May Bank Holiday off of Dover

[Paul Oliver]

As our trip across the Channel to dive HMS Hermes had been blown out on wed, I had quickly booked up Neptune for Friday as the weather forecast was looking very good

I had a bit of a sweat getting the last of the minimum of 6 divers together but in the end we had enough and out we went. The sea was flat, the sun out and we only had a half full boat so loads of space.


Dive 1 – Cuvier

On site Dave soon had the shot in and down we went, me and Madam Poisson de Chunder went first with the job of securing the shot line. We had a careful dive plan calculated on our near perfect gas match (Madam – 22/45 @ £45 and 50%, me 30% @£2 and 61%)



I had to make two attempts to tie off the shot as I had too much rope and got a birds nest, meanwhile Madam had her reel sorted and we moved off only to stop and go back to untangle Colinicky who had committed the cardinal sin of getting himself wrapped up in a Cave Divers Line

After telling him off for his Muppetry we untangled him and moved off again towards the stern having a good mooch and ferret. After a while I found a great hole in the deck into the hold, that looked just big enough, and I could see another hole in the floor of this hold down into the lower hold which is the one to get into.

I dropped into the hole and my svelte like figure easily fitted in, so I sank down, wiggle wagging my torch at Madam to let her know what I was doing, she was obviously not going to react to signals from a poxy Greenforce Torch and carried on admiring the perfect belay she had just done.

I now had my eyes at deck level with just the top of my head above deck as I looked across the deck at her about 6m away, I then decided to go let her know where I was going, however we then got distracted by other stuff and ended on carrying on to the stern, where we turned back.

As we went back we came across the spidgeing frenzy as Captain Deco and Dovershark bagged up the Porthole, and carried on back to the shot, once everything was clipped away we had a few more mins around the shot then up for the deco, as my slow ascent and Madams deep stops stayed roughly together. At 6m we had Jay Spidge Dancing and grinning away, till we finished our stops at the same time and headed up to hear the many telling of the story of Captain Deco’s Porthole.

So 64 min to a max of 37m in 10 Degrees water with a darkish but nice 5-6m of viz.

Dive 2 – Pomerania



This is a very popular Dover wreck of a liner sunk in 1878, we went out not expecting much viz and got that, diving as a 3 myself, Madam and Captain Deco fumbled around in a dark 1m or so of viz, with so much sediment in the water it was like diving in a blizzard, we had no green glow so could not tell if we had entered the wreck at all and called it a day after 25 min.

Max 27m on 32% in 10 Degrees water for 29 min, on a character building dive.

Dive 3 – Heron (Neptunus)

Having got home at about 2230 Fri night I was up at 0500 to get to Dover and out on G Wizz’s boat for today’s fun, we left Madam in bed and Captain Deco driving aimlessly around Kent...

We had a fantastic flat calm sea and the sun was out as we headed down to Dungeness and dived the Heron, a steamer that sank after a collision in 1947. The water looked quite clear as we got there but slack was very early so we got in to find about 3m of lightish viz, the first time I have dived this wreck, it is the one that Dave Batchelor got the bell off of that is on Neptune, and that was after they had been diving her for 20 years. Neptunus was her original name.

We were coming up on bags off of this one so after 35 min I sent mine up to drift off having not really been able to get a good feel for this wrecks shape. A nice dive though and well worth another visit.

Max of 30m on 30% for 37 min in 10 Degrees water.

Dive 4 - HMS Paragon

After lunch we were going for the Queen off of the South Goodwins, but the water looked pants so Gerry decided we would go over the Channel and dive HMS Paragon, after a great crossing we hit this wreck which sits in an area of strong currents and bright yellow sand, and gets great viz but a short slack.

It’s a Destroyer sunk in 1917 and sits 5m proud in 29m


Dropping down the shot with Roy Plummer we soon had the wreck in view and a very nice and light 6-7m of viz. Working to the back of the wreck I did a good long swim through then went back and found Roy, we then worked along the top of the wreck till he followed Nigel.

After 30 min the currant was up and clouds of plankton were blowing over the wreck greatly reducing the viz so up I went.

Max 29m on 30% in 11 Degrees water for 37 min.

A rather good 2 days diving off of Dover with some fantastic conditions.

[warmwaterdiver]

Madam's 22/45 @ 37m gives a 16m END

[Sparky750]

Great report mate thanks for taking the time. i still can't believe nobody thought of the YD massive and threw captain spidgless's porthole overboard i know he would have sulked like a girl but you have to hurt the few sometimes to benefit the many

[Madfish]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

Madam's 22/45 @ 37m gives a 16m END

There were times on that dive, I wished I was on a stronger mix I tell you - and when you dive with Captain Olivier you need your wits about you!!







The Almighty Spidger, Captain Porthole, with his sidekick and confidante - Dovershark.........(who is on the left in the pictures).....






Photos from the other thread (which Olivier has ignored so far)......

And in my defence re : staying in bed, I should point out that my P-valve sprung a major leak on the second dive (from the outside in) and I finished my line-laying demonstration very wet indeed. I woke up the next day nice and early, but an examination of my booties & Xerotherms revealed I would have had a very unpleasant day - so I went back to bed

Di

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by Chunder

so I went back to bed

Di

Wimp, it was a great day out

[Captain Deco]

I feel so dumb. I failed and didn't listen, which meant that meet time and ropes off time got mixed up. I felt vey sad as I saw the boat just leaving the harbour as I went up the M20.

I will pay for my space - DUE rules apply, and hopefully it hasn't barred me from diving with Gerry!!!

[Madfish]

Originally Posted by Paul Oliver

Wimp, it was a great day out

We had a lovely breakfast together didn't we - oh no, Nigel was there .  Then I made it to Hammonds just in time....


Di

[Paul Oliver]

It was scorching in the marina at lunch time and when Gerry made the decision to cross to the French side it was just the perfect day for a ride out on a boat, with a cracking dive thrown in as well The air temperature in the channel was just perfect

Not a lumpy bit of sea water in sight

I could have gone out with Gerry again today but i was shattered last night and with all the aches and pains i have woken up with this morning its just as well i declined, i'm getting too old for this start of season heavy diving lark

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by Chunder

Photos from the other thread (which Olivier has ignored so far)......

What other thread?

[madscuba]

WHEHEY About time mr deco got a porthole well done

I bring earplugs next time we meet up as i'm sure we won't hear the last of it.

Nice report paul gutted i missed it