Imported post
Anglesey - the best organised diving weekend that never actually involved any diving I can remember..."
Bren Tierney - Saturday night, Trearddur Bay NAAFI bar.
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Anglesey, well well,
For all those who haven't yet heard (which can’t be many), Anglesey (with one or two notable and heroic exceptions) was blown out this weekend. Here's the skinny.
A goodly bunch of YD'ers managed to RV at the Holiday Bungalows in Trearddur Bay from teatime onwards on Friday evening; and so began the en masse YD meet-n-greet.
I think most were quite happily surprised at the size and standard of the accommodation at the gaff itself. With an on-site heated swimming pool, sauna, its own pub (which quite happily housed and fed all of us two nights running) and its close location to the beach, slipway and shore diving, you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere more suitable for our Troop's needs.
So we all managed to get together for a much needed 'put faces to names' session on the Friday night in the pub and partake of the wares of the local (Susan's) chippy too - result.
On Saturday morning, we all convoyed out to our respective harbours: Menai and Amlwch; but not before Davey Willo had arrived at my hooch, all maniacal grinning and wide-eyed with pronouncements of "Have you seen the f*ckin sea state mate?" It took me a few minutes to stop him laughing.
I hadn't - but after walking down to Dave's hooch (his being nearer the beach), I saw the frothing tempest that threatened to deluge the immediate surrounds of the site. Oh dear. First signs not at all encouraging.
You know you're in trouble when the sea gulls have a 'f*ck flying in this' attitude and are cosied-up all playing cards and shooting pool together rather than doing what comes natural to birds.
So, plans B, C, D and E were rapidly discussed whilst Davey, Bob and me poured over a quickly produced detailed dive-map of the island - courtesy of Hobby. We ran over the options for shore diving off the other side of the island, as what was blowing was quite happily a 40 to 50 mile-an-hour Southwesterly. I'll download the photies I took so you can get an idea of just how ridiculous the sea was.
So, the Menai team trotted off to meet with their boat and we, the Amlwch team drove off to have a look at conditions at that port so we could make an informed decision as to what to do dive wise.
Davey and Bob Cooper ('we are diving come-what-may!') were discussing another alternative - viewing Amlwch, seeing if it was a go or not, and then bugging out to dive Dorothea. Got to respect the commitment to getting wet!
We got to the harbour and whilst the sea was relatively flat calm, the viz was less that 50 centimetres ("like diving in milk"). It was here that the dive out of Amlwch began to unravel for us all.......
Davey and Bob made the call and saddled-up to head off to Dotty; Nick and Ali (a two-man walking 'laugh-factory') grinned broadly and said through stifled laughs "Right, we're off home - see ya later"; Tim took the offered opportunity to earn some brownie-points by heading back to the camp to spend sometime with his wife and daughters; Barry Marriott and Andy Phillips were up to dive any where and joined Dave and Bob on the Dotty gig; and Nige Waller and I headed back to camp.
I have to say here that Elfyn - the Skipper of the 'Julie-Anne' - played out of his socks for us. He was willing to take us out to a wreck (‘SS Dakota’) that would have been our best shot, given the conditions, and gave us no bullshit whatsoever. He was realistic about what we could and couldn't do and what our chances/options were.
Indeed, when I came aboard to let him know that we were calling off the dive, he looked crest-fallen...up to and including not wanting to take the money: "I don't want to take money when I'm not taking you guys diving", as I pressed the money into his hand - so we'll be using him again soon when we retrace our steps on the Anglesey II gig!!! We talked about me letting him know about diving the Sunday and he was good enough to say 'look, don't hold your breath for tomorrow mate' - meaning, forget it, it'll be worse than today. Can't fault the guy, he was straight with us, he turned out and was good to go. We will deffo be using him next time.
The nauseating thing was, after getting back to the camp, I'd been back at my hooch for about an hour, mulling over the decision to bin it, and ended up wanting to kick myself: we're all geniuses with the benefit of hindsight, right, and thinking back, I would have to done the dive now: viz or no viz. Whether I’d enjoyed it or not is a moot point.
So, how to make best use of the day left to me?
I phoned Hobby and asked him (him knowing the place like the back of his hand and having dived the island extensively for years) whether he would come with me on a recce of the leeward side of the island, so that we could scout-out shore dive sites for the next day. He happily agreed and I took my digital camera so that I could take pictures as evidence of the calm conditions to show the troops later that evening.
The weather on the Saturday was appalling - and Sunday promised gusting 50 to 60 mile-an-hour Southerlies! So shore diving (as no boats or RIBs would be leaving the harbour) was our only hope of salvaging something from this gig.
We checked out Bull Bay (a must dive next time), Porth Ellyion and a couple of others. The sea on this side was dead calm and all the sites are completely sheltered in natural bays. Result.
So, recce done, Hobby and I came back to base to share the good news.
It was here that we met up with Dave and Karen J and other elements of Daz's 'Bristol Massif' ('BM') and 'Team Bunny' (Noel and Dawn). I begin to hold-forth on the 'better than could be expected' conditions that I was recommending for the next day's diving when Karen and Dave just looked at each other and grinned with that "should you tell him or should I" look.
Apparently, whilst nice and calm, the viz was virtually nil over there too (as reconfirmed in Geoff Oldfield’s report above) - they knew, they'd spent the day shore diving over there with the 'BM' ! I began to see any hopes of diving this weekend going rapidly to rat-shit.
Meanwhile, that same morning at Menai, the 'shallower' boat had had better luck.
All bar one of the 12 divers kitted up and got on the boat. They all went in too! Conditions here were no better than we'd had at Amlwch - and seeing as this boat had a goodly number of YD-girls on it, we, 'deep-boat' chaps, might/should feel a tinge of embarrassment
Bad-ass Chicks and no mistake!!!
The viz on this dive was 'can't see your computer when held up to my mask' shite. Some folk got down to about 5 metres and couldn’t see the rest of the group (not that you could see you buddy!) and decided to call it. There were even troops on this one (Chris Hall and Lizzie) where Lizzie had never dived a dry-bag in UK conditions and still went in! Nuff Respeck!
Lou and Caroline proved the real troopers: they reached the heady depths of 10+ metres (diving with linked arms so as not to lose each other!) at the seabed and lasted about 40 minutes! That's BALLS !! Nearly everyone else lasted about 10 to 15 minutes before calling it. Troopers all, given the conditions. Proud to know you all.
The Skipper of the Voyageur, Scott was a really decent bloke too. Offered to take all the troop out in shuttles on drift dives out in the Menai Straits 'as the boat had been paid for' if we wanted. Thanks Lou for furnishing us with that info.
So, it rapidly was becoming evident that 'I' had chosen the wrong weekend to go diving on Anglesey. I've dived off here a couple of times and had nothing but great dives, great weather, great viz and plenty to rave about - alas, I was NOT able to show you guys what I have experienced here. I very much echo what Geoff Oldfield has to say about the diving off Anglesey – it is excellent and one that, after you’ve done it in good conditions, you will be well pleased that you did.
That night (Saturday) in the camp bar, the YD turnout was massive. The Landlord thought all his Christmases had come at once - well over 50+ (in off-season) going large on food and sherry. Being Wales, it's dirt-cheap too, so everyone got a good deal.
A guy who played guitar and sang for the assembleage filled the Saturday night with merriment and good humour; YD on song with sherry and gigglesworth and some top music. He was so good that Davey Willo organised a whip-round for him and raised many a goodly pence. Well worth our time!
All in all, the night went with the promise of the YD Massif meeting up and having a gas together - faces to names. We met, we liked and we enjoyed each other's company big time.
Daz and the Bristol Massif were superb company - they came to play and were top company - more of the same next please Daz!!
Barry Marriott was committed and knew the way to Amlwch, so saving our blushes getting to out intended harbour!
Nige Waller was easy-going and willing to get in amongst it come-what-may.
Andy P had travelled so far he was getting wet come hell or high water - alas, we got both! Didn't put him off though, and he had the world's supply of top 'taken myself' photos of dives from global parts various on his lap-top, best I've ever seen. Thanks for the Deco Planner mate and the disk with the photies on it. Andy, you're a star mate.
Ian Wheeldon and Richard Hall came up on the strength (I find out from Fiona my wife last night) that they'd called my home to see whether the gig was still on given the weather reports! Fi said that I was in 'Anglesey somewhere - I know not where' and they turned up!! Gotta respect that guys. Troopers both.
Nick Ramsey and Ali Nash are a two-man laugh-factory, as I said earlier - there are no conditions that you could throw at these guys that would get them down and they couldn't make light of. For raising the spirits guys, we thank you!
Chris Hall and Liz and Noel and Dawn ('Team Bunny'): all that way to dive with people you'd never met before and fitting in so well and enjoying the crack - outstanding! We'll be honoured to dive with you guys anywhere and were very grateful of your company.
Kirky and John Holmes: for having an endless supply of 'hey, shit happens and we'll be here next time' anecdotes for the collective. More than happy to see/dive with you guys again anywhere.
Hobby - we speak daily and I'm sorry we couldn't dive Sunday - see below all for an explanation.
Stevie Walker and Liz - always a pleasure, never a chore. Indeed, the more I speak to Stevie, the more I find it hard to believe he could have a bad word to say about any one or anything! The man's a result and a real credit to the team.
Matt Binnie: got your voice mail mate and thanks for letting me know. You would not have been happy to turn up and see the conditions that we had; they were, quite frankly, mince. We will see you next time mate.
Andy W for being as easy-going and un-phased as ever and not worrying about conditions or outcome - true 'dive any where with anyone' spirit from a former 'Maroon Emperor'! 1st class.
Davey Willo and Bob Cooper: quite simply dedicated divers. Got to dive Saturday (Dotty) and Sunday (Capernwray) and enjoyed both days tremendously too by all accounts. Also top company and giggle to boot – actually, this is becoming rather a habit when I meet Davey: we sit and laugh for hours. I've had to use a Monkey Wrench to remove the grin from Davey's face all weekend.
Diving or no diving, this weekend has cemented in me the knowledge that divers are a breed apart. Regardless of conditions, they will turn up and just get on with it. What more could I ask for??
I had worried that I'd let folk down with an apparently well-organised gig, and then that gig going to rat shit due to the weather - the one thing I can't control!
My spirits have been raised, though, by the numerous emails, PM's and phone calls I've had today saying 'never mind, we had a blast anyway and we'll be there for the next YD gig'. All I can say is thanks for your faith and willingness to get in amongst it and enjoy yourselves, come-what-may, under some very trying conditions. You restore my faith in diver-kind.
So, what happened Sunday - dive wise??
Davey Willo turned up at my hooch with an even bigger grin (if possible) and couldn't get an explanation out of his mouth due to laughing so hard. I had to hug him to calm him down.
"It's sheer madness, madness I tell you!!"…as he did a quick impression of a sheet on a washing-line in a gale.
It was obvious, just looking out the window, that conditions were noticeably worse that Saturday. Davey was not 'carding' me: he spoke with the knowledge of someone who had been up a lot earlier than I and had seen the conditions 1st-hand.
We bad our farewells and he set off for the Cape (Trooper-good-to-go-Styleee). That left AndyP, myself and anyone else who was convinced by my machinations from the previous night's team-meet.
So, after grabbing my gear and making sure we’d left nothing behind (AndyP, I found your shampoo in the bathroom mate), I saw Hobby knocking on my door. I let him in and he gave me the news: “you are aware that one of you Landie tyres is flat?!” Just great. Outstanding. Not only were conditions against us, but also it now appeared that the gods were conspiring against me to prevent me getting to a dive-site at all!
Now normally, changing a flat tyre is no biggie and is two minutes work. Alas, the Landie has 18-inch alloys that require the use of locking-nut attachment to the wheel spanner. And, following the luck of the weekend, said attachment was AWOL!
A quick call to LandRover Assist and they despatched a guy with the requisites and I was sorted out in within a couple of hours. By this time, there were no one else around and I was certainly not in the mood to go diving. The weather was foul, Hobby and Fran had valiantly waited around with me until we agreed that there was little point in them staying.
I managed to get away by about 14.15 hrs – the rain pissed it down all the way home.
A quick apology here to Geoff Oldfield: sorry we didn’t manage to hook up this time Geoff. I mentioned on the Saturday night that we might troop-up to the Anchorage to meet you guys, and then the musician turned up at our place and that was us for the night. Again, sorry about that – we owe you a return match and a few beers for standing you up.
OK, so what next?
We WILL be doing Anglesey again! Make no doubt about that. As for dates, let me get my head round this weekend and see what’s the most likely. May time probably.
Cheers again all – with or without diving we had a blast.
Total team expenditure for the weekend was £500: I gave Elfyn £200 and Scott £300. I have not yet cashed any of the cheques that you sent to me, but I will do now. I’ll divvy up what has been spent from team funds from everyone, and then cut everyone a cheque for the monies not spent.
