hodge close last tuesday

[fatboy]

met up with sean(rexters) at coniston car park and followed him to the close
having not been there before noticed how many trees had been blown down across the little track going up there must have been a busy weekend clearing the road. parked at the top just to have a look at the quarry where we met up with the other guys (balders, ian and austin)
then drove down payed to park, bloke mentioned hed had no lecky since thursday because of the storm anyway drove down to the culvert.
if youve not been to hodge the way you get to it is through a tunnel about knee high full of water in places. you have to stoop when you get too the end you then climb down a ladder about twelve foot and your there. its a bit strenuous fully kitted up!
i was then shown the sump which is down a tunnel you have to drop about 5 foot into this cave full of water (6m) while avoiding hitting your head on the ceiling and then you can have a tootle about you then exit this completly dark cave at the other end and a ten metre walk to the tramlines into the hodge itself.
if you dont fancy the sump you can just go straight into the hodge and miss it out( mind you im up for anything and it looks worse than it is)
the hodge
we then did the hodge itself dropped down to the bottom about 30.5m according to my computor at this depth came across hundreds of little newts and what i think where dragonfly larvae ,anyway the newts were cool, this place is full of large boulders and quite a few wrecked cars the vis wasnt good for hodge im told as it was 4 or 5m and there was a distinct green colour to the water
anyway we finished the dive and made the slog back up the ladder and tunnel
i really enjoyed the trip to hodge and would make the trip probably every couple of years it tests your fitness and commitment
our second dive was on coniston just me and sean this time nice dive down to 20 m and there was a strong drift on wich was quite enjoyable when you werent swimming against it also a decent torch was needed for this dive as its quite dark vis was about 8 m

a thoroughly good day except for the weather inbetween first and second dive but it cleared as we got changed for the second dive

a big thankyou to sean for showing us these sites he may be into rubber but hes a top bloke anyway

[RickG]

Sounds like a good day's diving, wish I could have been there!

Ah well, maybe next time

[shades]

Great in the caves at Hodge, if you have the training for them.

[divetheworld]

Originally Posted by shades

Great in the caves at Hodge, if you have the training for them.

They are a lot of fun. Last time I dug my way in there someone had laid a line from the bottom left to the far right middle of the first leg. Very annoying.

I have a map I made ages ago of the system, if anyone wants a copy I am sure I can find it around here somewhere.

By the way, did he say 30m? Never seen 30m for years in that old pit, the wall have collapsed a couple of times and now it is 2 or 3m shallower.

[rexters]

glad, you enjoyed, it, shame about viz in hodge, but thats diving, i did enjoy the coniston dive the amount of current was very surprising it would have been an excellent first dive instead of hodge, just shows what a force 12 hurricane ripping over your head can do( alright im exagerating with the force 12).
next trip is wastwater all welcome

[Balders]

3 hour drive from Leeds, deadly climb up the Kyber Pass to the top, quick jaunt over 2nd Para's Reg assault course lugging 3 tons of dive gear, 4 days to kit up, lost buddy after 5 mins, 6 inch viz, intimidating dive site, get out and lug all the gear back again, went for sarni and got piss wet through.

Not my favourite dive site and won't be rushing back again i'm afraid. Give me good old Crappers and cheesy chips anyday!!

Glad you and Sean enjoyed it and had a good second dive.

Catch you later Paul
Balders.