Dive With The Devil - 07/10/2018

After my experiences earlier in the year at Scapa Flow I was definitely sure that I wanted to continue my diver education and look at accelerated decompression. Now, technical diving isn't for everyone, but continually working to improve your experience and your skills is.

For that reason I never found it too hard to find a buddy to enjoy me on the IANTD Advanced Recreational Trimix Course. On this occasion, it was Alex that stepped up to the plate.

There are a number of benefits to both accelerated decompression and trimix. These include:

• Reduced narcosis at depth (T)
• Less time in the water getting cold (AD)

My original plan had been a to do an accelerated deco course (I was already qualified to 50m), but our instructor looked at out experiences as divers and suggested the trimix course - which also covered accelerated deco. That meant that Alex and I would be playing with voodoo and the devil!

We spent one day at Prestonhill Quarry and a second at a pretty weather beaten Slates doing drills, planning dives on trimix and 50% O2. 

It was overall a great learning experience and I'm not ashamed to say that Alex was better than me at almost every skill except for one. However, it was a great experience to share with such a fine young buddy. Henceforth, known as the Devil's Buddy.

My congratulatory post final dive handshake

Devil divers

Night Dive Before Dawn - 28/09/2018

I'd never dived Brackley Point at night so when the Barrman suggested that the club head there for a training day I was keen to go the night before to experience it in the dark, because, as we all know, diving is always better in the dark. StewPats stepped up to the mark and we took the opportunity to also get down below 31m so that the dive could also count towards his master diver training. 

We kitted up and headed in and down. The slope was much steeper than I remembered, but the visibility was immense- easily 10m.

We pottered about enjoying some nudi's, a scorpionfish and a little cuttlefish before heading up and to the wreckage of the old barge. Upon arrival it became clear that we were surrounded by one of the largest schools of pollock I have ever seen. Hundreds of them, everywhere. The vis was so good that I could soo Leigh on the surface looking out for us with her torch. We were still at 10m. Back on the surface she said she thought we were about to surface.

The following day I took Freeflow Bob in for a wee dive. during which he successfully completed his master diver striptease and also happily pottered down below 31m. The kids grow up so fast these days. 

Climbing the Walls - 23/09/2018

When my local dive shop arranged a Mares Try Dive Day at Caolasnacon I was always going to be on it like sonnet.

I had wanted to try out a few different things - which in the end I didn't, but a number of my club members did. Examples include:

• the Mares goodman torch strap
• the Mares heated vest
• a Mares single tank wing

However, a suit leak on a wee training dive around the wall with a trainee meant that I chose to spend much of the day trying to dry out my suit and undersuit for an evening dive with Mares UK Sales Manager and his buddy.

Jester was accompanying me as we to Kentallan Wall for the first time in darkness. When we went, Jester and I promised very little. "Perhaps some nudibranch's and ray. No guarantees."

However, between the two of us Jester and I knocked it out the park. 

• Thornback ray
• Curled octopus 
• Sepiola Atlantica
• Nudibranch's

Oh, and let's not forget my magnificent navigation. 

Curled Octopus

Thornback Ray

Caolasnacon

Sepiola Atlantica

Northern Sunstar

Nudi

Nudi