With this weekends dive show marking the end of season for most divers so what has been the best and worst bit of your diving season.
I was hoping my highlight would be diving the big ships at Scapa. I had a great week on board Valkyrie but the viz was a pit pants. So my highlight has be be riding out to Lundy with my new club with the dolphins following us wondering if every club trip would be like this. They followed the boat most of the way to lundy and joined us again in the surface interval (though sadly dissapeared when I grabbed my camera mask and fins and jumped in)
My low point was probably missing the shot on getting in to dive the South Austrailian (a wreck near Lundy). My buddy got to the shot, dumped from his wing and realised the inflator was not playing ball. The boat picked me up and dropped me back in during which time my buddy does the 1 min separation drill and bags off the shot because it was running a bit. Down at 30 odd m I see a twin set below me on the sea bed so I drop to join him and got whisked off in the current. At 46m on air dill I decide to can the dive. Then a found (for the first time ever) my crack bottle was not full. Then my reel release catch broke. A real cluster. As I watch my spare blob go up on my reel I remember its only got 40m of line on (and it's going up at 45 degrees) and I also remember a conversation in the gally with Helen on Valkyrie where we talked about reels and she asked if I had unwound mine to make sure it was tied on. At that moment I wish I had checked. It was. I was much happier back at 6m doing my stops.
For a lot of divers it does - not me I'm out on Top Gun next weekend (if the weather plays nice - it's currently very windy) and again at the end of Nov.
Surprise highlight... Scapa trip. I did't think it would be for me, as I am a squidge lover and went for Captain Calamity... I loved it and so much so I am wondering if I can get back there next year (with or without CC).
Loved diving the Galapago
Definite low point UK weather and lack of diving because of the Olympics.
My High has been either Doing my DM course (ok, not quite finished, one dive left, but that's next saturday) or Diving the M2 out of Portland. For many, this isn't a particularly exciting wreck, but i'd been wanting to dive it for sooooo long...
Low - Not done as many weekends as i'd like.... but that just gives me something to aim for!!
(No such thing as end of season, i dive all year around!!!
Highs: Six days diving out of the Mecca known as Plymouth sound with the club, Weather was poor and the first day nearly called due to floods ("Not seen it like this not in thirty year"). Great to see the wrecks I'd read so much about, thanks to the knowledge and experience of the senior club members.
The Pilsudski and the Lightship out of Hornsea, fantastic dives that need to be repeated. Long RIB rides out but still well and truly worth the effort.
Lows: Not really, though I was disapointed a little when a Cadmus dive had to be called, but she will still be there next year.
Highs; Moving to CCR and loving it, Cozumel surpassing my expectations of what reef diving away from the Red sea can be like.
Lows; None.... yet, other than the weather crapping out at weekends and stabilising for the week before crapping out again around Friday tea time almost every bloody week...
Highs First UK dive in Plymouth no idea what to exspect,5 wrecks,great company and learned alot. Lows panic attacks first two dives.Not been able to afford to go to South Africa with DL:angel:
Highs - Diving out at Longships, the Smalls and Manacles from the club ribs and critter hunting in Lembeh
Lows - Engine failure and getting towed back to Plymouth by the Fire rescue boat on my first club trip acting as DM with the Ribs.
Highs - having been to Komodo, Egypt & [Palau in Nov], when I close the year out my highlight will actually be .... getting back into the UK water [I don't mean Wraysbury]
and making a couple of new friends to share those dives with
high: BSAC AD 2-day marshaling expedition to fairly remote area of Oman. 21 divers plus family members had a great time with excellent diving; the way I always hoped it would be to finish the course.
low: Moving to Beijing has been excellent for many reasons... but diving-wise, it is a full-stop.
Highs - Booking my IDC and IE in December, buying a twin set, buying an Othree Ri after so much drooling, getting the missus to book on for open water to buddy up with me
Highs - a close dolphin encounter in the red sea and my last YD trip - sunny day, good dive on the M2 and a decent lobster.
Lows - very little to complain about, especially after years of ear problems which resulted in surgery. main issue has been ongoing and tedious dry suit problems.
Highs - Cornwall (Porthkerris trip) - I'd forgotten how beautiful it was
Low - going all the way to Jeju South Korea to be inforned that boat diving licenses had been withdrawn (and there was no suitable shore diving)
Highs: so many - the M2, TEKCamp, awesome Scapa trip, AN & Helitrox, getting a tech pass at Fundies, Eurotek, andmeeting fantastic instructors, new buddies and new friends.
Lows: Farnes trip being completely blown out, missing the Elena out of Swanage due to a seized drysuit dump valve, getting blown out from the Salsette twice.
i dived with seals in Farne, i passed Padi open water and GUE fundies..... i also dived the Betsy Anna out of Swanage and loved it!....my highlight i think was when my freind spotted an undulate ray (endangered) in Swanage Bay, i took photos and had them published in Tidings magazine Dorset marine conservation.....im also setting up a Project baseline site around the Fleur de lys.......its been a wild year for me!
Highs
30+ Mantas on a dive in Komodo.
Japanese mini sub at New Hanover.
50+ schooling grey sharks at Rambouto
Hammerhead at Inglis Shoal.
Seaplane at New Ireland.
HMT New Comet off Aldeburgh.
Normans Bay Canon Site.
Baygitano
Taking newbies on their first OW.
Lows
Generator, Compressor, Fridge, GPS, Auto Pilot, Outboard, Freezer, Aircon, Water maker, bow thruster - all breaking down.
Loosing my luggage on the outward and return flights.
Being threatened by rascauls.
There is still 2 months left in 2012. I've got 2 days trips plus a weekend booked, plus any fair weather will see me on the RIB. More newbies to dunk.
Regrets - meant to get under Selsey pier, U40, and on the mulberrys but just too busy.
Highs Grenada, Bianca C, and trip to france on Our W
Low's DCI and Loss of Buddy
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