Stoney Cove on a lovely sunny February morning. We were expecting the lower car park to be pretty empty and the vis. to be good. A group of 8 of us had traveled to Stoney, some to do training some to practice skill and some just as a refresher before they head out for the warmer waters around the Maldives.
Most of us arrived around 9:30 to find the lower car park completely full and the rear car park filling up fast. Dave once again came to our rescue and had reserved a place in the lower car park so we were able to set up base camp on the back of his van.
This year’s trip to Plymouth was organised – extremely well – by Adrian. He had a challenge on his hands as he had to find us a new hardboat and skipper as well as a new place to stay. For the last few years we have been diving off “Furious” skippered by Pete Hambly who also ran a guest-house with his wife Pam. Pete retired last year and we have since heard that he has sadly passed away.
05:15 Raucous alarm sounds BU**ER I've only just got back to sleep, whose idea was this? Well I'm awake AGAIN now so might as well get up; (put note in diary: "Organise Witch Hunt ASAP") Next thirty minutes deleted as minors (or anyone else for that matter) may actually read this. Good job I packed all my kit in the car yesterday afternoon; just get in the car and go to pick up Rod. Look outside, bit of a frost, start car check air temp: MINUS FORTY! (all right four) don't you just hate Global Warming? Leave the car running with both windscreen defrost controls and the heated seats on MAX while I go in for a cup of tea. Preparation is the key to a good dive so I run over my well used mental checklist of kit and supplies once more; remember to pack energy drinks and bars plus spare pants (annoying leak in dry suit HONEST!)
Lowlights: Being woken up at 4am by icebergs and polar bears trying to sink my narrowboat; kitting up in 2 degrees (brrr); losing Steve in zero viz; getting out of the surf the wrong way up; scrabbling up the near-vertical pebble beach in full kit determined not to have to do two journeys; a very damp dry suit; a dead computer; getting dressed (brrr); not being able to wash my kit down for days due to frozen water pipes
Highlights:Meteorite storm (superb shooting stars in a perfectly clear night sky); Alan (no fins) English; finding nudibranchs in zero viz; finding Steve in zero viz; hot beef stew and a pint in the pub; hot tea in the café; that tired but satisfied feeling that comes from doing an exhilarating UK dive; doing a UK dive and not getting blown out!
The cold crisp morning of Saturday 3rd January 2009, saw 4 hardy fellows (some might say stupid), Steve, Pete, Rod and Alan, head for the shores of the Dorset coast, to brave the depths of the calm winter seas. Fortunately at that time of the morning most were still in bed so the journey down was pleasant and uneventful. At some stages of the journey however the air temperature did read -7 degrees C.
We met in the car park of Hotel Aqua in Castletown, Portland to be joined by another frequent flyer on Bicester Dive Club trips, Sharky. It appears we weren't the only loonies to be diving as there were others in the car park preparing to head out to sea.