The reports were that the visibility was poor on the Northern side. Yes they were correct and so was the report that there was a mist on the North side. There were eight of us. Malcolm, Mick, Paul, Hugh, Steve, Carol, David, and Gwyn. It was Mick’s first dive in open water since he qualified as a Club diver.
We collected in the car park in Morfa Nefyn and took a decision to dive in the mist. The sea was almost oily it was so calm. However within a few seconds of leaving the beach the mist cut us off from everything and we had to depend on the GPS. Some expert navigation from Paul and some intuitive helming from Hugh put us over the wreck straight away. David dropped the shot down right onto the boiler.
We had hit slack and in we went in a continuous wave with Paul and Mick leading the way. The visibility was terrrible. Less that 2 metres. The shot line was invisible. We managed to see some life; a large wrasse, a nudibranch, lobster and an edible crab. The average dive time was 33 minutes with a depth of 23.1 metres.
David & Lee took advantage of the extended good weather to try out Porth Ysgadarn on Tuesday evening 13 April. Viz. was good but there was very little life. However, on the way back in, a determined search of the side wall located a couple of small lobsters and lots of big wrasse. The sea temperature at both dive sites was a comfortable 8 degrees!”
(DWT)
Paul T was Dive Marshall & Organiser. Venue was Hell’s Mouth, but as only Chris, Carol & David showed interest Paul chose to use his own Rib. So perhaps it wasn’t really a Club Dive.
Conditions were hazy & calm with mill pond seas and a family pod of dolphins on the way out. Tides were moderately big, with high water slack due early afternoon. However, as it was already slack when we arrived at the dive site late morning, P&C were over the side before you could say “buddy check”. Viz. was good at about 7m. with abundant new algae growth hiding tiny spider crabs, and much else of interest, incl. (for the first time for D&C) groups of tiny brilliant nudibranches. The sky cleared in the afternoon, and it was not unlike summer ( we even had the delicate tones of passing jet skis! ).
P&C were swept off to sea by a surprisingly strong current and so had a short second dive. D&C managed (just) to stay inshore and had another good dive, the highlight being a large spider crab with an unusual and sizeable pure white anenome stuck on its fore-shell. All in all an excellent days diving. (DWT)
Back to Glynllifon for two Sports Diver lectures. “Deeper Diving” which David J did and “Ai Planning and Systems” which Hugh did. The first involved calculations on changing levels and the effect on Current Tissue Codes (CTC), e.g two divers fly to the Red Sea what is their tissue code (alcoholic) when they arrive. The second lecture included calculations on matching air need with air in the cylinder. Both of these will figure strongly in the final exam.
Then it was over to Vivian Quarry for the second recent visit to do the Diver Rescue. If there is a more strenuous diving lesson then I haven’t come across it yet. All went well. Mick got Arwyn’s kit and his own off. Dragging Arwyn ashore was the problem. It took three of us, and my back still hasn’t recovered. It poured with rain so no photographs of the event.
Hugh, Edna, Don, Julie, David, Carol, Gwyn, Karen, Neil, Bert and Mike gathered in the Victoria Hotel for the Annual General Meeting. Two changes in the officers; Karen resigned and Vi Duke was unanimously elected as Hon Treasurer. Gwyn Jones resigned as Grants Officer (he will be held in reserve). New list of officers for 2004-05.
There follows the editor’s version of the major decisions:
There followed a quiz organised by Julie. As usual Mike threw out a good number of red herrings, some of which were swallowed. Neil had the good sense to ditch his partner as soon as he saw how things were going. (Hugh was quietly awarded the wooden spoon for getting the lowest marks of the evening). The winners from Trefor were: Don and Edna. Thanks to Julie for such an enjoyable quiz.
The last pool club night of the season. It was good to see a good number of the regulars there. Photographs below.
Another session in Vivian. Gwyn, Arwyn, David and Hugh. The lessons are slowly toppling. Today it was the most difficult of open water lessons; the diver rescue. Starting off in Llyn Padarn and being completed in Vivian Quarry. Having to take your kit off in Llyn Padarn is not high on my list of things I have to do before I die. All nearly came to a halt when a park warden decided we sould have had permission that we might cause the none existant fishermen a problem. After come considerable effort in which a mask was lost and then found (very biblical) the practical was completed. All that is left of for Arwyn is the completion of the theory lessons and then Sport’s Diver written exam. For Gwyn a few more practical sessions.
Again two parts to the day. We started off at Glynlifon to do the two lectures needed. The Introduction to sports diving and the Equipment and Techniques lecturers. The interactive whiteboard was ideal for the lectures.
The lesson at Vivian was the Dive Leading and Basic Skills Review. The weather was lovely; clear, sunny and no wind. Mind you it was cold. The water was something else (5°C); it was freezing. Certainly no mask removal was going to take place. David instructed the two candidates; flood mask, AAS, followed by some dive leading and monitoring and finally the DSMB deployment. We were right cold by the time it was all over but emerging into sunny conditions made it easier to bear.
