St. Abbs: wolf fish, lobsters and an RNLI rescue :)

[neilh]

(Also posted on DIRx to save some folk reading it twice!)

Well thanks to Dave (keylimepie) for sorting out a trip to St Abbs yesterday through YD on Paul's boat, Topline.

I arrived bright and early - shame the weather was grey and miserable Still, the sea conditions looked great. Not much wind and not really any waves to speak of. TomTom decided that I really wanted to be in Eyemouth harbour so we had a little falling out on the way. Turns out it was my fault for not checking where it was taking me instead of it's fault for not taking me where I actually wanted to go.

Dave rolled up with Dave (keylime and Moz!) so team Fundies was ready to roll

Dive 1 was at Black Carrs (25M 56min). We dropped in next to the rock, sorted out Dave's light cord and set off with the rock on our left. Vis was not too bad at all and with an (apparently) really slack tide it was a nice relaxing bimble.

Now I thought the wolf fish were supposed to be relatively rare, but on this dive we were having to move them out of the way so we could get a look at the lobsters! We managed to see three wolf fish tucked away in rocks who came out a little to investigate what was going on and spent a while hanging there watching them. There were also loads and loads of lobsters around, quite a few of a really decent size and some crabs bigger than I'd care to argue with . Not many fish about, though keylime's convinced he saw an eel at one point.

After the dive, still buzzing from seeing the wolf fish (did I mention we saw three?!) and we talk through logistics for the second dive. I've still got 100bar of gas in the twins, but the Dave's need a top-up. Moz has his 15L to top up his - but it needs filling first. I've got a 15L of 32% plus my Ali80 stage, so we can top up keylime's twins from my 15, I take the stage - sorted. As I'm taking my hood off so we can head off to get Moz's 15L filled I managed to grab my neck seal and tear a chunk out of it. Arse.

Down at Aquastars in Eyemouth I ask about a neck seal - no problem, could be all sorted in a couple of hours (which would be just in time for our second dive). Trouble is everyone who could do it is either out or on their way out, so they wouldn't be able to do it today. Arse.

Filling Moz's 15L doesn't go too smoothly either. It's never a good sign to see a guy with a screwdriver putting washers and bits of valve from your cylinder on the floor

Back at the harbour with a fixed and full 15L and the RNLI come to the rescue. Before we'd gone to see about fixing my neck seal a local RNLI chap and commercial diver (sorry, don't know your name!) suggested using a replacement neck seal over the top of my existing one. The skipper, Paul, popped over to the boat house and came back with a dive saver :big: I only joined the RNLI as an offshore member last week, and already it's paying dividends!

Dive 2 West Hurker to the Skelly (14M 48min) . We dropped in near the entrance to a gully for this one. The double neck seal had worked for the entry, so we headed down and between the rocks into a really nice gully with plenty of anemones. There were a few more fish on this dive (some pollack and wrasse) and again plenty of lobsters around. Part of the way into the dive and we meet one of keylime's club from the boat who suggests we take a look around the corner. Turns out to be the Skelly Cave (think that's right?) which from what I could see was a slightly darker area with bugger all vis!

The ascent proves a little interesting from this one. It turns out that we're a little close to some rocks and although I could see both Dave's I thought I was back kicking someone. A glance behind and I realised that I'm actually being pushed up against a rock, so a little repositioning was in order!

Back on the boat and the RNLI rescue neck seal has worked a treat! Dry as a bone and a couple of great dives - result!

Thanks to the whole team (Dave, Dave, the skipper: Paul and the RNLI!) for a cracking day and making the early start worthwhile! Thanks also to Helen for her fantastic pie

[Johnny Boy]

His name is Bob Clay. He lives up there and helps out a great deal. Cheers

[neilh]

Originally Posted by Johnny Boy

His name is Bob Clay. He lives up there and helps out a great deal. Cheers

In which case: thanks Bob!! He did indeed help out a great deal