Far From The Madding Crowd - 21/01/2016

Thomas Hardy was an exceptional author, but few people know his first love was poetry. In fact, one of my favourite poems is The Darkling Thrush. In the poem, winter's gloom is palpable, but one little bird casts itself against the onslaught of winter.

"An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,In blast-beruffled plume,

Had chosen thus to fling his soul

    Upon the growing gloom." 

The weather was at best miserable: 

• marginally above zero
• raining
• windy
• melting snow

Myself, the Zookeeper and Jester had taken the decision to dive at Finnart for an evening of diving. It was my first cold water dive since returning from Egypt and the other first dive since the gluttonous Christmas period. Drysuits were to be stretched to their maximums, but not before we overcame the issue of removing an insert from the cylinder.

Without means of removal we were stumped. I took it upon myself to walk the 50 yards to the oil terminal and asked if they had any allen keys. I was greeted by a young man named Euan who told me he had qualified with his PADI Openwater qualification a few years ago in Australia. He was now planning on becoming a commercial diver and had lined up a job in Australia. He was very helpful and, more importantly, he had allen keys.

We dived. In the first three metres it was as though hell had frozen over. I haven't yet checked my computer for the temperature, but my bottom temperature was 6c. If only the thermocline had been that warm.

We bumbled around enjoying Devonshire cup corals, deeplet anemones and the regular assortment of life.

On the safety stop we ensured we stayed below 3.1m where the thermocline was visible. Once accomplished, we accelerated through the water and out ensuring that our stay in. 

Still, despite the conditions we flung ourselves upon the growing gloom. A good nights diving.

Deeplet anemone

Deeplet anemone

Devonshire cup coral