[Andy Phillips]

Hi Bob,

Glad you had a dive on the Duke, best ashtrays in the world on that wreck.

I have to be honest even as I typed it I had a vauge memory of being told that in the past. But, most times Mark and I have a longer bottom time than most pairs  on the boat, as you know yourself it can run fairly hard in the channel either side of slack. The various "teams" can end up quite far from each other, considering we are often diving close to the shipping lanes I would consider late deployment to be unsafe.

Part of what troubled me was I saw the clip after I had done a dive in virtual zero vis, I had to send up the SMB by touch, I mean this literally. It was hard enough with a CD reel and a crack bottle SMB leaning on the wreck, I can't imagine how you would manage it on a hang. I guess if the process is so familiar you don't need to look it is possible but still complex.

I think it is just one of those DIR things I don't belive translates to UK diving conditions, I know you belive this also, hence the reason why you modify your technique to suit the dive.

This brings me to another thought. On that last dive, Mark and I must have been within 2M of each other, it might of well have been 20M since we could not see each other. All this does is highlight to me the need for self sufficiency. In these conditions you simple can not rely on your buddy, how on earth would you find him.

Take care,

Andrew