Mexico Day 6
Day 6 Car Wash return and The Temple of Doom
I drove to Zero Gravity and was very pleased to be greeted by Chris who asked whether I had been avoiding him all week. He had just finished a Cave 1 course and was catching up in the office. Fred turned up after wrestling with a flat battery and we set off to Car Wash.
There were two other teams there and we agreed to run the reel to the right of the cave which was a bit of a pain as I am trying to learn the central route – but we have to cope with what we have. I found my way past the sign but the route over the rocks to the line (rather than down to the right) left me a bit baffled and I needed a bit of guidance from Fred. Made it with at least 100 foot of line on the reel though so success 
We set off, past Luke’s Hope cenote and down where the passage narrows down and starts to wind and get more decorative. I have always liked Car Wash and this was as far as I had ever been before. This dive was intended to be short but we had gas to spare so went just past the jump to the Room of Tears before turning back.
We recalculated gas at the 12 metre section of the cavern rather than get out to open water which would add further to the saw tooth profile of the dive and then set off in again for a full dive.
I love this cave. It is an old cave and the formations are yellow in form and rounded where they have been softened by thousands of years of water passing by. The tunnel reminded me of Little River in Florida in places – although the number of decorations reminded you that it was Mexico after all. One of the other teams had jumped off the mailine to the Room of Tears so I placed a non directional marker to indicate the way we had come and kept going.
The passage got progressively tighter and changed depth a lot making an interesting profile until it suddenly changed and widened into a beautiful room – Andrianna’s Room – which is full of thousands of delicate formations almost Grand Cenote like in appearance. Unfortunately, whilst the passage to Angelita’s room is tight – beyond it is tighter still and it was time to head for home.
A turtle on deco added to the dive – once I realised that it wasn’t a crocodile J
I had a small inkling that something challenging may be ahead when Fred said kit up your next set of tanks here and stay in your drysuit as there won’t be anywhere to get ready at the next site. He then asked how I felt about giant strides….and whether I had been to Landenouse in France.
Uh oh.
Welcome to the Temnple of Doom. A tiny cenote in the jungle where one large and two small openings have fallen in to reveal the cave below. The Mexican name for the cenote means Skull but it has become known as the Temple of Doom.
“When you get to the top you have to jump” said Fred. Or I’ll throw you in”
OK – so that’s peer pressure then.
I kitted up and hiked up to the cenote ahead of Fred, it was about 100 yards but the rocks were no where near as bad as No Hoch so it was relatively easy going. I got there and there were two lads sitting sunning themselves by the edge – “wow I bet that’s heavy” they said. “Sure is” I replied.
“Bloody hell – it’s a girl”.
First time someone has noticed that for a while I eyed the cenote and found what I thought was the lowest point of the rim to jump in from and got ready – to have Fred arrive and say no – you want to be over here.
OK – look forward and jump.
This is taking it’s time…
Am I going to land soon…
This is going to hurt….
Arrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh J
That wasn’t that bad. I’m not even going to think about getting out now though.
We set off past the cavern line to the Madonna Passage. It is a truly beautiful cave well below the halocline so white with a blue tint wherever the light catches it. I saw a package which had carbon tablets in it with an email address for those who would like further information about a project based at Bristol university. We turned left at the first T and proceeded through the cave past more limestone so blue white that washing powder adverts would weep. A second T meant that the dive was called at a beautiful bright white stalactite which hung over the cave like a massive icicle.
We headed back to the Cavern line where we recalculated gas and then moved the reel to the second line in the cave, the Canyons. More food for the senses, here there was a narrow passage which was about the size of the gallery in Ginnie but which had a halocline about three meters above the line which shone blue and white. We turned right at the first T on to a white survey line which took us through older parts of the cave where formations and the passages were rounded and delicate straws were hidden off to the sides – each would have been fun to stop and look at for ages but we pressed on.
Suddenly we were at the icicle in ceiling again – the one we had seen at the end of the first dive and the second T of this dive was exactly where we had ended the first. Cave 1 limits preclude circuits and there would be no reel waiting for us at the exit so we had no option but to retrace our steps. No hardship really with all that to look at on the way out.
The way out.
Hmmmmm…..
Well there is a ladder – of sorts. A vertical metal one which has nothing at the top to grab hold of apart from a very shaky looking tree stump. The only good thing about getting out is that you know that you would have enough time to reflect on your error before hitting the water.
Like most things – it wasn’t as bad as it appeared. The heat and the mosquitoes just added to the pleasure I assure you. Cave diving – it’s a damn good job that the caves are worth the hassle of getting got them. But they are – every damn bit of it.
I was sad to say goodbye to Mexico again. I made arrangements to come back next autumn before I left – can’t imagine not having a date in the diary to look forward to really, and I hope to see Fred and Chris before that too. If you are thinking about going – stop thinking and do it.
Oh yes – I did one ocean dive whilst I was here. Saw some fish.
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Mexico Day 5
Day 5 - Mayan Blue.
Another morning at the beach (although this time in the rain) left me heading to join Steve and Fred at Mayan Blue. I’d heard about this cave from Bob and was keen to see it.
We arrived at the cenote amid a cloud of mosquitoes who all appeared set on having European for lunch L The water looked very green and when we jumped in I found it was warm and full of fish – the little tetras which are common here.
We did our checks and when I put my mask on to check Fred for bubbles I looked down into a shoal of fish which must have numbered several hundred. I’m really not keen on these fish – they are related to pirhana and have very visible teeth – especially when up close like this. I ask Fred and Steve to hurry up and get on with the dive so I can get away from them which amuses Fred greatly. “OK – Clare is scared of some two inch long fish so she is going cave diving instead”
We head in to A tunnel which after yesterday’s Grecian cathedral appears like a gothic nightmare. Green water with white walls and black formations which snake down the sides of the tunnel which widens out into huge rooms. Visibility is quite poor for Mexico and we go in and out of a false halocline which makes the surroundings quite surreal and the cave hard to read. I consider thumbing the dive as I find the place very eerie and uncomfortable but tell myself to pull it together and settle down.
When we surface I ask Fred why it is called Mayan Blue as it is Mayan green, dank and dirty as far as I can see. He tells me that I’ll see from the next dive.
Dive two is B tunnel and I lead us in – or at least try to. Fred has indicated where the opening is and told me it is quite tight – but I drop down over the large rock pile that he pointed to and can’t see any opening. I persevere and eventually spot a gap between two large rocks which appears to continue down – I stick my head in and sure enough there is space behind it.
I tie off on branches in open water and again just inside the cave and then set off for the main line which is reasonably easy to find. The cave goes deep quite quickly and we go below the halocline proper into salt water.
The salt water is perfectly clear and has bleached the white limestone brilliant white. The water around our torches glows blue in colour – all around – and the halocline is visible just above us for much of the dive as a white shimmering line edged with blue. Formations here are fewer in number but white and the cave broadens out to large rooms again – each shaped very dramatically by the salt water layer. We surface and the mosquitoes greet us like a long lost lunch.
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Mexico Day 4
Day 4 No Hoch na Chich
I spend the morning on the beach to recharge my batteries – I’ll need them as this afternoon it’s time to go back to No Hoch J
No Hoch na Chich – this is truly the most beautiful place on earth and my first dive here earlier this year made every training dive I had ever done, every moment I had ever spent in the water, every pound I have spent on kit, worth it a thousand times over. No photograph can do this place justice, no description can ever replace going there. The one phrase I hear from divers who get to go is that it is a privilege to see something so beautiful and rare.
Today I get to pay the cave a tiny, tiny bit back for the pleasure it gives me. The Mexican Cave Diving safety committee which Danny from DIR Mexico is on, has decided that the gold line in the cave has to be replaced as it is encouraging divers to stray too far from the line thus damaging a greater section of cave. Fred has brought three reels, one full of new white line to put in the cave and two empty, to receive the gold line we take out. The work has already been started and for the first 1500 feet we just get to dive and marvel once again that nature can create something like this cave.
Eventually we get to the gold line and Fred starts to lay white line below the gold, matching it wrap for wrap. My job is to remove any line marker from the mainline and place it in an identical way on the new line below. We move along until gas limits are reached and it is time to return. It takes a few minutes to secure the new line and then Fred cuts the gold line which we have replaced – ready to connect it to the new line.
It is a funny feeling seeing a mainline cut in a cave. It sure springs back a long way.
Fred then takes out an empty reel and starts to wind in the gold line that is no longer needed. It has been a reasonably successful exercise – we fill a large reel with what we take out and hopefully it will help protect this delicate and rare environment for a bit longer.
We return to the start of the mainline and then recalculate gas underwater for another dive. I head off in the lead on this one – down Parker’s line then turn on to Charlie’s line. From formations as tall as a house to pencil thin ‘straws’ which line up thousand upon thousand until there is no room for any more. On and on this goes, winding up and down, the passage goes through ever changing scenery which I just cannot find the words to describe.
We hit the second T which is the limit of my training so I turn the dive and we head out. Funny how no matter how hard you try to take it all in on the way in it always feels like you missed it all on the way out – the cave is different and the scenery is just as mind blowing again. We get back to the reel and look towards the cenote but there is nothing to see – it is dark outside as we have been underwater a whopping 2 hours 10 minutes. My husband who had come along to snorkel at the cenote is looking a bit worried as we surface, he never expected us to be that long although we were careful to say that we may be several hours.
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Mexico Day 3
Day 3 Yax Muul and Dos Ojos
Fred asked whether I had been to Yax Muul, I replied that I thought I had but when we arrived at the site it was new to me – I would certainly have remembered the walk and the stairs had I done them before!
Yax Muul is a very small cenote – not much more room around the small, very steep wooden ladder required to access it. The mainline, which ends up eventually in NoHoch, runs straight through it from east to west.
We headed off upstream first. The passage is very shallow and for quite a length at the start has air space above the water – which means that when the depth is less than 1 metre your fins start to break the surface if you don’t adjust. The passage winds through very decorated caves with huge rim stones – the mineral deposits left at the edge of wet areas before the caves flooded. The line was marked here and there with Styrofoam cups – not that great an idea where they had broken free from their ties and taken the line to the roof of the cave.
The shallow nature of this cave meant that the dive was long – but given that we had to swim back against some flow we had adjusted gas plans accordingly and allowed only 30 bar for the dive. We returned to our reel, recalculated gas whilst still underwater and headed off again.
Downstream the cave was much dirtier, with deposits and branches. Fred lead us slowly through a couple of small sections of passage until we reached a room beyond which only side mount divers can access. It was time to go – and time to negotiate that ladder and path again.
After recovering from that ordeal over lunch - we headed off to Dos Ojos.
Dos Ojos means two eyes – as there are two cenotes here like two blue eyes in the jungle. We entered in the Eastern eye and headed, via the cavern line, to the western eye where we recalculated gas and headed off on our main dive. There was a stark warning from Fred – get back here with more than 85 bar or we have to get out in the western eye and walk. Hmmm….. don’t need much more incentive than that to watch my gas.
Dos Ojos is very pretty so it is very popular with snorkelers and cavern divers. We saw a few groups diving the cavern line and then left them behind as we entered the cave via one of the two main lines. I’m getting formationed out at this point – how much can one diver take in one trip? – I’m also getting tired and hand over the lead on the way out as I don’t feel that my head is quite where it should be. Luckily though I have ample gas to ensure that I don’t have to hike on the surface with my gear back to the car.
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Mexico Day 2
Day 2. Grand Cenote and Car Wash
Fred and I were joined by Steve from Seattle today – we would be diving as a three until Friday. We loaded up the truck and headed off to Grand Cenote.
I dived Grand Cenote’s cavern line last time I was here and it is a stunning white cavern which is highly decorated. As Fred and I had not dived with Steve before we took the opportunity to do full S drills and Valve drills before the first dive to get a measure of each other.
We did the cavern line first and then the main line. Avoiding the cavern line to get on to the mainline was the challenge here and Fred ran the reel for the team. Given that the cavern is highly decorated I expected the cave to be the same and was certainly not disappointed.
Car Wash
We left Grand Cenote and headed to Car Wash – one of my favourite caves in Mexico. The upstream line in Car Wash is 130 metres back from the entrance and tricky to find. Steve volunteered to run the reel and did well to find the line although the penalty of his hard work was that gas limits were reached soon after. Not the most satisfying dive and I made a note to ask to go back later in the week.
Al, Frase and I headed in on the downstream tunnel in Car Wash just the once last time and not for very far. This time Fred led us through quite a narrow passage and, running line all the time, down to a room at 27 metres, right at the end of the available line on the reel. This is known as the Room of the Ancients – so called as there are fire pits here where you can see the remains of fires which appear to have been laid by Mayans over 10,000 years ago before the caves flooded. It was quite something seeing wood which in places was charred round the edges, still intact and in place in hollowed out areas of rock surrounded by charcoal.
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Mexico 2006 Day 1
Day 1 Taj Mahal
I arrive at Zero Gravity and met up with Fred Devos, who I had briefly met in Florida, and who would show me round this week. Fred is DIR Mexico’s newest GUE Fundamentals/Cave 1 Instructor but has been teaching with other cave agencies for a long time. He’s quiet and a very modest guy, who has a passion for the caves, for Mexico and for exploration which is, like everything about Fred, understated but clearly runs deep.
I was only diving in the morning on the first day so we headed to Taj Mahalwhich is a bare 100 yards from Zero Gravity along the main road – then off on to a typical jungle track. I dived Taj Mahal on my Cave 1 course but didn’t really remember it. There are two lines – one gold, one white and Fred led us off running the reel to the white line for our first dive.
It took me a few minutes to relax back into the slow steady pace required for the caves here and I was pleased that Fred ran the reel and led the dive. After 20 minutes we came to a restriction and started our return.
Second dive I led in. I knew I was looking for the gold line which would be to my left and was baffled to find the white line in the way as I was convinced that it was off to my right. Fred indicated that I was correct and I should continue - it turned out that another team had entered the cave and I had come across their reel rather than the second permanent line.
This dive is interesting as the passage which is never very deep goes very, very shallow to what is known as the DCS dome – at around 1 metre in depth. The passage then goes down again and the tunnel gets tighter – so the dive was called at this point. A relaxing and easy start to my trip.
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Getting to know Ginnie….
If anyone suggested to me that I should dive the same wreck 17 times in a row, I’d say they were daft. How boring that would be – when there is so much to see.
So why have I done 17 dives in Ginnie Springs over the last two weeks through the same entrance and following the same mainline and, more importantly, why can’t I wait to go back. I’ve dived other sites as well while I’ve been here. But for those of you who don’t get what people find so fascinating in caves, I’m writing this as someone who is just finding out the complex and interactive relationship that a diver can have with a cave, the challenge that diving it can be and the satisfaction that one can get from the experience.
The distance that I covered is a mere scratch on the surface of what can be done experienced cave divers but the journey was, for me, wonderful fun and will always be memorable.
When I arrived in Florida, I knew from the one dive that I did in Devils’ last year that conditions would be very different from the low flow caves where I learned to cave dive in Mexico. Devil’s system in Ginnie Springs is a high flow cave – best explained as trying to dive in a hosepipe with the cave trying to spit you out as you try to get in. Flow is the movement of water from the cave out into the river that it feeds – which is why it is known as a spring. The body of water which moves through the cave is bottlenecked when the cave passage is narrow and the force of a large amount of water trying to fit through a small hole makes it move faster.
For those of you who have tried to swim against a current you will know that it is difficult and pulling on rocks to assist your entry to the cave is necessary. Let go in some tight spots and you can be flung backwards like a tumbleweed in a western movie.
To explain the journey, I should set out a bit more about the cave. When you enter through Devil’s ear you get to the main line quite quickly and enter the Gallery – a long and very tall tunnel with a scalloped roof like the chancel of a church. At the end of the Gallery you get to the Lips which is a series of large wide flat steps – very smooth and quite high flow (with not much to grab hold of).
After the lips you reach the cornflakes, I understand that they used to look like large rusty red flakes – hence the name – but they have degraded. From the cornflakes, you get to navigate the keyhole – which is a very narrow part of the main tunnel and thus particularly high flow. This is around 300 feet in and is where a lot of Cave 1 dives finish so I’ll drop off the guided tour at this point – I’ll return to that later.
My first dive in Ginnie this year was with John Kendall and Ed Gabe – two IE candidates, and Barry Mutch – and ITC candidate. We were to be diving 6ths (35 bar or 500 psi) which is the limit for Cave 1 training. We dropped in and pulled into the cave where the flow is the greatest, tied in the reel and set off – but Barry was uncomfortable in the flow and we headed back out very quickly. A second dive we got to the lips – about 150 ft in I guess. It was fun to be back in the water and we arranged to dive again the following day.
We were joined the next day by Kirril and George, two ITC candidates. George is Cave 2 so dived with Ed whilst John, Kirril and I dived together. Similar experience to before – fun diving and nice to meet new people who we can dive with easily and comfortably as they share the same training that we enjoy. It was the following day that things were going to change. Kirril, George and I went back to Devil’s and George – who knows the cave well offered to lead the dive. He dropped vertically over the side of the entrance – avoiding much of the flow, put the reel in and then headed right up into the ceiling but off to the side, hiding in the domes on the left of the gallery. Following him, ducking right in and and out of the shelter that could be found, I discovered that I could get completely out of the flow and relax. Not only did this mean that I could make progresswithout burning through my air – it was much more fun.
We dived three times that night and I found myself studying George and the way that he read the cave. We got steadily further in, through the keyhole and out the other side where the cave changes to what could almost be a river bed – running wide with a clay bottom in parts. We got past the Park Bench to a jump in the line – which I now know to be Hill 400 and thumbed it. I had gas to spare but my comfort level had been reached. Couldn’t wait to go back though!
The next few dives we relaxed and got further and further each time. Kirril and I found that when we dived together a combination of him putting the reel in and me leading the dive made the best combination. By now we were getting very comfortable and were reaching 600 feet back, various jumps off to other passages. The cave was changing too. The undercut river bed style floor was replaced with a broader passage with a traditional tunnel shape which meanders up and down over a clay/mud floor. I preferred it here and we both relaxed into the dive reaching 800 feet within our gas limits – the same limits with which we had reached a bare 150 feet on that first dive.
Each subsequent dive allowed us to learn that little bit more about the cave. Where the flow was greatest – and where protection from it could be sought. Which rocks made good pulling holds, and when to put that little extra effort in to permit a smooth passage through higher flow areas. I’ll stress again that Devil’s is not a difficult dive – in cave diving circles it is barely kindergarten and we were doing nothing that hasn’t been done by thousands before us but our journey was individual and fun for us to undertake. Our 15th dive in the system was just Kirril and I and we decided to make a separate dive to put the reel in before we ascend and recalculate sixths at that point.
We did this and I led us back in after ten minutes or so on the surface. We flew past features which had previously made our live tough in the cave – through the keyhole, on to the 800 foot marker, then the 900 foot one and with a little gas to spare on again to the Maple Leaf, a very distinct rock formation which comes down from the ceiling and has been created by the flow in the middle of a very wide part of the passage. The line carried on – round a left hand turn in the passage and I thought I could see another marker coming up which I guess would have been 1,000 feet – but we had hit turn pressure and it was time to go home. With plenty of gas we cruised out slowly – riding the flow like a gentle rollercoaster, taking time to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the beauty of the cave. We played around in the gallery and then I took the reel and we made our way out.
Like every other dive we had done, I felt that Ginnie had enough of our presence and she spat us out through the ear once more – deco is quite interesting when you are being blown out backwards digging your fins and elbows in the sides of the cave to stop the flow shooting you up to the surface. We sheltered in the cover of a large tree trunk which has been put over the opening to allow divers to find somewhere to rest on deco at 6 meters and grinned at each other making those double OK signals which you only use when you so want to say ‘Wow, that was good’.
We went back that night and did two more dives. We didn’t get to 800 feet let alone 1,000 but somehow it didn’t matter anymore Hope you enjoyed the report and that it makes you stop and think about the wonderful world of caves.
Btw, the photos are not of Ginnie - they are of me in Little River - yet another beautiful and utterly unique system - photos taken by George Bouloukos.
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DIR UK September 06 - M2, Unknown, Illinois, Pangani
DIR UK September 2006 M2, Unknown, Illinois, Pangani
Been looking forward to this weekend for a while – four days of diving off Wey Chieftain. Unfortunately, get to Weymouth on Friday to find that weather forecast is not great for the Saturday and diving is looking a bit iffy.
Grahame being the excellent skipper that he is got us out to dive although the M2 would not have been my automatic choice on 18/45 – frankly it may have looked better with a bit more narcosis. I’ll try some argon in the mix next time perhaps
Al was very seasick on the boat and moved from saying ‘I’m taking three stages for practice’ to ‘Maybe just two then’ to ‘Just my O2 stage please and I want to get in NOW!’
Well I had to do something - so took the camera.
I don’t like subs and poor via meant that the best bit of the dive from my point of view was bagging up a grapple which had been lost by a friend of Grahame’s a short time before – he asked us to look for it and sure enough it was just where he described. Kerslake did the most sensible thing and stayed on the boat as he felt ill as well.
Sunday dawns after a night where I wake up feeling sick and unsettled. Fraser joins us and, as the weather has improved slightly, we make a crossing to the unknown sailing ship – a favourite on DIR UK boat as the story she has to tell will one day be good to discover – but not today I’m afraid. Fraser, having travelled down to Weymouth for just one day falls sick on the boat, as does Bob. It’s not looking good.
Andy visits the head - it’s not good on board afterwards….
I jump in with Greg. It’s very, very dark below 40 meters and I feel that I lose Greg temporarily on the shotline even though he is only a few meters ahead. On the bottom though, around 54 metres, the viz clears and we have a pleasant enough dive although I don’t find the bit of the wreck I had in mind.
A bit of a communication error means that we bag up a little before I figured we would (Greg counts descent time as part of bottom time whereas I don’t) but no matter. I run the deco whilst he runs the bag and we surface having had a fun dive. Nice to dive with someone new again.
Monday dawns and blue skies and flat seas greet us along with Grahame who basically tells us that we can dive any wreck we choose. The Illinois it is then 
The USS Illinois (5225 tons) stands in 70 metres of water but stands up to 15 metres proud of the seabed in places. This huge three island American tanker built in 1912 is an incredible dive and has become a favourite with me already – I’ve heard it rated as the best in the English Channel. Wey Chieftain skippered by Graham had recovered the bell ten years ago when the shot had fallen through the deck and landed next to it, presumably the bell had fallen through the same hole.
On 18 March, 1917, Illinois was returning to Port Arthur in Texas in ballast. She was north-west of Cherbourg and about 20 miles north of Alderney, in the heart of the English Channel and effectively the centre of a war zone. At 7.45am, a German submarine was spotted about three miles away. The ship’s master, HH Iversen, watched it dive and hoped this would be the last they would see of it, but soon UC21 surfaced much closer, and Iversen was under fire.
Shells took out the wireless equipment and penetrated the engine-room, forcing the engineers to shut Illinois down. Iversen ordered his men to the boats. The German commander ordered Iversen’s boat to come alongside the U-boat.
Greg has forgotten his undersuit and socks. Grahame lends him a blue undersuit which makes him look like the missing tellietubby which Andy promptly christens Winkie Wanky - and socks are fashioned from a sheet and a roll of gaffer tape.
Leigh Bishop has an excellent site here on the Illinois.
http://deepimage.co.uk/wrecks/illinois/mainpages/illinois-wreckimages.htm
I was diving with Andy and he suggested that as I had never dived the wreck before we should swim it thus taking more time to get to know her before taking scooters along to play. He takes his video set up in for the dive.
Too much kit.
We drop in and my first reaction is that the wreck is much more shallow than I figured as I can see her from 45 metres. I then realise that the viz is excellent and the dive is going to be great!
The decks are at about 57 so there is room for a shallower dive on her but I dropped down at the stern to see a trawler arm which had broken off and then followed the side of the wreck back towards the bow. The holds are huge and clearly worthy of inspection although I didn’t figure that three stages and video camera (not to mention a GUE instructor) would be very forgiving of my doing much more than looking in from outside.
I lead us up towards the bow and we made it there just as the current picked up again. A quick look at the anchor and then a drift dive back along the wreck where we hit 30 minutes on the bottom and it was sadly time to go. I made a mental note to go back as soon as possible although the wrecks’ off shore position makes this harder to do than I would like.
I run the deco and have some fun with Andy by stealing his bottom stage when he is not looking. He gets his own back of course – but it passes time and makes me laugh.
Tuesday – can you believe it we still have the weather on our side and we get to choose again. This time it is to be the Pangani which is even further off shore and in right at the end of the shipping lanes so we can expect company on deco.
The Pangani was a very large sailing ship that sunk as the result of a collision. She rises in places fourteen metres from the seabed and is broken in two forming a dogleg. Absolutely stuffed with pottery, when the vis is good in this area, and it often is, she is a stunning dive.
The Pangani is a 3000 ton, four masted steel barque which was built in 1902 at the J C Tecklenborg shipyard in Bremerhaven (Geestemunde) for the Laeisz fleet. She sailed on the South American Nitrate routes, sinking on 18th January 1913 on voyage from Antwerp to Chile when in collision with the steamer Phryne off Le Cap de La Hague. Only 4 of the 34 crew survived. Her Captain at the time was F.Junge. She now lies in approximately 65 metres of water and lies upright. Cargo consists of much glassware, crockery and stone quairnes for grinding corn.
I’m diving with Andy again and we jump in whilst there is still some current on the wreck as we are planning a slightly longer bottom time than the other team. Given the proximity to the shipping lane in what is the busiest sea lane in the world we are to time all teams exit from the wreck to coincide.
Andy is “nearly” caught getting ready for the dive by Tom with my camera - I’m quite relieved that he misses….
We descend quickly and soon come on the wreck. Viz is not as good as the day before alhtough it is probably still at least 8 metres and we are on a deep bit of the wreck with not much relief above 66 metres. Pottery lies everywhere and I see a few pieces which I consider picking up but I have my mind on other things.
Andy’s video lights mean seeing the green glow above the wreck is impossible and as I know that the wreck is broken in half, and I can see from the hull shape that we are inside, I am concerned that we are not being carried by the current into an overhead. We are not, but I keep checking.
The current never eases on this dive but turns eventually and both of us get carried along at a fair rate. We see Bob and Greg a couple of times having a good rumage around – they get some nice stuff and then see them thumb the dive just as we prepare to do the same. I love it when a plan comes together
We’ve done half an hour so there is an hour of deco to do – and it is not very pleasant as the current picks up our empty bottom stages and spins us around on deco. No playing this time, just sit it out and keep safe. Good dive – not convinced I’d go back but I enjoyed it nevertheless and it made a great end to what had been a very fun weekend.
Plate from the Pangani - courtesy of Greg
Thanks to Bob for arranging everything, Al Andy and Greg for the dives, and Grahame and Tom for getting us there, getting us back and warding off our neighbours.
Oh yes… the neighbours…. 
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Donegal 2006
Donegal Ireland DIR UK 2006Fraser and I managed to set off for Ayr very early so a quick interrogation of the Sat Nav suggested that I could go south round Birmingham and wave my husband Nigel off on his first dive of his PADI OW at Stoney Cove.
Fraser and I managed to set off for Ayr very early so a quick interrogation of the Sat Nav suggested that I could go south round Birmingham and wave my husband Nigel off on his first dive of his PADI OW at Stoney Cove. We reached Loyal Watcher to find Darren (skipper) Linda (housekeeper) and Richard (deckhand) there to greet us and had a tour of the boat which was suitably impressive. Darren told us that the last week’s group had not made it to Malin at all – the weather had been too rough all week to make the crossing over the Irish Sea but he was hopeful that it would change.
Loyal Watcher
Day 1 (Sunday) was a wash out. Darren believed that the weather would be with us and so we made the crossing to Malin Head overnight but the wind was whipping in from the sea and the swell was huge. Even in the safety of Lough Swilly the boat was rocking quite alarmingly and diving was out….well nearly out – Fraser, JK and I decided to jump in and dive under the boat in 8 metres of water to weight our scooters.
Fraser and Andy
Day 2 (Monday) HMS Audacious
It was a rough ride out but waiting until late in the day meant that we could get the nod to dive.
I jumped in with Andy Kerslake and Fraser. Audacious is a battleship (Dreadnought) which lies upside down (as most do) in 66 metres. Viz was reasonable but poor for Donegal – about 15 metres and the wreck was dark due to the poor surface conditions. Numerous explosives were scattered everywhere as we swam down following Fraser on his mission to see the propellers of the wreck – which were impressive but given that they took our entire dive to get to he was not too popular!
Bob
We saw John Grogan and Bob Cooper scootering past (they covered the entire wreck) and far too soon we returned to the shot which we had to use for the initial part of the ascent to ensure that all teams were in the same body of water. Darren had agreed that we did not need to use a lazy shot so this was a compromise.
I ran deco and my long standing wish was granted to do a deco stop below the recreational diving limit (a long way under actually – our first stop was 48 metres) The ascent was uneventful bar a few small complications with AK’s stage. A good, comfortable dive which was a nice introduction to Malin Head and a bonus given the weather.
Kitting up
Day 3 (Tuesday) SS Empire Heritage
Jumped in with Andy and Fraser again, after being warned that worsening weather was on the cards and the planned scooter dive was off.
The SS Empire Heritage sank in 70 metres of water 27 miles off Malin Head in World War II complete with her cargo of Sherman tanks, military trucks and machinery. The cargo has made many describe the Empire Heritage as the Thistlegorm of northern waters and I have to say that seeing the tanks stacked up like dominos, lying where they fell 60 years ago was impressive to say the least.
The shot was by a huge Derrick which towers way above the central section of the wreck just by a large open hold. Scale is everything here – this ship was absolutely vast – bourn out by the size of her propeller and her boilers which are each as large as a house – and the stunning viz at around 20 metres helps appreciate just what a monster she was weighing in a 15,702 tins and 512 feet in length.
Deco was again uneventful and we all had plenty to reflect upon from such a stunning dive. Celebrating the fact that I had actually managed to return to the surface with the same amount of cylinders that I entered with Andy told me that my Tech 2 could be considered complete which was nice….and just in time for the Justicia – our intended dive the next day and the reason that I first approached Loyal Watcher about making the trip to Donegal.
John Grogan and Andy Kerslake
Day 4 (Wednesday) RMS Justicia
The trip out to RMS Justicia is long and was quite rough. Fraser took the brunt of this and ended up sitting out the dive at the last minute – leaving me to dive with Bob and John Kendall who would, hopefully, dive today having sat out the first two dives. Getting in with scooter, twinset and three stages was tricky – especially for John who had a large video mount rigged to his scooter.
We jumped in eventually (well sort of fell in my case) and made our way to the shot. I could already feel the effect of breathing hypoxic gas and signalled to John to drop down to 6 metres a.s.a.p. where life became more comfortable. With Bob’s arrival we made our way down to the wreck.
RMS Justicia (Royal Mail Ship) is absolutely massive at 33,000 tons and 225 metres long. She was a White Star Liner built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast and was sunk by a torpedo from the UB-64 on 19 July 1918. She lies in 70 metres and is considered an advanced trimix dive which, due to her size, requires either an extended bottom time with CCR or a scooter to see the whole wreck in one dive. She is also the reason I wanted to come to Donegal and the main reason I have done all my training this year since seeing a video of a diver hanging off her bow last year.
Oh boy was this fun
We first saw her when we got to 50 metres – still a long way below us – the viz was amazing. Bob led off with me number two and John on video bringing up the rear. I had a mission to get to the bow like the diver in the video but we set off first for the props, navigating through the boilers on the way. Awesome – just awesome!
The ride to the props from amidships took a stunning 7 minutes – at around 120 feet a minute. We skirted round them, and back off up the wreck – switching off stages on the way – on and on and on – Jesus this is a big wreck. Suddenly we started seeing anchor chains and bollards, the bow must be up ahead. And then it was there – and John got a shot of me hanging off it – just like the diver in the video last year which I had found so inspiring. At this moment the quarry dives in 4 degrees in the winter getting used to multiple bottles and scooters were all worth it.
Do I look happy?
We set off back to the midsection where the shot was tied in – but John, having not dived this week, had forgotten that we are required to return to the shotline and has reached minimum gas. Bugger. We thumb the dive from the wreck and start our ascent 30 minutes after leaving the surface. Short – but oh so sweet
First stop 51 metres today – another first – and we settle in to a nice steady ascent which John runs. It is worth pointing out that I have never dived with John and have only dived with Bob once yet our training means that we can dive as a team without any issues, communication is straight forward, planning is easy, all is as comfortable as it would be with my normal team.
Suddenly at 36 metres Bob waves at me and gestures me to look behind me…..
I turn round and am face to face with a seal which has clearly come in to have a look at what all the noise is about…. John reaches for his video but too late, our visitor has left us in no doubt that he is much more suited to the environment than we will ever be and has danced away with the grace of a ballerina.
We surface 50 odd minutes later – my longest, deepest and most enjoyable dive to date.
Day 5 (Thursday) We were to return to the Audacious but the weather is against us and we got underway to Ballycastle where we would spend the night. All caught up with sleeping, eating and various logs and journals on route.
Day 6…. well more of that later
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Tech 2 - Jablonski and Lundgren
GUE Tech 2 – UK – 2006 Jablonski and Lundgren
I entered Tech 2 not really knowing what to expect as so little has been written before about the courses (apart from Mozi’s excellent piece on DIRX). So having read this over, I apologise if it is a little long – but hope that it will be valuable to those considering this move in their training.
After a weekend spent running instructors around London (the best bit was when a diver called me to ask a question abotu Fundies….I didn’t say “hang on a bit, I’ll put you on to someone else” but I was severely tempted )
the Tech 2 circus arrived in Frome on Sunday night for a lengthy introduction and theory session.
My first impression of the lectures was that the emphasis on this course would be “the thinking diver” – and Jarrod and Richard were both there to mentor us in the process of becoming more capable of making choices in the water. Few hard and fast rules here – guiding principles, experiences to learn from and informed decision making using all available sources were the basis for debate.
Day 1 at Vobster was to be stage work after a review of our Tech 1 skills. The usual S drills, Valve drills, OOAs, valve failures, blind diver yadda yadda yadda. Jarrod was happy – with a few hints on how we could all polish our performance to get to the higher standard of the course. We did three dives, spending just under three hours in the water and concentrated at the end of each on a rehearsal of the Tech 2 stage drill – more of that later.
The resident dog at Vobster has learned to fetch buoys in the water - JJ throws one and hangs on - not quite as fast as a Gavin
Descending for dive 2, I put some gas in my wing and had bubbles come out from under my arm. Must have hit one of the two stage regs there I figured – so did it again. Bubbles again. I looked down and the whole inflator had come off the corrugated hose – bugger.
So this is time to test the balanced rig then. Twin 12s with 150 bar, Pro 14 and three stage bottles – all full. I was OK actually as I made my way back to the surface horizontal until I went vertical – which was a big mistake as the water pressure vented the wing – despite my attempts to prevent this by folding the top of the hose over. I sank down a meter or so but with Al, Frase, Jarrod and Andy Kerslake around there was no big deal. Before any time at all had past, all my stages had been handed off to Al, Jarrod and Andy got me over to the side and out of the water and the wing was fixed.
Back to the hotel for exams, dive planning and sessions on deco and gas management. Learning about deco from guys who have do deco for up to 20 hours is fascinating and the wealth of experience that they bring is priceless.
They discuss various strategies - from conservative to agressive, giving us the information which will help us on our way to makign our own cost benefit analysis of the issues we will face.
Day 2 was a private day at Vobster where the staff served us well. This was to be the day of deep ascents and more drills. We were asked to shoot a bag at 24 metres, ascent to 21 and gas switch. Bring O2 bottle around from the leash and pass the bottom stage back and ascend to 9 metres where we would switch to back gas. At 6 metres we would switch to O2 and ascend where all bottles would have to be returned to their original positions ready to go again.
The last dive proved interesting – for me at least. We were on the bottom when I had a right post failure, shortly followed by my going out of gas completely. I ascended on Fraser’s long hose to the gas switch and switched to 50 per cent – struggling slightly to get going as I had of course lost the supply of gas to my wing as well. After a few minutes I realised that with all the gas sharing and diving that day my 50 per cent bottle was nearing empty. I thought about telling Fraser that I was low on gas but to avoid any confusion I just went OOG and on to his stage. I now have no back gas, no stage and can’t switch at 9 metres but we manage. I get to 6 metres and relax – I can now deploy my O2 bottle and settle down for three minutes. Which is exactly when Jarrod asks for my mask. If I ever have a real dive like that I quit but it does make you feel good that with a well trained team all of this is possible.
After more lectures on dive planning and emergency proceedures, we enjoy a very pleasant dinner with Howard and Dawn. We rise early the next day to the NADC. The logistics of getting 9 divers, 9 twinsets, 27 stages to the deep section of this quarry was made easier by David’s help – he took the pictures too.
Do GUE instructors have to travel in threes
We meet Phil Short and Jarrod, Richard and he greet each other warmly – they have been involved in projects together in the past and meet up regularly around the world on their travels. Jack Ingle is there too – whilst I say hi to Jack who I’ve met several times before, he doesn’t seem so keen to come over
A dive to 30 metres had Al run out of gas completely – most careless. The ascent went well although the deco station appeared to chase us all over the quarry. A second dive to 40 meters after a brief chat on the surface went the same way – although this time it was me out of gas again – and several deco gas failures. We were mostly running to time – a few minutes over which were lost when failures occurred but Jarrod was mostly happy with the time and asked us to concentrate on maintaining buoyancy within a tight window on each stop.
I’m surrounded by blue gloves - and we are not saying “cheese” - another phrase was substituted all week - but you had to be there - didn’t you Richard
A long but enjoyable day became longer when we had to pack up 18 twinsets and 56 stage bottles and head down to Plymouth. Exhaustion was starting to set in big time. The kit was dropped off a Deep Blue where Richie and Shaun were waiting to get filling in time for the following day.
Day 4 was to be the Medoc which we would dive twice. In we go to find sea bed, a lobster and a lone jetfin which we wonder is the only thing left of the other team. I am concerned that we may have pulled the shot off the wreck but on surfacing find that the first team in found sand too.
After the most expensive sea bed dive I have ever done we ascend and wait for Jarrod to start to play again. He’s been busy on the dive, stages have been depressurised and loosened so that they fizz when deployed and Fraser goes out of gas so has to be helped through back gas switches. Starting to become familiar territory really and the debrief tells us that we do well as a team.
Brian has enough stage bottles….
Dive 2 and the Skipper is determined to get us on to the wreck – and he does. I have a horrible descent – I feel fuzzy headed and consider thumbing it but find myself OK to continue once I have signalled Al and Fraser to slow down a bit. We come across a conger which is caught in fishing line. Now I am frightened of congers but can’t stand the idea of this poor creature stuck there so get out my knife and cut it free. Course or no course, at least it can go die in its hole.
I keep kicking Jarrod and get really rattled and uncomfortable – which no doubt adds to my getting through my gas at an amazing rate. I switch off the bottom stage. Al switches a little later, followed by Fraser. As Fraser switches I check my gas and pop my gauge back on my D ring – to immediately realise that I have snapped it right over my leash. I ask Al to check this out just as Jarrod pulls a right post failure on him so the dive gets thumbed.
After the gas switch I realise that with my gauge and leash still firmly stuck together I can’t juggle the bottles around. I get Al to have another look but they are firmly stuck and I have no option but to find another way of moving the bottles. I take of my 80 and send it up the bag line – always enjoy doing that – which leave me free to deploy my O2 bottle. The ascent is interrupted by the most painful cramp I’ve ever had underwater at the 6 metre stop – but with Fraser’s assistance I manage to switch and maintain depth. Issues on this dive have made the ascent messy. We did OK but know that we can do much better and get out in poor spirits. Everyone is exhausted and opts for a quick take out dinner and early bed.
Day 5 is to be the East Point in about 67 meters. An early start should allow us time to finish up and do the swim test and the remaining lectures.
Me and Al
Jarrod will leave us alone on this dive and we can take the chance to show him how we can perform as a team… or at least that was the plan.
Unfortunately, at the bottom of the shot line I do a flow check and realise that my O2 stage has become disconnected from the leash halfway down the shot line. It was there on the boat, it was there after the bubble check at 6 but it is not there now. Bugger.
My deepest dive to date over with less than 2 minutes bottom time. Had it not been a course I would have been happy to look around for a bit for the stage but don’t feel that entering decompression knowing that I don’t have the planned gas is the correct thing to do – despite knowing that we have contingencies for such events. I run a minimum deco ascent we head back to the surface. We see a minky whale on the surface checking out the other team – but it doesn’t raise our mood too much.
Swim tests are a little longer than we expected – turns out that Jarrod is considering a new Tech 2 standard of 650 metres – which is hard going but achievable with a dose of extreme bloody mindedness after a hard week. Then back to Aquanauts for exams, final theory sessions on O2 use and the experimental work that GUE has done to look at the effects of O2 use in deco. Then finally dinner and debriefs.
Jarrod is satisfied with our safety, planning and problem solving ability and believes that the best way forward is more diving with three stages in this depth range – with an eye to maintaining sensible levels of deco whilst experience is accumulated. Each of us is given an idea of how to progress from this point and asked how we feel about the result.
I can only speak for myself.
Whilst I am obviously disappointed not to get the full pass that I wanted I cannot fault Jarrod’s decision based on the time that we spent with him.
If I am to support GUE in its view that certification is earned by consistent and reliable skills, then how can I possibly cry foul when this same measure is applied to my diving. Tech 2 is perhaps a bigger cert than I realised when I went forward for it and the level of polish required by Jarrod to give this certification is, without doubt, a worthy goal to aim for. His additional demands are not that great a burden on any of us and if pursuing the road map he has given me makes me a safer, more capable diver who can enjoy challenging dives safely then it is a route worth following indeed.
Richard and Jarrod were so generous with their time, encouragement and advice this week that I sit here now – very tired – but more passionate about my diving than ever before. Roll on Donegal in two weeks time – it’s going to be a blast.
Thanks to all that helped organise the course especially David, Howard, Dianne, Paul Harris, Martin Burnard, Little Pete, Mark Emery and Iain.
But my most heartfelt thanks go to Al and Frase - it’s been a long journey my friends - and one which has had its ups and downs. One constant thing in it though has been the pleasure of diving with two capable divers who have become two of my closest friends. It is an honour to dive with you and I look forward to many more.
Going to bed now – it’s been a long, long week.
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On the way at last.
Well here we are. Waking up in a hotel in Frome - we all got here eventually and it is Tech 2 - day one.
Yesterday was fun in it’s own way. My daughter’s 7th birthday was being celebrated as I am away for the actual day on Monday. We opened presents (she got her first bicycle) before JJ and Richard arrived with Howard Payne.
They must have wondered why my 5 year old Archie was so scared. May of had something to do with my teenager whispering ‘Hey Archie, these men are power rangers’
Nigel is learning to dive and was being teased by Howard about the PADI RDP on the kitchen table. Nigel asked Jarrod how much deco he had done, to which the answer was about 20 hours after an 8 hour dive at 90 meters. To think I get bored after 45 minutes.
Andy Kerslake turned up and we set off to Frome - to meet Al, Frase, JK, David and Brian. Brian, it turned out was running 3 hours late and there were many jokes about putting the sculpture of a horses head in his bed!
Dinner in Frome followed by form filling and general introductory lecture from Jarrod then, avoiding the Kareoke session in the bar, a drink and bed.
So, full circle, back to where I started. Al’s alarm will go off in 2 minutes so time to start.
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2 instructors, 2 airports, lots of hotels and even more laughs…..
Picked up Jarrod and Richard from Heathrow and Gatwick yesterday.
Woke up at 5am to set off for Gatwick to find an email from JJ to say that his flight had been delayed for three hours from the States. Couldn’t go back to sleep but dozed for a while and then set off early for Heathrow for Richard.
I could not believe the queues for customs - checked in passengers without their luggage but with their clear plastic bags were queuing back into the short stay car park. I was a bit worried about recognising Richard but wehen he finally appeared he was carry a box which had his name legible on it from a distance so no problems.
We set off for Heathrow where Richard booked a hotel room (more of this later) and I managed to leave my phone in the ladies room. By the time I realised this it had been handed to et hpolice and taken to the other end of the airport to lost property.
The police has used the ICE contact to call Nigel my husband to let him know that they had found it. Huge relief on my part as today of all days ouwl dnot have been a great time to lose touch with people.
We found Jarrod without any further problems, and set off for St John’s Wood and the medicals that they need to teach in the UK. In the car of the way there it became clear that Jarrod and Richard are good fun and this week should be a laugh.
JJ managed to use the bathroom in the clinic before he read that he would need to provide a sample so spent the whole of Richard’s appointment drinking water to catch up. Richard was so long we did wonder what they were doing to him…. I don’t think Jarrod got nervous….. 
Then off to White City to the BBC - and jokes about loose women and whipped cream (you had to be there) and finally, at the end of a long day, set off for their hotel. Which was full….
Bugger. Bit of runing around and a bit of team work (thanks Al) found a hotel which appeared to be quite nice and with them settled in I set off for home…
…and Gin
…and Chocolate.
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Moldavia August 2006
I wasn’t going to do a report of my dive today. Just a last quick dive on the Moldavia before I go away with the kids, booked by Mark Emery but when he couldn’t come Mark Powell said he fancied a fun dive.
Mark phoned me last night to check the forecast as it looked dodgy but Steve said come on down. So I picked Mark up in Guildford and we hit Brighton bright and early. Conditions looked good. Erm…. “That is because the wind is coming off the land” said Steve. “It will be different out at sea”. And it was – oh boy it was….. I don’t feel seasick (or at least I haven’t yet) but felt sorry for those who went green.
When we got to the site I didn’t need much encouragement to kit up though and Mark and I hit the water first as we had the longest possible runtime. I managed to get hung up on the trail line from the shot but Mark sorted this out and we descended.
Down, down, down and – there is the wreck. Hang on – we are only at 20 meters – the Mol is at least 40 to the deck….
WOW!!! Welcome to the channel’s version of the red sea – with a better wreck!
I’ve dived the Moldavia twice before but have had poor viz both times and I didn’t really feel that I knew the wreck at all. This time we could see the whole thing stretched out in front of us – and there is enough light to enjoy it all without a torch.. This is why I wanted to do UK trimix diving - better viz and better wrecks deeper but this is the first ‘WOW’ one I had done.
Mark was leading and found a neat but very long swim through which we entered and made our way along – past a toilet which made me think of the Thistlegorm…. To get back into open water we had to swim up vertically through a hole in the roof where I exited – dumping from the front dump of my wing – to find Mark sitting there taking the mick out of my vertical trim at this point. I responded in the appropriate manner!
Past the gun and down towards the bow where I amused Mark by swimming right out beyond the end of the wreck….. in order to turn back and do my ‘gaze and soak up the atmosphere’ bit. I had figured the Mol to be very broken down bu the bow is still very intact and is massive – very impressive moment indeed.
Then in through another swim through – right by the bow. This, again, offered us a rather long penetration but I was reaching minimum gas and indicated to Mark that I would prefer to take an earlier exit a short way in.
Out on to the deck and we are surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of fish which we attack with our light beams as they are getting in the way of the wreck. I’ve lent Mark a Heser light for this dive as his primary had died and I turn to find he has deployed one of his back ups and is comparing the beams of the two. The sign he gave seemed to indicate that his is broken – which was odd as it appeared to be on ;o)
We make it back to the stern – that’s two and a half times the whole wreck in one dive – pretty much half of one length done inside as well. It’s time to go.
I call deco and, having discussed Mark’s views on deep stops, am toying with the idea of calling it slightly shallower than I normally would for his comfort. When we get to 36 metres I pause and realise that I can still see the wreck. That decides it for me – decoing in sight of the wreck after leaving it is to surreal for diving in the UK so I take us up to 33
My deco doesn’t break Mark – although it does bend his computer – and we surface with the sort of post dive grin I haven’t had since leaving Mexico behind. What a fantastic dive. Now we just have to get on the boat.
I figured that having to equalize my ears regularly on the 6 metre hang was we were moved around a great deal meant that the exit would be interesting – but I hadn’t figured on this.
Nauticat is a fair way away and isn’t moving towards us - doesn’t appear to be lifting divers either. I notice a trawler heading towards us and get a little bit concerned. I then realise that it isn’t a trawler – it is a container ship and it is a long way away – but closing fast on the position that Nauticat is in.
Steve is clearly and rightly protecting divers and we will be on our own until he is free to move. We turn and find Spartacat keeping watch on us – turns out Steve is hanging by two of Spartacat’s divers and they are returning the favour. Steve has to radio the ship to change course - wouldn’t want to get much closer than this.
Back on the boat for choccy biscuits for those of us who don’t feed the fish on the way home.
Days like this is what we dive for…. What a wonderful hobby
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DIR UK July 2006
DIR UK July 2006
We always have a lot of laughs on these trips. This time it started early when, still in the harbour Bob gets on the lift fully clothed to help Al weight his scooter – with Andy Kerslake in charge of the lift buttons…… well you can guess what happened next.
Day 1 – Merchant Royal.
The Merchant Royal is a large British cargo ship of 5000 tons lying South of Portland sunk as the result of a collision. Standing 11M high with her centre castle area largely intact she is still a recognisable ship with her bows broken off and amid ship and stern listing Starboard. It is possible to go below seabed depth and reach 60M where there are apparently copper ingots that were missed by the salvage men. More realistic max depth is 56m to the seabed.
Al and I decided to make the most of the conditions, which were pretty nice, to scooter the wreck. My stress levels which were already rising slightly at the prospect of my first multi gas scooter dive went into orbit when we were given the shout to kit up and I realised that my argon reg was not only not fitted to the cylinder but was at home in the shed (after removing it for a trip to Ireland). I resigned myself to not diving but then realised that I had a spare stage reg that I could attack and make do. Within two minutes work with a spanner and a donated blanking plug from Greg, I had a workable set up (albeit with a very large gauge for an argon bottle) and carried on kitting up.
On reflection, I should have asked for our team to move down the running order as I was now very hot and bothered and breathing heavily. But we kept our slot and jumped in – thankful of the cold water. I was leading and enjoying the fact that we did not have to use the shot – just scootering forward to keep it in sight and descend.
I got to about 30 metres and realised that I had quite a fuzzy head – given that I was diving 18/45 it was unlikely to be nitrogen narcosis and was more likely to be caused by CO2 from my rushing around on the surface. I carried on the descent concentrating on keeping my breathing relaxed and, at the bottom, signalled to Al that we should keep it slow and steady. I’ve been affected before and it usually clears quite quickly and after a while I felt a bit better so we both went on the trigger and went off around the wreck.
We came across Brian and John Kendall in the water, John appeared to be videoing a large lobster. We headed up towards the bow and Al who was one at this point came off the trigger saying ‘woah’ I looked up and instantly did the same – the wreck at this point was intact and loomed up ahead of us in very dramatic style.
We headed round the bow and came off the trigger again to hang and look at it (always a favourite part of the dive for me) but this time we started moving backwards instantly as fast as we had been moving forwards – the current had picked up big time but whilst on the scooters we hadn’t really noticed. I realised that I was still not 100 per cent and turned to Al to thumb the dive but his thumb was already up – time to go. Deco was uneventful apart from the fact that current and tide combination meant that Graeme the skipper had a hard job keeping all the teams in sight on deco – almost 1.5 miles from the wreck when finished.
Tom at Breakwater does us proud with fills - a whole boat of trimix and 20 odd stages takes time and we don’t get to the centre until 6pm but he stays on happily and gets all the mixes spot on - well done!
Day 2 – unknown.
Plans for diving this day were changed when the weather deteriorated and Graeme felt that he would get us a smoother ride out in a different direction than expected. The payback was getting to dive an unidentified wreck which has a great deal of potential for research in future if we are ever to work out how and why she came to rest there.
We came equipped for most eventualities
Fraser had joined us by this stage and we jumped in without scooters – the brief for this dive was to seek some form of identification and scooters would only hinder this aim. John Kendall was to take video and the rest of us would rummage.
I really enjoyed this dive. We do know from artefacts already recovered (in association with the R.O.W) that the ship is likely to date from 1867 and she was a very large ocean going sail ship loaded to the gunnels with supplies. Fire bricks, pottery, buckles and musket balls, barrels of dynamite, millstones, bottles – many still with corks in – were in abundance. I found a perfect large white china bowl with a Staffordshire stamp but it was buried and removing it would have taken rather too long at 54 metres if I were to be careful enough not to damage it so I left it there for someone with more time.
I was leading and took us over a bit of the wreck which stood perhaps two meters proud. As I did so I noticed the largest conger eel I have ever seen, below me but looking straight at Al and Frase. I heard Fraser squeal (he said it was the helium ) and Al laugh at this but noticed that Al changed course as well.
The viz on this dive was stunning – the rocky bottom ensuring that we could see other teams working on distant areas of the wreck which was clearly large. We never found the anchors although Bob and Greg did – or the bell which has never been found. I, for one, would be very happy to go back to this one. She clearly has a tale to tell.
Conditions on deco were interesting and out came the wetnotes where I asked to pad deco at 6 fearful that we would not be able to do the slow ascent that is normally had built in to the O2 stop. Al and Frase agreed but as it was, conditions were OK up to about 1.5 metres and we were able to complete it without issue.
Day 3
The weather deteriorated further but Graeme was able to give us a smooth ride out (in what was a force 5/6) by choosing his direction carefully to use the tide to our advantage. We were to dive the Warrior II.
This was an armed luxury steam yacht which had been built in 1904 and had already survived World War One. The 1,120 ton vessel was dive-bombed and machine-gunned and finally went down about ten miles south-east of Grove Point.
Fraser and I dived the Warrior II a couple of weeks ago but really enjoyed the dive and were happy to return with Al. We dropped in roughly in the middle of the wreck and Al led off down towards the bow where I got to do my ‘hang off the wreck in mid water and soak up the atmosphere’ bit.
There are so many large congers, lobsters and crabs on this wreck you almost become blasé when you spot yet another but the sight of an edible crab bigger than a large dinner plate wobbling along on legs which looked like they would snap under the weight of the shell was funny. Colourful wrasse helped brighten up the wreck which was dark – but with good viz.
We headed back towards the swimming pools and mosaics but, swimming against the current, turned it before we got there and drifted gently back down the wreck. The boiler on the Warrior II is the biggest I have ever seen anywhere and stands a good four or five metres proud – I saw a tail sticking out and don’t even want to think how big that conger was!
Back on board, I’m tying my kit down when Bob comes on board. His argon bottle catches in the pleat of my drysuit and he pulls me round with him as he walks. I grab hold of the handrail to steady myself and am fine – until he sits down on my hand with his twin 15s 
Owwwwwwww!
Tom the handsome and helpful deck hand offers to avenge me with a boat hook but I guess karma comes into force when Bob then topples over on to the deck and is pinned (unhurt) by his set to the deck….
Day 4 – nothing to report. Despite Graeme working miracles all weekend there is an end to the guy’s ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat every day and the weather had cut off all available options. Pub lunch and home.
Doesn’t get any better - lots of laughs and good diving….hope you all had good weekends too.
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1st and 2nd July
Fraser and I had agreed to join Jason P on the UKRS boat this weekend out of Weymouth. Diving was to be with the infamous Woody of RJRW – the air turns blue when he is around but he can shot a wreck with the best of them and the boat and lift are nice too.
Saturday
I had been told that we were to dive the Buccaneer but get to the dive boat to find out that it is the Boadicea – good job we don’t do this dive planning business
The day gets off to a shaky start when the props pick up a rope but Gordon jumps in and frees it – it is to be the only dive he does that day as his drysuit zip gives up when he gets out. Not that badly delayed we set off again and get to the site in good time. Fraser sets things off to a good start when he spots a sunfish floating past the boat
The Boadicea, a British destroyer, was an unlucky victim of WW2. She was hit directly in the forward magazine by an aerial torpedo which completely blew the fore part of the ship away, sending her quickly to the bottom. What remains of the bow is scattered across the seabed but her amidships and stern make a superb dive with much to see, she even has depth charges still in the racks. Max depth 53m.
We jump in to good viz and a pleasant dive. The bow of this wreck has gone completely but the stern makes for impressive viewing and we hang off it for a while to take in the ambiance. Both of us say afterwards that we were very aware of the massive loss of life on this wreck which is a war grave and could imagine the panicked scenes knowing that the Luftwaffe were heading towards the ship.
There are depth charges galore on what is left of the decks and a large rack of torpedoes. There are holes which look inviting but the inside is out of bounds and we are happy to honour this. A huge wrasse clearly knows this and hovers just inside – startling in its mating colours.
We do what is, for 24 hours at least, our deepest and longest UK sea dive – thumb it and ascend off the wreck quickly – to have a near miss with a large gun which is a few meters proud of where we start our ascent. Watch your head!
Deco is uneventful – as it should be – apart from a lot of p!$$ taking on the 6 metre stop and we get out to make our way back to Weymouth to find out if the World Cup is over for England. Breakwater were accommodating with the fills even though we got back late – much appreciated.
Sunday
The 4th HMS WARRIOR was a 1266 ton Yacht built in Troon for F W Vanderbilt in 1904. Launched as WARRIOR she was renamed GIOZEKA ISARRA (MORNING STAR) when she was bought by Sir Ramon De La Sota of Bilbao in 1920. During the Spanish Civil War she was used by the Basque Government sailing between Spanish and French Biscay ports carrying refugees and wounded Spanish children. In 1937 she was purchased by Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen and reverted to the name WARRIOR. In World War II she was commissioned as HMS WARRIOR II and fitted with 2 x 12 pdr guns. On 11 July 1940 she was sunk, with one fatality, by air attack off Start Point in the Channel. Her crusader figurehead and decorated binnacle are still retained by the De La Sota family.
The start was early as we had elected to jump tides and both Fraser and I groaned at the prospect of a 6am start with no breakfast – despite ordering a full fry up with the Skipper – his response was fittingly colourful
We made good time to the site and the current was still running hard when we got there. The sea was millpond like and waiting for slack was a joy in the sun.
We jumped in and I lead us off down the vertical shot – stopping for a bubble