Dive site X

[Gavin Yates]

Just a quick report on mine and Ben's activities over this weekend.

Mrs Y (Fi) had a few friends up from London and so i was free to go off diving. As many of you will have noticed me and the boy Ben have been swithering about Abbs all week after that B'stard Willo got us thinking about it with his good weather reports.

Well the weather for Saturday looked promising and a call to Cpt Billy A revealed that at least Saturday was looking good. I got some nitrox from my LDS and we met up at Abbs Car park at 11.00am where we looked out to sea and saw 2m swells and lots of divers mumbling and moaning about the weather.

Being stupid we pitched up at Billy's and said "What about it mate" thinking that Billy wouldn't bother getting the boat out for just us two but like the star he is - he did.

The journey to the divesite was "unusually brisk" and "very bouncy" and I completely forgot to feel sick cos I was being thrown about so much.

We got to the drop-in and Bily did his briefing.

"Keep away from the rocks it'll be a wee bit nasty. There a wee bit of tide running so I'll pick you up over there," pointing at Denmark.

We get in and after a wee struggle to get Ben to sink we decended to 15-16m and the viz wasn't bad(5-6m) but talk about current and surge. We got together and held onto a rock to do a quick check and then it was off. Changing forwards at about 6 knots and then being pushed sideways and then back a bit and then being turned round.

Wow it was fun. Fantastic buddying from Ben we stuck right together despite the "difficult" conditions but after about 35mins we decided that enough fun had been had and we did tell Bill to expect us in 40 minutes.

A quick bag was sent up whilst I trapped myself between a coupla rocks to stay still and off we went being dragged about by the blob. The safety stop was on the under-generous side but we both came up together and safe.

Getting back on the boat was fun as when you got on the ladder you were launched into the air and then deposited back in the sea until you got to the top rung.

Back on shore Billy looked at us in a sideways kinda way and asked if we would be joining him for another adventure that afternoon but we decided that as the weather was getting worse we'd go to the pub in Edinburgh instead.

The plan was to have a wee beer, a nice ruby and then hit the Malt Whisky Soc - bed a decent time then wake up and drive to Ellerton to meet up with some folk but ....

Got to pub at 4 had 6 pints - curry - two pints - malt whisky lots plus beer - back to mine drinking more malt playing poker and finally skulked to bed at 1.00am

Sunday morning and Ellerton seemed along way away and diving in the state we were in was a non-starter.

Anyway - fine weekend but Abbs is gonna be tricky to impossible until Feb/Mar probably.

(Edited by Gavin Yates at 4:05 pm on Dec. 1, 2002)

[andy2tanx]

Thats what i like to see.  dive the plan!  until march then?

[Davey Willo]

Excellent wee writeup Gavster, I could actually see Billy talking as I read the quotes, s'funny!

[Gavin Yates]

March - maybe - I'll be keeping a look-out for SW winds. Billy said that December last year got some of the best viz and calmest water. I've told him to call if ANY w/e looks good.

[Ben Harris]

Nice five hundred mile round trip in a weekend and an evil hangover that doesnt want to go away. Ben now sits in work looking like death warmed up and growling at collegues!

All I can say is how come the Leeds to Edinburgh road is a ruddy horse track!!! There are more speed cameras on that road than you can shake a stick at. But after a five hour ordeal, four cans of red bulls and a couple of road rage incidents we got back to sunny Yorkshire!!

Great weekend, amazing diving that mixed diving and rock climbing. Really needed a crash helmet on for fear of knocking yourself out on the rocks. Ace fun.

Gav, read that book on Dive site Z. It has to happen next year. No excuses!!!!

[Gavin Yates]

Dive Site Z - deffo.

[Mr T.]

Hey Ben,

Don't tell us you took the A1/A1M to Edin?? NEVER!!! After Newcastle it becomes a single lane goat-track with cameras every 13 yards or so - nightmare!

If you're Rochdale (or thereabouts) way, take the M62 which now becomes the M60 until you get to the M61 (Preston, Bolton etc.). This will take you onto the M6 just south of Blackpool. Stay on M6 - which, by turns, becomes the A74, then M74 before you reach the M8 just before Glasgow and then stay on there until Edin. Nae cameras and the ability to over-take without reaching for a 9mm to take-out the 'Sunday-Muppets' that get in your way. 90 all the way and job's a good-un.

[Ben Harris]

Ive been trying different routes.

Can actually do Rochdale to St Abbs in 3 hours. Edinburgh is 50 mins north.

If I go the M6 to Edinburgh its about 4 hours. So there`s not much in it. I was unlucky to get stuck behind traffic at newcastle. Problem was I was knackered so didnt fancy the M6 way. Its great if your awake and doing 100mph. I wouldnt of been to safe though!!!.


Still good to know St abbs is only 3 hours away. Can easily be done in a day next year.