The Dark Side Tour - Vobster - 11th & 12th Aug

[Scuttler]

The alarm clock rudely awakened me at 6am. I hit snooze. 5 minutes later off it went again. Snooze. Another 5 minutes. Hang on…it’s Saturday….I’m supposed to be leaving for Vobster in 10 minutes and I still have to load up the car and fill it with fuel.

A mad panic of packing followed by a rather rapid ascent to Dorchester Tesco’s for fuel and some water saw me on the road properly by 0720. Er….only an hour late :embarrassed:

Arriving at 0825 I joined the queue to get in but unfortunately didn’t make the lower car park . Having dumped my gear by the sub I bumped into Jimbob who told me where the rest of the crew were. I’d had a look round already but failed to see any of the primate crew.

With the car parked and the kit unloaded I wandered round and introduced myself. Present were:

GLOC
Wilbo
Garf
Hogen Deifar
Fiona
Adrian Kelland (whom I’d already met before)
Jimbob
NikNaks
David
Ben
Lloyd
Gav
Max??

If I’ve missed any sorry!

Having gone through the introductions Garf & GLOC gave an overview of DIR diving and explained some of the techniques.

It was then time for a checkout dive with Wilbo acting as videographer. And when I say acting that’s what I mean!

I was teamed up with Jimbob and Adrian Kelland. We kitted up and then headed out with GLOC for beasting #1. Sorry I mean dive #1.

It was a short 40 minute 12m dive with a couple of surface intervals. We checked out our trim, buoyancy and finning technique as well as our teamwork and signalling skills. It became clear that in good visibility you have to be creative about your signalling when diving single file otherwise diver #1 & #2 spend the whole dive looking back to check on #3. As can be expected our trim, buoyancy and finning was exemplary. I think GLOC’s words were to the effect of he’d never seen anything like it. And of course Wilbo caught all of this on video for the BBQ/Debrief later that night. Didn’t you Wilbo

During the surface interval we went through the debrief and watched the inside of the lens cap on the camcorder. Oh how we laughed. Then we went through kit configuration and some of the reasoning behind the DIR system.

Beasting number 2 saw Garf and GLOC swap victims with Garf joining us. We performed a shutdown and a few other skills. When I say we performed a shutdown it would probably be more accurate to say I managed to shutdown my right post and isolator before becoming knackered. Garf cut the drill and then tried to open my valves. Then he realised why I was knackered as he wrestled to open the closed valves!

Back on dry land we had a visitor in the form of Clare Gledhill who came to generally point and laugh erm…I mean offer encouragement! After going through the debrief we packed away. A convoy of seven cars decided to follow Wilbo and his erm Yokel Road Sat-Nav. Somewhere in the middle of Bath the convoy was ruthlessly whittled down to 3 through a combination of lights and roundabouts We did finally arrive at GLOC’s but the promised 50 minute journey turned out to be closer to 2 hours courtesy of Tom-Tom which managed to navigate us via Botswana.

The others arrived within a short time too and soon we were dancing around the barbecue offering sacrifices to JJ and his co-deities. The talk of DIR was so deep even the sausages wore black We were then joined by Chimp 3 also known as HP or Hugalot Pampers.

Wilbo then showed me how to strip the valves down and service them so that I could actually do the shutdown the next day!

An overview of minimum gas; bottom times; ratio deco and mixes was given and then we sat down to watch Wilbo Ford Copolla’s adaptation of The Abyss.

Seeing yourself on video is scary enough….it’s even worse when you know that your trim and buoyancy are going to look crap…..it’s demoralising when the video confirms that!!! It’s a valuable tool and as they say….a picture says a thousand words…..a video says a million! I knew my trim was bad, just how bad I wasn’t quite prepared for.

After several nightmares of being pursued by a Chimp in pampers on a scooter I awoke, clambered over bodies and headed off to Vobster. Keen to be there early enough for a poolside space. I soon caught up with Garf and so chucked my routeplanner onto the back seat….why have a dog and bark yourself

Suffice to say we were in pole position for the quayside seats!

Whilst in the queue we entertained our fellow queuees with backfin demonstrations. I managed to leg it before David got a pic of me!

Jimbob decided to sit out day 2 as he was knackered and still shellshocked from his Mark Powell beasting so Adrian and I joined Garf in the water for some backfin practice. After a couple of goes I managed a credible attempt and was quite chuffed with myself. We got out and Garf demoed an S-Drill which we practiced before kitting up and heading into the water for Beasting #3. We dropped down to the Jacquin and tried some backfinning. I found that because I was trying to concentrate so much my brain cell shutdown the breathe commands. The buoyancy and trim just kept going to pot and I was having a nightmare trying to adjust everything and think about backfinning at the same time!

We started to get a little cold (well the temperature went down to 5 deg C at 20m) and so started swimming off. Then Garf called for an S-Drill. It was messy but we did it. Before long it was time to ascend. This didn’t go to badly except the last two meters. I find that with the 55lb wing and no toggle on the dump it can be a little awkward to find the dump valve and so I end up using the corrugated hose which means I have to roll slightly to let the air out and then I have to keep rolling back and forth to distribute the remaining air evenly.

Garf then gave a demonstration of a diver recovery. I was to be the victim. I did consider grabbing hold of a rock and claiming rigor mortis had set in but I suspected that our combined 95lb of lift might be up to the job and I wasn’t sure my arms were! It was quite a strange sensation being lifted. Less physically intrusive than the way I was taught when doing my RD.

On the surface we tried backfinning in full kit and I just couldn’t get it right as I keep arching my back or dipping my head which gives me too much forward motion.

A short debrief over tea and a burger then it was time to kit up for Beasting #4. Eight or nine of us descended down to the blockhouse to watch GLOC and Garf perform a valve drill and an S-Drill. We then headed off in our respective teams. Garf threw a few drills at us to perform, which we did. They weren’t very pretty but we managed them and managed to keep our buoyancy fairly well under control.

Finally it was time to say our farewells and head off in our respective directions.

It was a good weekend and I picked up some valuable tips. It was good to be able to sit down with some DIR divers and ask the questions we wanted answered without the normal melee of criticism and counter argument that normally occurs during an online debate or in a club environment.

Do I want to be a DIR diver? To be honest I still don’t know – there is one thing I’m fairly adamant about and that is I’ll never give up my computer which is contrary to the DIR philosophy of taking only what you need. I know I don’t need it (I’ve dived for many years without one) but I WANT it. I also know that being a DIR diver has very little to do with the gear you carry it’s more of a mindset. I’m not yet in that mindset but I am gravitating towards it. I realise that my days of solo diving are numbered but I’m not happy diving with just anyone. The DIR ethos is founded on teamwork and that appeals to me. I know this ethos also appears in other agencies/clubs and organisations with DIR it seems to be more of a bedrock than a bolt on.

Would I recommend going on one of these days – if you are open minded and curious then absolutely. If you have already made your mind up then don’t waste your or their time.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would like to extend many thanks to Garf and GLOC for organising this.

I’d also like to thank Adrian and Jimbob for diving with me and finally everyone that came along to support the event and make it a success.

I’m taking with me some skills to practise, some excellent advice and more faces of names on YD.

Happy diving and see you all again at a dive site soon.

[jimbob]

Great report. Good to see you again, thanks for all your help.

[Adrian Kelland]

Good write up Ian, nothing for me to add apart from thank you to all involved.

Adrian

[neilh]

Nice write up and sounds like a good weekend was had by all, great stuff

We'll have to work on the North/South exchange programme for these events, hopefully we'll have a chimp attending the next Northern do

[lloydwatkin]

Ok my turn!

Left Cardiff at around 7am with old man taylor (Simon). We hadn't been to Vobster in a good year or so and were a bit lost. We lost faith in the GPS even though it pretty much guided us to the door (except the road signs are only from the opposite direction). One highlight for a drive down was driving through the middle of the Bristol hot air balloon festival

We eventually arrived at 9am got in, met everyone and listened in on the DIR intro talk. Leaving for the top car park we did a bit of asking and managed to sneak the van down the hill First dive Myself, Simon, and Ben were doing a dive with Garf concentrating on trim, bouyancy, and fin strokes. We were to be filmed by Wilbo, or were we???

After a cuppa we were taken through the DIR gear config, all makes pretty good sense. A second dive with GLOC this time concentrating on bouyancy again. Must say I was diving like a bit of a tit on the Saturday my diving went all to pot

Anyway, all packed up, and a ever decreasingly sized convoy headed upto GLOC's for a BBQ and more talks. Julie sorted out food so many thanks to her there Howard arrived half way through and the gas management talk began. After this we headed into the living room for the video debrief.

Everyone went to bed leaving me and Howard chatting and finishing off beers in the kitchen. I though he seemed alright but clearly the photos taken not 5 minutes later seem to prove he'd had enough

Next morning Ben hit the twinset with GLOC so Simon and I were being groomed by Howard. The first hour we simply chatted through the gear and Howard made several adjustments to my harness and we rearranged/dropped some weight from my gear. We discussed several bits of our gear setups and went for a dive. Must say diving was completely different from Saturday much more comfortable in the water. Stops held with no trouble.

Next dive Howard was reminded that he'd said he'd dive in Simon's BCD and splits so Simon could take up a go on a single wing. Simon dropped down for a quick weight test and a little swim while we were waiting to drop down as a group. I didn't think it was possible to see someone decide they're going to change their diving and equipment that quickly, but you could see it happen within seconds! Dive with Howard was fun, had a play with his scooter, and didn't get bent!

Out from the dive to unpack and listen to Simon tell everyone how amazing using the wing was If only Phil had hung around one more day he'd have got a copy of Simon's credit card.

Had a really good weekend and would really like to thank the guys for organising the weekend. It was really interesting, we learnt lots, and had a great time all at once. One thing I'd say about everyone there is how willing they were to answer questions and discuss points, to the degree of disappearing off to the car and returning to pull a second stage apart to show how it was all put together.

I'd definately recommend anyone to go along and give these weekends a try well worth it.

THANKS ALL

Lloyd

[Ben Hall]

A really big thank you to all the Chimps, and in particular GLOC who dived with me on Sunday and gave me an intro to valve shut downs. Thanks mate, you're a champ, not just a chimp!

Wilbo - thanks again for picking me up from Frome on Saturday.

It was a really fantastic intro to DIR diving and I'm sure all the guys who were being mentored (or groomed in the case of Howard ) really benefited from the experience. I know I did. It was sobering to see video of myself under water, particularly my "humping the dog" - don't ask.

I'm really looking forward to Fundies with Clare and John in September and the weekend was, for me, an invaluable heads up.

Just need to get my dry suit replaced now ...

Ben

[Gav]

Everyone went to bed leaving me and Howard chatting and finishing off beers in the kitchen.

So it was you keeping me awake then?!!!

Out from the dive to unpack and listen to Simon tell everyone how amazing using the wing was If only Phil had hung around one more day he'd have got a copy of Simon's credit card.

I can hear Nackers weeping from here

THANKS ALL

SECONDED!!!!

[wilbo]

I'd just like to clear this up - I recorded every minute of you guys in the water - first dive Saturday. Every minute. It was just much darker than you thought it was in the water..

OK. so the (inbuilt) lens cover was still engaged. How was I supposed to know - it was behind the macro lens and its not my camera ffs.. I am sure if the video were played back - you would still hear the screams, bubbles and laughter loud enough.

Anyway.

It was really good to see you all - I think you all got something out of this weekend - hopefully in a positive way..

From my perspective as video bitch - from the first dive to the last dive it was quite evident that you were starting to pull together as a 'team' (if you like) - becoming much more aware of each other and diving more as a unit. Your trim was improving and you all looked more relaxed in the water. Don't get me wrong - some of it (lets say) has room for improvement .

One of the goals of this weekend was to make this type of diving more appealing and accessible:- to dismiss some of those old school 'them and us' type attitudes and to have fun. I think we managed a reasonable effort.

cheers..

[old man taylor]

Thanks for a great weekend, met some very nice people who couldn't do enough to help and advise me and lloyd.
P.S. Howard you nearly look as good as me in those split fins, bit of practice you'll be alright.
Thanks again, Si

[David]

Anyway.

It was really good to see you all

now he is just taking the piss