Dive Tales

In these days of Hi Tec Torches Hid and otherwise its difficult to imagine that there was a time when divers were very limited in what was on offer.  Many a home brew contraption was concieved.

When I first started diving my group of buddies were always on the lookout for a cheap way of adding to their diving kit.  One particular friend took pride in trying to emulate the lastest piece of diving equipment. At the time the torch to have was a lantern if my memory serves me well it was manufactured by a company called Farralon. Have to say that at the time £60  seemed to be a lot of money for one of these. 

My regular diving buddy (COLIN) Name changed to protect the not so innocent and I decided to check out one of the local 30M quarries. The vis was generally good but it did start getting a little gloomy at 25m.  We entered the water and made a descent down the quarry wall. I had a small underwater torch reasonably priced made by Birchley products it wasn’t fancy but did the job. At about 25m metres I saw my buddy fumbling in his bcd pocket for something, perhaps HIS new torch. At first I couldn’t quite get my head around the object that appeared in the gloom was I narked?  No I wasn’t, yes it was in fact a battery powered front bicycle lamp sealed in a clear plastic bag, his answer to a dive torch . Hmmm, have to say I hadn’t a lot of confidence in his device, and eyes affixed to it I chuckled through my regulator. Within a couple of minutes the inevitable tel tale streams of water appeared in the bag then the lens housing started to flood and the light expired, oh well better luck next time. 

Believe it or not, not phased by the first disaster Colin ever the optomist visited the quarry with his second attempt, which was a torch that his brother used working for the Gas Board. I was assured that as this torch was “Gas Proof” and had to be up to the job. “Wrong” it was quite a comical sight as the thing imploded at 30m.  Laugh I nearly laughed my regulator out. 

Back to the drawing board!!!!!