Listening to the Shipping forcast the previous week did nothing for my confidence in getting out in the water 6’s and 7’s slap bang in the area i was to be going.
Fortunately it died off as the departure date got nearer.I like as far as possible to be organised for long weekend trips, so i started a bout of equipment checking. Amazing how you always find something that needs replacing in my case my dive computer battery. The particular importer of this computer must have been a relation of Dick Turpin for what amounted to £13 for a battery and o-ring. You guessed it I sourced the battery over the internet at half the price sorted.
I like as far as possible to be organised for long weekend trips, so i started a bout of equipment checking. Amazing how you always find something that needs replacing in my case my dive computer battery. The particular importer of this computer must have been a relation of Dick Turpin for what amounted to £13 for a battery and o-ring. You guessed it I sourced the battery over the internet at half the price sorted.Driving up to the West coast of scotland for me’s a full days job, the drive through Glencoe with snow on the mountains was an experience in itself,diving really takes you to some dramatic places. A short hop on the ferry and a few miles on a single track road avoiding sheep and I was there.
Great to see the usual suspects although we don’t see each other in between these expeditions we convene quite easily at these remote locations almost like a club, without the politics. 11 of us from all corners of the UK.
Friday saw some of us wanting a dive in the afternoon. Hence 6 of us motored out for a wreck dive on the “Thesis.” at 30m despite the fact that another group had been on it before us the vis was reasonable the water temp 7 degrees. Even the 7 degrees was warmer than my local quarries, give me the sea anytime. Amazing how relaxed I feel on a dive rather than complacent, a taster of things to come.
Unofficial ripping yarns were the order of the day in the local watering hole. A few beers but not a late night as we had arranged to be ropes off the following morning at 8-30am. With a scene in the dive centres kitchen like Gorden Ramseys kitchen we fortified ourselves with a cooked breakfast.
Saturday Mission Aim The Garvellechs,
A group of islands South of us and a couple of hours steamIng. Despite the fact that I have dived the area for many years these islands were new to me.
For a March morning the weather was excellent bright sunshine sparkling sea, although the air temp wasn’t much above freezing. Alans the skippers excellent briefing advised this was a wall dive. I have to say that Alan’s info is always bang on in its accuracy never cease to be impressed. The wall 25m wasn’t that deep but had excellent vis and judging by the type of life was under normal circumstances subject to some tidal stream. After about 30mins i was starting to get the shivers and so was everyone else. With the image of that large pan of soup in the galley we finished the dive. Following a warm through th second dive was similar to the first with the exception of by now a bit of current running, this was a good drift with us all doing the superman impressions as we flew over the white carpet on the sea bed. Final dive of the day was on the wreck of the Meldon
Passing the prop on the Meldon
A collier mined in shallow water 13m. It had been 10 years plus since i last visited this wreck. I was quite surprised how by now it was bashed up. The prop and rudder still still made am impressive site. The cargo Coal coal and more coal. On the way back we were treated to a rather special sunset.
On the way back leaving the Garvellachs and Sunset Sound of Mull
On the way back we talked through with the skipper about the dive options for Sunday. We had two wrecks in mind the “Shuna” and the “Hispania” idea being doing the “Shuna” in the morning thats not as prone to the tide and the tide would fall right for the Hispania in the afternoon. By the time we all arrived back at the dive centre Saturday evening we were all tired after having had a long day. Some food and couple of drinks and to bed.
A couple of drinks then to bed
Sunday morning at 7am saw the kitchen a hive of activity various cooked breakfasts were conjured up. A particular curoisity at the place being you got to put the hotplate on about an hour before you use it, once its heated no problem. Undersuits collected from the drying room we were down on the boat for 8-30am. We motored out to the first dive site the “Shuna” another collier in 30m. I have to say i’ve never been particularly impressed with this wreck as its usually low vis and covered in silt and just the hull with no superstructure.On this occasion I was quite impressed as the vis was ok and I was busy getting used to taking some photos. The prop and rudder were the highlight of the dive. Back aboard following a lunch of sandwiches and warm broth our thoughts turned to the afternoon dive and the “Hispania”.
The “Hispania” has become something of a legend amongst divers being a firm favourite and othen than those at Scapa I would rate it one of the top ones in the UK. This is definately a slack water dive, having dived it tide wise in other than ideal conditions ie it was running like a train! I never fail to be impressed with Alan our Skippers aptitude for putting us on it in ideal conditions. We had a relaxed exploration of the “Hispania” the vis was excellent and as per usual the wreck was covered with life. I tried to take a few Photographs with the wreck in the background with different results( below).
Time passed quickly on the wreck and it was soon time to ascend, meeting a Bevvie of divers on the shot doing safety stops. The look and smiles on everyones faces said it all.
Monday our last day, some of us faced with a long drive home elected to just do the one dive, two were lined up being the Rondo and a Scenic site. The Rondo’s attraction is the angle it lies rudder and stern in 13m and bow crunched in 50m. We underwater abseiled down the hull stopping at 30m. We and then made a gentle ascent up the wreck, unusually on this occasion there weren’t many fish about. Tim one of our group was less fortunate in that he missed the dive having left one of his zips open with a resulting flooded suit. (I’ve Been there done that and bought the T shirt) Shiver!!!.
Final dive of the trip was a scenic in the sound of Mull at 15m, lots of life the currents here proved really weird and appeared to be changing every minute. My Buddy Dougie and I sped over the seabed at quite a rate, one to bare in mind for a future drift.
Summary
The weekend was excellent good company, good diving and we had some good crac.
Thanks go to Mark Davies for helping put it together.
Mark at the Lochaline Dive Centre for his facilities
Not forgetting Alan a good divers skipper.
The Snack bar at Lochaline
Last not least the hospitality of the residents at Lochaline
