G'Day, Folks!

I've been so up to my gills in co-organising OZTeK4 (the full programme -
Mk1 version - is now on the website at: www.diveoztek.com.au ) that this is
the first moment that I've had to tell my tale of underwater woe. :-)

Janet, Julian, Meg and myself were just a few minutes into an early, early
morning dive when I discovered the largest seahorse that I've ever seen - an
Australia Pot-Bellied!!!  I lifted up the camera to immortalise the thing,
(having first vigorously tapped the housing against a near-by rock to force
the lens-cover to open: Standard Operating Procedure since I first flooded -
and revived - the thing a couple of years ago) when i noticed that the
housing was full of water!

I indicated to the others that I was aborting the dive, and left them to
carry on while I rushed back to shore, changed and drove quickly home.
Sylvia asked why I was home so soon?  Rinsing the camera in fresh water, I
explained what had happened and that I hoped to save the thing by gently
drying it with the hair dryer.  At that point, I suddenly remembered that
the others had all left their car keys in my vehicle.  Asking Sylvia to
perform the hair-drying ritual, I rushed back to the dive site to return
everybody's ignition keys.

By the time I got back home, Sylvia had managed to put the camera out of its
misery by leaving the hair dryer on an industrial strength setting.  A
procedure that managed to melt all of the plastic bits and bobs!  :-))))

It's not all gloom, though.  Feeling guilty about her role in the camera's
demise (and truth to tell it was probably beyond the point where it could be
salvaged.) Sylv bought me a new one; the Sony P150.  The only thing is, I'm
too terrified to take it in the water.  :-))))

Strike