Poseidon's Parlour: The Crazies

I hadn't really planned on diving this weekend, but in an unusual combination of buddies today I dived with K-Pep and TDFKAMF. We met up with no idea of where we were heading only knowing we wanted to take our chances with Loch Fyne. In the end we plumped for the hotly disputed Los Furnace (pronounced fur-nach-ay). Although, most divers simply call it Dogfish Reef.

"Hotly disputed?" I hear you ask. Yip, there is a crazy guy who lives next to the dive site who has been enraged by various groups of divers and fishermen - I suspect quite rightly. As a result, he has taken it upon himself to be the private guardian of the public car park blocking it off from everyone. "How do you know he's crazy?" Well, for one, he's got a flagpole erected in his garden. I mean, who puts a flagpole in their garden? Exactly, crazy folks. Secondly, he was animatedly bouncing around his window watching us like any normal crazy person would. Finally, when he did come out he had pretend conversations on his mobile phone. Exactly what you'd expect from a crazy person or indeed, an extra from The Crazies.

We arrived later in the day, taking considerable advantage of the improving weather and arrived in the late afternoon. Meaning our second dive would be a night dive. While kitting up I realised that I'd forgotten my thermal leggings - this was going to be cold.

Dive one was a plop down to 30m to the gnome garden before working our way back up. In all honesty other than a lot of cod and nudibranchs in the shallows there wasn't much happening. As a result, I only took a few pictures (below).

By the time the second dive came about I 'd decided I wasn't taking my camera in. In fact, as the chaps will testify, I wasn't even that keen on putting myself back in. However, I bravely struggled on. Thankfully, I did.

The second dive (a night dive) was a far more life filled affair. (They always are aren't they?) The site lived up to its name with a fairly impressive large female dogfish, two conger eels including one, which I almost rammed head first, which was a good 30cm outside of its hole. It was behaving far more like a garden eel if you've ever seen one. Add to that a nice sunstar and a wee scorpionfish and I'd say it was a much better dive. Curse my poor camera decision making!! At some point, I'll maybe share K-Pep's photos as he took a camera in and got a cracking shot of the curious conger.

For those who are wondering, yes it was cold. 9c with half an undersuit isn't too much fun. Some would say I'm crazy.