Saturday dawned bright and sunny, ideal to get down to the serious business of diving. The Glad Tidings boats were loaded with kit and divers and in no time at all we arrived at Longstone Island, the site of our first dive. The arrival of the boat elicited much excitement from the numerous seals sunning themselves on the rocks, several of whom slipped into the water to investigate. With so many seals around divers quickly finished their kitting up and buddy checks to get into the water. The best diving here is fairly shallow, perhaps 15-20m at most, as the inquisitive seals tend to stay in the shallower waters. With visibility at over 10m we were able to see lots of seals; one even came and nibbled at the end of my fins- the ultimate Farnes experience chalked up on Dive 1! A hugely enjoyable dive and I decided there and then, while still underwater, to put my name down for Farnes 2011.

We then had a long lunch break/surface interval, where the typical British Bank holiday weather kicked in and chased the sun away. The second dive was The Cut, beginning with a swim-through a gap in the rocks, through the sea kelp which was very atmospheric. The visibility again was excellent, and although we saw fewer seals this time (who forgot to invite them?) we did see several very large lobsters and hundreds of crabs. There is a wreck here, although not much remains of it apart from some rusted pieces of metal. This dive was also shallow, only 6m or so at some points, which is always a challenge for buoyancy control – especially combined with the vagaries of local currents! Again a great dive, although it was a little choppy upon surfacing, but Glad Tidings picked us up promptly!

With approximately half the K&E divers on the boat and the rest still in the water, the club then had to deal with a real emergency – a non-K&E diver from another boat was in distress in the water close by, and club members moved quickly to assist. I’m happy to say that the diver was quickly removed from the water and given medical treatment, incuding CPR and oxygen, under the supervision of a local doctor who had been diving from our boat. The casualty was then airlifted to hospital by the emergency helicopter (guided by the ever-excellent RNLI boats that arrived to support the rescue within minutes of reporting it). A very sobering reminder of the potential hazards of sport diving, but also a confirmation that all the hours spent by divers and instructors on theory lessons and open water practice drills is worthwhile, and can in fact be the difference between life and death. Some O2 and First Aid courses / refresher sessions are being planned for those who want to ensure their skills are up to date.

Sadly, that was the end of the diving for the trip as gale force winds hit Seahouses and made it impossible for the boats to go out on Sunday and Monday. Several brave souls enjoyed a bracing hill top walk, while others enjoyed the more sedate pleasures of the on-site pool and spa. So, all in all a good trip – some top rated diving, great encounters with the Farnes seals, the satisfaction of having been in the right place at the right time to offer genuine and much needed assistance to a fellow diver, a little sunshine and time to socialise with other club members. Hopefully next year it’ll be a lot less windy and less eventful too.

By Leanne Collinson

Following the resuscitation efforts the casualty started recovering and was able to breath and talk, and was put on oxygen.  The RNLI and a RAF helicopter arrived on scene and the boy and the casualty were flown to hospital where we understand he made a full recovery

This was a magnificent team effort by everyone on the boat, whether giving rescue breaths, cardiac compression, preparing the boat for the helicopter or giving support to the casualty and everyone involved.  Everyone on the boat should feel proud of the part they played and it goes to prove that the BSAC training is second to none and Kingston & Elmbridge is a branch to be proud of.  Congratulations to everyone on the part you played.

Price £150 or nearest cash offer. Contact Barry Duplock on 07873 203165.

Check the website regularly as these dates can move to accommodate members needs.

22nd July – Ocean Diver Nitrox Workshop

For Ocean Diver and Sports Diver cross-overs without a Nitrox qualification

5th July – OT1 & OT4

For all cross-overs. It introduces you to BSAC and our tables.

5th August – Sports Diver Nitrox Workshop

For Sports Diver cross-overs without a Nitrox qualification (must have done the Ocean Diver Nitrox Workshop)

Sports grade recognises a diver who is competent to dive with another diver, within conditions already encountered by the least experienced diver, under the supervision of a Dive Marshal. It also recognises a diver competent to provide a full rescue and CPR.

Sports Divers can dive to a depth which is initially limited to 20m but which can subsequently be extended progressively, under the supervision of a Nationally Qualified Instructor (NQI), to a maximum depth of 35m.

All-in-all a great achievement and I wish her many years of safe diving.