Scapa Gig One MV Invincible... And it was so....

[AirAssisted]

First and foremost - I would like to thank all of those who were on the trip. The satisfaction at seeing everyone happy with the diving, the boat and the banter, was superb.

Special thanks go to the gig 'photographers' having seen some of the images already, I can say without doubt, your in for a treat when you see them.

Special thanks to Gizmo, my buddy for the week - thank you mate, it wouldn't have been the same trip without you.

And not forgetting 'team kinky' thanks for coming .... your in a class of your own

The service on MV Invicible is second to none - we were the only boat on a wreck apart from one occasion. We were dropped in on dead slack or just before, giving us the maximum bottom time. Ian Trumpness (active diver and superb skipper) and his wife Fiona (Great cook, had brews waiting before we had a chance to sit down, and generally lovely lady) are a great team. I personally would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone. The MV Invicible is a great boat, so much room to kit up, solid as a rock in the water with hardly any roll. The cabins are compact but comfortable, after the first night getting used to not being in a double bed, a long and comfortable sleep came swiftly.

I get the feeling that this thread is going to be a big one, once everyone has recovered from the return journey, and said their bit.

I will post my personal dive reprts soon, but until then, over to the 'Gig One Team'

[Mr T.]

After what I feel sure will become known as 'The Spares Tour', due to reports and dispatches already received (mostly via SMS Text to Dude, Garf and others) from the field, I'm very much looking forward to this report and its accompanying pictures

Play on McDuffs!

[Scubanut]

I too echo Mr. T's comments, we are looking forward to the report and pics. We are also glad to see that you all enjoyed the trip with only the odd hiccup!

Gary

[Juz]

Well, I think we have had the final 'kit' failure now - hopefully.

I've just been informed that the wheel fell off the trailer on the M3!!!


It was indeed an excellent week, thanks to Ian for sorting it out!

I belive that 'Team Muff' have a list of the award winners to post shortly.

Juz

[AirAssisted]

James Barrie.

Dive 1.

Not normally a first dive of the week, but the team log books were full to bursting and the skipper was happy
that we could handle it. So down it was to 42 meters - and time to find out if all of the kit was in order.....

It was a long way down the shotline, a slight current made it a little more difficult, but not too taxing. Then out of the gloom appeared the wreck below us, leaving the shot and dropping down took us to her hull.
She is in pretty good condition considering her age, and sits on her starboard side, her hold is open, but contains nothing more interesting than a few sheets of corrugated iron. Swimming into the hold, there is plenty of space to move around but it isn't a massive area. A lobster is caught in the glare of my salvo, and rapidly hides. Making our way out and across to the bridge, throught the windows pipes can be seen - having been pointed into the direction of an area behind the bridge - we have a quick look but miss the wheels and pipes as our bottom time is rapidly coming to an end.
Coming back to the highest point of the wreck its time to pull out the decompression plan, and prepare ourselves. Satisfied that all was in order I clip off my wetnotes and begin to acsend - unknown to me I had fallen foul of user error! Missing my 'D' ring, the wetnotes were clipped to my webbing - they were destined to part company with me and never be seen again. The journey up is uneventful, the decompression stops fly by. On our way up we meet up with Gary and Blanaid - we all hover around the shot at 6 meters and time slowly ticks by. After 70 mins I'm getting a little cold, Mark wants to clear his air computer so stays below while I go up to the surface and keep an eye out. Next Gary and Blanaid join me and we
all sit on the surface - the skipper calls to release the shot - Mark is on his way up now, so off I float on the tide. A great first dive ... I can tell it's going to be a good week.

[DiveBuddy2]

I saw some of you on Lyness and wanted to say hi but was a bit shy, I had a ball on the John L with 8 superb guys, you beat me to 3 of the wrecks your sign was there before me but I chuckled when I saw it, the first one was on the Groberndor Bories, I hope you all had a better dive than we had, flag on a pole pulse 170 and making buttons was somewhere in my log for that dive but I had a ball, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and that you all came back safe.............thats what its all about

[Garf]

Day1 is over for gig2

kit destruction is well underway. Two drysuit zips being replaced

Two superb dives, and the boat is as good as everyone says. gonna be a grest week

[Juz]

Two drysuit zips being replaced

TWO!!!!

Even week one didn't need TWO!!!!

One is an accident, two is just plain careless!

Juz

[MATTBIN]

Thanks to Ian for organising it all, it was a blast, great diving, great company, great boat. Cant recall what we dived in what order, so someone had better do trip report or my log books going to be full of lies.
Adam and I used Nitrox all week (32/36%) and felt great on it post dive.
Cant single anyone out for praise or damnation as all the other divers were a great laugh.

More, much more, later

Matt

I'm assuming that was Gizmo and the wheel falling off? Obviously not enough weight in the trailer.

[AirAssisted]

I'm assuming that was Gizmo and the wheel falling off? Obviously not enough weight in the trailer.

20 mins from home, then his wheel fell off, all I have to say is ... Quite frankly...

Two hours later at 6am Mark got home!