That's today, unless you are reading this tomorrow in which case it was yesterday.
So the weather has finally settled, the wind has stayed low and the water temps are up to a tropical nine degrees.
I has been a very poor start to the year, normally I am in all year round but have had a serious lay off over the winter, not through lack of trying, through the sea being the wrong shape and colour.
When I rolled up to the harbour this morning to be greeted by a flat calm sea I was more than a little happy, it has been flat all week so good things were to be expected.
It takes about an hour in our boat from Torquay to the Bretagne, I always see this as a chance for the less experienced boat handlers to have a play, it does them good and means I can out my feet up on the back deck with tea and biscuits, running into the wheel house at the last moment to park on the wreck and away the shot, yes, they do the boring bit, I get the glory
Oh well, it is a harsh world...
So, shot slap bang on the wreck first time, no faffing about, just the way I like it, it has not always been like this but I now think the people on the boat, especially those holding the shot are starting to understand that when I shout now it means......Now, It doesn't mean finish your conversation, look a little puzzled and say...what...now.... dropping the shot ten minutes after I shout now never leads to success....
So shot in, quick circle around it to check the position, happy days, mid ship.....
First pair in, we wait five mins to see if the cannon fodder pop back up moaning about crappy viz, no sign of surfacing divers so next group in, Ok, so I had to pick them back up and re drop them near the shot because they were gabbing on the surface, all the time drifting away from the wreck, all lady divers please note, this is not the appropriate time for a coffee morning....
the first pair surfaced with tales of mermaids and poor viz so I didn't take my camera in, it was my intention to video the wreck so you could all enjoy it, viz good enough for video on the Bretagne is not a common occurrence so I left the camera on board and jumped in.
Admittedly, on the way down it didn't look to promising, lots of plankton in the water column lots of little jelly fish too, there were pretty little see through purple edged things, only babies.
The wreck came into view about 20M and the viz was cracking, I really regret not taking the camera in, a good 4 - 5 M which for a lyme bay wreck is usually as good as it gets, lots of silt you see.
Huge wrasse of various colours, pollock, bib, lots of crabs, mostly gravid so they get to live a while longer, my buddy was miffed after having to put the third pregnant one back in it hole and gave up on crab hunting for the day. We dropped over the side for a scallop bonanza, all got put back as they were too small, back up to the deck and dropped into a hold, had a little poottle through the interior back out, back up to the deck and home.
28.1M, 43 mins, 9 degrees, a boat load of happy divers having done the first decent dive of the year.
The day was marred only by the radio traffic with reference to a diver missing in Salcombe who had been diving the Maine, as we returned to harbour the search was still on going, I hope they turn up OK, I hope it was no one we know....We know the boat so we may know the person...
http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga07...s-releases.htm?id=4AAFA36146E6D019&m=4&y=2010
