22 Jun 2008 - SQSAC Lochaline Trip June 2008

SQSAC Lochaline Trip June 2008

Joe Carson organised this years Lochaline Trip for about the 8th time! After some late drop outs he had 4 spaces to be filled, I managed to advertise them on the South Of Scotland Yahoo Group and ended up with all 4 spaces filled.

From SQSAC, Joe Carson, Andy Hogg, Alan Low, Warren Izzett, Dave Brunton, Stevie Adams, Guests were Colin and Pedro from Dive Bunker, Ed Haynes from Loch Fyne Divers, Ross Coventry and Tina from Heriot Watt, and Jo Topalian from Divetech.

We all met up on the Friday Night and an early start on the Saturday saw us Diving the Rondo, (6-50m) a great Dive made better by surfacing to Dolphins doing tricks and showing off all around us, very impressive. Dive 2  was the Hispania (18-26m) again a great Dive lots of colours and friendly fish just no Dolphins on the surface this time.

After an 'interesting' meal with the really friendly  hosts at the Lochaline Hotel...(next time we go we will cook our own meal, pish poor service and the food was crap) It was an early bed for all as we had another early start on the Sunday.

Sunday was a bit wet and with the threat of bad weather coming in we dived the Shuna first (26-32m) can be a bit silty and dark due to the proximity of a Fish Farm, but covered in life and the vis was the best I have had on her. We noticed a Nice Toilet on the Deck that had been uncovered, probably wont be there next time..

Toilet with nice decoration

• With three boatloads of Divers on the Shuna, the shot was a joke with 10+ divers trying to do stops at 6metres on a single line, time to be using Deco Stations a bit more often. The more sensible bagged off from the line and did their stops in comfort.

After a break back at Lochaline we decided on a scallop dive as the second Dive, Slack on the Thesis was 3:30pm which was just too late for us all.

Not a lot of Scallops left after the Dredgers had been there , but Jo and I managed to get the biggest haul, although Ross and Tina got some cracking Prawns...so after packing up and Paying our Debts we headed home, reaching Edinburgh about 7:15pm.

A Good Trip organised by Joe, and we managed to get really good Air Fills on the Boat courtesy of Dave Brunton who managed to get 300bar in 220bar cylinders...and Thanks to all SQSAC's Guests for making the Trip work and who outnumbered the members !!!!