Stallion Rock Loch Fyne

[gwilson]

First trip report I've posted.

After seeing a post on another forum from one of the guys at Cumbernauld ssac saying he was diving Stallion Rock today i sent a wee text and we met up at the Pitstop cafe in Arrocher. There was myself, Stew, Fran, Robert, John and his wife who's name starts with a M (sorry)

We drove up to Furnace on proper roads then cut back to Stallion Rock on a single track road which at points did its up most to rip the sump and exhaust of my golf, (4x4 next).

Pulled into the small parking area where two other cars with a few folk from Eastwood ssac already there. Access to the shore is down a grassy and in places a boggy path, great going down but lugging twin 12's up at the end of the day it was more akin to mountains i came across in Norway with a Bergan on my back.

However it was well worth it, first dive we went down and left as buddy pairs first time ive met Robert and we buddied up together and it worked fine. So down to 5 mtrs quick bubble check then slow descent to 31 metres down a sheer wall. We followed the wall along around the 30 metre mark for 20 minutes then turned back, and ascended to the 20 metre mark. The wall was covered in Anemones, dead mans fingers, squat lobster, edible and spider crabs, blennies, gobbies and a large wrasse. After 40 minutes we surfaced at exactly the same spot we entered, more by luck than judgement.

Surface interval consisted of chicken pakora, coffee and tunocks tea cakes oh a smoke or 2

Then back down the hill and this time we decided max depth of 15 metres and off to right. To start it was sandy shingle which then became large rocks and onto another wall. This side there was even more life including 3 large dogfish just lying on the rocks, scorpion fish and pretty much the same as the other side. We did approx just over 40 minutes this side and again surfaced at just the right point. The viz on both dives was approx 10 metres and the water was clear with a slight green tinge in places. Compared to the last month or so of diving in pea soup with noodles!!!!!!!

The Walk back to the cars was well worth the 80 or so minutes diving. I dont normally post my dives but without a doubt today has been the best diving I have done this year. If you ever find yourselves in the vicinity of Loch Fyne this is a must do dive.

Thanks to Stew for letting me know about today and thanks to Robert for buddying up.


Gareth

Ps No lost buddies today either

[andy b]

Great report Gareth.

I've done Stallion Rock many many times, but never from the shore!

Fond memories of the place. Did my 2nd dive there back in August 97; my buddy got 2 crabs, 1 lobster, and a snorkel, cool stuff

andy

[ding]

Would have dived Stallion rock today but 3 O2 cell failures was just to much. The food and drink in the beer garden of the furnace Inn made up for it though.

Cheers Gareth.


PS M for Marion

[Dan Wilko]

Nice report thanks!

[alexmaclennan]

Originally Posted by ding

Would have dived Stallion rock today but 3 O2 cell failures was just to much.

That sounds expensive, Ding

Good report, Gareth. Great Viz

alex

[thehappychappy]

I missed this day of diving due to the Car that tried to kill me a couple of weeks ago being up for sale, the good news its now sold! The bad news is Gareth done a good job covering for me as a official dive blogger for "The Bawbag Divers".

Which means he just inherited by position over the summer!


Sounds great, Never dived it yet but looking forward to Stallion rock at some point.

Davie.

[gwilson]

Originally Posted by thehappychappy

I missed this day of diving due to the Car that tried to kill me a couple of weeks ago being up for sale, the good news its now sold! The bad news is Gareth done a good job covering for me as a official dive blogger for "The Bawbag Divers".

Which means he just inherited by position over the summer!


Sounds great, Never dived it yet but looking forward to Stallion rock at some point.

Davie.

No chance, I havent got the patience to try and work out how to get deepstop to run on my laptop.

Glad to hear car has finally been sold, just need to sell your daughters then you will have no more lame excuses not to dive now. Did you say one was 18???????????

[funkynosejob]

Stallion rock is a great dive, but you need good weather if you are going to do it as a shore dive.

[Cyprian]

Our club, Llyn SAC, had an expidition up to Loch Fyne last week. We dove Stallion on Friday (13th!), we had two great dives there. It was my first proper wall dive, the feeling of freefalling off the edge of the wall was fantastic. We went down to 39m to get some depth experience on the first dive and to 35m on the second, again to get some depth.

Although I didn't enjoy carting my gear back up the slope to the car park at the top, it's a dive I'd love to do again soon.

Irfon

[thehappychappy]

Gareth, Did you take your camera in? where are the pictures?
Irfon, its always good to hear of folk enjoying the Scottish Diving :-) There are lots of Dive site guides over at a congeralley.com if you ever come back up again.


Davie.