This is my take on the last two days - hopefull others will post too..
People present on this trip: Ellisn (Neil), GLOC (Gareth), Rob Dobson, me, Garf (Gareth), Howard P, MJH (Marianne), Dianne, Little Pete, Martin Burnard.
The weekend started by arriving at the Kynance hotel in Plymouth, after beating the rush hour traffic at Bristol. Garf and Dobbo having already arrived - Dobbo there to dive and Garf there on work business. We were met inside by one of the staff - I don't know his name - but we shall call him 'Avid'. After some form of language transfer (think Avid again), we eventually had all vehicles in the right place for the morning. We were given keys and settled in while waiting for others to arrive. Hunger (plus the need for a light, refreshing, DIR friendly beverage
) took over. GLOC led, we followed in the direction of the sea. After some walking and some more walking, we found our pub. Food and beverages ordered, we were soon met by Howard and Marianne.. Much chomping of food commenced and those that ordered the stuffed Jalapeno peppers were starting to think on about their potentially poor food choice and its relation to diving the next day..
- cue trumpet noise.. :D
So. Fed and watered, we meandered back to the Kynance for some sleep.
Day 1.
Ropes off: 10:30am.
Destination: The Scylla (
http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour640604.shtml) and the James Egan Lane (
http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour620404.shtml)
We decided to get to Aquanauts dive centre (
http://www.aquanauts.co.uk - run by Brian Allen (Brian A on this very board) - a little early. Arriving at 9 ish, all kit was unloaded and vehicles duly parked for the day. All required fills for the day were ordered and much kit fettling and construction was undertaken. All kit loaded and set up - we were joined by Little Pete - who is much taller than an umpa lumpa, Dianne and Martin (who managed to muscle his way in at the last minute..
- and very welcome too mate..)
We were met by the Skipper - Dougie (Brian's dad) who started off the by laying down the rules (my god he commands all he surveys) and generally going through the safety intro. That done, we set sail. Gas pressures are taken (guess which muppet forgot he did a pool session prior to the trip - that would be me then) and I find I have 160 bar (about 2400psi) in my heisers. Bugger. So '4divers' - that’s Neil, GLOC, Dobbo and me decide on a plan. No gas is available on board the boat, so we are out for the day on what we've brought with us.. Lucky I have an Ali80 of 50 percent in a stage with me. So plan is to use up a hundred bar and then back to the surface - its an easy 'wreck' and the top of her is at about 8m anyway. No great shakes. Dive 2 I'll use the stage as well.
After some 25 minutes or so, we reach destination 1 - the Scylla.
I won't go into any history of this boat, as most uk divers have heard of her and the link above gives a much better outline anyway..
Time to kit up. Into our teams and into the water. After some pfaffing on the surface with forgotten kit , we descend down onto the ship into about 8 metres of viz. Neil leads, I follow and then GLOC and Dobbo. We start to do the basic circumnavigation then decide to penetrate the wreck going through the corridors in a zigzagging motion from port to starboard, finally ending up in the helicopter hanger. Making out way back towards the shot, its time for some dsmb practice. I fire it up and Neil holds as reference - GLOC and Dobbo do the same. Back on the surface - its time for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Hop onto the lift and out of the water.. Dive lifts are great.. Aren't they..
As you can see from the lack of detail here, the Scylla is not my type of wreck - though will probably dive it again.
After our surface interval we are over the second wreck - having motored the whole 100 or so yards between them ! I've managed to get an air top off to 85bar, but still take in the stage. The sea state at this point is a little rough and a couple of folks decide to sit out the second dive. The James Egan Lane.
Everyone that is going in gets kitted up and we plop in to start the dive, we are joined by Garf on this dive. Descending down the shot onto the bow, instantly we start to see how broken up the wreck is. We continue to descend down into the belly of the wreck and as we do, then weather on the surface brightens, and a few beams of sunlight start to shine through the skeletal side structure of the 'JEL'. This really is my type of wreck.. You can see the reminents of the cargo and metalwork strewn across the floor of the wreck. It is possible, with care, to swim through the dividing walls of cargo holds. There is very little swell or current affecting us during this dive, so we have more opportunity to take pictures and interact with one another. All too soon its time to come up, so this time different people 'blob up'.
And we are on the surface and time for another cuppa - served by Okie - Aquanauts deck hand and DM trainee (one of the politest people you could meet). At this point Howard brings out the doughnuts to go with the tea and coffee. Tempting, but I resist - sea conditions were ok for me - but then I have reasonable sea legs.. Doughnuts were chewed, swallowed and then promptly given to the fish - that’s nothing to do with the doughtnuts Howard - more to do with Posiedon..
On the way back to port, we are told of a night dive - some people are up for this, some are not.. They will tell you how they got on.. Those left behind go for a food and beer and we're joined by Brian - who I have to say is a top bloke! We have a few pints of 'grog' and catch the end of the Champions League game. Then its back to meet the guys off the boat. A quick dekit by them, cylinders in for a fill (for the following day - that’s a long day for you Brian!!) and we're off for some (more) food..
Unfortunately Marianne and Howard have to head back off home - which is a shame - missing day 2. They'll be back..
No luck on the food front so far, so we retire back to the hotel (which is more of a B&B really) to be met by the owner - who lets us have use of the kitchen - so tea, coffee and toast satify rumbling stomachs.. To bed and some sleep - we have an early(ish) alarm call in the morning - as the weather forecasts are predicting that the weather is closing in.. So we will try to get the dives in beforehand..
Day 2.
Ropes off: 9am.
Destination: Possibly the Persier and a drift dive.
After pfaffing at the hotel trying to extract our cars out of their carpark, we finally get to Aquanauts. All cylinders are tested, built with kit and loaded onto the boat. The weather has closed in and it is quite foggy inside the breakwater. As we are sailing through the breakwater, its calm. Upon leaving the breakwater it’s a different story. After about 20-30 minutes we have quite some swell - maybe up to 6-7 feet. We make a judgement call on the wreck, instead preferring to dive inside the break water.
Dive 1: Devils point. Max depth 35metres (115ft) - a wall dive
To dive inside the breakwater, we need permission. The skipper is told that we can dive inside, except we have to wait for a Royal Navy Auxillary Vessel to pass through. So we do - and its quiet impressive - this massive ship being guided out to see by a floatilla of tugboats and harbour police.
Then its time to get into the water.
We all free descend in our teams down the wall, which is covered in all sorts of marine life - anenomies, wrasse, blennies, crabs, scallops and lobsters, plus lots of other little critters. The wall is covered in it! As we descend we see lots of little recesses in the wall, so take time out to explore where we can. Planned time at the bottom is 20 minutes before having to send up the blob. Neil and I bump into Gloc and Dobbo and after some courtesies are exchanged, we head for shallower water and blob up. Not my favourite dive, but a good dive nevertheless at short notice.
Pete and Dianne surface and Pete looks like a glitter ball with all those double enders attached to him.. Apparently Dianne was trying to find his nipples with them. Or something like that. OK I made that bit up..
Dive 2.
Drake Island Drift Dive. Max depth <15m.
Dougie, the skipper, hands a goodie bag to GLOC and says "bring me back a crab". GLOC tries to resist, but before he can get the words out, the back is rolled up and stowed in his drysuit pocket.. We all kit up and jump in expecting to do the superman thing across the sea bed. Nah. Not really.. I am sure at certain times the current can whip up, but not for Neil and I on this dive.. We spend about 10 minutes in the current - maybe a knot in speed - before it gets bored with us and spits us out. Our dive is pretty much critter free except the odd scallop. We surface some 100 yeards away from the boat after 20 minutes. No point in being bored, but it means we get a hot cuppa and get to start on the biscuits..
Upon board, we see that GLOC (whose name is Gareth - but so is Garfs - hence using handles (sorry guys) ) on the surface - on his own. He has filled dougies bag with Scallops and during the ascent looses the bag. The result is he is on the surface and the current takes him away from Dobbo. So after a couple of minutes we of looking around, we see Dobbos smb on the surface. We motor on over to him and much to his credit and Dougies pleasure, he has found the bag of bounty and hands it up. No biggy, no problems, all is well.
With everyone on board, we motor back to the port, ready to dekit, unload, refil, packup and go. 3 hours later its time for ZZZzzz…
It was good to meet Garf , Howard , Marianne, Dianne, Little Pete(who is not really little) and Martin Burnard, we will have to do it again sometime - and maybe drag Brian out..
Sorry if I have rambled..