First dive in a while (since Nov) & the first organised by Russell. We were doing 2 days diving with indeep out of Plymouth on their hard boat Seeker with Skipper James.

There were 6 of us for this adventure – Chris H. Tim, Nigel. Russell, Colin & me.

Russell had kindly offered the spare rooms & floor of his house right next to Mountbatten & since it would be impolite to refuse we jumped at the chance to save some cash!

Arriving over the space of a few hours on Friday afternoon (after a trouble free journey down) we set up & then headed for a pub for a meal but both were rammed so we had a beer & went back to meet Tim who was the last of our party Russell kindly offered pizzas or fish & chips to those that needed them – gratefully received, others had brought their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a forecast like this we’d be nuts not to go diving!

We spent a few hours coming up with quotes for some unfathomable reason that seemed right at the time & then sorting out world peace & religion before an early night.

Saturday: Dive 1 – James Eagan Layne

An old favourite of many a Plymouth diver including our club – with our RHIB stored at Mountbatten it was a frequent haunt though some time since we’d paid her a visit!

9:30 ropes off so an 8:30 meet (we arrived at 8:15) & hiked or trolleyed the kit lot to the boat – very roomy as 3 out of a group of 4 divers were too hung over!

Skipper James gave a great brief & we set out on a flat calm sea & sunshine – rough way to spend the weekend!

Down the shot & the viz was not good (2-3m) so despite the sun we got no cathedral effect with the upright spars of the wreck.

We did swim through a few holds & have a good rummage running into many spider crabs, wrasse &  few other denizens but not much else. Nigel & Russ saw a conger (tail) & a lobster.

35 mins & coming across the same container twice we called it.

Saturday: Dive 2 – Rosehill

A surface interval on a flat calm sea with sunshine & pasties & hot tea with mates – no complaints.

The Rosehill is only a little further out so pretty soon we were kitted up & descending again.

Viz was if anything slightly worse (2m), after a great illustrated brief from James we found the boilers (he had shot them so it would be tragic if we didn’t!) t& headed aft.

We & most everyone else found the gun (& its attendant spiny lobster). Colin & others saw the steering gear & prop (not me)

Plenty of spider crabs again – one monster. Red Sea fingers, yellow sponge, wrasse. Lots of swim throughs but again no opportunity to appreciate the scale with the low viz.

A brisk walk from Russ house to the pub (the Bodrington Arms), interspersed with some stargazing as variously Venus & other heavenly bodies were identified in the crystal clear sky. Our table awaited (Russ had booked & good job too as it was pretty busy!) & over a few beers & some hearty food we of course proceeded to put the world to rights / it seemed rude not to!

Early to bed and a good night’s sleep after a days diving & that hearty meal led us to Sunday with a slightly earlier start: 8 for 9 but still a roomy boat )9 divers & despite the forecast of cloud it was mostly sunshine all day, if a little chilly (8 degrees)<

Sunday: Dive 1 – Hand Deeps

Loaded up with fresh gas we embarked on the 1 hour trip to Hands Deeps on the way to the Eddystone: due south.

James indicated the current was fairly running so down the shot, keep going North & drop over the edge of the wall & pick your depth as you work your way along –  left shoulder to the wall

He was right about the current, we fairly had to fight & grab kelp to keep going though this lessened a bit once over the wall but it was still a serious drift.

What we saw (anemones, ladies fingers etc was lively but having blown most of our air in the struggle we called it at 20 mins

Others had more success; seems once on the wall a sweet spot was around 25m with less current.
Others had less: one of Tims’ weight pouches slipped out & he & Chris had to abandon the dive for safety.

Without the current & with today’s improved viz it would have been lovely so due a revisit (not on springs!)

Sunday: Dive 2 – Eddystone Lighthouse

A surface interval & slow motor across to the Eddystone which we could see in the distance and a very welcome pasty and a cuppa

Tim sat this one out as did one of the other divers so we were a 3 & a 2 in our group

James provided the brief : basically round the pinnacle north of the lighthouse, pick your depth. Viz was about on par with Hand Deeps(4-5m) & though it was a nice 45 mins I felt it didn’t measure up to my expectations – there were plenty of urchins & basic stuff but a dearth of fish – a single Ballan & Cuckoo wrasse & a spider crab in our dive. Perhaps it’s livelier in the summer?

Still Nigel & Russell enjoyed themselves & Id’ certainly like to go back.

Then it was an hour back in the sunshine while we all ruminated on the weekend

Overall it was a success with a great base of operations (thanks Russ), weather (thanks weather gods), diving outfit (thanks indeep) & good food & beer (thanks Bodringtin Arms). On the minus viz was iffy & that affected the dives but that’s the nature of UK diving.

Will we do it again? Let’s just say opportunities are being explored & Russ’ house likely hasn’t seen the last of us 🙂