Individuals/ small groups

3 - 8th June………………….8 spaces
7 - 12th Oct………………….4 spaces

Price 270/head

Full groups

17 - 22nd June
24 - 29th June

Price 2700/week

Away destinations considered for June weeks: loads of diving along the North coast that is untouched but needs an adventurous gp to tackle it. Duslic?

“So how was it for me?” I hear you all clamour.

To be frank, from the point of view of the boat, this has been one of the best years ever and I think that has been down to the weather in the main. Yes, I know the last week was shite and that there were a few missed dives along the way but on the whole I basically did what I wanted, when I wanted. I was able to deliver on promises made at the start of the year and to match expectations.

Scapa started off poorly with a week of poor vis right just when I needed it least. The French were here to film their documentary and a bit of clarity in the water would have gone down a treat but in the end the video looks good and they seemed to go away happy enough.

Then away down the west coast and the walkers’ initial trepidation was alayed by the Halton’s sturdy build, fine weather and beautiful scenery.

The birders failed to make a decision and ringed a lot of birds so also went away happy. The diving in the Shiants was poor, one of the summer’s disappointments, but the above water toings and doings more than compensated.

Then off to Shetland. We lost dives at the start of the time due to fog but the Lerwick change overs made life so much more simple and gave the troops the full spell of time on the islands rather than in transit.

Back through Fair Isle and one of the most rewarding weeks of the year. The EGG was a complete unknown, a shot in the dark, and, as with many gambles, paid off many times over.

It is always good to get back in the Flow: east, west, homes best but it was not long before the off again and away to Fraserburgh. Again, this was an unknown quantity and we were hindered by the weather but the diving still got the troops excited and we divid the first virgin wreck of my time.

Home again to run the season out and that sees us to now, just basking in reflections and memories. Many, many things have gone wrong this year with a tragedy that has yet to be resolved but the diving has been among the best ever. The two don’t balance each other out but the diving does keep that desire explore the horizon alight and that’s why I will be back next year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The new van said “expert” on the back. I can spot a hire car at a 100 paces.

Anyway, I used to share a flat with them both a decade ago and so I took them straight into our old haunt the Ferry Inn. Nothing had changed in the interveaning years: all was exactly as it was when they left all those years ago, even down to the order of folk on the bar stools! Home from home!