DIR Stoney Gig Friday
Friday found me on my way to Stoney via Egham where I was to meet Daniel, a GUE Tech 1 diver from Brazil.
Royal Holloway is a beautiful college. I’ve been for a dinner there before in the painted hall, and the grand building is just like I remembered it. Daniel is easily spotted, with a huge divebag slung over his shoulder. I’m lending him some twins today.
We meet up with Jonathan (Tonytheteal from YD) and jump in for a swim. This is Daniel’s first UK dive and he feels a bit uncomfortable in fabers and has to sort out a few kit issues. We hang around at six meters until everyone looks comfortable and then I take us over to the Stanegarth, back to the helicopter and on a gentle swim back along the shelf again to let teh guys settle down.
Jonathan is practicing for his DIR F resit on Saturday so after Daniel leaves us we drop back down to run through the basic skills. All goes well and Jonathan is clearly well set for Saturday.
Over to the pub afterwards for a drink and meet up with Phill (Divingniknaks) to pick up kit for the following day. Then I drop Daniel at his hotel and go to Willowmead (best B & B near Stoney) to get washed up for dinner.
Al and I had arranged to meet Andy Carrol and Eleanor his girlfriend for dinner, they are staying in the same hotel as Daniel so I find an Indian resturant nearby and we go there. Entering the resturant we find Jonathan, Andy B (who passed tech 1 the day before :o) and Gary. Bob turns up later and we have a fun evening talking…diving of course :o)
From left to right:a
Andy B, Al, Daniel, Gary, And, Eleanor, Jonathan, me and Bob
