TDI Adv Nitrox with Mr. Hayhurst

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>Well, I've just got myself out of bed after a long weekend in the lakes. TDI Adv Nitrox is as good as everyone makes out.

A lot of the theory was very similar to the BSAC course, and I'd imagine the PADI course too, but Nitrox is nitrox, so there we go. I hadn't done the EAD calculations before, but a good review all the same on the other stuff.

Anyway, so Dave C has organised a cottage. Cottage nothing. It was a mansion. 3 floors, comfortable for 10 to sleep, and a tenner a night. Ten out of ten that man. Very nice.

Day one was in the classroom covering everything, lots of info and th usual material was covered.

That night we had an expensive curry in Kendal, made all the cheaper by not charging us for any drinks. I hope they're not reading this!!!

Day two was in Coniston Water. Deeper dive 1st, bit of confusion as Drifty aborted due to a neck seal loose as a prom queen in the back of a limo. No problems though, we bag off and ascend, as per the plan.

2nd Dive, and I was getting distinctly worried about doing a no-mask swim down a line, and working myself up a bit. It was 4deg, but I was being a poof about it. We went down, did the shutdowns and bubble checks as per before, and then went and did the swim (after we'd found the line!!!). It's easy. It really is. Why I got myself all convinced it was going to be a nightmare I'll never know. Now I know for next time. And there will be a next time if Andy's courses are all like this.

That night we did our exams in the cottage, and everyone passed that bit easy enough. Caused a bit of debate, but nothing that wasn't right apparently.

Day 3 was in Wastwater, a bit more depth in there, and a good site IMO. My twins weren't 02 clean, so Andy just lends me a set of his for the day. Very nice of him, and no charge. I like this kind of course.

2 dives really just for practice, we came up to the 80% tanks on the line, and did our safety stops on them. Worked out nicely, and I got to check that my invert worked with stages. They did, and I was a happy bunny.

Once the diving was done for the day we decamped to a pub for dinner, then home via Leeds to drop off SteveC. And Andy was right. Again. I didn't get tired until I was in bed at midnight, if I'd have done those dives and drive on air I'd have had to stop at least 3 or 4 times on the way home to wake myself up.

All in all a good course, and it was good to spend time with DaveC, SteveC, Drifty and Dave King and Kirklees massive.

I'd reccommend this course to just about anyone, especially those who haven't done nitrox before, DaveC performed on the day, and as far as I know he's not dealt with nitrox previously. He also put in one hell of a performance on the dives. Many DLs would have been proud of themselves with diving like that.

[Dr Stevil]

Digger, I guess that was you guys on Sunday in the bay next to the Newcastle Uni bunch at Wast, apologies for the clouds of silt our raw noobs must have been sending your way &nbsp;
I thought I'd &nbsp;spotted Andy H briefing divers but I didn't spot his red pickup, otherwise I would have come over for a chat, guess he's driving something different now.

Andy, if you see this, I knew I was on your manor and was on the lookout for sneaky stealth divers shutting off my valves, I haven't forgotten the warning &nbsp;

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>We were at Coniston on Sunday, Wast on Monday, so it won't have been us. Someone said you were in the area, but we were a bit busy with the diving and all the rest!

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>Where's Dave with all those photos he got of our lot? There were some comedy efforts on there.

[Driftwood]

<font color='#0000FF'>Steve,

Andy's sold the pickup and now either drives a dark blue Shogun or a large, kitted-out camper stylee light blue Trannie van.

Yes, again I have been cursed upon my advance to nitroxdom.... A lost wallet on the way down (which was found in the Annandale water services and returned to me!), then my neck seal going tits up (nothing like having half a allon of Connies finest down yer back) but did manage 2 dives in Wast In Andy's 1st ever drysuit! (Good ad for Otter - leaked a bit around the inflator though and couldn't sort the autodump so went inverted on 80% )

Fun weekend, shame about the cock ups.....

[Driftwood]

<font color='#0000FF'>Digger,

You forgot to mention the comedy moments of Saturday...

Andy's first slide show &quot;A day in the life of Digger&quot;

And the shouts of &quot;For God's sake Digger don't sh*t there&quot; and &quot;Stop trying to shag his arm Digger&quot;

So cute......

PS We also got the first lesson in Andy's new classroom - very good outfit with video projector, slide shows and sound effects. Calor gas heaters a boon! Facilities are still &quot;En suite&quot; - out door and either left, right or straight ahead if brave....

Decidedly difficult to go with a flock of sheep watching.....

[daveking]

<font color='#0000FF'>diggs
stop trying to shag paul hinchcliffe
ps diggs
get rid of your shag waggon its definately not fast enough and not cool

[Digger]

<font color='#000080'>THe shagwagon will ride until it rides no more. Well, I think this weekend it tried to retire to the scrapheap in the sky, but it's a good little runner, despite being far too small for 2 reasonably well kitted-out divers!

I did enjoy a day in the life of digger. It was pretty close too!

[daveking]

<font color='#0000FF'>ps have to say thanks to my buddy steve cooper for booking the course in the first place
capt &nbsp;twats got some good pics of us all bobbing about in wastwater
all i can say is thang god for woodys gps get us to the place on time sytem &nbsp;even if we were 40 mins late to conniston we made up for it by been one minute early to wastwater

diggs
we were sure your shagwaggon wasnt going to do some of them hills on the way

[daveking]

<font color='#0000FF'>WE DID BUBBLE CHECKS


are we dir now????