Not the Solsett :(

[Mark Chase]

8.30? Yes that seems a good time to leave. A 1.00 go four hours to do 155miles should be more than adequate.

Then I saw the matrix sign saying the M25 is closed junction 6 -7. So I phoned Janos to tell him the bad news and I took the exit for the A25. Two and a half hours later I have done 20 miles most of it in the wrong direction.

The Sollsett looks to be another blow out. I have two and a half hours and still 140miles to go. I phoned Janos to tell him I am canning it but then I make it to the M23 and suddenly I am thrashing the arse out of my little hire car down to the M25 and on to the M3. Janos is having no fun at all on the A27 but with an hour to go and only 40miles left I reckon I can make it.

Then I park on the A31  and it’s all over. I sit helpless as I watch the ETA on the sat nave go from maybe to impossible. Janos is 10mins behind me so he has no chance at all.

We tell Woz the bad news then Janos phoned Mike at Divers Down in Swannage and manages to secure two spots on a dive to the Kiara. OK not my first choice of alternative but at least we going to get a dive in.

We made Swannage Pier with 30mins to spare and loaded the kit. I was feeling a little dejected as I had sacrificed mucho brownie points for the chance of diving the Solsett and I couldn’t help thinking I’d have been better off on one of the enticing Dover gigs Paul had on offer.

Ho Hum.

The rest of the divers turn up and we look slightly overdressed for the job in our KISS units. 10 Single tank divers faced us with looks which said what are those twats doing with 18/45 Trimix and CCR’s

We managed to kit up without falling on our arses or needing help as that would have greatly added to the embarrassment I already felt. Needles to say we were first in and the Skipper had kindly allowed us a good run time despite the obvious fact the rest would be waiting for us they very kindly didn’t complain.

And so on to the wreck.

Viz was quite good, about 5-6m I reckon. My solder repair on the Fisher cable of my Shearwater failed instantly and I was down to two cells on the display but the HUD was OK so I didn’t worry about it. I deployed the camera and Janos immediately set the trend for the dive by trying to find out just how small a hole you can squeeze a KISS through.

Hummmmm this looks do-able

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ts/Janos10.gif

Yes, Ill have to go in feet first on this one



Ohhhhh I am sure if I wiggle a bit this is possible




I, on the other hand staid back and took pics. Then a lobster caught my eye. I quickly grabbed it and we had a conversation where I told the lobster it was embarrassingly small and it tried to convince me it was much bigger.

Me : Noooooo you’re too small to eat




Lobster: Let me go and say that again if you think you’re hard enough



Like a twat I let it go and it bit a chunk out of my finger for a thank you. It’s the one I type with so writing this hurts.

Janos finally had enough of wiggling through tight spaces and he emerged some what covered in crud. He then demonstrated his amazing ability to hang motionless under his camera housing which did look impressive.



I came across loads more lobsters and Janos caught one or two as well but they were all going to embarrass us if we took them back on the boat so we let them go. These were more grateful and didn’t bite us.

Oh look another too small lobster.



I tried and failed to get a good shot of a CoCo wrasse.(sp) I couldn’t get it without the strobe burning it out.


Janos finished the dive by finding possibly the perfect small hole to go in. I have to say I didn’t fancy his chances

Janos: If I just float down I am sure I can fit…
Me: No chance pie boy



With about an hour and ten showing on the computers we finally bagged off and went home. The 15mins or so of stops were spent with me franticly trying to find a balance on my new SS KISS back box and failing miserably. Janos spent the time showing me his encyclopaedic knowledge of diver hand signals none of which I understood but they kept me entertained.

Back on the boat and the other divers looked like we had reached the full extent of their tolerance for our run time about 20mins ago.

We kept our heads down and headed for home.

All in all it was a nice dive. It was deeply frustrating not to have done the Solsett but I am enormously grateful for Divers Down and Janos for sorting out a rescue plan. I wasn’t fancying the trip home much and I envied Janos who was staying down for the W-end. Then Janos announced his frantic hand gestures were to indicate his suit was flooding and the poor bugger had to drive all the way home to get his spare.

The Moral of the tail is if its important take two. Two dry suits and two planned dives.

ATB

Mark Chase

PS Divers Downs boat is lovley and Mike's a very nice Man
(By way of an apolagy for getting the boat wrong but its also true)

[Diving Dude]

Feckin good...............

l was sooooo pissed off at work on frinday thinking that team w4nker were diving the Salsette.

It's a wreck l've not yet managed to dive.


NB. When l say feckin good l don't mean it's a good report

EDIT

l think it must be you Mark. Last year when we tried to dive it you drove all the way to Weymouth and it was canned.

[Woz]

Ahem. We made it to the Salsette. Sorry. Bloody good dive.

[paramedic paul]

Great report as usual Mark!

[Dizzydiver]

Originally Posted by Woz

Ahem. We made it to the Salsette. Sorry. Bloody good dive.

Yeh maybe but Mark took piccies, where are your piccies???? Me likes his report better, oh man of few words....

[resting rifleman]

great report mark, well, the piccys were good shame you got the boat wrong, tosser(I knew having a pop at the red arrows was gonna bite me in the arse) nice to meet you in the flesh! shame the lobby stopped you from going home with all the flesh you came with.
was very impressed with the "vorsprung janos technic" so much so that i whacked a piccy on the "vizometer" thread....



but couldnt pass up the opportunity to show it off here
glad we could get you wet when your day was going wrong.
mike.

[Paul Oliver]

Nice report, pity about the original target but looks like a great dive on the Kyarra.

My dive Sat got ruined by the delays in the Channel Tunnel, but hey i got 4 others in this week

[Buoyant Babe]

Great report and pics Mark.

Helen xxx

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by resting rifleman

great report mark, well, the piccys were good shame you got the boat wrong, tosser(I knew having a pop at the red arrows was gonna bite me in the arse) nice to meet you in the flesh! shame the lobby stopped you from going home with all the flesh you came with.

Oh Bollocks sorry M8 i had a senior moment there I had Solsett on the brain.

ATB

Mark

[Janos]

Great report Mark, and a great dive. I can't beleive there were so many lobbies there. I caught and released at least three, and I think I saw 12 in total.

And it was a lovely day out, despite 11 hours of driving....

Janos