I have just had my first dive of 2008. We were due to dive on Fri 4th January but it snowed lots so we went today (Sun 6th). To start with Pete and I had to leave late due to circumstances beyond our control. Set off at 2.30pm and was a heavy shower of sleet as we came over the Rest and be Thankful. We reached St Catherines about 3.45. At this time of day all the other divers must have gone home as we were the only ones there.
I was trying out my new suit and weght belt so we were a bit slow getting ready to go in the water. So it was basically a night dive. What a dive...there was so much to see. A Scorpion fish, small nephrops, a conger, lots of shrimps out on the rocks, a corkwing wrasse sleeping among some sea squirts, 2 large pipefish, a couple of large galathea strigosa (spiny squat lobsters with bright blue stripes) out for an evening stroll, a beautiful red cushion starfish and lots of spiny starfish.
This was soooo good. Did not expect such a wealth of life on a cold January day. Even though there has been lots of snowmelt and rain the water was relatively warm and ther did not appear to be a lot of fresh water runoff.
I did wish Charlie had been there with his camera to record some of the stuff we seen. Happy diving!
charlie
sounds great dot
always fun to try out new kit; especially if it turns out to be a corker of a dive as well.
I've now brought all of my kit to Stavanger (including my shiny new cylinders with their virgin air fills)... can't wait to get wet now!
take care!
P.S. I'm still waiting to get my deposit back from Dive Safari for our aborted Dunbar boat dive in November... baar hum bug!!
joe
Sounds good i'd like to go back to St Cath's, only been once before!
