We All Went Mull (Again) And It Was Good!

[Dundee]

First report from Mull.

We had a spiffing time, I am sure a full report will ensue but in the meantime:

Friday evening: a boat dive on the Thesis!
Saturday (A team on the Peregrine): Hispania Heaven!, early start then the best vis ever, fantastic!!!!! Then a gentle wall dive on Rignish Mor (check spelling).

Sunday: Rondo, early again and fantastic Vis (honest). then ordinary wall dive, followd by fabulous third dive for the hardy few around the islands in the middle of the sound near the thesis.
In the evening, some of us did our NItrox exams and the foolhardy got a water taxi to Tobermoray and laid waste to the locals.
Some even went home?


Monday (for those who went home): flat calm seas, blue sky and sunshine. The A team headed for Bo Fascadale and we had 15 metre Vis!!! at 35 metres we didnt need a torch.

second dive was the Muck Wall. Fatboy and I skipped over the sand bank and found that the wall continues for much further than previously thought! Oh and 10 -15 metre vis again. I know its hard to believe but it really was that clear. Fi and Gav, sorry.

It were brill!

Some of us stayed in the OPO for the first time and found it splendid.

C

[Diving Dude]

CHris, call that a trip report???

l've read more detail in the sun about Jordans t*ts

Good vis..........bas**rds..................

[Narked@50]

Originally Posted by Diving Dude

CHris, call that a trip report???

l've read more detail in the sun about Jordans t*ts

Good vis..........bas**rds..................

Hey DD

Post a link, it's late and I just got home, so I'll get it tomorrow.

Ta

James

[Paul Oliver]

Comeonthen, bit more detail please, i need to have my apatite wetted ready for the Sept gig

[PW1664]

10m - 15m.... must be closing in, twas 25m+ in Feb !

[Mark Davies]

Hold tight - full write-up coming later today. Just need to get my kit sorted out first.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by PW1664

10m - 15m.... must be closing in, twas 25m+ in Feb !

Firstly I can't believe James logged on at 1am this morning I was too knackered following a splendid trip.

James and I arrived at about 8.30pm on Friday night, James took me to my B & B and then we went down to the dive centre to meet up with those who had arrived.

Some had already started on some liquid refreshment Fi was already part way through a bottle of red a few more arrived and then we headed off down to the social club for a beer well it would be rude not to.

Some of the guys had been for a nice late dive on the Thesis and had said it was very good with great viz, wow after my trips to Dover and Pembroke this year I really needed some viz even a few inches would be nice.

After a beer I headed up the road to my little B & B, that is a steep road after a beer, I had already spoken to my B & B lady who said it would be OK for breakfast at 6am, how good is that.

Early start on saturday morning we had already put some of the kit on board on the Friday night as we would be leaving at lowish water, as there were some faces I hadn't seen before it was good to put some names to faces, a painless, smoothish 23 people on two boats then we were off. First dive was the Hispania and I would be buddying James for most of the weekend as we had dived before and were travelling together this seemed logical. Kitted up and off the boat first error of the weekend, as both boats were on station about 6 of us were waiting by the door and we heard the skipper of the other boat shout GO, so the first one jumped trouble is it wasn't Alan our skipper who was by now shouting NO and all we heard was GO so, Mick who was diving with Mark and I who was supposed to be with James ended off the shot in a bumpy sea and didn't make the shot, James thought I had already gone down and at the bottom of the shotline realised I wasn't there, Mark decended so James and Mark dived together, Mick and I had to be picked up and then dropped in again, WOW some viz in fact more viz than was need on a wreck, I don't know if it was 10, 15 or even 20m but who cares. Lovely dive on the Hispania we did about 29m for nearly 40 mins. This bit is for Paul Oliver the life on the Hispania is stunning covered in white and orange deadmens fingers, lightbulb sea squirts, football sea squirts, painted top shells, Devonshire cup corals and lot of cockoo wrasse and some lovely little nudibranchs.

Back on the boat we had our lunch of the usual "outstanding" (Brens favourite word) homemade soup and sarnies. Our second dive was Slignich Mor which is a wall, Alan dropped us in about 3m of water we swam through the kelp and down onto the wall, choosing a depth of about 30m swam along the wall, which also had lots of life and you really didn't need a touch even in 30m this was great I think I was in diver heaven. Once again the wall was covered in life, more nudibranchs than you can shake a stick at, butterfish, great scallops in the sandy ledge, edible crabs, long clawed squat lobsters and dozens of leopard spotted gobies. The day was quiet cold and very wet I hoped the weather was going to improve but the diving made up for it all. On saturday night some of us went to the White house restaurant just near the dive centre, we had already started to a couple of swift ones in the dive centre and Gavin produced his Indian whiskey so a smallist one had to be taken, obviously just in my substitute "Bren" roll, off down to the social club and the white house was going to phone us when they were ready for us. The menu at the white house was a set menu and another choice would have been good, but I think everyone enjoyed their meal, there was a soup choice of either Mussell soup or Butternut squash soup, main meal was venison and chorisio stew with cabbage mash, broccolli and redcabbage to follow we had a lovely brown sugar merangue with kiwi and grape a good meal and nice evening.

Sunday - Boat one was going out to the Rondo at 8am and the other boat went out at 9am this was because depending on the weather we were going to try and get further out. We arrived at the Rondo and kitted up, on this dive I was buddying Chris "Dundee" as James and Bruvver Paul were going to the bottom at about 50m. Our plan was to go to about 35m, we dropped in and again the viz was fantastic even at 30+ metres you really didn't need a touch, the life on the wreck was great and it was nice to see James and Paul come back to about 30m, well I think we actually saw Paul's lighthouse he was wearing across his check (bloody big Kowloski). The second dive of the day was Ardtornish Point and the viz was not really as good as the other dives but still James and I had a really nice dive. We got back to the pier and as we had had an early start there was a 3rd dive to be had, James and I decided not to as the previous dive we had both felt very cold, the guys who did the dive said it was a very good site.

John Mitchell had spoken to Alan and asked if we could go to Tobermory on Sunday evening, well we had to as there was nowhere in Lochaline, Alan arranged for Kevin who had crewed for Alan during the day to take us up to Tobermory, we left at about 6.45 for the hour boat ride up the sound it was dry and light if a little cold. We moored up on the pontoon and arranged to meet back up with Kevin about 10 - 10.30, we only made it to the first pub, so the Mishnish will have to wait until next time. We had a drink in the pub while some walked round the harbour to the hole in the wall, commonly known as the bank. As there wasn't really anywhere to sit in the pub we decided to go to the restuarant next door, well actually it is upstairs from the pub, I think everyone had a good meal, although the service was a little slow I think everyone enjoyed themselves, so we were a bit late for Kevin who was OK with us being late I think we eventually left Tobermory about 11.30. The entertainment back on board was "DIR" baiting sorry Brian Tony said it was a cure for insomnia and he now needs a tape producing as he fell asleep almost straight away.

Monday morning was dry and sunny and we had another early start, today we were going to make it to Bo Fascadale and Muck wall, the boat ride out was fantastic and like a millpond the only thing that was missing the sighting of Dolphins or whales, still you can't have everything. Bo Fascadale didn't disapoint the viz again was stunning and the walls were covered in Jewel anenomes you really only needed a touch to light up the colours, next dive was Muck wall again another lovely dive and well worth the boat ride.

Sorry this is getting a little long so I am going to leave it there, all I will say is anyone that didn't go missed a fantastic trip and great dives and super viz. The company was good and I think everyone got along as there were a few faces I hadn't seen before. As we were split between the dive centre and the PO we didn't actually all get together during the weekend which was a bit of a shame.

Pressed the wrong button, just seen Mark is kit cleaning and will write later I am just going to do mine.

KIT LEFT ON JETTY - set of ankle weights in a carrier bag. I have them if you want them.

Edit - I felt sorry for Tony who did had a little problem on the dive ladder on the Friday dive and injured his knee so didn't dive all weekend.



Money collection was a bit complicated but I don't think it was too far out, I do think we need a better system for next time, James and I have some ideas on this one.

[Chris Hall]

Back home after returning the hire van, which was a great vehicle that got Robert Jan, Karin & myself up and back.

Firstly, I would like to thank all of those on the Brendan that helped me over the weekend, I'm a bit unsteady on my skinny legs and there were so many hands and arms that came to the rescue at my time of need.

The help given getting out of the water is also greatly appreciated. Dive kit is heavy and we all struggle from time to time, and for the most part, we as divers are always ready to lend a helping hand. Nice to know that I'm part of a fantastic community.

The diving was excellent, the OPO is the place to stay, but my fire making skills left Warmwaterdiver, Gary, sitting by the door trying to get some cool air!

The unexpected highlight of the trip was the wall at Calf Island, after going in the wrong direction, and helping Karin overcome a mask problem, we had a stunning dive. Slugs everywhere in amazing colours, even the wall was ablaze with life & colour. Probably the best dive of the trip.

The dive on the Rhondo turned out to be a bit longer that expected, 3 @ 6m & 23 @ 3m and a total tme of 66m. Karin & Robert Jan had '2 gas' computors and had really shorter deco times on 80%, so this will mean I may have to consider spending even more money on dive toys!

Many thanks to Bren for doing all the leg work. Off to wash all the gear now, or maybe not right now.

Chris

[Mark Davies]

Just when I was going to get started I see Fiona has done a grand job already! Not much to add.

I'd missed Bo Fascadale on my previous visits to Mull and had heard everyone raving about it, but just couldn't believe what I was hearing. Well now I've seen it for myself and can tell you, "Believe it!" I have never had such stunning visibility in the UK before. An estimate of 15m is more than conservative and 20m probably more accurate. We dropped onto the wall and I looked down. All I could see was more 'down'! The wall was festooned with anenomes and other life. It was so much like diving in the Red Sea.

The Thesis on Friday evening was a little dissappointing. I hadn't planned to dive but when John told me where they were going I couldn't resist. But in the late evening there wasn't much light so it was a little gloomy and not quite as splendid as I remembered it. Still a great dive. The Hispania certainly made up for it, and that and Bo Fascadale were my favourite dives of the trip.

The diving there is amongst the best in the UK and frankly the cheapest I've ever done. It's a long trip but so worth it once you've got there. I'll be back, year after year. If you haven't been before, come along next time.

[PW1664]

It's good to see you all a great trip. I love the place. As for the Hispania, for me it's fantastic, although it's started to lean over...

Whether it's 10m, 15m or 20m vis it takes some beating.....