The Cold Light of Day - 02/12/2017

After Monday's chilly 2.8c, I was keen to avoid Loch Long when Captain Al, Freeflow Bob, Fast Eddie and myself went diving on a frosty Saturday morning. The experience had taught me that it was worth taking the mobile food kitchen for half time bacon rolls.So when we trundled up to St Catherine's, Loch Fyne we were at least prepared for the cold.

It was Fast Ed's first dive back since he dived with me at Triple Reef in June, so an easy site was required and Seal Reef seemed ideal.

We weren't the only ones there, South Queensferry BSAC were across from the East Coast for some training. They seemed friendly enough despite being BSAC divers. ;)

We kitted up and split into buddy pairs of Captain Al and Fast Ed and Ol' Freeflow and me.

It was pretty uneventful but for a large school of pollack, a cushion star and some bloody Henry's. We swam back to the sure after the 35 minute announcement that Captain Al was feeling the cold. If he was feeling it then, it was about to get a whole lot worse. We swam back to the exit point. As the person leading the dive I noticed the thermocline at 4m and sat beneath it for 3 minutes. Then when the three minutes was up and everyone was clear, I turned and swam hard through the cold.

I could feel it biting at my exposed skin. We got out and I checked my computer... 2.2c!  Not the coldest I've ever experienced but getting down pretty low.

Still the promise of a roll and bacon was enough to get me back to the van. I had ear problems so I sat the second dive out and watched as my friends came back looking a little chilly. 

The Start of the Cold - 27/11/2017

Each year there is one dive when you really start to notice the cold in the Scottish sea lochs. That dive was tonight. Myself , Jester and Edgar headed to the A-Frames. It was to be Edgar's first dive of the year at a time when most people would be clocking out.

A weekend of snow, followed by a gentle thawing meant that we knew that the ebbing tide would be drawing snow melt from the head of the loch. Our expectations were correct.

It was instantly cold as we entered into the darkness and, as we descended, you could feel a warming of the water. We passed anemones, cuttlefish, catsharks and many of the usual suspects. When we got to the end of the dive the thermocline was sitting at 5.5m so we began our safety stop at 6m and sat there for a little but admiring the haze above our head. Then, we made a dash for it. 2.8c it was chilly.

All pictures courtesy of Jester.

Snout

Anemone

Apnea - 19/11/2017

My recent search history has convinced Google Ad Words that I have a thing for snoring. In actual fact I've been looking at www.learn2freedive.com. In part, it's because I'm fascinated by the videos of French freediver Guillaume Nery. The films make holding your breath seem very cool. Moreover, I like the underwater world and thought I'd like to have a crack at that! Of course, as much as I'm a romantic, I'm a realist. I know I'm not going to be the next Nery.

I therefore decided to sign up to do AIDA ** . 

Before going to the course I got my breath hold up to 2m 13s, read the book and got set to do the course.

It was a pretty full on day with loads to take in. I got my static breath hold up to 2m 53s before moving onto dynamic stuff.

Worth a try? Sure, why not?

This guy actually explains why it's a decent thing to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6MunbuTWVc

Breath Damn It, Breathe! - 12/11/2017

One of the best thing about ScotSAC, and I assume club diving with BSAC, is that they train you for free. There are some exceptions to this, of course, such as 50m diving and nitrox courses. However, when it comes to safety it's pretty much always free.

• Rescue training for Sport Divers? Free
• Deep rescue training from 30m? Free
• Diver First Aid and O2? Free

It's for that reason that I'm critical of some of the commercial agencies charging for first responder courses. They aren't concerned about the safety of the dive community.

Today myself and a few others did the Diver First Aid course, most of us had first aid training, but it's always good to have a refresher. In all about 17 divers took part, a free benefit to all wider dive community.

CPR

The Hunt Nudi November - 11/11/2017

After camping out in the van overnight at Firkin Point, Loch Lomond overnight, Gill.I.Am and I headed over to Loch Long where we knew the Barrman and Leigh were diving. We arrived to find them 'chilling' on their surface interval.

We chatted, and I seriously considered kitting up to join them for a quick dive with what was left in my 15l tank from last night. Naturally, the lure of the warmth and a role and bacon kept me out the water for a little longer, but we chatted and had a laugh before heading to the day's main event Anchor Point, Loch Fyne, where the Announcer and Jim were toddling up later in the morning.

In the interim, Gill.I.Am and sat in the van watching John Wick.

Once there we kitted up and headed in for a couple of dives. I was keen see Trichesia Caerulea and spent much of the first dive looking for them, but it was the Announcer who spotted them on our very first safety stop just casually hanging out on some seaweed in the shallows. there were a few of them too.

We also spotted Polycera faeroensis, a huge red gurnard, conger eels, bloody henrys and a few other of my favorites. It was a good day diving.

Charitable Outreach - 10/11/2017

It is a well known (or ken't if you're from Falkirk) fact that beneath my gruff exterior I'm a charitable chap. As members of my club know ,I've taken the step of introducing as many people as possible to diving at night. People appreciate it, not everyone enjoys the dark as I do. On this occasion I took Walker Texas Ranger and Andy G out to Finnart for another dive in the dark. 

We were running late. A phenomenon that happens a lot with diving. We quickly kitted up and got into the water for a potter around.

The viz was decent as we plodded from frame to frame. We passed a nice pipefish, a few cuttlefish and a number of the usual suspects.

It was another success, and pleasantly uneventful!

Back on the surface Gill.I.Am loaded up the trailer and headed to Firkin Point, Loch Lomond to camp overnight.

The Dive Whisperer - 05/11/2017

With the Barrman finalising his instructor training he had asked me if I'd come out with the guys from the club to buddy his Landlady for a couple if dives. Now the poor Landlady has spent much of the last year or so unable to dive, while the Barrman has had the diving time of his life. This was therefore a chance for the Landlady to skill up while diving with one of the greatest dive ninjas in a very small geographical area.

With that we had a chat about what we'd do. I explained how the A-Frames works. We set some limits and off we went. On the first dive I could tell she was a bit nervous - being a little unsure of the site and not a fan of poor visibility. However, decent training always kicks in even throughout the dive her breathing rate slowed.

We came out chatted about and then set off to dive the same route again. This time she was calmer, smoother in the water. The presence of the mighty Frewbowski was making a difference.

In fact, in-depth scientific analysis* proved that her air consumption fell by 15% throughout the day. I should really call myself the Dive Whisperer.

We saw some cool stuff too:

• Highland dancers
• Lobster
• Conger

......And the Barrman passed his instructor training.

The dive crew for the day

* I calculated her SAC rate