Halton Ocean

Wind again. The two diving professionals buggered off to buy personal adornments whilst the rest of us got on with the serious business of diving. Was very windy so just one drop on the Konig.

KH mask strap was loose and could have failed at any time (the resultant catstrophe didn’t bear thinking about apparently) but I managed to pour soothing balm on his histrionic wife and rescue him from the water before anything untoward went wrong.

And that was it. Made an arse of tying the boat up for the last time but apart from that, it was job jobbed. Season done. Over for another year. Home James and don’t spare the horses. Beers and goodbyes and then start stripping the boat ready for a winter idleness.

Brummer then Karlsruhe.

Novice was taught that wildlife is there for when we get hungry, not for gawping at and besides, its rude to play with your food. Lyness pier is actually a half decent drop if you look about.

Brummer then Dresden

Squeezed a drop in on the F2 myself with a novice as a buddy. Got to bring the next generation on in the underwater world, you know. Novice did very well apart from the abject failure to realise that guns are more interesting than feeding wrasse. That lesson will take a bit longer to learn, I guess.

KPW then Karlsruhe.

Trying to show another skipper the ways and whatsits of the Flow this week for when they bring their boat here but it is tricky when they have done more in a boat than I ever probrably will so ended up mostly teaching a granny to suck eggs.

Erm, forgot to write it in the diary? But I remmember it being windy.

Aha, inspiration! (By text that is) Dived the UB116 in the morning to get a lee from Flotta but the vis was poor form some reason then headed off to the Coln in the afternoon.

Screaming wind so gentle start: Dresden then F2. Two no shows from the diving professionals.

Think everybody did a site each today:

Konig first, then Dresden, scrap yard site, MG (was meant to be KPW but skip fcked up) the F2 to finish.

Weather fresh Se by the time we were back in port.

The boys did split wave Koln/Mg, Lyness lunch then KPW.

All apart from Timothy who stayed at home with a sick note from his mum and spent the day catching up on reading the blog.

Dived the MG/Dresden then Dresden. Weather ok today.

All the boys dived the Markgraf this morning followed by a spilt wave Brummer/MG in the afternoon.

Gentle start on the MG/KPW split wave as some of the boys hadn’t dived since this week last year. It is wise option to ease back in the water with something a little more gentle after such a long lie off.

Another split wave this afternoon: Karlsruhe/MG

We left early this morning, gone from the pier at half six when it was still dark. Only me and another awake so we steamed thru the dawn and the breaking light down to the Barrie. Shot line on the wreck popped up just after I threw my one in: sods law.

Fogs in now as we are sat at Lyness waiting for the troops to have lunch and get ready for the F2.

What a grizzly day.

Early start to catch the Barrie which then got binned, so we headed to the Markgraf.

Off to do the F2 this afternoon.

KPW then Brummer today.

The weather has changed for the worse.

The boys in Longhope have got a new toy to play with..

That’ll be a bunny with drawers more soggy than a teenage snogger on the back seat of his brand new Seat Ibiza with his first bird, and probrably a grin to match. Think I will go to Burray ’till the novelty wears off.

Flat calm and sunshine: the troops don’t know how blessed they are!

Markgraf then Tabarka today and an end to spiderman and fairy cakes. Must remember to shed a tear later.

Koln then Goby.

Another flat calm day.

Cracking weather today. Beautiful blue sky and not a breath of wind. They say the vis is good too.

Dived the Dresden then the Karlsruhe.

The boats are thinning out a bit now as winter approaches but the John L is still going and I shared the wreck with James.

The anniversary of the Royal Oak today and the Royal Navy were up to raise the white ensign on the wreck.

We dived the Koln then the Tabarka

KPW then Goby.

High quality crew today.

Why are there no blue divers on the Halton?

Because all Halton divers are happy divers!!

These two bucked the trend.

Windy today so just dropped on the Karlsruhe.

A and B jumped in and went diving. D jumped on C and E followed so turned the boat around and picked them all up without any submersion and less a pony bottle. Ho hum.