Halloween Ghouls! Long Long October 2012

Wendy Northway

We loaded up the van friday afternoon and soon we were Loch Long bound, with a quick detour via Northern Diver to pick up Stella's drysuit.  She'd managed to rip her wrist seal during last weekend's trip to Capernwray and needed a speedy repair.  Suit collected we headed off, keeping a steady pace to allow the van to catch up with us.  The van had also taken a detour via DaveW's garage - we'd forgotten the O2 set, or more accurately, it was thought it would be in Winsford.  We finally met up at a service station where we had tea then carried on, arriving in Arrochar at about 9.30 - well in time for last orders and I only changed rooms once this year.

The following morning arrived with none of the predicted snow just clear blue skies - and dry!  No rain!  We piled into the van and drove to a nearby carpark to kit up.  The parking at The Caves is very restricted and there just wouldn't be the room to do it on site.  I think we did LL a little later in the year last time and the frost had set in.  However this year although it was fresh, it wasn't freezing which was a boon as the culvert was treacherous at the best of times.  Ariel usually carried my kit down but he was back in Cheshire suffering man flu so I had to man up and get on with it and prove myself to be a rufty tufty diver!  On past occasions here, i had only dived with Ocean Divers and thus keeping to their 20m depth limit so I was looking forward to this year whence we had all qualified divers and no such restrictions and i could see the Caves in their full glory.

I was buddied with Ginger Jim.  I shuffled down the loch side and donned my fins to demonstrate how to kit up in these conditions then allowed Jim to do likewise before a swift OK and our heads were under.  A lack of rain was apparent with the absence of the usual peat layer and thus we were diving in gin clear waters.  We headed off, wall on our left and at about 20m the large boulders such that were the Caves came upon us!  Beautifully daubed with sea loch anemones.  Jim had his camera and was busily snapping anything that moved, or not as then case may be.  Female cuckoo wrasse flitted about, leopard spotted gobies darted beneath crevices whilst long legged squat ties held court and fiestily defended their patch.  As we went deeper, we saw the long tubes of peacock worms and at one point there must have been 10 -12 such specimens all out in full bloom.  No stop time was running out so we turned and headed back up the gravelly slope.  This too was interesting - plenty of sand gobies, burrowing anemones and dragonets.  Stopping at 6m we had a little poke about -  strawberry worms spun their sticky threads which littered the seabed like a seamstress's cutting room, yellow fluted squirts filtered the already clear water for tasty morsels and Jim, why Jim just kept snapping away with his new toy!   

After refuelling at he Pitstop Diner in Arrochar we head off to Conger Alley.  This was another dive I was looking forward to  as I hadn't been able to get to the reef on previous occasions.  It was Team Ginger again as I lead Jim with Steve also in tow.  As soon as our heads were down, Jim had spied lots of things to photograph but then his camera decided it had had enough for one day and promptly went into sleep mode!  We descended the pebbly bank to about 24m, turned left, keeping a steady depth over a muddy bottom for about 2 minutes until we beheld the reef!  It started out as low lying rocks which gave way to boulders standing proud of the sea bed.  These were highly decorated with sea loch anemones - their tentacles gracefully lolling about in the current collecting any passing plankton.  We weaved our way up the boulders - devil crabs and edible crabs abound then we came across a wall of what looked like tiny white anemones completely covering the side of a rock.  I indicated to jim to take a picture, and this was where I discovered his camera had failed - typical!  Later when I got back I scoured my book of anemones for these cnidarians to discover they were moon jelly scyphistoma - the stage in a jelly fish's life where he is attached to a rock!  I was blown away by this - to see something that I thought I knew, but now in a different life phase!  After 44 minutes we emerged and staggered back to the van.  Others had also had good dives - Stella and Andy managed to find the eponymous conger!  Heading back to the hotel we stopped at a roadside cafe to enjoy a delicious carrot cake courtesy of DaveW.  It was still only 3pm - plenty of time to relax before tea.

The evening meal at The Village Inn was booked for 7.15.   Good  job we got there early - mains didn't arrive til 9pm!  After eating, it was well past my bedtime so I left the boys in the bar and headed back to the hotel to refresh and get ready of the following day.  The Hotel was in full Halloween swing if Jim's photies are anything to go by.  However, what happens in Arrochar, stays in Arrochar!

Final dive as we headed home Sunday morning was The A Frames.  Being adventurous I managed to talk Lesley into doing an adjacent site the 29 Steps which was just a short walk up the hill.  This was probably a good call as despite being the first and only cars there, the car park quickly filled up and with high tide early, the beach was none existent so I can imagine the site would be packed.  We buddy checked and as the pool was open we got our heads wet.  Heading out towards a metal platform, we briefly flitted over it, spying a large grey sea slug - Aeolidia papillosa - quite magnificent and the largest nudibranch in our waters.  We descended the muddy/shell bank to about 24m.  I was hoping to spot some firework anemones as the description had promised, however it was not to be but I wasn't disappointed - I like a bit of mud to play in!  Lots of long legged squatties, large whelks and sand stars!  A couple of queenies danced a tango whereas a small flatfish stuck to the foxtrot.  We made our way back to the platform which was really interesting.  It was slightly elevated off the sea bed and underneath translucent squirts hung down amidst peacock worms.  2 spot gobies hovered over the top of the scaffolding.  Time up we headed back to shore over feathery red sea weeds, sugar kelp and serrated wrack.  In between all of this, we kept seeing lights going out.  Keel worms had encrusted all manner of substrate and as we approached, their ultra light sensitive reactions withdrew their feeding radioles.  The water was cloudless - -a good 10m or so visibility.

Wending our way up the eponymous steps I reflected upon the weekend.  Some of the sites were quite gruelling to get to   The culvert down to The Caves was challenging, The 29 Steps were steep especially with the aqualung yet it was crossing the road at Conger Alley which was probably the hairiest but sometimes you have to work for your fun and the dives were well worth that trek.  A humungous  thanks to DaveW and Ron for providing shore cover and to Steve for organising yet another fun packed weekend - roll on next year!

Oceans II - Capernwray October 2012

Wendy Northway

As it was getting towards the end of the season I thought I’d better organise a last official training day for 2012.  I put a plea out to the OWI and they responded well.  I had a zillion and one lessons I wanted to tie off, a similar number of trainees and 4 instructors – no problem!  However, a slight glitch happened Friday lunch time – the ordering system at Hurtsy’s work had unearthed a gremlin which meant Dave had to drop out otherwise Santa would not be able to deliver Christmas this year.  Not even I could stand in the way of Santa Claus supplying Noeltide – go Dave, go!  Rescue the Yule,  so long as the kiddies have a smile on their faces come December,  we can cope!  Thus I gathered the crowd and we set about the tasks for the day.

Dive 1 – I took Gareth in for OO3 with Dave (AKA John - it’s a long story….) Humpreys acting as buddy.  Nice big step entry then descent to about 5m and we were bound for the 6m platform.  Bit of mask clearing then AS.  I demo-ed on Dave (good job I only had to point to him, otherwise I would have been confussled with his name.  I think it would be a lot easier all round if everyone was called John).  Over to Gareth and he expertly acted the hero as Dave was ‘out of air’.  Nice steady climb to the surface and support for Dave as he inflated his jacket.  We went down again and the roles were reversed.  Again a good solid rise to the top.  One last time to get our heads under the water to complete the drill – a pleasure dive.  We went over to The Answer, had a little swim around when a large shoal of rudd came over – really quite magical.  As much as I enjoy instructing, it’s great to be reminded of what the end point of it all is – to see the wildlife under water!

Back at base, Stella had to do a bit of thinking on her fins – she’d taken in Dan for OO4 with John Sweetman as buddy.  However, on entering the water, John suffered a classic ‘ice cream’ headache.  After leading him out, she changed her lesson to OO5 (such would be the order of the day, last minute changes, nothing was set in stone, more like one of those meals you prepare from left overs from the pantry, adding a bit of something else and not really knowing what the end result was going to be but anticipating all along it would be good as you know you have a mix of all your favourite ingredients.)

Ariel had taken Sarah and Katy in for OO2.  Again most drills completed to the satisfaction of Commander Northway.  However Katy also surfaced with a slight headache and opted not to dive again that day.

After a quick cylinder change and cup of hot chocolate (getting to that time of the year again) I sorted out the next wave.  Today would be very intense as I want to offer a maximum of 3 dives to those who wanted them.  In order to do that, I requested an hour’s surface interval between dives.  As I juggled air runs/comfort breaks/buddy pairings and chasing after Sally, I was fast under the impression that this was oh so easy on paper!  Thankfully, as I went up to collect my cylinder, I saw Alan returning with a pink netted bottle.  I could have hugged him!

Buddy pairings sorted for dive 2, I started to kit up, only to be approached by Stella – she’d ripped her wrist seal.  OK, at this moment I think we were on plan G.  I had to bump Sarah, whom I’d planned to dive with as my priorities today were signing off a couple of Ocean Divers.  I took in Gareth and Dan to complete OO4 and Ariel carried on with Zoe for SO4 – compass work.  OK, OK putting a compass in Ariel’s hands can be likened to laying breadcrumb trails in the woods, but times were hard!  Unfair!  Ariel’s underwater navigational skills are good.  Up down – what more is there to know!  Dan, Gareth and I settled down on the 6m platform and we went about CBLs.  True BSAC style, this was broken down – self lift, mini lift then to the surface.  Nice bit of towing from Daniel then we went down for Gareth to repeat.  Where did all those divers come from!  The whole podium had now been swathed with a school of divers.  Neatly packed and all similarly attired, they stretched the length with no room to squeeze a salmon between them!  I felt very much like the poor relations as the 3 of us crouched to the side on the quarry bed.  No problem however – my students were stars and coped well.  In the real world, should an emergency happen, chances are it would not happen at such a convenient spot as the 6m stage.

Whilst we were down VRSAC managed to embarrass ourselves with respect to the emergency services.  Alan had opted to have a little swim around the quarry (that is surface swim, no kit.  Let me rephrase that, he did have his dry suit on).  This was all legit  – he paid £5 for the privilege.  However he got a little enthusiastic with his butterfly stroke which surface cover mistook for a distress signal and duly launched the rescue vessel.

Back at base, Zoe had expertly navigated her way back to her mum’s car (which incidentally, it was lovely seeing Karen Hursthouse on dive site again!) and we prepared for round 3. 

I’d explained beforehand to Zoe that she would have quite an intense day as in between dives, she would have surface lessons.  I wish someone had reminded me the same!  Now for Zoe’s final dive – simulated deco and laying a distance line (I love teaching this lesson which is weird as I am probably the last person in the branch who would ever make use of this skill as I have no interest in wreck diving and the thought of caving gives me the heebee jeebeeies!)  Dan joined us for the experience of the dive.  Well having been first in the queue this morning, he wasn’t going to let another opportunity go by!  Zoe expertly laid the distance line then gathered it up and we headed back to the shot line to ‘decompress’.  Zoe very nicely managed the stop then we emerged from the water with a long surface swim back to the shore.  I chuckled to myself – I reckon with all this hard slog both teenagers would be sleeping on the way home in their respective cars – Hursty can you confirm, cos I know Dan managed a short nap!)  Ariel mean time had taken in Gareth for his final Ocean Diver drill and had opted to include Sarah and Alan for good numbers.  Why have one Farnworth if you can have 3!

After tidying the kit away, the café was calling us and round a couple of bowls of chips I sat back and assessed the day.  2 new Ocean Divers – well done to Gareth and Dan.  Several Sport’s Diver drills carried out (I omitted to mention, Zoe also got SP1 signed off – assistant Dive Marshal.  It would have been churlish not to, after all she’s been doing the log sheets since before she could crawl.)  A couple of Ocean Diver drills for Katy and Sarah were also realised.  It was a challenging day for me, the organiser, I constantly had to update the plan, down to the last second, yet in my eyes, it all seemed to run smoothly and everyone understood what was happening and was happy to adapt.  A big thank you to Alan who helped with Sally, I couldn’t have managed without him walking her for me, but most of all – thank you team VRSAC for all pulling together without so much a moan when the plan changed yet again!