Mark’s Diving Journal

Diving with Sunfish Charters - Brixham August 31, 2007

I have been a member of Sunfish Charters yahoo group for well over a year  but have not had the opportunity till now to dive with Mike and his brightly coloured rib.  The plan was initially to do the Bretagne and Orestone Ledges but the wreck was changed with our consultation a few days before the weekend when an extra 8 divers booked on giving us the full compliment for the boat, so with a ropes off time of 9.15am we were set. 

Mike moors Sunfish in Brixham Marina and so we got their early with the car and the kit to get a decent parking space near to the lifeboat station with a short walk with a trolley to the marina and onto Mike’s berth.  Lisa and I then wandered back to Mum & Dad’s place to drop off the dog that we had taken for a walk, have a small breakfast and then headed back down to the marina to meet up with the others.  We arrived as everyone else was loaded up so even though we were the closest in distance we were the last on the boat - oops sorry.  (more…)

Mohegan, Raglans and the Celtic Cat (Porthkerris Part 3) July 3, 2007

Dive 2 Mohegan and Raglans Reef. Depth 25m, Run time 35 minutes.

After the stunning visibility of the City of Ghent, the vis was maybe a little disappointing on the second dive of the day which was back on the Mohegan and Raglans Reef.  Lisa decided to sit this one out as her suit had leaked again and although she was still nice and warm she didn’t want to chill going in on the second dive.  (more…)

City of Ghent - Porthkerris Part 2 June 28, 2007

The BBQ on Friday night was excellent, part of the overall vibe of these trips is our customary BBQ.  Whilst we had good weather we took advantage of it and decided to have on the Friday night as well.  The scallops were delicious, meticously prepared and cooked by Joe, they went down extremely well. 

We awoke Saturday morning to clear skies and very little wind again.  On excellent neap tides this was going to be a good day.  The early birds went out on the first run of dives, whilst the afternoon group kicked back and enjoyed the morning.  Lisa and I were going to go diving together on this one as my parents were going to join us this morning to look after the kids back on the shore. 

At 1pm we headed out, Celtic cat was loaded up and off we went, the scheduled dive site being the City of Ghent.  (more…)

Camping & Diving- an excellent few days in Porthkerris Part 1 June 26, 2007

Ever since I started diving in 2004 I have been coming to Porthkerris on YD trips. This was my fifth visit and Lisa’s fourth, even the children have been three times.

The weather forecast had not been kind, a week of heavy rain and winds meant that the diving and camping was going to be very difficult if not neigh on impossible. Others of the group of 24 divers that would be coming down for the weekend had been camping for three days already when we arrived on Thursday. They had not yet got a dive in or really dried out from the rain. As the wind pulled at the tent and the rain fell heavily on Thursday lunchtime as Scott and I battled to get the tent up I wasn’t sure that we would be successful. Then one after another three tent poles splintered in the force of the wind. Now I really was doubtful that we could do this. Scott held on to the tent with all the strength that a little seven year old could muster and somehow we managed to get the poles in position and the tent fairly stable. At this point Simon and Gary arrived still dressed in their drysuits having just got back in from their first dive of the week. They helped us move the tent into a more suitable and safer position and we succeeded in securing it down. The weather cleared a little and we finished it off. Meanwhile the two older girls Elizabeth and Emily had been entertaining Heather in the car. They did a good job as it took us over three hours to get the tent in place. This was worse than two years ago when it took 6 of us to get a similar tent up.

Once the tent was up Scott and I changed out of our sopping wet clothes and we headed off to Penzance to pick up Lisa from the train station. She had had to stay at home for an extra few days as she had rehearsals for her play Dancing at Lughnasa in which she is starring this week (25th June) in the Plaza in Romsey. (more…)

A new experience -diving the river Dart June 25, 2007

Back in Easter, my Dad, brother and brother in law went out on a friend’s yacht for a pootle up and down the river Dart near Brixham. On the way they managed to lose a grappling hook-type device used to hook onto the mooring bouys.  Well when I say lose, they knew exactly where it entered the water and so knowing I was a diver, I was asked if I would go down and have a look for it.  I did try and explain that after just one cycle of the tides it would probably be buried especially if it is a sandy river bed but never the less I agreed to have a look.  Unfortunately it has taken until (more…)

Paranoid on SS El de Bayo April 25, 2007

I am sure that when I booked on to this dive I can’t have looked at the start time. 7am meet for a 7.30am ropes off. Oh well I thought an early start.  I had packed the car the night before so when the alarm went off at 4.45am all I had to do was fall out of bed and into my clothes and into the car. I think I was the last to arrive at the marina but still not late to halt a prompt departure on time. Once loaded onto Neptune we were off, due to the low mist reducing surface visibility we decided to aim for just outside the main shipping lanes and chase the vis. The group decision was (more…)

HMT Drumtochety April 25, 2007

You need to read the post Paranoid on SS El de Bayo before reading this post.

We headed back to Dover Marina for a spot of lunch and a leisurely 4 hour wait for slack.  This gave me time to take my sodden undersuit socks to the marina toilet block where there was a tumble dryer, £1 and 40 minutes later my socks were dry.  Not trusting my Fourth Element Artics to the tumble dryer I left them out in the sun on the back of the boat to dry and then went for lunch, having failed to top up my tanks from the empty 12L cylinder I brought with me.  Next lesson learnt. check all cylinders before I leave home.  Thankfully Jay and Aide had a number of 15l with them and I stole a bit from them. 

Lunch was very pleasant (more…)

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