Well, Sat 16th I managed it! Woobloodyhoo! My first dive since last Sept and an end to my longest no diving period since the last one.
As some may know I have been trying to get together a "proper diver's" SSBP, one piece harness etc etc which is not yet ready. I had been wanting to go and play in a pond to finish the fettling but my dry suit was delayed whilst away having new seals fitted and ...........well, things just did not work out how I wanted.
In order to get the dive in on Sat I had to go back to using my previous kit set up which meant buying, cutting (etc) a 1 mtr threaded bar to mount the twinset back on my old wing (having shortened the original studs for the new backplate). Then one of my regs wouldn't stop leaking air and had to be changed for one of my old ones. Oh, then the first stage started leaking and I had to change it for one of my old ones + change all the bloody hoses over (those of you who know me also know my philosophy on diving is "can never have too many hoses") - what a nightmare.
The planned dive, off Inspiration from Eastbourne, was on the Oceana. Due to circumstance there were only 4 of us on the RHIB and what a bloody beautiful day it was to go diving. Conditions were flat calm, a neap low tide and the Sun was shining - marvellous. There was a BIG SMILE on the Finless chops.
Me and my buddy Colin (known to YD as Colinicky) were on opposite sides of the boat so I got dropped in first and went straight down to 6 mtrs to wait for him. He duly arrived, did a bubble check on me to make sure none of my hose alterations were leaking. Max depth was 23 mtrs so it was ideal for a check out dive. Vis was OK at up to 3 mtrs but it was very dark. Naturally we lost each other after about 5 mins when Colin decided to give his full attention to something and I merrily carried onwards.
As pre agreed I had a quick circle round to see if I could see him and then carried on with my dive when I didn't find him. Had a pleasant 10 mins pottering around on the sand at the edge of the wreck trying to find an old unbroken bottle. In the end I settled on some scallops. Then went back onto the wreck. Then got quite apprehesive in the low vis about swimming into a bit of the wreck. I also think I am magnetic. There was no detectable current at all but I still keep getting pulled in towards the wreck - a very strange feeling.
I ended up cutting short the dive after 40 mins due to very cold hands (and the fact I'd been wanting a pee since 6mtrs on the way down). I had felt a little anxious throughout the dive, had quite a bad bad neck ache after about 5 minutes (I think wrong trim) and was bloody cold. It was a real effort to get back up on the RHIB (tubes are quite high) and I was thinking to myself that maybe I was past it and ought to take up golf or something.
Today I have already made enquiries about my next dive this coming weekend and have deferred any decision about diving retirement until after another 500 dives or so (or until I am as ugly enough to become a YBODer).
