The Last Days of Summer - 25/08/2015

The Mermaid and the Zookeeper were heading to the A-Frames. With them were two less experienced divers. I wasn't planning to dive as my mate was coming round to my house to collect some stuff much later in the evening. However, he came much earlier than anticipated. and left me twiddling my fingers at 6.30pm. 

A browse on Facebook meant I knew Hoddit and Doddit had just left Costa Coffee in Dumbarton and were heading up to the site for their first dive. I could make the second if I wanted. A quick look out the window and I noticed that it was one of the last days summer. I needed to take advantage this opportunity.

I arrived at the site to find three abandoned cars, a lot of midgies and bubbles making their way back to shore. I kitted up el pronto and got back in the car. The midgies were horrific. To escape them I went into the water early and waited there while the rest endured their surface intervals. 

The sun had set by the time we went underwater and I was tasked with leading us down to the 'big frame' which I did while keeping a close eye on the least experienced in our group. With just 12 dives under his belt, but he was performing admirably. I never really took many pictures, but we did see a few lobsters. 

Bubbles

This guy!

Return to the Dark Side - 21/08/2015

With Captain Al about to celebrate his 300th dive we headed to the A-Frames, Loch Long. Jester & Gill.i.am were joining us too. 

We arrived in daylight but by the time we were going in the water was dark, a factor that was enough to put Gill off the dive. We plopped into visibility of around 2-3m, but it was dark, very dark. In short, it was a night dive. It was nicely serendipitous - I first met Captain Al at this very site as we both did our PADI Night Spec. Now here we were celebrating Al's 300th dive and the return of night diving season. Happy days.

It wasn't a deep dive (15m) or a desperately long one (44minutes), but it was dark and that's how I like it. We emerged to the dim glow of the oil terminal lights.

I never took many pictures, but I'll leave you with a selection of photographic failures and Captain Al's 300th safety stop!

Fail

Fail

Almost a fail

Dead man's finger goatee

Selfie

Tea & Tiffin - 16/08/2015

With the weather forecast to be a bit miserable, myself, the Mermaid and Jester headed over to the Tea Rooms, Loch Fyne for a dive, shelter and tea! 

Described by Jester as the diving equivalent of 'glamping', the Tea Rooms is a small spit and lagoon popular with fishermen and divers. It is also the site of a small garden centre and tearoom called the Quarry View Garden Centre. Now, if you want to dive or fish here do phone ahead and don't bring your own picnic! The owner, quite rightly, does not take too well to misbehaving divers or fishermen. 

Anyway, back to diving. As it turned out the weather was bright and sunny and without the need for shelter. The day started well with a bacon roll before we kitted up and headed for the outside of the spit. We plopped into dark, but clear, water and made our way down to 19m.

We encountered a nice selection of fish - saith, wrasse, cod and a nervous catshark. There were some pretty critters too including:

• Devonshire Cup Corals
• Northern Sunstars
• Bloody Henrys
• Common Sunstars

As we came round the point and started to make for shallower waters we had a great encounter with a very curious Ballan Wrasse.

It was a nice dive that more than whiled away an hour.

Then it was time for lunch - toasties all round - before we headed along the road to Drishaig for some firework anemone action. It has to be said, the Mermaid was coming to grips with her new equipment, but we didn't expect her to also demonstrate a new form of site entry technique that effectively involved sliding down the small hill uncontrollably into the thorns and nettles at the bottom. Myself and Jester offered the appropriate level of faux sympathy before helping her to her feet.

The second dive was alright, but after a great first dive it was never going to be that spectacular.

Common sunstar

Devonshire cup coral

Northern sunstar

Ballan wrasse

Creepy statue

Northern sunstar

Firework anemone

Scorpion fish

Mermaid's purse

The Recluse - 03/08/2015

With both Jester and I having red letter days the following day we decided to keep the diving close to home and go dive the A-Frames. We were still wanting to photograph the reclusive anemones we'd seen on a previous dive as well. So we headed up, kitted up buddy checked and plopped in.

The visibility wasn't great, probably caused by one of the wettest July's on record and there was a definite halocline at around 18m where natural light disappeared and the temperature dropped.  I felt this temperature drop more keenly as my drysuit is now misnamed.

As we bumbled along accompanied by the hum of a nearby tanker, we met our anemones, once again closed for photographic business, As such we decided to just swim from frame to frame. Enjoying the peacock worms, goldsinnys, young cod and a lobster.

The weather held out for us which was a bonus. In fact, it turned into a very pleasant evening.

My camera had a full memory card, so I never took any photographs. All underwater photographs were taken by Jester.

Flat fish

Peacock worm

Me

Lobster

A nice night