Under Pressure

Travelled the journey to the Pit stop in Arrochar with Billy & Robert where we met up with Scott.
At the Pit stop we went over the risk assessment & dive site map from the Cusac (Cumbernauld Sub Aqua Club) Safety forum then compared the information with the dive site guide from Conger Alley.

With Scott leading the way and Robert following behind Billy & I settled in for the last leg of the journey.

We discussed the dive plan and the buddy pairs where to be Billy & Robert with Billy leading as he had done the dive site a couple of times before and then Scott & I paired up with Scott leading as he had also dived Gortein Point a couple of times previously. This was going to be a scenic dive with some lunch collection thrown in as Scott has the extended family round at his house and he had been asked to bring home some fresh Scallops.

The weather was terrible and I couldn’t wait to get under the water to get out of the rain, Just as we started laying our gear all over the edge of the road another three cars arrived with divers so we moved everything to make room.

With the dive Marshall log information completed and a couple of trips down the dodgy slope to the site entry point to ferry our equipment down safely we where ready to go.

The entry to the water is quite unusual in the fact the rock face is so slimy and covered in algae that the easiest way in is to kit up apart from fins, sit down on your bum and sort of slide down the smooth slope.

Buddy checks done and once everybody was in the water Scott and I submerged and finned gently away from the shore towards the cable which acts as a handy navigation point towards the reef wall.

Billy & Robert followed behind, we turned right when we got to the cable and followed it down to around 16 metres where the Reefs started. The water was averaging 12oc.

We all stayed in close proximity and the viz was pretty good (Slack water) at some points being around 8-10 Metres although most of the time it was probably around 5 Metres. The reef wall was very pretty with plenty of different anemones (orange, white and purple).

We followed the wall down to 29 Metres where I signalled to Scott to level out as I am diving EAN32 and was approaching my MOD. Their was some very nice Starfish, very large white ones, some small brightly coloured sun stars, squat lobsters and a large crab that leapt from the wall straight at Scott’s face! I thought Scott was a goner the crab had the upper hand for a while then Scott managed to perform some pretty neat tricks to fend off his attacker.

We came across a reasonable sized Dog fish (cant believe id never seen these before then one last week at Kenmore and one this week, I think Dogfish must drive buses…) having a nap on the sandy bottom at 29 Metres.

We gently started our ascent up the reef wall to go up and over it looking for scallops as per plan, with Billy and Robert breaking off to the left of us.

Scott’s goody bag was starting to fill up and we found the smaller reef which was once again covered in anemones with yet another Dogfish.

Scott pointed out a strange looking fish which looked like a very small scorpion fish it was probably as long as my hand and had a large thick head with a slim narrow tail. Now where is Gerry when you need him to Identify the fish?

I was starting to spot Scallops a lot easier than before and had joined in handing Scott any I found and measured against my hand that I deemed large enough to eat.

We did our safety stop on the smaller reef at 6 Metres then took another few minutes to gently work our way back up to 3 metres and another minute or so to surface.

Really enjoyed this dive as the wall & reef was much nicer than I had expected.

During the surface interval Billy asked me where my goody bag was and with a puzzled look on my face I told him it was still at home at which point Billy owned up to handing a diver who he thought was me a few Scallops he had been collecting with Robert then stepping in to say that he wondered what Billy had been doing and though he was just being friendly to the other divers now in the water!

For dive two we agreed to do more food collecting and decided to go off to the left to the sandy shallows so off we went and slid down the slope back into the water.
This time the tide had turned and was incoming with a nice current on the go which we just drifted in between 13-20 Metres collecting Scallops, Scott and I done our safety stop on the left most reef with a Dogfish (AGAIN!) just lazing in the fauna in front of us.

This time on exit the sun had broken the clouds and the rain had stopped, I collected a few Scallops from Scott, we packed the cars up and Scott headed off to feed the family. Billy, Robert and I headed to Luss for a quick pint beside the fire prior to heading down the road.

I felt a lot more at ease in the twin set and held my trim and buoyancy more stable than the last few dives. A nice days diving was had.

Dive Stats:

Dive 1: (87) Entry 10:53, Duration 48 Minutes, Max depth 29.2 Metres, Temp 12oC, Viz 5-10 Metres.
Dive 2: (88) Entry 12:41, Duration 34 Minutes, Max Depth 20.1 Metres, Temp 12oC, Viz 5-8 Metres.

Total dive time so far: 60 Hours 32 Minutes.

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Had a couple of nice dives at Kenmore point with Jimmy & Robert.

Chris & Gerry Dived as well as Fran & Stewart with Mike & Brian.

Jimmy, Robert and myself dived as a three-some with me leading both dives.

Viz was pretty good most of the time and I haven’t seen anywhere near as much life as that at Kenmore point before.

Lots of shoaling mackerel, Some big Wrasse a Dogfish, lots of squat Lobsters, crabs and a free swimming Orange Hamburger.

Chris took a wee video of the Gnome Garden as well.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Dive 83: Duration 31 Minutes, Max Depth: 23.5 Metres, Viz: 4-8 Metres, Water Temp: 11-13 oC.

Chris, Stewart & I dived in a three diver team.
Stewart led whilst Chris and I Jostled around him. We maintained better than normal buddy contact during the dive with eye contact and hand signals rather than our normal torch signals.
Just before the safety stop I signalled OOA to Stewart as a drill who gave me his primary reg and we finned in free water for a minute or two prior to me handing him back his reg.

Chris & I both deployed our dsmb’s with mine going a little limp on the stop.

Conger was pretty good with some nice life and this was a pleasant dive although I was slightly nervous about being back in the water after my previous three dives.

Dive 84: Duration 47 Minutes, Max Depth: 20.5 Metres, Viz: 4-8 Metres, Water Temp: 11-13 oC.

This dive I was with Willie as Stewart & Chris where doing some more Advanced Nitrox and Deco training with Alex whilst I am just doing some guddling to help me regain confidence.

Willie and I had a great dive with the reef at conger alive with sea life, Three Conger Eels, a large lobster a stone fish, lots of Gobi’s a couple of wrasse and lots of shoaling mackerel, overall a fantastic little dive with my buoyancy skills starting to return although I would say I stayed slightly negative and close to the sea floor.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Not having a good time of diving at the moment as dives 81 & 82 at St Abbs where to confirm.

I started off very enthusiastic meeting Chris at Coatbridge and car sharing driving Miss daisy style to St Abbs.
We just managed to arrive on site in time to get ready and rush to the harbour to get on the boat.

I managed to blow an o-ring from my din poseidon first stage by being a Bawbag and over tightening.

Alex from Central Scuba was doing Chris and my own first open water dives as part of our TDI Advanced Nitrox & Deco procedures course.

Alex briefed Chris and I on the boat and informed us of the skills he would be assessing on dive one.
After the skills assessment I was to buddy up with Davy Muir (Long John Capt. Bawbag) and have a fun dive.

We all dropped off MV Topline at Black Carr and got neutral buoyancy at around 12 metres at this point Alex got Chris and I to practice an S Drill and some OOA with the long hose with free swimming donor.

My S Drill was poor as I nearly turned off one of my cylinders without isolating! Whilst my Donor to Chris wasn’t that great due to hose routing.

Anyway after that calamity I buddied up with Davy then within minutes managed to lose him and had to surface after a minute alone.

With a dive time of less than 10 minutes I was pretty damn annoyed at myself.

When Paul got the Top line back to the harbour we got ourselves off the boat and I found Dave (Keylimepie), Helen (Buoyant Babe), Aaron (Eeyor), Brian & Jim (handsome off course) from BSAC Sunderland / YD & my previous trip out on MV Topline back in April for a good gab.

After a nice lunch with Davy & Chris then a good gab with Wullie, Stevie, Aly, Alex and the girl with the Tupperware full of fruit who I cant remember her name we all kitted up ready to head back out on Paul’s boat.

I was hoping for a much better dive this time but that wasn’t to be the case either…

Chris and I where given a stage cylinder each to side sling and a slate to carry to get us to write down the data for our SAC / RMV Calculations.

We rolled off the boat into a current with some right dodgy viz., I wasn’t happy at all.

Chris and I settled in at 14 metres to right down the time, depth, Pressure in our cylinders and to start a ten minute counter.

I felt like I was being pulled all over the place and my own buoyancy was all over the place with the twins and the stage upsetting me, I clung onto a rock got Alex’s attention and thumbed my dive.

Alex took control and took us up although he had left his reel behind so I gave him mine and he sent up the bag.

Another nightmare dive.

Dive Log to date: 82 dives, 55 hours 53 Minutes. 10 Dives with twin set

Popularity: unranked [?]