A week in Scotland for a wedding, with three days diving out of Oban, on
the West coast. These were the scariest dives I've done to date, and the
trip was in danger of turning into 'The Muppets go Diving' at a couple of
points, but all turned out OK in the end... I've tried to analyse where I
did something wrong, any advice or tips will be gratefully received.
Water temps were a consistent 12-13 degrees, visibility poor by usual
Western Scotland standards at 3-4 metres. the weather was patchy sun and
showers, the water green and gritty but the wind stayed away and the seas
were calm. Tanks, weights, trilaminate drysuit and thinsulate all rented.
Dive 1 - The Breda
26.5m for 36 min. 12l of nitrox 32
http://www.alchemydiving.com/breda.htm
http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour91199.htm
http://www.liddiard.demon.co.uk/photoix/breda/index.htm
My buddy on the first day is Vicky, a doctor at Oban hospital, the rest of
the large, comfortable and extremely fast RIB taken up by a club from
Newcastle of the 'traditional UK diver' (beard and beer belly) variety. :-
) I manage to completely cock up my backwards roll and landed on top of
Vicky. I'm completely mortified, but no damage done. Is that Gonzo I hear
in the distance?
At the bottom of the shotline, 18 metres down and letting eyes ajust to the
dark before dropping over the rail and down the plumb-vertical side of the
boat. My silly little torch isn't really up to it's job. Down below the
top storey, the side is torn into huge holes by the Navy, looking for a
missing diver, never found. Round the bow, and back up to the deck which
is leaking bubbles from divers inside.
At 70 BAR, ask Vicky if she has any idea where the shotline is. Not a
clue, neither do I. No problem, unclip my DSMB and, ever the gentleman,
offer Vicky first pick of reel or inflation duties. 'huh'? she replies.
Sheesh, now have to teach a buddy to fire a blob underwater! :-) I opt
for getting her to hold the bottom of the SMB open while I control the reel
and inflation.
As we start to reel in, I can't dump fast enough - I'm so close to being
underweighted, I don't seem to be able to get air out of my cuff dump fast
enough to really keep control of my ascent - it's not exactly a runaway
ascent, but it's not really under control either. I do the whole ascent in
an arrow shape with my left wrist at the top, my lungs as empty as possible
and still don't manage to stop at 5 metres, arriving at the surface in a
tangle of the line I haven't managed to reel in. Kermit bobs next to me,
chuckling, while Vicky follows at a safe rate.
What I could have done better? Another 2 kilos on the weight belt to allow
me to get negative more easily. No safety stop - this is where breathing
nitrox on air tables does make for a useful safety margin... More care
when rolling off a RIB in a current!
Dive 2 - The Hispania.
17.9m for 21 min. 12l of nitrox 32
http://www.alchemydiving.com/hispania.html
http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/hispania499.htm
http://www.liddiard.demon.co.uk/photoix/hispania/index.htm
We are supposed to be here at slack tide, but if this was slack, I'm a
banana. Vicky and I haul ourselves down the near-horizontal shotline
against the current to the wreck. About half way down, a jellyfish the
size of a dinner plate trailing stinging threads out past the limits of
visibility lurches out of the murk on a direct collision course. Vicky
ducks left, I duck right, but despite the fact that our only exposed skin
is our lips the bugger still gets us both. The boat crew have a good old
chuckle later handing out sachets of vinegar.
I notice Vicky's octopus dribbling small bubbles as we haul ourselves
within sight of the shadowy form of the wreck, and as we are catching our
breath clinging to the rail she appears to give an 'out of air' signal.
Duck my head to release the long hose and she has a working reg in front of
her... which she looks at blankly. False alarm!
The superstructure of the wreck is a beautiful and fascinating jumble of
posts, ribs and and frames trailing kelp and dead mans fingers, huge
funnels large enough to lie in descending into the dark. I'm having fun
dodging from shelter to shelter, but after a few minutes Vicky indicates
she has had enough of the current so we abort to the shotline. Our
generous safety stop is spent, as one of the Geordies puts it, 'flappin
lika unyon jack in tha fookin wind!'
What I could have done better? Nothing, really. I was having a good dive,
but buddy aborted, so up without question.
Dive 3 - The Breda.
24.5m for 34min, 12l of nitrox 32.
Back on the Breda on day two, and my buddy is Alan, a chippie (joiner) from
Inverness, dive plan much the same as yesterday.
All goes to plan until about 25 minutes in when we have risen back on to
the deck area at 15m or so. I'm feeling a bit positive, so first dump try
to my wing (empty) then try to dump from my suit. Though I can feel the
gas sloshing around in the arm, despite arm waving and bashing the valve
with my fist, it's just not coming out! I grab at the cuff, but I've put
my compass strap over the seal, and for one very nasty moment I think I'm
on the fast track to the surface.
I manage to grab a handhold, and wedge one knee under a piece of wreck,
Alan looking on concernedly. I hand him my torch, get my compass off and
in a pocket and yank open the wrist seal. Get a cold arm, but who cares.
When I'm nicely negative, we had for the shot, and I dump from the cuff the
whole way up. Miss Piggy watches us from a distance.
What I could have done better? Not having my compass over the wrist seal
for a start. I also roll the sleeve of the thinsulate up to my elbow for
the following dives. Top tip of the day, given on the boat afterwards, is
sucking a blocked cuff dump to try and release it.
Dive 4 - Ard Ne Cuile (scenic)
17.6m for 11 min. 12l of nitrox 32.
On this dive, I drive my drysuit so empty I come up with squeeze bruising
across my shoulders. Our plan is for a nice, easy multi level dive along
the submarine cliff, but no sooner have we hit our maximum depth and
started to crawl back towards the light than Alan starts to get floaty. He
seems to have controlled it, stops to signal OK to me, but is then off up
again. I dump my wing and try to grab his fin but I'm too slow, and he
floats up out of sight.
I follow, crawling up the wall, get to the surface after about a minute and
look around for buddy. Nothing. Signal OK to the boat, who comes over.
After a further minute or two, the boatman gets my weight belt and I shrug
off my gear, at which point Alan's head appears some distance further down
the cliff, having re-descended to try and find me. Well, the dive is over,
and here come the Muppets - badumadum - ba - ba - badada!
Dive 5 - The Shuna
27.1m for 30 min. 15l of nitrox 32.
http://www.alchemydiving.com/shuna.html
For my final day, my buddy is Ronnie, a commercial diver from the East
Coast, and today, at last, the Muppets stay away... My deepest wreck to
date, the bottom of the shot is at 25m As we arrive the combination of
quick descent, depth, dark and a little anxiety gives me a buzz of
narcosis, but after a moment my head clears.
We swim a full circuit of the 90-metre long wreck, I'm more than happy to
let Ronnie lead. I hang at the rail above the impressive cut-away stern
while Ronnie drops down to shine his lightsabre on the remains of the
rudder. Several scorpionfish lurk in the metal, surprising to see them in
water this cold. We are both back at the shot with nearly 100 BAR, so take
another short tour finding a spare prop on the deck. A brief pause on the
ascent lets another jellyfish sweep disdainfully over our heads.
Dive 6 - Ard Na Cuile (scenic)
21.1m for 36 min. 12l of nitrox 32.
Back to the Majestic Meadows for the last dive. Having an opportunity to
relax means where before the rocks seemed bare today I see Octopus, Edible
Crab, Urchins, Squat Lobster, Crown of Thorns and Biscuit Starfish - Ronnie
goes after a Hunting Lobster but the brute escapes. Our safety stop is
drifting through the enchanted forest of heavy, drooping Kelp covering the
upper slopes.
Some good dives, some 'learning experiences', still addicted... :-)
Cheers,
Huw
--
http://www.huwporter.com
"A wise diver will refrain from written descriptions of his experiences"
- William Beebe
|
