Bank Holiday at Abbs

[PaulC]

The hard core drove up the A1 on Friday evening in an unpromising mixture of fog, rain and traffic jams. Marco had sensibly bunked down in a B&B whereas Tony, Sheila (his good lady) and me managed to pitch our tents at Ice Station Zebra, some 5 miles away from the action because all nearer sites were full. The Stalinist cold war architecture was particularly interesting, and the clouds of midges which emerged every night at sundown character forming.

Tony and I RV'd with Marco in the car park at 0830 on Saturday. Marco had got there about an hour before at which time there were 2 parking spaces left! Busy or what? Of course, for those who know, this was the weekend of the annual photographic competition so there wasn't much spare capacity! As we kitted up for the first dive who should turn up but...Davy Willo and Mark; knew you wouldn't let us down Dave! As the early birds staggered off round the harbour wall the Williamson gang was having a brew and plotting their way to get onto Billy's boat.

Well the next they saw of us was from a privileged position on the harbour wall whilst a red faced harbour master was berating 3 irresponsible divers for diving in his fairway. All I can say is 1) it wasn't us 2) we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere 3) we weren't actually in the fairway whatever it might have looked like and 4) its a b*****d long way up those rocks onto the harbour wall if you surface on the wrong side! Anyway, 'Fairway Divers' are going to start their own website and get club t shirts printed.

When the Williamsons had finished laughing they sailed off on Billy's boat for an excellent dive whilst the weary mountaineers put their carabiniers to the use for which they had originally been intended.

The second dive was a redemption: a nice cruise out to Cathedral rock where there was stacks of life and more than acceptable vis. Indeed we liked it so much we kept on going back. Although surface intervals had Marco Tony & me staggering our dives with Dave & Mark nonetheless I think we all got to appreciate an excellent afternoon's diving on a dive site I could keep going back to.

The third and final dive saw 3 knackered divers emerging from the kelp after another Cathedral Rock trip to find the Willo's on shore and generously offering to carry weight belts back. Thanks guys!

Sadly Dave & Mark were off down the A1 but me Tony & Marco were up bright and early-ish on Sunday for another Cathedral Rock excursion, then Marco & me got on Billy's boat (finally!) for a pleasant drift over Ebb Carrs.

Although there was the possibility of yet more diving on  Monday I called it a day after that: an excellent weekend's diving though on which the weather was kind and the vis generally pretty good. Tony Marco & me had the Farnes in mind if we get a spell of quiet weather some time soon; any takers?

Credits:

Marco (Trip Photographer)
Tony (Trip breakfast chef)
Dave & Mark (Weight belt carriers extraordinary)
Billy (for getting us on the boat - finally)

(Edited by PaulC at 3:18 pm on Aug. 26, 2002)

[Driftwood]

Sounds great Paul - sorry I couldn't make it in the end....

Bummer.