Rugby and Diving

The rugby season is back on for me with a vengeance. Well at least in coaching terms and the boys had their first game of the season on Sunday. It is always good to get the cobwebs blown away and there can be no doubt at all that there is some rustiness to the game play.

I coach rugby because I love it and in particular I love seeing the team develop and win because they start to get things right. If there is a downside it must be that I am sometimes torn between the rugby and diving but overall I believe that it makes for a good balance and the truth is I learn from both.

As I often think in terms of the crossover learns between scuba diving and other areas of life I found myself considering this the other day as I watched the boys lose their opening game. The reason that I think in terms of transferring a learn from one area to another is because as every decent Instructor will tell you making connections like this advances learning and understanding exponentially.

So here are some obvious similarities and I am sure you can think of more. At the start of the season players are rusty and have even forgotten some of the basics. If that involves tackling techniques it could quickly lead to injuries. In diving this is just the same, if you lay off for a while you need to get some practice in before getting out to sea. It is why we offer Scuba Reviews and skill tune ups.

Obviously with young lads over the course of the summer break shapes and sizes have changed as have fitness levels. Those that haven't kept themselves fit have a nasty shock when they get back to playing. Yep it is just like that in Scuba Diving but as yet we have not got a course for keeping fit through PADI. Maybe we could get a distinctive fit for diving specialty going.

Personalities haven't changed too much and the boys were quickly back into their banter with the loud ones still loud. I guess in diving that is true to and we do get all sorts. There are some people that we would always choose to be around as they are fun and full of life but as an Instructor I have to admit that some people are fascinating because they are the opposite.

Fortunately all the team are really great as are the vast majority of people in diving.

On the pitch the real reasons that I believe we lost were down to daft mistakes and bad communication. With coaching we can try and eliminate the daft mistakes but in reality I guess all of us will still make them. Then what is important is how you react when you do.

Again that is so very true in Diving. We train and coach people to improve skills and understanding so that mistakes are less likely and we also train to make sure the diver can deal with things when something does happen.

Bad communication covers a whole load of sins. In diving we advocate the buddy system and a good buddy pair will mean anticipating each other and noticing the little differences in what each other is doing that become the cues for action. Good communication is about dive planning and about understanding each others capabilities and states of mind.

A scrum half and fly half that have really good communication in a rugby team provides a winning edge that is irresistible. Once you get a pair in those positions that truly click it takes a very brave or dull coach to separate them. In truth that is true across the team. I hope that as the season progresses the boys will appreciate the importance of communication and rapport because they will grow extraordinarily.

If you are a diver and you have a true buddy then cultivate it and never let it go it is priceless. A good buddy should be complimentary, slightly challenging and excellent company. Should be supportive and must be a rock when it all goes wrong.

It is true that I have been solo diving a couple of time recently and with the correct training this can also be exhilarating just as a solo try run in over the length of the pitch can be. But the game is won through a team effort.

My final similarity is the social side. Yep, us rugger buggers do like an occasional beer and the banter. Yep us divers do to, thankfully both are social sports which suits me to the ground. Both are full of characters that make life so rich.

Army days

Saturday night may once have been the traditional night to spend out on the town, but not if you are a diving Instructor with 17 Army cadets out for a try dive experience. By the time I turned up with the rest of the staff at the Deep Pool Gary was already there and the cadets dressed in their greens were all standing in an ordered line. I am just not used to this normally there is just a rabble of people, I almost felt obliged to do a quick inspection. I passed on the offer preferring to find a way to split the group so that we could take half in at a time.

Gary in an amazing demonstration of organisation had all the kit ready by the poolside so I simply asked who wanted to get straight in and who wanted a full briefing beforehand. Now of course I could have just split the group in two but the reality is that some people prefer a more extensive briefing others probably aren't going to listen anyway and just want to get on and get stuck in.

The first group went straight into the pool with Gary in charge and with some nervousness on my part in charge of my camera. I stayed outside with Gill and conducted a reasonable thorough briefing. The lad were full of questions and really kept my on my toes. I took the opportunity of showing them the amount of pressure in a cylinder and of course they each then had to have a go at placing their faces in front of the air blast. I must admit it is very funny watching their cheeks billow in the air.

Briefing over and the lads went quickly down to the observation glass to see their mates getting in the water. My cue to go and take over the camera. Gary with his sense of humour couldn't resist telling me I had run out of film and that the case was flooded........ha ha, he would of course be dead.

By the time I got in the adult staff were in their element and most of the cadets were in the process of submerging. Soon afterwards they were all on the bottom of the pool throwing the Frisbee around and looking pretty comfortable. Seeing their mates in the observation window was like offering honey to bees as they all swarmed round waving and larking about.

Change over was fun as we organised our way through chaos and puzzled that one of the cylinder had somehow ended up with only 50 bar. Can't help wonder which of the cadets was the air guzzler. I'll leave them to try and figure that one out.

The second group in the water were much the same. A couple struggling to get all the way down but in reality they all did really well and there are some natural divers amongst them. Just as before there was plentiful use of the Frisbee and a fascination for seeing who was looking through the observation window.

As the session ended the cadets returned after changing and took all the gear downstairs for us. What a pleasure and what a great bunch for doing that.

It appeared to us that the troop really enjoyed their evening and in truth so did the staff. I would really like to see this bunch back in the future whether to learn to dive properly or just for another play.

At the end of the evening I was glad that it was the cadets that went off to sleep under canvas and I went home to my bed.

M25 is not condusive to scuba

At last we are back in the pool on our Friday night slot only we are now in a new pool and very nice it is too. Gary and the team had been hard at it all day giving try dives from first thing in the morning as we progress with our work in local schools.

The good news this week is that we have become an official provider of scuba training for Essex County council. This week has also seen Gary and Amanda nailing down our child working policies to allow us to extend Orca's sphere of operation. Getting all this type of thing documented along with CPD checks is hard work but while it is necessary in this day and age it is also very useful because it has made us think and put in place some very sensible provisions for the business.

We couldn't have done this without help from Amanda who brings some experience to the task with her legal education background. What is quite amusing is that for certain agencies who require sight of your policies for such things they hold the power to tell you it's not up to scratch, but won't tell you why. The deal is you need a Child Protection Policy but you have to figure out what it should say and don't ask us..........Still I am very glad as an organisation we now have one in place.

Distracted there for a moment back to the new pool and the fact that I almost gave up trying to get there. I left Bristol this week with tons of time to spare. What I didn't count on was the complete closure of the M25 just as I got on it. At first when this happens you don't know what is going on so you are quite relaxed. I always get quite a bit of phoning done in the car in any event so it is often very like a mobile office. After you have sat still for a while you start getting friends ring you up to warn you that the motorway is closed. "I know I am sitting on it!"

I love that friends are concerned enough to call it does help cheer you up. But then you realise the blockage is set to last for six hours. Boy is that frustrating but at least I wasn't the poor Lorry driver because it is more than just his Friday that is lost.

So following a major detour and eventually a quiet stretch of motorway I managed to get to the Academy half an hour late instead of four hours early. The classroom was full of the new SEAL team being entertained by Gary. Liam my new Open Water student was ready and waiting all his knowledge reviews diligently completed and me with no time left to brief him or my new trainee DM. Aghhhhhh

At least because Gary and Amanda had been at Castleton pool doing IAHD try dives all the kit was already at the poolside.

Straight to the pool then. Gary already had the SEALs lined up in the shower. In the new pool everyone has to shower before getting in the water, explains why it so clear. It was such a relief to get in myself and even better to discover that Liam is going to be a natural. We worked through OW session one and he showed wonderful composure and was a joy to train.

One other really nice thing about the pool is that it is warm.

Good to be back, good to not be on the M25, good to look forward to an enjoyable time in the new pool.

Lundy Island Seals

On Thursday I took the opportunity to take the day off and get down to Lundy for a spot of diving. A place had come up with Obsession charters who we have booked with in the past so it was a chance to catch up with the team too. This time it was on Obsession II which I have to report is a great boat. I also jumped at the chance because I didn't make the earlier Orca trip this year and Lundy really is a favourite place to dive.

After a mild panic on the way from Bristol due to the sat nav taking an odd detour I managed to get on the boat just as she was leaving. Wind and weather looked fine with the prevailing wind being easterly. This meant diving on the west side of the island so we would be sheltered. The trip over from Ilfracombe was slightly choppy and I had a chance to meet with the group none of whom I had known previously but as they were all divers rapport was quickly established.

On the west side of the island we found a spot near Jenny's bay where there was plenty of seal activity. Rebreather on my back in I jumped buddied with the trip organiser Steve. Unfortunately Steve's dive was to end shortly after it began as he had the wrong mask, a slipping weight belt and everything else going on. Once again as in several other recent dives I found myself going solo.

After about 8 minutes of the dive I was approached by a beautiful dappled seal and the two of us proceeded to sit in a gulley at 12 metres studying each other and playing for the best part of forty minutes. Starting some distance off the seal was clearly interested possibly in the yellow box on my back, but most likely in it's own reflection in the camera lens.

I am sure we would have made an odd sight as we both laid on the bottom and mirrored each others action. The seal would lay on the floor and roll, so I did the same. I picked off a piece of kelp and waved, the seal bit off a bit of kelp. We also played an amusing game of hide an seek with a rock that was directly in front of me.

At one point the seal came within in inches and rolled on its back as though it wanted its tummy tickled.

After a while I started to swim off only to be mobbed by more seals who came in and starting pulling at my fins and spinning playfully in front of me.

We had agreed a maximum bottom time of one hour and I have to say I was incredibly reluctant to leave the bottom. When I did the seals followed and continued their playful antics on the surface. What an amazing experience.

There was no way the second dive after lunch was going to match up. At least Steve got a full dive and while we saw seals again it was nothing like the earlier encounter.

The trip back to Ilfracombe was considerably more bumpy as we motored against the prevailing wind. As I drove back to Bristol it was easy to reflect on such a wonderful day and to be truly thankful for the chance to enjoy my favorite hobby.

Swanage Wreck information - Fleur de Lys

Dive Site: Fleur de Lys / Swanage Bay drift
Location: 50°37.4N; 001°56.0W Swanage Bay
Description: Fishing boat wreck & drift dive
Length: 16.4 metres (54 feet)
Depth: 13 metres (43 feet)

The Fleur is a relatively recent wreck and while she is fairly small she is a great dive fro novices. The boat was built in France in 1969 and was bought by her British owners in 1989. She sank on 16th April 2000 following an on board explosion.

The Fleur was returning from a fishing trip and was on route to Brixham with four people on board. The hot water system had started to malfunction and it has been reported that steam was coming out of the hot water taps. A pressure build up in the hot water storage tank led to the explosion that was severe enough to rupture the oak hull. This was near Portland Bill and the four crew all managed to get off the boat despite the life raft failing. Attempts were made to tow the stricken vessel to Poole but to no avail so she was abandoned in her current position just inside Swanage bay.

The wreck is now permanently marked. The site is small and the wreck is now substantially broken up. There is plenty of life on her with Bib, lobsters and crab in evidence. The depth and size means the wreck can be thoroughly explored. The recommendation is to take at least twenty minutes looking in all the nooks and crannies before coming off and drifting into Swanage Bay.

Once off the wreck the drift is not too inspiring and the mud in the area does lead to poorer vis. You should still see crabs, dogfish and gobbies along the way.

Swanage Wreck information - Betsy Anna

Dive Site: Betsy Anna
Location: 50°36.979N; 001°49.964W, near Swanage
Description: 808 ton collier
Depth: 24 metres

This wreck was my best dive site of the weekend with brilliant visibility, great conditions and an abundance of life.

The Betsy Anna presents a sad tale with an unusual double sinking.

She was built as a steel collier in 1892 at Newcastle and was used to run coal around Europe making trips into the Baltic and Med.

In 1926 she hit the rocks at Prawle Point in Devon and sunk. She was sold to salvagers who re floated her on high tide with the aim of towing her to Cowes on the Isle of Wight for full repairs. As she was being towed on October 11th she met bad weather and the gale force winds snapped the tow line and she started to take water once more and she sank for the second time in her current location.

The wreck is now mostly flattened the sea bed though the outline of the ship is plain to see. The bows still rise off the gravel floor as do the boilers and several winches. She has become home to tremendous array of life including an abundance of Bib several very large lobsters, edible crab, conger and a few wrasse.

We dived her on perfect slack and had plenty of time to explore the variety of nooks and crannies provided by the remaining superstructure. Most of the dive will be spent at 20 - 25 metres so you do need to watch bottom times. There is enough to see to keep you occupied for well over an hour especially if the vis is as good as on our dive.

Swanage Wreck information - Kyarra

Dive Site: The Kyarra
Location: 50°34.90N; 01°56.59W (Swanage)
Description: 6953 ton twin masted schooner-rigged steamer
Length: 126 metres
Depth: 18 metres to top of wreck, 30 metres to seabed

The Kyarra was originally built as a luxury passenger cruiser on the Clyde. She was fitted out in some style and run by an Australian company for both passengers and cargo from her launch in 1903.In 1914 she was requisitioned by the British government and converted for use as a hospital ship.

On 26th May 1918 just months after she had been released from government control she was sailing along the south coast towards Plymouth when disaster struck. She was hit amidships on the port side by a torpedo released from the German submarine UB-57 under the command of Oberleutnat Lohs. The captain of the Kyarra, Captain Donovan, was in no position to evasive action and the ship sank in 20 minutes with the loss of six lives.

She lies at the point she was stuck and is now a popular and fascinating wreck. Over the years she has given up many goodies for those that would treasure hunt including quite a few brass fittings. Her holds contained perfume and vinegar bottles and to this day new discoveries are still being made as the sea bed is disturbed by tide and weather conditions. Gold watches and other trinkets have also been recovered and several artifacts can be found that can be seen on display in Divers Down on the pier at Swanage.

The wreck is typically alive with sea life including zebra gobies and dogfish. It is quite usual to see fairly large lobsters and congers deep inside the main wreck.

Postcard from Swanage

Sunday in Swanage, a night under canvas the gentle snoozing sounds of Dave and the thoughtfulness of creating a postcard. Dave, Gary, Nick, James and Steve do the honours in their Sunday beachwear best. Personally I think that Nick looks the sweetest in little purple number that on this occasion hides his every present sponge bob boxers.

Missing from the postcard were Kelly and Colin who having decided to join us for the day went for the soft option of a B&B in Bournemouth and then woke up to find they had a flat battery. The first of the days challenges was theirs as they had to find a friendly local to give them a jump. Having then dashed over to Swanage in plenty of time they then both pointed out this obvious photo opportunity. Next time lads.

Katie hadn't made it to Sunday morning but she seemed to find adventure anyway as I had text from her thanking me for her EFR training as she had put it into use overnight to assist the wrong end of a nightclub brawl.

On a more serious note our first dive on Sunday was the Betsy Anna a wreck that is new to me. So apart from knowing that she had been a Collier and that her history involved a slightly unusual story of being sunk twice I knew little of what to expect. The double sinking was because she originally went down off the Devon coast having hit rocks in thick fog. She was then salvaged and re floated when she sank in bad weather in her current location as she was on route to the Isle of Wight for full repairs.

Based on the visibility generally on Saturday I decided that I would not take the camera and instead determined to have a relaxing pleasure dive. The rebreather came out of its' case and everything was set. The wreck site lays some 25 minutes from Swanage and I was ready to get in the moment we arrived. Diving with Dave once more I was looking forward to a good hours dive at around 25 metres.

On reaching the shot line I immediately descended only to get a tug on the rope from the surface. I returned to see my buddy hanging on the line looking forlorn with only one fin. My fullest sympathy as this loss was on top of losing a D9 the previous day. Sometimes luck is just not with you. I feel somewhat guilty reporting that I then went off and did my dive.

On reaching the wreck I tied off the shot line and looked around quickly noticing that we had almost perfect conditions. Viz was nothing short of stunning and the amount of Bib surrounding me was staggering. I knew I was in for a great dive even if I was cursing myself for not having the camera.

So it proved, this was an brilliant dive with crystal clear conditions and loads of life including six conger eels, sea bass, pollack, skate, crabs and some very sizable lobsters. The silent running of the rebreather with just the occasional click from the solenoid and I was truly in my element.

I watched as most of the others came and went as I revelled in an hour of solitude, so appreciative of the rebreathers ability at this depth. I managed to tour the whole site twice taking my time over the bows which had a daddy of a lobster watching me cautiously.

Probably one of the nicest dives of the season and while it was sad to have to enjoy it on my own I have to confess that I did.

Back on dry land we managed a decent surface interval and time for lunch. The weather had brightened and the Morris men were still all over the place. They do tend to make the place noisy with all the bells but at least they can't sneak up on you.

For our final dive we went to the Fleur de Lys which is a small wreck sitting in 12 metres of water. The viz wasn't quite so good, probably because I bothered to take the camera this time. With 20 minutes on the wreck and having explored her thoroughly in that time we set off for a drift. Turned out not to be too inspiring as it was fairly barren with the occasional dog fish, crab and flat fish.

Back on dry land it was simply a case of packing up and heading off. Another fine weekend in which I have to say the camping wasn't to bad but I won't be rushing to do it again in a hurry.

Keep diving.

Swanage - it must be Saturday

Getting up late having stayed in Southampton with family was perhaps not the best way to start the weekend but fortunately the trip at 6:30 am is not too busy and luckily with the Boat Show started I still managed to get on my way swiftly. My luck was in as I arrived at Swanage Pier just in time to get the last parking space and see everyone else already getting kitted up.

The weekend had been touch and go with poor conditions all week and an easterly wind that really is the worst if you want to dive out of Swanage.

First up on the agenda the Kyarra. The first time I dived on this wreck I had a new computer, uwatec smart tec and like most men I didn't bother reading the instructions. I paid with a 15 minute safety stop because the computer was set to ridiculously cautious micro bubble mode.

On open circuit for the first dive and no camera because I had Steve and Bill doing their deep adventure dive. Simple task of backwards name writing was the order of the day. The short trip out was a touch lumpy which was made slightly worse as we had to wait for a late tide.

The descent was almost uneventful, at it was when I opened Bill's drysuit dump valve. As ever the wreck was fascinating and there was plenty of life to be spotted. It was also a little like diver soup as it seemed that we had been invaded by boats just as we were ready to jump in. Recent weather conditions had meant that several perfume bottles had been found on recent dives. In fact the charter boat had a wiff of ancient perfume when we got on board, actually it was quite pleasant.

Having completed the skills the rest of the dive passed without incident and the weekend was off to a good start.

Getting back to shore the skipper told us turn round in 15 minutes. Some of the team didn't hear this and wandered into town for a bite to eat. An hour later we still couldn't find them. A quick search proved fruitless especially as the skipper was told to look for the chap with the odd hat on. Swanage this weekend was invaded by some form of national festival for Morris men. They were everywhere and I still don't understand why some of them black their faces.

Two down we set off for our second dive, a drift on the ledges. Steve joined Dave and I after a briefing on the techniques involved. Steve coped really well on his first drift and even added in some ballet movements or maybe they were rhythmic gymnastics as he threw cartwheels on the line.

The dive was very relaxing and again just what the doctor ordered. Towards the end I was delighted to spot some scallops which quickly found their way into my pockets.

Back on dry land we Dave and I decided to have a dive under the pier. It was like pea soup, unbelievably poor viz and it made both of us appreciate that we had already had two good dives with good viz for the weather conditions. It was the only dive I took the camera on too, not the right choice.

Having finished the diving it was off to the campsite. I have to confess to not recalling the last time I slept under canvas. Suddenly I discovered that Dave had invited himself to share my tent. Seemed fair actually as having scrounged the use of a frying pan he was quickly cooking the scallops and a lobster that Olly had found. Just enough to give everyone a taste. Wonderful!

A few beers later, a couple of songs later and I didn't even notice the hard ground as I went out like the proverbial light having had a really satisfying day.

Divemaster and Try Dives

This weekend saw another five people qualify at Buckland Lake under the skillful guidance of Mel. Meanwhile due to my in ability to rise to a challenge I had the joys of running the Bristol Half Marathon to look forward to on Sunday. The good news on that front is that I made it round the course and did better than expected. The note to self must be to get out and train more............I am now very sore!

Because I was doing the half Marathon it fell to me to supervise James as he conducted a Discover Scuba Diving Experience with a charming family of four on Saturday afternoon. For those that don't know, once qualified as a Divemaster the next step is to get qualified as a DSD Leader. This requires undertaking at least four separate DSD's under direct supervision of an Instructor.

In my opinion the DSD is probably the most important course that any diving centre runs simply because it is typically the very first real exposure that a diver gets to their new sport. To me it is therefore vital that the experience is positive and fun. Of course that then has to be balanced with safety and the basic requirements to provide certain minimal information.

Working with James and indeed talking through the Orca approach with Gary turned out to be a really useful exercise. The number of DSD's that Gary and I have conducted runs comfortably into thousands so both of us run the whole experience very naturally buoyed by our breadth of experience.

The chance to work with James meant having to really think through what I do and why I do it that way. For example whilst PADI do provide a full flip charted approach I use it sparingly preferring to have the equipment on hand in the classroom. As an Instructor I make a point of relating new information to something the student already understands and this generates involvement and increased speed of learning.

I also insist that we have a toy to play with once in the water. A small task the distracts, is fun to do and causes the student to get comfortable really easily. My preference is the underwater Frisbee but I also have a soft spot for a gliding shark that I have used recently.

All this is topped with the PADI philosophy of get them in the water, after all that is what diving is all about.

I am delighted to report that James did very well indeed especially based on the reactions of the family who I am sure are now on the way to diving together next time the jet off to warmer climes on holiday.

Another first for me on Saturday was that we used our new venue for the first time. We have secured the use of Castleton school pool in Wickford. I had not visited before though I was very impressed. The facilities were excellent and most importantly the water was toasty. I am certainly looking forward to using the pool in the future.

South Woodham Staff have a go!

All summer this year Gary has been running a scuba diving camp for local school children as part of the Chelmsford Borough activities programme. He has had great fun taking groups of eager and sometime challenging children into the pool for a first hand expeience of scuba diving. He has not done this alone either because on every session he has had the assistance of some of the very capable staff at the swimming pool. Occasionally also one of the other members of Orca has helped out too.

This summer saw us using South Woodham Ferrers swimming pool which is always great and the staff are always first rate, friendly and helpful. It seemed logical to us that as we had so much help from the staff we should also give them the chance to experience what the children had enjoyed.

On Sunday we did just that and got eight girls looking fabulous in diving gear and from the look of things having great fun doing it.

I got the chance to simply observe and capture the scene on my camera whilst our new Divemasters were put through there paces as they each took on a group to talk them through this first experience on scuba.

I still really get a kick from watching people get in the water for their first ever diving experience and this was no different. Anyway please enjoy the photographs and thanks to the Woodham team for being so cool.