What´s Bubbling

Sport Diver Training

andydiver — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:42:52 +0000

On Sunday Feb 9th we ran our first full day training session in which we managed to deliver all of the Sports Diver theory lessons followed by the exam. There were 10 Sport Diver students and lectures were delivered by all our current instructors. Feedback was very positive for this this type of event rather than to spread out the lectures on Wednesday evenings so I’m sure it will be repeated in the future.

Cromford Canal

andydiver — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 08:32:40 +0000

Recovering some rocks

Searching for Obstructions

On Sunday 2nd Feb a small intrepid group of the club helped ‘The Friends of Cromford Canal’ in clearing underwater obstacles at Cromford wharf shed. There were a number of objects recovered from small rocks and coping stones to on old railway sleeper. These obstacles were reducing the manoeuvrability of the newly introduced barge just where it needs to be turned round on it’s passenger trips. We were glad to help this local charitable organisation whose aim is to see the restoration of the historic Cromford Canal for the benefit of the general public.

Oban August Bank Holiday 2013 Trip Report

andydiver — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 07:22:46 +0000

There was real buzz of excitement at the pre-dive meeting for the Bank Holiday trip to Oban. This was because there were 18 people signed up for the expedition including some students doing their first sea dives and others who had never been diving in that area of Scotland.

The number of people going made dive planning a little daunting as there was a mix of students to advanced divers to consider, along with the aim of doing three dives per day from our two club RIB’s. Fortunately we had a good team helping to plan the dives lead by Sue who had experience in diving the area’s we wanted to visit along with requirements for slack water (a real issue due to it being Springs over the trip).

Fortunately all the pre – planning paid off and we managed to achieve the three dives per day (for those who wanted to do so).

Friday was aimed at students and less experienced divers and after launching at Puffin Divers we dived next to the seal colony on the North side of Kerrera. This was followed by two dives on the Breda as after the first dive the instructors decided that as the conditions were so good and it being low water it would be a suitable experience dive for our students. It was some of the best underwater visibility we have seen on the Breda for quite a while.

Saturday was the first of our longer trips, first 16 miles towards the South side of Mull to dive the wreck of the Meldon and then across to Dun Chonnvill on the North tip of the Garvellachs. This is where we had an interesting drift dive (for some) through the channel between the islands. The final dive of the day was to do some open water training drills with our students in Castle Bay on Kerrera.

Anemone on Rhondo

Lobster hiding in the wreck of the Meldon

Sunday saw the most challenging trip, 23 miles up the Sound of Mull to dive the Rhondo. The shallower parts of this wreck and the surrounding reef was ideal (if a little awesome as one member put it) for

our students while some of the more advanced divers plunged to the bow section much deeper. This was followed by a dive for the more experienced members on the Shuna, again with much better visibility than recent years.

Nudibranch on Shuna

As we then needed more diving gas we called in at Localine to re-fill our cylinders as arranged during planning which enabled us all to dive the wreck of the Thesis at slack water on the way back down the Sound towards Oban. It was an epic but tiring day in calm and very sunny conditions.

The final half days diving on the Monday was back on the Breda where conditions were even better than they were on Friday.

Most people including the boats started to make their way home Monday afternoon as it’s a pretty long drive but a few of us did one last training shore dive from Puffin Divers to wind up a fantastic weekend of diving (I managed 11 dives which is not bad over a four day period with so many people on the boats). All of this was also helped by the fine weather over the long weekend.

Good weather looking over the Sound of Jura to the Garvellachs with Mull in the background

As always it just goes to show what can be achieved when everyone helps out, plan the dive – dive the plan in actions.

Special thanks to Stuart for sorting out accommodation and ensuring both boats worked like a dream, Sue and Sallie for doing the dive planning (with a little input from some others), the boat towing people John and Stuart (got to be the worse job), all the instructors for getting the students in for so many dives, boat handlers John, Martin, Anne, oh and me. And really everyone for being in the right place at the right time.

Andy McKay (Training Officer)

X-Ray Dive Magazine

andydiver — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 06:51:07 +0000

Here is a link to the latest version of X-Ray Dive Magazine, some interesting articles about diving worldwide, free to download.

http://www.xray-mag.com/content/x-ray-mag-56

Cheers

Andy

Dive Magazine (Free)

andydiver — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 06:44:08 +0000

Here is a link to the latest free online version of Dive Magazine.

http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/

You have to register to download.

Cheers

Andy

Training Weekend

andydiver — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:03:36 +0000

Just had a productive training weekend at Stoney Cove with three instructors and five students.

Three students were doing there first Ocean Diver open water dives, and two completing their Ocean Diver training.

Free online Dive Magazine

andydiver — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:00:58 +0000

See this link for the latest digital copy of Dive magazine

http://free.divemagazine.co.uk/?DIVEHOME

Free On-line Dive Magazine

andydiver — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:04:55 +0000

X-Ray Magazine with articles about diving in Cost Brava, Micronesia, Norway, Honduras and Mexico with some interesting shark story’s.

Free to download at http://www.xray-mag.com/content/x-ray-mag-53

Cheers

Andy

First Dive of the season – must be mad!

andydiver — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:52:51 +0000

Well we kept saying we must go and have a shakedown weekend away, and for the weekend of 2 / 3rd March we ran out of excuses.

An intrepid 5 drove down to Plymouth with our boat Belper Eagle for the weekend. We had managed to get some cheap accommodation at the The Legacy Plymouth International Hotel, bit upmarket for us with full English breakfast and evening meals included. Saturday dawned and weather was calm and a little cold (understatement). We launched the boat at Queen Annes and headed out to Whitsands Bay for the day.

Although the air temperature was a nippy 4 or 5 degrees + wind chill the water was at a balmy (that’s us) 8 degrees. We managed two dives the first being the Rosehill (we were the only boat moored over it) and second on the James Egan Layne. We were all surprised at the amount of marine life for the time of year with lots of juvenile fish.

(Tompot Blenny on the JEL)

However as the Easterly breeze picked up we were happy to then head back and relax in the bar at the hotel before eating.

Sunday saw us again head out into Whitsands Bay in a strengthening wind to do a single dive on the Scylla. Having not dived this newish wreck for 2 or 3 years I was surprised on how much life there now was, many soft corals and even the start of some colonies of jewel anemone’s.

With the wind increasing and sea conditions worsening we headed off back to Queen Annes and homeward up the M5.

It was cold weekend at the extreme edge of what is comfortable (probably over the edge for some) and was not for the faint hearted but I enjoyed my early year dip.

Andy McKay

Dive Trips for 2003

andydiver — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:17:37 +0000

We are already planning the following trips for 2013

Plymouth weekend 16th – 17th February.

Cornwall (The Lizard) – Easter

Members contact Me or Sue if you are interested & watch this space for more.