Weymouth in easter!

[Paul Hinchliffe]

Are you sitting comfortably,
I have just got to share this with you lot so here I go.
I set off from Leeds to Sheffeild to pick up John my buddy on Friday afternoon I arrived a bit early so decided to visit SDS as Ive never been there but got totally lost and ended in what must have been the red light area of Sheff, massage parlours every where, I of course resisted the temptation to releive my aching limbs and went for John so I still havent been to SDS,theres always next time.
The journey down there was pretty routine took around 5hrs. We had directions to a caravan site to meet the other divers from Pickering BSAC, but they had already hit the pub so we found the caravan No141 and parked up next to the Landcruiser and jet ski in my clapped out Orion and thought "kin ell" these guys are loaded we went to the reception to check in and they could not find our booking, funny we thought, but after half an hour of "are you sures" we found out we were in the camp site(of a very similar name) 1 mile down the road, after parking up at our new home minus jet ski we hit the george pub in the harbour.It isnt hard to spot divers in a pub(dont know why) and found the Pickering gang straight away 5 of them and very nice they were to, after the introductions and a few drinks we decided to  get some kip so to be as fresh as poss for the morning.
We meet the skipper of the Out-Rage at 9am , he showed us to the boat which was very spacious as it is supposed to carry 12 divers and there were only 7 of us, "which was nice". the weather could not have been better hot and sunny, the water flat calm, bliss!
The skipper suggested the M2 as a first dive and John and I readilly agreed, its a two and a half hour journey, on the way there one of the team told us it was his first dive of the season, (personally I dont have one, but dont have comitments such as kids!)and did not feel up to a 35mtr dive and although behind a plastic smile I was gutted, but totally admired his actions by speaking up he made us all aware of his state of mind which stops accidents happening, and theres always tommorro!. So we went to another wreck not far away in 25 mtrs it was an old dredger called the "cant remember" on the desent we had about 1mtr viz any did not see the deck untill hitting it at about 22mtr I grabed John and signaled for us to stick together as if we strayed we would have got lost no worries! I have never seen so many big fish in the UK a big shoal of cod(I think) kept just out of reach most of the dive and would flash past in the torch beam which was a bit freaky at times, we got carried away and ended up with 12mins deco and on surfacing agreed it was a brilliant dive!
The next dive was to be a scenic drift at 20mtr and as I love drift dives was eager to get in . The current was very fast,the viz shit and the bottom was just littered with large boulders which you did not see untill you hit them, it was like an astaroid storm pure adrenaline from start to finish, the mad mouse at Blackpool is close. On surfacing everthing turned full circle for swimming around the boat was a big bottle nose Dolphin and it was intent on having fun, so we dekitted and jumped back in and were playing with this beautiful creature for what seemed like hours, at one stage it flipped on to its back an I stradled it holding its peks riding it like a bike I must say it totally blew my mind, and Clive from Pickering took some wicked photos, that night I slept like a log, contented.
The next day the weather took a nosedive and pretty much everything else too. We got to the M2 and were just going to drop in when the skipper yelled "dont go in the rudders broke" thankfully this happened before entry as picking us out of a force4-5 with no rudder aint going to happen. We could not fix the problem as it was to do with the hydraulics so after 3 hrs those saviours of the sea the RNLI came to the rescue (thank F**k)and towed us back to dock. Me and John decided to return to yorks that night as our diving widows were begining to get a bit pissed off,it being easter and all that!
It was a fantastic weekend and thanks to the Pickering BSAC for the work involved arranging it, they stayed Monday and the Dolphin returned lucky sods, but so will we as we`re determined to do the M2 so if anyone cares to do the same why not join us!
This is the longest thing Ive ever wrote, "aint Dolphins brill"
If you would like to veiw the photos go to <a href="http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/paulofyork

(Edited" target="_blank">http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/paulofyork

(Edited</a> by Paul Hinchliffe at 6:17 pm on April 4, 2002)

[Davey Willo]

Wow Paul.. nice story...

It sure beats my day out at Abbs where altho the viz was better than you described, I saw only 1 crab (1 CRAB!!!) it appears that every bit of marine life in Abbs went for an Easter break somewhere near you!

I can't believe you saw a dolphin too u lucky b*stard, altho....
and to quote...
at one stage it flipped on to its back and I stradled it holding its peks riding it like a bike
LOL!!! I think you were just nonced by a dolphin mate :biggrin:  did it promise to write??

Sorry Paul, sounds like a cracking day mate, let me know when you up for it again

Dave

[Eddie]

Great report Paul, thanks for sharing it with us, makes me wonder why I ever emigrated to Holland! I am missing all the fun....
dive safe,
Eddie..

[divedog]

Sounds like you had a great time.. the M2 is on my list to do .. if you are coming down south way again .. give me a shout and I will dive, cannot get up north because Im down by Andover , Hampshire .. and my 4x4 guzzles more than princess margaret did .. Got to say the dolphin experience is good.. you certainly know they are far more intelligent than made out to be.

[parahandy]

Enjoyed the report Paul
Thanks
Tony

[Davey Willo]

Paul,

When are you gonna upload those wicked pics u sent me... The one where your stroking the dolphins chin is wicked.

[Eddie]

I'd like to see that one too please! would you send it to me?.... eddie-may@home.nl