Deepest Night - 05/12/2018

I'm not depth junkie, although those who only ever dive to 20m say that I am. Meanwhile those who dive regularly below 50m just laugh at the absurdity that I might be. However, I do enjoy taking people deeper than they've gone before, especially at night. They seem to be thrilled at the end of the night. So when I took StewPatz and Freeflow Bob for a 31m night dive at the A-Frames I was quite tickled.

It almost never happened when one of our divers, I shan't say 'Stew', forgot fins and his weightbelt, but somehow we cobbled together enough weight and a spare pair of fins from nowhere.

We kitted up and headed spotting some cracking life:

• a snake blennie
• a cuttlefish
• deeplet anemones
• firework anemones
• nudibranchs

We emerged, delighted with out hall and two divers thrilled that they'd done more than 31m at night.

Return to Normal - 29/10/2018

Me photographing the cuttlefish below.

After training dives, a trip overseas and a wee break. I returned to my normal night diving routine with Jester as a barely tolerable buddy. We kitted up wondering where exactly the loch was. As it was, it turned out it was low tide and I mean Barry White low tide.

We meandered down planning to dive to the small speedboat then to the bottom of the reef (taking advantage of the shallower depths) and back up. It was a pretty

Everything went to plan with loads of cuttlefish, pipefish, gurnards, scorpion fish and only a small amount deco that was worked off before we even got to the ceiling.

It was thoroughly pleasant way to spend 62 minutes, an experience only added to by the glow of the Milky Way above us as we emerged from the water.

Short Spinned Sea Scorpion

The cuttlefish I was photographing

Greater Pipefish

Gurnard

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

An Aging Wine - 25/10/2017

It is said of fine wines that they improve with age. I hope the the same is true for me. You see, Jester and I went diving the day before my 40th birthday. We headed for St Catherines hoping for cuttlefish and decent weather (according to the forecast).

As we arrived the rain poured down. It slowed to a drizzle at which point we jumped out and kitted up. Gill.I.Am, who had come for the bantz, was not impressed that she'd be stuck in the car. 

We kept it pretty shallow, heading to the boat and then onto the reef. It was a good night for life with loads of scorpionfish, cuttlefish, a few nudibranchs and a coy conger.

What was amazing was that the scorpionfish were improving with each one we found. Slowly getting bigger and bigger in size until at the end we found the daddy of them all - who was about the size of a football. Needless to say I never went too close, but Jester took a few photos.

We emerged to find Gill locked in the car, imagination running riot as she read a crime thriller. I assume the victim is killed in a parked car by a rural dive site.

Reaching out

The big yin

Lanzarote Day 4 - The Night Shift - 04/07/17

One of my many vices is diving in the dark. Tonight I got the chance to be present at the shift change - when the day shift ends and the reef night shift begins. Diving with a relatively inexperienced French PADI instructor still keen to get a variety of different dives under his belt.

There was 10 euro premium for a night dive, but experience has told me that it is money well spent. 

Calimera Reef was just outside the hotel gates and it at about 8 metres deep it's an ideal beginners site, but I had doubts about how good it would be. I can say with all honesty that it wasn't the best dive I've ever done, but it was pretty good.

It started well, in mostly daylight with a cuttlefish scuttling away from us towards reef fish looking for a place to hole up for the evening. As we continued reef fish gave way to sea cucumbers, octopus, moray eels, crustaceans and diadem sea urchins.

We stayed down for around an hour before slowly returning in dark to the entry point. It was then when the dive highlights presented themselves - a roaming stingray and a seahorse galloping across its rock home.

As we walked back to the hotel the Maxi suggested that he liked night diving, I agreed.

Octopus

Sea cucumber

Seahare

Moray Eeel

Scorpion fish

Seahorse

The Big Frewbowski & The Curious Case of the Missing Sock - 02/02/2017

Sunday's dive threw up a curious case of a missing Fourth Element Arctic sock. My initial theory was that I'd left it at Drishaig Reef last week. I convinced Jester that a return to the site was just what the Dr had ordered and explained about my lost sock. Inviting the Walkman along for the ride we met at Costa and headed up in what seemed to be storm like conditions.

Upon arrival in the I searched for the sock in the pouring rain before considering that it probably wasn't work the effort and opting to get changed in the car. Then just as we were heading into the water we entered the eye of the storm and a very sudden calm.

Now the Walkman hadn't ever seen a cuttlefish, a firework anemone or a thornback ray. The only thing we guaranteed was firework anemone's. 

The dive began slowly with a float down to around 30m, but it was on our return to the surface that real action happened. In total as a group we found:

• 3 thornback rays
• 2 cuttlefish
• 2 red gurnards
• >6 Firework anemones

In fact, I spent more time with thornback rays on the dive dive than I have in the preceding 360.

We returned to the surface somewhat astonished. I still haven't found the sock. The weather got worse as we dekitted.

I attach a trio of Jester original images of the three Thornback Rays.

Christmas Came Early - 21/12/2016

A conversation in Aquatron about Frocktasia not ever having seen a cuttlefish led to her and Mad Marx joining Jester and I on some St Catherines' night diving to find ourselves our target.

With Jester working late and the rest of us finishing early we headed up and did sneaky dive before Jester arrived. It was nice enough, but cuttlefish or bobtail squid as they are called in other parts of the world were conspicuous by their absence. My reputation as a cuttlefish wrangler was in tatters.

We emerged and re-tanked and went down again with Jester in tow. Then it happened, I was just swimming down past 10m when I spotted one crouched behind a rock. I signalled and we stayed and admired this stunning little creature for a bit before heading off to enjoy the rest of the site at night.

For Frocktasia it was another diving experience checked off. For me it was two of my lowest ever SAC rate - 12l/m.

Free Fallin' - 20/10/2016

It was my 70th dive when I first got a real taste for night diving. My buddy was Mike Diver and while I'd done a few night dives that was the one where I found my confidence. From there diving with the Zookeeper made me the diver I am today and I passed that experience onto Jester.

I say this because Jester and I were talking about why so few people take the plunge at night despite perfect weather, sea conditions and more life. Anyway, that's their loss.

With the tide at the lowest we'd seen in a while, we briefly wondered where the loch went before stepping in and 'free fallin' down the ledge to10m.

It started well with the first of a few cuttlefish and a two types of nudibranch. We pottered about for around an hour before returning to the shore, the car and the timeless tunes of Tom Petty.  

Cuttlefish

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

A Window of Opportunity - 03/12/2015

So the weather has conspired to keep me from the water in the last few weeks. I'm not bitter, I'm just not wet. A look at the detailed weather forecast on Tuesday saw me catch sight of a rare 4 hour window of opportunity. Jester decided it was worth the gamble too.

We met at Costa Coffee where, as chance would have it, some members of Eastwood SAC were also meeting. We decided to join them, although Grant and I dived separately.

As we got close to Seal Reef the rain stopped. We made it, the weather window! 

We kitted up and plopped in heading down enjoying the usual nightlife. As we passed back and forward we caught glimpse of the other divers and their silt clouds, but it didn't affect us. 

It was a great 63 minutes, but the action didn't start until we got out the water and discovered that Pat G had fallen foul of the famous St Catherine's stairway to heaven to the detriment of his knee - we later found out that he's broken his shin. 

So Campbell, took him to hospital while I took his kit home in my car. 

Sepiola Atlantica

Small Scorpionfish

Larger Scorpionfish

Pipefish

Friday Night Lights - 06/11/2015

Jester was so taken with our dive last night thay was wanting to return to St Catherine's to visit my other known firework anemone in the vicinity at 30m. However, while  I guided us to it. It wasn't the star of the show. There were other lights.

In particular, the waves produced by the westerly wind meant that the shoreline sparkled with bioluminescence while the milk way glistened above. Quite a spectacular start to any dive. 

Once we went down we found an assortment of nightlife including our friends the cuttlefish, pipefish and stickleback. Oh, and my firework anemone for a belated Guy Fawkes Night.

The Alternative Guy Fawkes - 05/11/2015

I'm more interested in firework anemones than actual fireworks. With that in mind the plan was for Jester, the Zookeeper and myself to go hunting for the former type of fireworks. However, a three hour commute meant that the Zookeeper was exhausted and didn't fancy the dive. As such Jester and I headed to Seal Reef intent on re finding a firework anemone we found once before. 

Sadly, we failed. Instead, we found a proliferation of colour changing cuttlefish, a stunning nudibranch and Jester's first ever red gurnard.

We had heard that visibility in the area was good (8-10m) and it didn't disappoint. Visibility was easily 8m even in the dark. 

I was test driving a fully functioning Mares Eos 12rz and hoping to use the wide beam (with no hotspot) for some decent pictures.

We headed down to the small boat and off the bow looking for a firework anemone we found quite some time ago. We struck out, but we did find a langoustine, pipefish, cuttlefish and two red gurnards.

Moving onto the reef, and with deco fast approaching we headed back up gradually. As deco approached his minutes to deco hand signals looked an awful lot like flipping me the bird. Vulgar gestures aside, Jesters aging eyes were on fire, spotting a variety of worms before his spot of the night.  Blind luck I say, but it was a nice Eubranchus Farrani or, as I've heard the Mermaid describe them, "the wee fried egg ones".

It was a great 57 minutes as we emerged to booming of Inveraray fireworks.

Scuba Doo and the Mysteries of the Deep (Halloween Special) - 30/10/2014

The following is based on true events*. Caution, contains paragraphs of extended peril.

As part of our preparation for our pending trip to Egypt the Zookeeper and I have decided to do a few deep dives to build up our depth resistance. When I say 'deep' I mean over 30m - not 18m-30m  which PADI defines as a deep dive. To us, that's just a dive. However, tonight was the night before All Hallows Eve when everything in this land of ancient lochs, mountains and glens is creepier and the veil between this world and the other is at its thinnest.

The devil tank

Meeting at Aquatron there were some strange happenings. Noises in the attic of the shop, unexplained bumps. AVL was spooked, Gentle Ben was spooky (let's be honest he's always a little creepy) and Bret had a very sensible explanation. 

After considering a few options the Zookeeper and I headed off into the night. Recent weather had caused landslips on a number of key roads to some of our favourite sites, it seemed that fate was pointing us to Loch Long and the A-Frames. The drive was lengthened by thick fog banks and mysterious military vehicles.

Old Man Creeperson's House

When we got to the site, it was dark and fog was hanging menacingly over the loch. I had built my kit up previously and as I got my own kit out of the car I looked round to sea the Zookeepers scuba set hissing and glowing a devilish red. Meanwhile two workers at Old Man Creeperson's house emerged, boarded a clattering boat and steamed out into the fog and gloom. We never saw them again.

While buddy checking, we discovered that only I had a backup light (which wasn't ideal). It didn't change our pre-dive plan though. Dive to the big frame, head down past the deep frame then keep going to a maximum depth of 35m. Once we were in the water the dive was going to plan until we hit 30m when my my primary torch failed - for a moment I was engulfed in darkness. This meant switching to my backup. Now, with no backup lights left between us we took the sensible decision to turn back.

Having encountered our old friend Davey Jones the Cuttlefish and what the Zookeeper told me was a school of whiting on the way down. The mysteries of the deep began to attack!

First the shrimp swarmed to our dive lights, attempting to penetrate our masks and regulators. Then a firework anemone exploded before us. Then came the the attack of the killer catshark. Fighting them off with just our cameras we escaped to the shallows. Butj ust as we thought we had reached safety the ebbing tide and down current attempted to haul us to a watery hell, but we fought against it, finning for our lives. The deep would not take us.

Dekitting and packing the car we drove off. As we sped to safety all I could here was the rattle of something outside the car. I had heard the story of The Hook before. I knew how this could go down. I stopped ina parking bay, walked round the car and then.......

Fear not readers, I still got home in plenty of time to write this so clearly nothing bad actually happened....to me. Anyway, back to  account....

....I saw the Zookeepers mobile phone charger hanging from the door. What a klutz!

As it's Halloween, if you genuinely want a scuba scare, I thoroughly recommend this little vimeo. One Last Dive.

*All events have been exaggerated.  

Davey Jones the Cuttlefish

Firework Anemone

Catshark