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W. Wales DL 2007
So there we were, Andy Edwards, Lee Cookson, Dave Rees and me, Tristram Elmhirst, at the West Wales Divers hoping to successfully complete the Dive Marshalling element of our Dive Leader qualification in May 2007. I suppose, to be politically correct and up-to-BSAC-date, we should call it the Dive Manager's element. We had done the planning and were all set to go (well nearly - thanks to the tips and pointers from Mark Sherwood, who was instructing us and Anita Sherwood who gave freely of her knowledge and experience of the dive sites).
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Skomer and RIb Lee trying to manage
After a rather rough night in the bunk house - which put Lee's back out so he was unable to dive (or rather not able to carry his twin cylinders out of water) we set off to the Stack Rock having launched the RIB at Dale - following a false start and returning to retrieve a camera which had been left on the jetty which was recovered (phew!). It was a beautiful day as we skimmed past Skomer Island, through Jack Sound and northwards to the Stack Rock. This was Lee's exercise and we were dropped in north of the Stack Rock where conditions were like a mill pond. We went east of the Stack down to a depth of 14 meters. Visibility was OK and we saw plenty of Spider crabs.
Following the dive we went to Skomer Island and had our lunch on the isthmus between the main island and the Head (which is allowable between the months of April and August). Skomer is Marine Nature Reserve so landing, anchorage and entry restrictions apply at certain times of the year. I have details of seasonal diving restrictions if anyone wants to know them. I also got to see my first puffin, and my second and my…………hundredth puffin. Puffins, puffins wherever you looked there were puffins. The second dive of the day was in the South Haven of Skomer - where there were no current streams so we could dive it at any time. We went in at about quarter to four and high water was at about 1:30pm. Where we dropped in was a mass of beautiful oval jellyfish with iridescent cilia. Three of us had a poor dive as we went towards the main island. Lots of kelp and it rose to about a depth of 4 meters. The Sherwood's went in the opposite direction and by all accounts had a far better dive. Another successful exercise which this time was marshalled managed by me. I had thought of diving the Lucy which is north of the island but the tide would have created problems for us (BEWARE many web sites give the co-ordinates of the Lucy as 50°N rather than the correct 51°N)
Picnic at Skomer Puffins
Sunday's dives were to be managed by Andy and Dave. It was decided that we would dive in Milford harbour, as this would allow us to get away home relatively early. Andy's dive was to be the Dakotian which we planned to hit at three hours before high tide which the literature suggested would give us the best visibility. In fact visibility was about 3 - 5 metres. (BEWARE contrary to information in Divernet and other web sites the wreck is 100m east of the easterly cardinal buoy and not north). As we were in the Dale area we went back there for lunch and a thoroughly good laugh at a canoeist who capsized about 4 times. This was bad karma - as I lost my signet ring there and only found it 4 hours later!
The final dive of the day was planned by Dave. Although he looked relaxed, he was like a coiled spring.
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Dave Rees Relaxing Lobster or what?
This dive was the Behar which had far better visibility than the Dakotian. I took a photo of something lurking under a rock which I took to be a lobster - all I could see were the antennae and a couple of front legs - -but it had no claws! Any ideas what it is?
We went back to West Wales Divers, who had been very accommodating and helpful which made our lives far easier, to clean down the RIB. Then the 3 - 4 hour trip back home. The weather had been fabulous which made the weekend far more easier to run as a training exercise rather than the couple of blown out sessions we have had over the last couple of years. For me that was it - I am now signed up as a Dive leader. The rest of my colleagues still had the theory test to pass - good luck guys.
Tristram Elmhirst