The first shore dive of the year.

 An early start to pick up Nigel at 6am for the drive down to Brixham; to meet up with Russ in the car park before 8:30.

 The early start did not make a lot of difference: the car park was nearly full, with a large group of rowers descending on the Breakwater for a day of activity.

Busy Brixham!

 Working around the throngs of rowers and rowing enthusiasts we managed somehow to get our kit sorted and Russ and Nigel were first into the sea. Entry did mean a long walk along the beach to be clear of the large rowing boats, however I am sure the exercise did us all good 🙂

 Visibility was not brilliant, at 1.5m, however it has been known to be a lot worse. As part of his training Nigel was able to deploy his DSMB, though this attempt did not inflate the DSMB to the satisfaction of an ever observant instructor Russ. Navigation skills were also honed, with lower visibility requiring concentration on both headings and times to ensure return to the beach.

Evidence of those pesky rowers!

 Dive two saw Chris and Nigel in the water. Visibility had declined. Whether this was due to the rowers, the previous dive or additional sediment from the heavy rains we were not sure. However, we did decide to blame the rowers!

 On the second dive Nigel was able to deploy his DSMB – A half inflated DSMB from a 5m depth is well within acceptable limits.

 On the dives crabs, an odd fish, sponges and an abundance of plant life made for the interest. Nigel even spotted a Sea Purse.

 Navigation for both the dives was spot on, navigating around the jutting rocks into the nearby bay and back to the front of the Breakwater café where entry had been made.

The adventurers!

 The only disappointment of the day was the planed cream tea at the Breakwater café. Unfortunately they were all booked out (I suspect with those pesky rowers.) We did as a result leave earlier than planned. Leaving behind a now rainy Brixham and an increasingly merry group of rowers…

Balmy Brixham