on the wreck. I stopped being a watchful diver at one point as it appears that I shouldered Roy into a bulkhead, so it is the 'naughty step' for me!
All that being said it was a good dive albeit rather dark, UK divers can handle that sort of dive.
The second dive was a drift dive over the Bembridge ledges again Dan, Roy and myself. There was a seriously low stress dive that turned into a scallop picking session. Dan and I both caught large edible crabs. Then I came across a large flat fish,a Turbot I thought at the time just lying there some 18inches to 2 foot long. I dumped air as I turned over it and got out my trusty divers knife and stabbed straight down. I got the fish but I bounced as I struck the fish and so the fish just shot away leaving me alone in a cloud of silt!!
After collecting my bearings I had lost the other two. So it was a quick follow, as best I could for a minute then I deployed the SMB and then a slow drift assent. Mind you with all the exertion of the fish stabbing, I had used up a lot of air so it was close to me having to ascend anyway.
A very good days diving and a lot of fun.
Just one incident where Rich, the Wightdiver skipper, had to manoeuvre Wightdiver to block a power boat from passing over some of our divers. Wightdiver was flying the ‘divers down’ flag and the guys had a big red SMB, but they were blind to that.
Here is the link to the video of the dive of Camswain and the Bembridge Ledges Drift
Normally I really don’t like to dive in a threesome, but diving with Dan and Roy it was so easy. To be honest the conditions on the Camswain were not the best. There was too much muck which blanked out the sunlight. I think that was a plankton layer that killed the light, with the traditional green sea.
So credit all round for staying together and seeing the life that we did on the wreck. I stopped being a watchful diver at one point as it appears that I shouldered Roy into a bulkhead, so it is the 'naughty step' for me!
All that being said it was a good dive albeit rather dark, UK divers can handle that sort of dive.
The second dive was a drift dive over the Bembridge ledges again Dan, Roy and myself. There was a seriously low stress dive that turned into a scallop picking session. Dan and I both caught large edible crabs. Then I came across a large flat fish,a Turbot I thought at the time just lying there some 18inches to 2 foot long. I dumped air as I turned over it and got out my trusty divers knife and stabbed straight down. I got the fish but I bounced as I struck the fish and so the fish just shot away leaving me alone in a cloud of silt!!
After collecting my bearings I had lost the other two. So it was a quick follow, as best I could for a minute then I deployed the SMB and then a slow drift assent. Mind you with all the exertion of the fish stabbing, I had used up a lot of air so it was close to me having to ascend anyway.
A very good days diving and a lot of fun.
Just one incident where Rich, the Wightdiver skipper, had to manoeuvre Wightdiver to block a power boat from passing over some of our divers. Wightdiver was flying the ‘divers down’ flag and the guys had a big red SMB, but they were blind to that.
Here is the link to the video of the dive of Camswain and the Bembridge Ledges Drift
Saturday, 10 April 2010
The Nabb Tower and Bomber
Well another dive scrubbed: this time through a lack of divers booking up the dive on Wightdiver. It would have been a really good set of dives as I quite like the Nabb tower but then there was the real thrill of diving on the Bomber. I have never dived the Bomber or any plane wreck before, equally this wreck has only been dived on once before to my knowledge.
I do wonder why there was such a lack of divers for a weekend days diving where the weather has been predicted to be good after a week of good weather. I have concerns that the TDC website booking system does not suit all divers. You have to look hard at the Wightdiver website not the TDC or adventure college websites to locate the schedule, to think about planning ones dives; I am talking about the timetable format of listing the dives. Then you move to the booking part of the website to actually book the dive. I was always led to believe that to maximise sales on a website it had to be three mouse clicks away!
All that being said, diving is a very social thing and some divers will still want to talk to the dive centre to get that human relationship thing when booking a dive!
Divers are a funny if not fickle lot!
I do wonder why there was such a lack of divers for a weekend days diving where the weather has been predicted to be good after a week of good weather. I have concerns that the TDC website booking system does not suit all divers. You have to look hard at the Wightdiver website not the TDC or adventure college websites to locate the schedule, to think about planning ones dives; I am talking about the timetable format of listing the dives. Then you move to the booking part of the website to actually book the dive. I was always led to believe that to maximise sales on a website it had to be three mouse clicks away!
All that being said, diving is a very social thing and some divers will still want to talk to the dive centre to get that human relationship thing when booking a dive!
Divers are a funny if not fickle lot!
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Far Mulberry and the Landing Craft
Well another scrubbed dive for tomorrow, the life of a UK diver is tough. The forecast as I was seeing it looked F4-5 so just border line. The dive was a Wightdiver double dive on the Far Mulberry followed by the Landing Craft. Wightdiver can work up to F5 and I have been the last diver picked up when the weather was getting to F5. You have to be rather careful to catch the platform just right. No chance if the boat had a ladder. So when Roy the skipper called I knew that was it.
So when the skipper scrubs the dive, his word is final! After all it is never in the skipper’s interest to lose out on earning some income.
This was to be two very enjoyable dives and what I had intended to make it special was that I was diving with my son Will as well as my Dive buddy Dan.
Oddly I have mixed emotions about having a scrubbed dive. I am sad that I am missing out on the dive and then the thought that I have a free day or half day.
That is all rather simplistic as I have been looking at the cold and rather bleak forecast and ‘sucking it up’ for a rather stoical dive. So I suppose there is a tinge of relief. I have been watching and experiencing the weather over the last week with the gales I was anticipating that the viz would be very poor. The sort of sub 1 metre viz, where only the ‘best of friends’ divers can keep together.
Last time I had a 0.5 m viz on the Far Mulberry it was a F3 in Dec 2008. I dived with Roland and we managed a dive time of 53 minutes around the wreck and we did not get lost!
Mind you I called off on the following dive on the Landing Craft after feeling rather rough between the dives. Roland did the dive but he and his buddy gave up after 4 mins, there was just no viz!
So all in all, I feel not that sad it was called off!
So when the skipper scrubs the dive, his word is final! After all it is never in the skipper’s interest to lose out on earning some income.
This was to be two very enjoyable dives and what I had intended to make it special was that I was diving with my son Will as well as my Dive buddy Dan.
Oddly I have mixed emotions about having a scrubbed dive. I am sad that I am missing out on the dive and then the thought that I have a free day or half day.
That is all rather simplistic as I have been looking at the cold and rather bleak forecast and ‘sucking it up’ for a rather stoical dive. So I suppose there is a tinge of relief. I have been watching and experiencing the weather over the last week with the gales I was anticipating that the viz would be very poor. The sort of sub 1 metre viz, where only the ‘best of friends’ divers can keep together.
Last time I had a 0.5 m viz on the Far Mulberry it was a F3 in Dec 2008. I dived with Roland and we managed a dive time of 53 minutes around the wreck and we did not get lost!
Mind you I called off on the following dive on the Landing Craft after feeling rather rough between the dives. Roland did the dive but he and his buddy gave up after 4 mins, there was just no viz!
So all in all, I feel not that sad it was called off!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Tanks and Bulldozers
Today’s Dive on the Tanks and Bulldozers was cancelled by the skipper Simon of Southern Coastal Charters. The weather was looking 50/50 yesterday at 18:00 but from Simon’s viewpoint the colour of the water looked bad so decided to call off the dive and be a bankrupt skipper.
Last time Dan and I tried to do this dive, Simon dropped the shot line down, looked at the colour of the water and decide the viz was rubbish. We moved on in hope to dive the Shirala (‘T’pot) and the viz appeared better, so we dived. The viz was rubbish and we lost the wreck after 20 mins so surfaced.
So this morning I had a lie-in and hope for better weather next week when I am booked on a dive with Wightdiver to the far Mulberry followed by the landing craft on the 4th April. I will be diving with my dive buddy Dan and my son Will, for Will this will be his second major open water dive.
Last time Dan and I tried to do this dive, Simon dropped the shot line down, looked at the colour of the water and decide the viz was rubbish. We moved on in hope to dive the Shirala (‘T’pot) and the viz appeared better, so we dived. The viz was rubbish and we lost the wreck after 20 mins so surfaced.
So this morning I had a lie-in and hope for better weather next week when I am booked on a dive with Wightdiver to the far Mulberry followed by the landing craft on the 4th April. I will be diving with my dive buddy Dan and my son Will, for Will this will be his second major open water dive.
Luis and Bembridge Ledges Drift 21st March 2010
This was my first dive of the year with the newly refurbished Wightdiver. It was a double dive on the Luis off the south west side of the Isle of Wight followed by a drift dive. I hooked up with Terry, Jamie and Graham for the dive. Graham was using a re-breather so we decided to dive as a foursome on the Luis.
I have never dived with another diver using a re-breather although briefed beforehand by diving reflexes kicked in as soon as I was under water much to the annoyance of Graham but he did not say anything.
I drop when descending, usually to keep up with my buddy, which is not the thing to do with a re-breather. The shot line was a bit slack and hence I was hanging lower than Graham as he was changing air mix at 6 metres.
It was black at the bottom and we lost Graham within minutes and only due to the amazing light from Terry’s torch is some of the video any good. Terry caught a lobster during the darkest of dives. Terry, Jamie and I managed to stay together for the whole of the dive some 34 minutes long with the water a toasty 7°C.
The next dive was a drift dive over Bembridge ledges with Graham was just a fun dive. The viz was not great at about 2 metres but the fun part was the numbers of scallops we managed to pick up, interesting for Bembridge ledges. It was less of a drift with almost no tide so more of a slow paddle, really nice all the same. The temperature was still at 7°C and again with the new 5mm gloves and the extra layer under my dry suit we had a 57 min dive.
I can’t say that this video is a real recommendation for UK diving but it is what happens with UK diving from time to time and one has to be taken in one’s stride. The UK dives are interesting, entertaining and fun (?) they just don’t have that WOW factor that ‘blue water diving’ has.
I have found that overseas being a Solent diver is a ‘badge of honour’ with the words “if you can dive in the Solent you can dive anywhere”. Don’t get me wrong my view is that macho divers end up as dead divers, and from that stand point I will, and have, called off a dive when it is not fun.
I feel very fortunate that I live in the Solent area with such a high concentration of wrecks. For me it is not the wrecks themselves but the wildlife that lives on the wreck that I enjoy.
Anyway the next dive is on the 28th March and is the Tanks and Bulldozers to be taken out by Southern Coastal Charters with Skipper Simon. I believe a wreck with lots on nooks and crannies for sea life. A first time dive for me on this wreck, so hopefully good weather to dive, good viz and a bit warmer! Note to self: new batteries for torch.
Here is the weblink to the diving video:Luis & Bembridge Ledges Drift March 2010
I have never dived with another diver using a re-breather although briefed beforehand by diving reflexes kicked in as soon as I was under water much to the annoyance of Graham but he did not say anything.
I drop when descending, usually to keep up with my buddy, which is not the thing to do with a re-breather. The shot line was a bit slack and hence I was hanging lower than Graham as he was changing air mix at 6 metres.
It was black at the bottom and we lost Graham within minutes and only due to the amazing light from Terry’s torch is some of the video any good. Terry caught a lobster during the darkest of dives. Terry, Jamie and I managed to stay together for the whole of the dive some 34 minutes long with the water a toasty 7°C.
The next dive was a drift dive over Bembridge ledges with Graham was just a fun dive. The viz was not great at about 2 metres but the fun part was the numbers of scallops we managed to pick up, interesting for Bembridge ledges. It was less of a drift with almost no tide so more of a slow paddle, really nice all the same. The temperature was still at 7°C and again with the new 5mm gloves and the extra layer under my dry suit we had a 57 min dive.
I can’t say that this video is a real recommendation for UK diving but it is what happens with UK diving from time to time and one has to be taken in one’s stride. The UK dives are interesting, entertaining and fun (?) they just don’t have that WOW factor that ‘blue water diving’ has.
I have found that overseas being a Solent diver is a ‘badge of honour’ with the words “if you can dive in the Solent you can dive anywhere”. Don’t get me wrong my view is that macho divers end up as dead divers, and from that stand point I will, and have, called off a dive when it is not fun.
I feel very fortunate that I live in the Solent area with such a high concentration of wrecks. For me it is not the wrecks themselves but the wildlife that lives on the wreck that I enjoy.
Anyway the next dive is on the 28th March and is the Tanks and Bulldozers to be taken out by Southern Coastal Charters with Skipper Simon. I believe a wreck with lots on nooks and crannies for sea life. A first time dive for me on this wreck, so hopefully good weather to dive, good viz and a bit warmer! Note to self: new batteries for torch.
Here is the weblink to the diving video:Luis & Bembridge Ledges Drift March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Anchor Reef Drift Dive 14th March 2010
14th March 2010: First dive of the year. Simon Bradburn the skipper on his boat [Southern coastal charters]. With my dive buddy Dan. This dive was a drift dive over Anchor Reef, 10 Metres, which is off Bracklesham Bay. It was very cold at 5C (yes, we must be mad!) the viz was poor due to stirring up of the silt on the bottom.
Stirred up by Dan and myself as well as the other divers. Odd with all the open water, we came across two other diver pairs.
I had to call the dive off as I got too cold even in my dry suit, next time I will have an extra layer on.
Nice dive to get into the diving feel again. There was not a lot of life just the two edible crabs, but they were too small. Dive time 34 mins!
Unfortunately this drift dive appears to be typical of all my drift dives, well at least those in the Solent. The drift dive I had in North Cornwall was truly superb and at 24 metres down!
Next dive is planned for next week is on the Luis and followed by a drift. I am again hoping for good diving weather and better viz.
Anyway here is the weblink to the diving video:Anchor Reef Drift Dive
Stirred up by Dan and myself as well as the other divers. Odd with all the open water, we came across two other diver pairs.
I had to call the dive off as I got too cold even in my dry suit, next time I will have an extra layer on.
Nice dive to get into the diving feel again. There was not a lot of life just the two edible crabs, but they were too small. Dive time 34 mins!
Unfortunately this drift dive appears to be typical of all my drift dives, well at least those in the Solent. The drift dive I had in North Cornwall was truly superb and at 24 metres down!
Next dive is planned for next week is on the Luis and followed by a drift. I am again hoping for good diving weather and better viz.
Anyway here is the weblink to the diving video:Anchor Reef Drift Dive
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Blog Ramble
I found that in UK waters my 'exciting' underwater picture of a fuzzy brown fish did not get the attention I felt it deserved! My camera also can take video so at some point I took video of a dive.
The appreciation was amazing. A video of a fuzzy brown fish therefore has wide appeal to all divers and most of my non diving family. Since then I have made or at least attempted to make a video of all the dives I have done.
Don’t get me wrong diving comes first and having fun, the video always comes second, otherwise I may upset my dive buddies by wasting valuable bottom time playing with my camera.
I get a wide spread of reaction from my dive buddies, first they stop moving to pose for a photo then very slowly they remember that I am taking a video of them and then continue to move, then they are keen to see the video afterwards.
I find that a diving video is an excellent record of any dive. Most of my dives are in the Solent since I live just north of Portsmouth (UK)
A self video!
The appreciation was amazing. A video of a fuzzy brown fish therefore has wide appeal to all divers and most of my non diving family. Since then I have made or at least attempted to make a video of all the dives I have done.
Don’t get me wrong diving comes first and having fun, the video always comes second, otherwise I may upset my dive buddies by wasting valuable bottom time playing with my camera.
I get a wide spread of reaction from my dive buddies, first they stop moving to pose for a photo then very slowly they remember that I am taking a video of them and then continue to move, then they are keen to see the video afterwards.
I find that a diving video is an excellent record of any dive. Most of my dives are in the Solent since I live just north of Portsmouth (UK)
A self video!
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