St Abbs 28/29th Sept

[Tim Ingmire]

OK all I'll be brief to spare the anguish of those that couldn't make this weekend.

Gavin, PaulC, Ben, Princess Fiona and myself met up there on Sat morning and we had two days of diving from shore and Billy's boat.

What can I say, it was fantastic, wonderful, supreme even.  Everything was like a gift form the gods - mild southwesterly's, millpond sea, good viz and lots and lots of life - topped off with some very sunny weather to while away the SI's.

We did scenics, the wreck of the Albert Erlandson and even a gentle drift.  All types of beasties was seen and the highlight for me was a shoal of bib coming up against a shoal of pollack above us with the last of the days sun directly above that - ahhhhhhh beautiful.  

These were my first dives from Billy's boat and he was great - complete with a cuppa and a mini-choccy roll at the end of the dive followed by a bacon roll from Alison back on land - this is truly the stuff of dreams.

Finally can't finish without saying a big thanks to Gav and Fi for putting myself and Ben up for Sat night.  It was an excellent night complete with beer, curry and the best Malt Whiskey I've ever tasted.

What a weekend!

[Gavin Yates]

Tim  - "Malt Whiskey" have I taught you nothing!!!!

Whiskey is Irish !

Malt Whisky is what we drank on Saturday.

I'm afraid I shall have to ask you to visit again to fully appraise you of the differences !!!

Hope your wife has stopped beating you now !

Slainte

[Mr T.]

I sincerely hope that they were/are 'single' malts and not your run-of-the-mill blended types?!

Tim, I'm volunteering to help Gavster in his on-going and very Christian approach in wanting to help with your proper education in all things below the 'Angel's Share'. Purely from an academic standpoint, you understand.....ahem...

You've already had the 'Difference Between the Scots and the Irish Spelling' module, so now we can advance to the course proper........imbibing in the nectar itself.

[Tim Ingmire]

What can I say - I must most humbly accept my punishment and be taught the difference.  There is however the slight problem of being 'allowed out' again...... ever!  I'll have to give a little time for the 'Wrath of the gods' to become 'slightly peeved from Yorkshire'.

Bren, it was even better then just single malt -  it was of the single cask - mmmmmmmmmmm.....

[Davey Willo]

Glad to see there are more and more converts to the wonders of Abbs, I've rattled on about the place for so long on these boards that I'm sure people became convinced I was part of the St Abbs tourist board...

Now you can see why nearly every other weekend I commit to a four hour return trip in one day just to go there diving.. It really is the dog's dangly bits

[John Holmes]

:bncry:
Hi Guys!
Seems you had a great time up there - really p****d off I couldn't make it but I'm gonna get there soon. I picked up some charter boat info for Oban if anyone is interested in diving there - re Ben's reply to Frog on buddy board.
See you all soon
John

[PaulC]

Gav, Princess Fi and I had a rather special '120 degree' experience at the Dive Site that is known as X on Saturday morning. We danced round the harbour wall, light of heart and full of anticipation (read: 'dragged ourselves whimpering and groaning round the harbour wall, weighted down with kit') to see a somewhat low tide had left us the usual minor mountaineering experience at the entry point. However, with boastful and proud statements about the wonders of Cathedral Rock, I tempted the Scottish contingent down into the kelp, and off we set, with me confidently finning away in front. And finning. And finning. I was beginning to arrive at certain conclusions about the effect on our vector of the significant lateral tide when The Gavster refreshed my memory as to the Official PADI hand sign for "You F#@&wit, we've been motoring for ages, the good lady wife's breathing the dregs from her stabbie and these swimthroughs you've promised us are about as realistic a prospect as holding a successful temperance meeting in Glesga on a Saturday night".
Faced with such evidence of my having totally swam past The Rock I was obliged to admit defeat and commence the weary fin back home, trying to make up excuses in my mind ("these compasses...well known unreliable bits of kit!" "That tide mate? Never known a night like it!"). Having managed then to guide the merry band into about 2m of water we surfaced for a long, erm, refreshing surface swim back to the exit. The tide had gone out further, the mountaineering was even more challenging and by the time we staggered onto the harbour wall more knackered than alive I was catching a wee vibe that shore diving from Abbs was best done at high tide - very high tide...
Happily the boat dive that followed was a corker, wolf fish, octopus and other swimmy things in abundance. That was great! said the Gavster, I could dive that again 4 or 5 times! So imagine our surprise when we turned up Sunday morning to find - yes, we were diving that site again (Ebb Carrs). But it is a cracker and the second time was as good as the first. Then the final dive which Tim 'Naughty Boy' Ing has so eloquently described...really, world class diving 2 hours drive from my door. Wow.
So, no more shore diving Gav & Fi (well only at high springs anyway) and here's to the next trip!

[Ben Harris]

You needed random luck to find it like me and tim!!! im sure these suunto compasses we use are great apart from when they get wet.

What can I say about Abbs that hasnt been said. Its got to be dived to be believed.