Double Trouble - 28/06/2017

Double Trouble is, simultaneously, perhaps one of the worst Elvis movies and also the title of another terrible movie from the 1990s, but that doesn't deter me from using it as a blog title to describe my first dive on my new twin set.

My buddies were Captain Al and Jester and we had chosen the Slates because I had agreed to show the site to a group of divers from Scuba Leeds on their annual pilgrimage to the west coast sea lochs (or "locks" as they call them 😃 ). My plan had been to dive my first dive with a 15l tank and then have a shallow splash with the twins before heading down the road.

In the end Captain Al advised me to get a bit of time with them to start to get used to them before doing any formal training. So, I jerry rigged up a regset that was a representation of a Hogarthian/DIR twinset regulator set and set about testing my system before doing any formal training in it. I've been using the Rectotec blog as background reading as well as discussing it with more experienced technical divers.

PLEASE NOTE: I am a relatively experienced diver with experienced buddies, I do not recommend this kind of ad hoc experimentation for inexperienced divers!

For those interested in the geekier side of it I dived:

• manifolded twin faber 12l
• Scubapro horseshoe wing
• Steel backplate
• jerry rigged regulators

Anyway, once kitted up I realised that I'd need to make some adjustments as I couldn't  reach my knobs on the dive, so that meant that in reality I was really just getting used to diving the wing with what was in effect a single cylinder.

The result was that I wasn't really into taking many photographs, but the weather, light and visibility were all so good that I took a few snaps.

Dive one saw us spend the best part of an hour at around 15-20m spotting ling, cuckoo wrasse, dogfish, nudibranchs and sunstars. 

The first thing I noticed is that the dump valves weren't effective given their position, and to get the best out of the hose dump I really had to be in a fairly upright position. It meant that on this dive there were a few minor buoyancy issues on this dive. Which, by the time we shallow dived the bay on dive two I had rectified, despite breathing the twinset down to just 40 bar ( a common tipping point or so I'm told).

Anyway, decent little learning experience with fine buddies.

Dogfish / Catshark

Common Sunstar

Flabellina Lineata

Northern Sunstar

Southern Men - 27/05/2017

Leeds isn't very north!

Neil Young once penned an epic song about the Southern Man. However, it is the response by US southern rockers Lynard Skynard that we all remember. It's funny, but whenever my pals from Scuba Leeds come to visit I'm always reminded of this particular episode in the annals of rock - that's ANNALS btw.

The reason, well, when you hang about the people from the North of England you often here them self refer to themselves as "Northerners", but when you look at a map, they're lucky if they're much more than two fifths of the way up the UK. They don't even know what north is!! At this point regular readers who live 66° north will have a little chuckle to themselves.

However, it was nature who had the last chuckle as I dived with Josh and the rest of the crew at St Catherine's.

Doing two dives, we had three unusual visitors. The first I took as an omen, that strangely enough I had been imagining on the way up - a pod of dolphins on the surface. Now the irony of this wasn't lost on me because on Josh's last visit to Scotland we dived at Anchor Point and I told him about all things it was possible to see, but won't - yip, pod of dolphins was on that list. We enjoyed them for a few minutes before we kitted up and headed in.

Once in the water the second unusual visitor to the site was... a northern sunstar. I've seen them here before, but only occasionally. We chuckled back on the surface as I explained to Josh that what we had just seen (to be said in my best "northerner" accent) "t'was a northern sunstar". If this is lost on you because you don't live in the UK, then imagine the voice of Sean Bean from Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings Fame.

Then on the second dive as I photographed some little nudibranchs Josh swam over the top of the largest thornback ray I have ever seen. Too big to photograph and get in focus I switched to video...

Josh and I ended the day happy.

Northern Sunstar

Flabellina Lineata

Flabellina Lineata

Limacia Clavigera

Halflight - 23/05/2017

Despite the long days drawing in Jester and arrived at Loch Fyne in a strange misty half light. The Kingmaker had bailed out at 4.30pm citing a shortage of testicles as a legitimate reason for not diving on a day that he organised.

The midgies were out so a quick kit up was imperative. We did just that, buddy checking on the beach.

As we approached the waters edge neither of us were wearing our glasses I asked Jester if it was a seal in the water -  the grey blur in the halflight turned out to be just that. As we dived it circled us from above before deciding that we weren't that interesting (or food) and left.

Our plan had been to look for a firework anemone we had found before near the boat, but for the life of us we couldn't find it. Instead we found some nudibranchs and a lobster Nice compensation.

However, the search at 25m for the anemone had meant we'd approached our decompression limit much quicker than anticipated so our time the reef was ultimately much shallower than we had anticipated. A turn in events that yielded many more sea slugs and blennies.

We looked at our computers and realised we had been down for way over an hour and made our way to the surface through the feeding jellyfish gorging themselves on the plankton bloom.

We surfaced after 72 minutes in what I think was one of my longest dives.

Seal head

Entering the water

Cushion Star

Lobster

Flabellina lineata

Yarrell's Blenny

More Flabs

Sea Lemon

Limacia Clavigera

Deep Peace - 15/05/2017

It always amazes how on a perfect night how calming diving is. It takes on an almost spiritual quality when it all goes right especially as you go deeper. Tonight was one of those nights.

The Zookeeper, Jester, the Kingmaker and I had all headed over to Seal Reef . The weather forecast had been for rain and strong winds. We hadn't objected to the wind - wind keeps the midgies at bay - but the rain wasn't that appealling. However, the forecast had hinted at a possible window between 6pm and 8pm right when our activity at the site would be at it's peak and we hung onto this hope.

On site, it was dry, calm  and the loch (as it sometimes does) lay still like a millpond.  We kitted up and headed down. The visibility was excellent around 7-9m. 

As we bottomed out at 40m I felt the deep peace, before turning and heading back up 

Myself and the Zookeeper led us down to the bottom of the 2nd reef at 40m  before turning and heading up into the crater to the old rope and the magnificent firework anemone that sits there. Then came the nudibranchs, Flabellinas, Limacia clavigera and sea lemons and in the shallows a beautiful corkwing wrasse hung around, nervously protecting its eggs.

We surfaced all agreeing that it was one of, if not the best dive of the year in Scotland. We dekitted and drove home. Then the rain started. We all won at life, which was funny as much of our predive chat focused on who would win a fight between the Zookeeper and the Kingmaker. All but the (even doubtful) Kingmaker reckoned the Zookeeper would ease it in three rounds.

Bloody Henry

Langoustine

Sea Cucumber

Firework Anemone

Yarrell's Blenny

Limacia Clavigera

Cushion Star

Sea Lemon

Corkwing Wrasse

Nudi's Are The New Black - 13/05/2017

Like any social activity, meeting people is one of the interesting aspects of diving. Today saw me meet up with two divers with whom I have never dived - Michael & Ben. On this occasion my experience (in terms of dive numbers) was more than double that of my two buddies combined. Therefore, I felt an expectation to deliver a positive experience for them. An expectation that ultimately resulted in a 15% increase in my SAC rate.

Not wanting to dive in Loch Long after my experience earlier in the week, meant that I was looking to head to Loch Fyne where both buddies had only dived at Seal Reef, St Catherines. However, with the mistaken belief that a local PADI dive school was about to descend there en masse (as they tend to do) we decided to go to Anchor Point.

I had encouraged both Ben & Michael to read the Anchor Point finstrokes guide in preparation so that they knew what to expect - a courtesy that I expect as a bare minimum when I go out with less experienced divers - and they had. I mean, I really don't mind showing people the ropes, but at least take a little responsibility.

We kitted up and buddy checked in the shallow water to avoid the midgies, which it seems are now starting to hatch for the summer and headed down towards the bottom of the wall passing the odd scallop, nudibranchs, anemones, sunstars, bloody henry's. It was a really nice dive. 

Back on the surface we chatted before heading back in doing the same dive again this time with a slightly shallower trajectory along the wall. It paid dividends with a every pleasant if rather timid conger eel.

I think my buddies liked the site and will probably be back.

Deeplet Anemone

Sunstar

Polycera faeroensis

Polycera faeroensis

Flebellina Lineata

Polycera faeroensis

Bloody Henry

Polycera faeroensis

Reviewing the Sealife Micro HD - 12/05/2017

Al's Camera

Piano Keys

Most of us who dive love what we see. For many, the unique underwater environments inspire us to take photographs and videos. I'm no different. For years now I've had a little Sealife DC1400. You may recall in November I flooded it causing me to be without a camera for some time.

Well before I headed off to Mauritius I still hadn't got round to fixing it. I thought of buying a Sealife Micro 2.0, but my friend (Captain Al) said I could borrow his earlier model, the Sealife Micro HD for my trip as a trial. I did, so as an aide memoire I thought I'd right down my thoughts on it.

Like the rest of the DC series cameras it has the easy to use piano keys, feels chunky in the hand and has the preset underwater red filter entitled "Dive Mode". Unlike the DC models it's pretty flood proof as its a sealed unit that uses both wifi and a wet contact USB cable for download. 

So what did I like and dislike? Well... 

• I loved the app and wifi functionailty. Why wait to get back to sure before posting your pics on facebook or instagram. Share to tour phone and your off.
• Loved the hasslefree diving - no worrying about leaky seals, moisture munchers or any of that stuff.
• Simple and easy to use, I mean if Captain Al can use it....

But...

• It has no Macro mode, meaning blurred pictures of nudibranchs.
• No zoom mode meaning you may have to get uncomfortably close to that big angry moray.
• No Green water auto filter for the murky water diver.

All in, if you're just a snap taker like me then it's a great wee piece of kit, but if want to take some serious photos then keep saving!

I was uncomfortably close to this guy.

Blurry nudi

Murk - 08/05/2017

It is a rare occasion when so many of the Avengers assemble, but tonight was one such night.The Kingmaker (in his new drysuit), the Zookeeper (with shiny new regs), Jester (with his usual bad chat) and me. We had deliberated over sites, but house on the back of a truck had convinced us to stay at Loch Long in what was to be a poor decision.

We kitted up at the roadside next to Conger Alley before splitting into to Red & Gold Squadron. Jester's job was to was to ensure Paul didn't have a drysuit disaster and mine was to make sure the Zookeeper was alright with her new kit.

It seemed simple enough as we slipped into the calm water on a bright sunny evening. However, once we got to 5m the true nature of our dive was revealed as the murk set in. Quickly visibility dropped to around one metre. A distance that was enough for Jester and the Kingmaker to be separated.

Without too many problems the Zookeeper and I successfully navigated the reef even spotting a nice sea lemon en route. 

Other than the banter, it was quite unremarkable.

Dragonette

Sea cucumber

Bloody Henry

Sea Lemon 

Archidoris pseudoargus

Northern Exposure - Part 4 - 01/05/2017

With the end of the bank holiday weekend upon us Freeflow Bob, the Barrman and I headed back down south to the Slates where we were going to meet Jester. The original plan had been for two dives but a general unwillingness both from our reluctant shore cover and a couple of our divers meant that we called it after one lengthy 61 minute dive. A 61 minute dive that proved to be yet another record breaker for Freeflow Bob.

 

Diving in buddy pairs, Barrman & Jester and myself & ol' Freeflow. We limited the dive to around 15m. this proved to be a nice turn as neither myself nor Jester had ever navigated the point at this depth. It proved to be worth the effort.

 

The first nudibranch was a very pleasant sea lemon, before more followed, mostly flabellinas. It was a pleasant dive ending with a scorpionfish.

 

We all enjoyed it, but it was cold (4c). From there we kitted up and headed to the Clachaig Inn for the win.

Northern Exposure - Part 3 - 30/04/2017



Diving Piste with lunge and kick.

Day 3 of our Highland adventure took us to the Laudale Slip. It was, for me, a perfect day for diving - bright, sunny, but with a cold wind. It meant that I would employ my "diving-piste" look.

 

In Scotland, it is the kind of day when your face gets burnt either by the wind or the sun - you never really know which element did the damage.

 

The surface marshall had already sorted buddy pairs and this meant that I would be once again diving with Ian, but this time we'd be part of a three with Claire  (who last appeared in my blog over two years ago).

 

As an instructor, Claire was able to extend Ian's range down to 20m and we agreed that we'd dive in the reverse V formation with Ian and Claire up top and me plodding along relatively self sufficiently at the back.

 

It worked a treat and I was really enjoying our little bimble which took us west to the main reef before heading back to a second reef east of the entry point and ultimately home.

 

Prior to the dive, we had agreed that Ian would put up an dSMB  as part of his Sport Diver training. As he began the skill I was a couple of metres below him and Claire. I watched as the SMB deployed and Ian moved up a couple of metres as a result of a little buoyant pull. I looked away for a few seconds, and then back and they were gone.

 

I waited a minute for them to reappear and then made my way topside, stopping for my safety stop and saw them on the surface safe and bobbing about 10m away.

 

A freeflow had occurred as a result of Ian using his octopus to inflate the SMB. He'd surfaced on Claire's octopus with zero air. Everyone was safe. Ian earned his new nickname Freeflow Bob.

 

The second dive saw Freeflow Bob and I head back in as a buddy pair. We pretty much did the same dive again only this time, as the tide was much lower, we glimpsed different parts of the reef. It was enough to give me the opportunity find a beautiful thornback ray - Freeflow Bob's first!

 

We surfaced, filled the tanks with the compressor and headed back round to base camp.

Freeflow Bob shows me where his freeflow occurred.

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