21 Mar 2006 - Latest news and Updates
Another successful Training weekend was organised by Laura in Oban on the 11 and 12 March, a pity about the weather, but it was worth doing, trip report below.Lindsay and Rhona both completed their Ocean Diver Training in difficult conditions, and are now qualified as Ocean divers - well done!.
So far since October we have trained four new Ocean Divers, and three Sports Divers, it has been a struggle but all Training is now finished until the Sports Diver course in the summer.
Pub Nights have started again, I would encourage everyone to attend as thats where youi find out who is going out Diving and when. It is on the Smartgroups Calendar, and is every second Wednesday, alternating between Hawes Inn, South Queensferry, and the Oxford Bar, Thistle Street Edinburgh.
OBAN TRIP REPORT
We set off from a wet Edinburgh and arrived at Puffin Divers in Oban at 10am.
After finding several faults in recently used Club kit, I had to spend an hour swapping Regs to make a working set (Equipment Officer please note!).
The tide was out and the Slipway at Puffin is very narrow, we launched the Boat, (or it launched itself by sliding down the Slip dragging Laura and Stevie with it ). after a long carry of kit we set off for the Breda, it was very cold and windy and we were a bit wet by the time we found the buoy.
We all kitted up and Laura and Lindsay dived first followed by Stevie and Rhona, Vis was easily 15m+ with lots of fish, and water was a lovely 8 degrees.
After 20 mins we ascended (Rhona's Drysuit had flooded) and got back into the boat followed by Lindsay and Laura, Warren and Sarah dived next, and when they were back on the boat with the wind increasing we headed back to Puffin to get Air and Lunch, by this time I was convinced we had two cases of Hypothermia as the girls were feeling really cold.
After a Coffee and a' warm up'...we looked at our options and decided to go for a Night Dive, so the Boat was recovered and parked up as a force 9 was forecast,( no snow as it nevers snows in Oban!) after dropping Lindsay and Rhona at the B&B Warren, Laura, Sarah and Stevie set off to dive the'Golden Gift' in Oban Harbour, a fishing boat sunk in a collision during the war, after a scary dive with torches packing in, hoses free flowing and low air we all headed to our B&B's. After an Indian and a few beers we had a fairly early night.
We got up the next morning to six inches of snow and very cold, we met up at Puffin and changed the plans, The boat was parked and secured( we couldnt tow it home in the snow) and with the roads blocked we decided to dive from the Shore at Puffin and complete some Training, after a 40 minute Dive we packed up and headed home at about 2:30 pm, the roads were passable and we made it home by about 5pm
Lessons to be learnt - get a Chalet at Puffin for accomodation next time, ensure everyone has Dry warm Clothes and jackets, and dont go in March!
It was a very good weekend and although we only managed 3 dives because of the weather it was worth doing, and we qualified two Ocean divers, so well done to Rhona and Lindsay for getting through their Training, and to Sarah for wanting to do another Dive on the Sunday!.thanks to Laura for organising and Warren for Towing.
We set off from a wet Edinburgh and arrived at Puffin Divers in Oban at 10am.
After finding several faults in recently used Club kit, I had to spend an hour swapping Regs to make a working set (Equipment Officer please note!).
The tide was out and the Slipway at Puffin is very narrow, we launched the Boat, (or it launched itself by sliding down the Slip dragging Laura and Stevie with it ). after a long carry of kit we set off for the Breda, it was very cold and windy and we were a bit wet by the time we found the buoy.
We all kitted up and Laura and Lindsay dived first followed by Stevie and Rhona, Vis was easily 15m+ with lots of fish, and water was a lovely 8 degrees.
After 20 mins we ascended (Rhona's Drysuit had flooded) and got back into the boat followed by Lindsay and Laura, Warren and Sarah dived next, and when they were back on the boat with the wind increasing we headed back to Puffin to get Air and Lunch, by this time I was convinced we had two cases of Hypothermia as the girls were feeling really cold.
After a Coffee and a' warm up'...we looked at our options and decided to go for a Night Dive, so the Boat was recovered and parked up as a force 9 was forecast,( no snow as it nevers snows in Oban!) after dropping Lindsay and Rhona at the B&B Warren, Laura, Sarah and Stevie set off to dive the'Golden Gift' in Oban Harbour, a fishing boat sunk in a collision during the war, after a scary dive with torches packing in, hoses free flowing and low air we all headed to our B&B's. After an Indian and a few beers we had a fairly early night.
We got up the next morning to six inches of snow and very cold, we met up at Puffin and changed the plans, The boat was parked and secured( we couldnt tow it home in the snow) and with the roads blocked we decided to dive from the Shore at Puffin and complete some Training, after a 40 minute Dive we packed up and headed home at about 2:30 pm, the roads were passable and we made it home by about 5pm
Lessons to be learnt - get a Chalet at Puffin for accomodation next time, ensure everyone has Dry warm Clothes and jackets, and dont go in March!
It was a very good weekend and although we only managed 3 dives because of the weather it was worth doing, and we qualified two Ocean divers, so well done to Rhona and Lindsay for getting through their Training, and to Sarah for wanting to do another Dive on the Sunday!.thanks to Laura for organising and Warren for Towing.