18 May 2007 - Oban Training Weekend 18-20 May *** REPORT ***07
We had a Training/Diving Weekend based at Puffin Divers in Oban. 18-20 May, The Weather was terrible and the vis poor, but a lot of Training completed and some interesting events:- Wrong Drysuits worn, Divers Surfing up beaches , Lost Fins and Compasses, Weight Belts coming off,lift bags dragging Instructors to the surface, Divers getting drifted out of the Bay...and Puffin RIBS being 3hrs late....anyway read on...
I set off with Ally and Graeme, and after a quick Recce of the Dunollie and Dunstaffnage sites we met everyone at the House...after going Cross Country through most of the Gardens in Oban thanks to Ally's navigation. Andy arrived with Ian and Jo in his luxurious 4x4 having had no Navigation problems.
I was reluctantly dragged along for a late Dive to Dunollie Castle - the more sensible Girls stayed behind - we got to the Shore and managed to fight through the surf into deeper water, headed south at 18m, after 15mins of sand and crabs I was losing hope when we hit a small reef then two really nice walls, when we surfaced we were right at the jetty, so out and onto the grass, most of us managed to see the walls but two didn't make it and got washed back into the beach having seen lots of sand and not much else .
We all met up at the Oban Inn and after a 'mediocre' meal and some drink we left at about 12:30 and headed home.
Up in the Morning and off to Tesco for a 'mediocre' Breakfast and some Tea, we met Grame and Dougie with their tales of huge Breakfasts at the B&B, we then set off to Puffin and met up with Warren.
Not a good day and I think we were the only ones willing to try it...our first dive was a disaster with separations, lost compasses, fins coming off, lost weight belts and lost students...Just when I thought we had it bad the Dive Leader Class got split up and two managed to get swept around to Oban harbour, and Warrens Rebreather chucked it as well....after a rest we dragged them all back in and finished the exercises, The Dive Leaders went in to do a Lift and Shift of a Shot weight....underwater..I did the lift and shift on the land for them!...I understand that was an interesting exercise as well....
After a quick discussion we headed to Dunstaffnage Castle to do a third Dive, again we hadn't dived this site, it was a sandy rocky slope and yes Dougie saw a real fish...a 'mediocre' site with strong currents (after battling against the current we had a nice drift back) the rain stopped and the sun was trying to get out and lifted us a bit, so I think we all quite enjoyed being able to see more than six inches...
Back to the House and a queue for the Shower...then down to the Light of India for 8 o'clock, a slightly less 'mediocre' meal and off to some Pub with a Band for some drink....most of us had our sensible heads on and left at fairly reasonable times, but some were on a mission.
Warren and Dougie were on the Morning boat and had to be there at 8am, I think Dougie just managed to just make that and missed his breakfast
(Stella + Late Night + No Breakfast = Sore Head and Dodgy Diving.......Hope that's a lesson learnt.....)
After a lie in and a late breakfast we were early at Puffin...all our kit was down at the pontoon for 12:30...after lots of 15minute delays the Boat came in at 3pm - 2hrs late! - never got a good explanation for this perhaps the DO can enlighten us....( I think it was a combination of faffing at Puffin, picking up a group at Lochaline, the Shuna and the Rondo being deep dives so a longer surface interval and a Lochaline drop off...) ...anyway we got to the Thesis and conditions were 'mediocre' with the tide beginning to pick up...so all fairly short Dives, then back to Heather Island for a drift along some nice but silty walls after getting back to Puffin we all left at about 7:30pm...although Graeme's weight belt is still there...
I got home at 10:20pm after dropping off my passengers...2 hours later than planned. So a strong letter is needed by a few of us to Puffin to see if we can get some recompense for being f*cked about like that.
I was reluctantly dragged along for a late Dive to Dunollie Castle - the more sensible Girls stayed behind - we got to the Shore and managed to fight through the surf into deeper water, headed south at 18m, after 15mins of sand and crabs I was losing hope when we hit a small reef then two really nice walls, when we surfaced we were right at the jetty, so out and onto the grass, most of us managed to see the walls but two didn't make it and got washed back into the beach having seen lots of sand and not much else .
We all met up at the Oban Inn and after a 'mediocre' meal and some drink we left at about 12:30 and headed home.
Up in the Morning and off to Tesco for a 'mediocre' Breakfast and some Tea, we met Grame and Dougie with their tales of huge Breakfasts at the B&B, we then set off to Puffin and met up with Warren.
Not a good day and I think we were the only ones willing to try it...our first dive was a disaster with separations, lost compasses, fins coming off, lost weight belts and lost students...Just when I thought we had it bad the Dive Leader Class got split up and two managed to get swept around to Oban harbour, and Warrens Rebreather chucked it as well....after a rest we dragged them all back in and finished the exercises, The Dive Leaders went in to do a Lift and Shift of a Shot weight....underwater..I did the lift and shift on the land for them!...I understand that was an interesting exercise as well....
After a quick discussion we headed to Dunstaffnage Castle to do a third Dive, again we hadn't dived this site, it was a sandy rocky slope and yes Dougie saw a real fish...a 'mediocre' site with strong currents (after battling against the current we had a nice drift back) the rain stopped and the sun was trying to get out and lifted us a bit, so I think we all quite enjoyed being able to see more than six inches...
Back to the House and a queue for the Shower...then down to the Light of India for 8 o'clock, a slightly less 'mediocre' meal and off to some Pub with a Band for some drink....most of us had our sensible heads on and left at fairly reasonable times, but some were on a mission.
Warren and Dougie were on the Morning boat and had to be there at 8am, I think Dougie just managed to just make that and missed his breakfast
(Stella + Late Night + No Breakfast = Sore Head and Dodgy Diving.......Hope that's a lesson learnt.....)
After a lie in and a late breakfast we were early at Puffin...all our kit was down at the pontoon for 12:30...after lots of 15minute delays the Boat came in at 3pm - 2hrs late! - never got a good explanation for this perhaps the DO can enlighten us....( I think it was a combination of faffing at Puffin, picking up a group at Lochaline, the Shuna and the Rondo being deep dives so a longer surface interval and a Lochaline drop off...) ...anyway we got to the Thesis and conditions were 'mediocre' with the tide beginning to pick up...so all fairly short Dives, then back to Heather Island for a drift along some nice but silty walls after getting back to Puffin we all left at about 7:30pm...although Graeme's weight belt is still there...
I got home at 10:20pm after dropping off my passengers...2 hours later than planned. So a strong letter is needed by a few of us to Puffin to see if we can get some recompense for being f*cked about like that.
