Powmill Quarry

charlie · Powmill Quarry

So, at long last Gus & I got to dive the mythical freshwater quarry in Fife last night. We'd been talking about doing this dive for as long as I can remember being in the club so it was great to finally experience it. And what an adventure it was: brilliant fun Exclamation

The quarry is located just SW of Powmill & unfortunately the road access has been blocked off to prevent dumping: so it's a long hike. Think Conger Alley distance but up a 1 in 5 gradient of rough road. I think even the mighty Gus might have been mildly short of breath by the end of it. I was sweating like a nun in a brothel! Evil or Very Mad

We met our guides (2 guys fae Fife) despite their best efforts to through us off their trail, and finally got ready for the dive.

It was a nice stride entry access and we descended down to about 5m to find our first of the many wrecks. There must be over 20 old cars in there: it's a real throwback to the 1970s with Minis and Opel Kadets & I think I even spotted a Hillman Imp (before most of your time I guess)!

About 5 min into the dive, Gus made himself a great new friend. He discovered a submerged football: love at first sight! Shocked

He had minutes of fun pushing and tossing it about and was so immersed in it that I could have gone into a freeflow and he would never have noticed (a bit like last Sunday at Furnace, then! Wink

). If any of you have seen the Tom Hanks film "Cast Away" where he's lost on a desert island (but with no polar bears or secret hatches) and befriends a basketball that he names Wilson, then you might get the picture. The poor boy was obviously infatuated with the thing (Rachel better watch out).

Gus also found time to deface some of the wrecks including writing "Charlie is a joke" on one of them. Thanks for that, Gus! Unfortunately we didn't find the caravan that's in there, but we'll leave that for next time.

Towards the end of the dive, Gus discovered a van tyre & decided to try a wee experiment. He grabbed his alternative air source and inflated within the rim leading to the object sky rocketing only to spill its air on the surface and descend almost as rapidly to where it had hailed. Fortunately, Beaton had moved in the intervening time, so I didn't have to attempt a rescue of a diver with a rubber ring around his neck! Embarassed

Well, all good things must come to an end and after 70 min it was time to ascend. Gus said his fond fairwells to Wilson and deposited him in a safe place for future retrieval. We made our way up and climbed out only to find that all our kit (including my shirt & shoes) had been soaked in a thunder storm. Never mind, it was great fun and will have to be repeated before too long. See, I told you all that it would be great! Best of all it gave the kit a really good rinse after the salination of Turkey!

I've made a video of some of the highlights. Check out http://www.charlesmcgurk.ndo.co.uk/diving/

gus

i agree,
very nice dive, not a long drive and warm- accounting for the 70 mins.

i would say though the football was found 5 mins into the dive played with then left until we did a complete circuit of the quarry then collected again.

charlie didnt mention the life, i saw fish and snails and cars and a charlie and a padi diver and his pal, and when you looked up you could see trees. all sorts.

very picturesque. sort of.

charlie

Gus, remember that you were thinking of riding the BMX into the quarry Question

Looks as if someone beat you to it! Twisted Evil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9X_MB5osBg&NR

Edd

ah am sure gus could do better!!! hehe! well sounds awsome must come back to give this site a shot!!!

gus

yip,
that vidoe features the bmx i tried and failed miserably to cycle around the bottom of the quarry last wed, me thinks they may not have managed to get it back.

i think i may try minus fins this wednesday coming. i think it will still be inclined to wheelie and flip me backwards though.

good good

Edd

sounds good my friend enjoy it!!!

charlie

Sarah's becoming indoctrinated! As we didn't get our dive at Conger on the way back from the charity event, she suggested going for a quick dive today in Powmill to "rinse the kit". Twisted Evil

Who was I to argue? Wink

gus

bumper intact!
i'll have a life with you next time.
what time was thisd dive carried out at?

good good

charlie

Edd

looks like it was an exciting wee trip up with the car!!! i can see that susac is going to graffiti every piece of metal down there!!!! Very Happy

Sarah

I think I saw some graffiti that said Scott Ls Euan. Shocked

Edd

really??? i always thought they liked a bit of underwater llove!!! Embarassed

charlie

Gus is now famous...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-D0q889rjM Rolling Eyes

Sarah

Careful what you post online Exclamation

. Gus could be signed up for the Scotland football team on this evidence. Shocked

Sarah

Remember the summer when the sun used to shine. If this rain goes on we may not have to go too far from home to get underwater. Sad

charlie