Chesil Cove

A trip organised by Russ off YD (also on Top Gun earlier in the month). Good to meet some more of the YDers and put more faces to names. The weather was brilliant and there was hardly any swell so getting in and out was very easy. Geoff and I had two good dives on Saturday; one out and back down to about 11 m, then a more meandering one south then north along the beach down to about 15 m. Vis was 2 m, lots of green and brown plankton. But was fine for macro photography and we only separated toward the end of the second dive. Varied terrain, pebbly slopes, low reef with sandy patches, more bouldery to the south. Lots of creatures: fan worms, nudibranch, spider crabs, pipefish, gurnard, cuttlefish and a little cuttlefish. The little cuttlefish was too quick for me; it popped up out the sand right under my nose and scooted away leaving a few blobs of ink.

Burgh Island / Ramillies

On Top Gun from Plymouth. Trip organised by Pete (PeeBee) off YD, and Nick L. Burgh Island 20m to interesting reefy ridges vis 2m. Nice dive with lots of colourful wildlife.

Ramillies wreckage lies off some big sea cave in rock. Scattered and worn pieces of wreck around and about (perhaps!) at 10m. Vis 0.5m. Cold/kelpy.

Separated from Geoff after a minute or so. Vis so poor I sent up the blob and surfaced. Then BC wouldn't stay fully inflated [checked and is ok]. Plenty of air (and wearing an inflatable suit!) so didn't need to ditch weight.

James Eagan Layne

Boathandled with Derek on 1st wave. Dived with Derek on 2nd Wave. Sunny and calm; then windier/cloudier a bit choppier in the afternoon. 19m max. 30min. 7°C (ice-cream head). Vis 5.5m. Derek took pictures and I had a good look round and a rummage: engine, tanks, masts, winches etc,.. lots to see plus ironmongery, and other hardware e.g the Gustin-Bacon 'gruvagrip' 4" pipe-clamp inserts. Back up to 8m and top of the wreck. Very nice dive.

HMS Scylla / James Eagan Layne

Two very good shake-down dives. Went with Geoff and JC people on Discovery Diver's Red Alert (Bovisand). Just one RIB on the Scylla when we arrived. Vis 3-4m. Water cold and glad of an extra jumper. Had 26m (40min) on the Scylla and then 19m (50min) on JEL. A bit of current on the Scylla, and got out of it along the port side. Had a look in the holes. Most interesting and nicest part of the Scylla this dive was the stern.

JEL seemed much more open in places than I remember; though plenty of hull plate and deck beams still standing, and the bow intact. Had a good look round swimming through the wreck. Crates of small rings (wheel rims?), poles/pipes, girders and ironmongery, large bucket things; and found a few of the spoked iron wheels - very scenic with lots of hydroids.

Flat calm and cloudless on way out. Wind got up later, clouded over, and was quite lumpy coming back especially around Penlee point.

Babbacombe

Dived with Geoff H. Very cold but sunny. Water looked OK from breakwater but vis a few metres out was just 1-1.5m. Water was cold 8°C and was chilly throughout dive.

Nothing much moving. Best thing I saw was a nice colourful group of juvenille wrasse under a little overhang. Good to get in the water but things need to pick up a bit. [Most of Jan/Feb wiped out - in Lyme Bay anyway - by rough weather or rain spoiling the vis].

Pommeranian / Baygitano

Moidart / East Tennants Reef

Babbacombe (night dive)

Lincoln / Bucks

Hellopes / Conqueror

HMS Scylla

Fine weather (after a dull start) with light NW winds and very slight sea - all good for our day's diving out of Plymouth. Bryan and Terry, Adrian and Jake, Dave B and me were on the first wave. Chris and Debbie boathandled. Vis was ok (just a bit snotty) 4 metres or so. Minimal current. Lots of other divers on it though, two hardboats arrived about the same time as us.

Dave and I went in and had a good dive; stopped at the bow briefly, then around the decks, along to the hanger and back, looking in some of the holes and hatches, poking around generally. There were lots of anemones and starfish, bass, pollack, wrasse, and a tompot blenny.

In the afternoon Adrian and I boathandled taking Chris and Debbie, and Geoff M and Sara out to the Scylla; and they all had good dives I think. Most of the other boats were now on the James Eagan Layne, the sun had come out and it was quite nice. I didn't ram any other vessels or maim anyone, so that was nice as well.

Louis Shied

We got to Thurlstone and the car park at Milton Sands for ~9 and caught up with Geoff and Derek. Weather fine and sunny, ENE and ~10mph. Sea flat calm and vis looked great.

Geoff and Abigail dived together, and I went in with Derek. We set off from the corner of the beach snorkelling over to the front of the rocks. Eventually I located some frames and then one of the boilers. We went down and had a look around these. Nice lobster (perhaps the 'OAP' the parking attendant told me about later), and a great little clump of fan worms. I managed to scare the worms, but they came back out so I think Derek did eventually get his picture. One of the boiler pipes had 4-5 leopard spot gobies inside. Wrasse were everywhere, and bib beneath the metal work [Abigail saw a John Dory].

There's an interesting criss-cross structure; not sure what this is. And we looked around a few more big pieces and along the propshaft and then, after about an hour, decided to head back to the shore and look around the reefy bits on the way. Nice and light, plenty of colour and bright clean sandy patches. Lots of tiny prawns. Halfway, I found another lobster and lost Derek. I had a look round for him and sent a blob up. And that was about it. Short surface swim back in.

There's a little bit of a walk down from the car park and and across the beach but well worth it for lovely relaxed dive. Enjoying the lovely views and fresh air and so on, we walked over to Rocky's hut for chippies (there were 'nae pasties'!) and a cup of tea.

Brixham Breakwater

Derek and I dived Brixham on Sunday. Vis wasn't great - 3m - milky and snotty, and a bit gloomy. But it was worth it! Especially if you like crabs.

We went off the beach and had a look round the eel-grass. Not a lot here that we could see, then carried on eastwards along the edge of the reefy stuff where it turns into rock strewn silt, and I spotted a couple of cuttlefish. Saw the usual gobies (lots of 2-spots in the weedier places) and dragonets around, but little else I can remember- till we got to the 'nice' reefs with the trumpet anemones. We had a look around here then looped west back across the bay.

Before very long- about half way through the dive- we stumbled on a great horde of spiny spider crabs. We'd just seen one or two, then realised the crusty monsters were everywhere. Neither of us had seen so many in one place, and some were absolute giants. After a few snaps we let them think they'd seen us off and we carried on- over silt and spider crab remains. Around the derelicts, twiggy, long legged spider crabs scavenged.

Continuing our crab-fest, we enjoyed velvet swimmer crabs, harbour/swimmer crabs (I like how they swim!), and little angular crabs - scampering away, pincers out-stretched, saying 'I'm BIG'. There were a few edibles, and lots of hermit crabs - many of the larger ones weighed down with outsize parasitic anenomes.

Some other things live there too, like burrowing anemones, worms and brittlestars.

We surfaced at the beach, near the wall, after 86 minutes. Good plan of Derek's and navigation,.. and was pleased with him for zipping up my difficult drysuit.

Shoalstone Point

Met up with Geoff and Derek at Shoalstone point. A gloomy morning, overcast, windy (WSW) and showery. I wore my wetsuit, thinking it would have warmed up a little more - my last UK dive in it was fine; but it was actually colder than June and the whole 70 minutes very chilly. Just before we dived I noticed my compass's disk spinning wildly and realised it had burst. Underwater it re-filled a bit and worked, though not very well.

Vis was about 3m and the large cruddy weeds and soupy water quite novel! This time off the pool we veered east along the edge of the reef/stones. Could have used my camera but just fancied a dive without and didn't miss it too much. Creatures I recall inclded, 2-spot gobies, small wrasse and a couple of smallish cuttlefish, trumpet anemones and parasitic anemones, a squat lobster and a tiny yellow feather-star. Quite surprised to find (on reef) some more sea-hares - I thought they'd all gone. Also some small scallops, and lots tiny netted whelks. A 1" cuttlefish I later found on the sand flashed patterns just as a fully grown ones I've seen. Back over the weed at the end of the dive Geoff saw a big dogfish.

Cold, poor vis, but overall quite enjoyed it and being back in green water.

Ras Ghozlani (Ras Mohamed National Park)

Shark / Yolande

Dunraven

Reef nr Dunraven

Rosalie Muller

1/2

Barge

Night Dive with Caroline.

Ulysses

Barge (Gubal)

Chrisoula K

Giannis D

Day/Night

Kimon M

Zodiac again through reef to the Kimon M, also known as the 'Lentil Wreck'. One of the biggest we dived I think; a fairly modern wreck - built in 1952, and ran aground here 1975.

Impressive hull, stern section (prop and vanes). Pipefish on the hull. Up and around bridge, where we saw a big napoleon wrasse. Went around the upper decks (some nice purple soft corals), getting into deco so kept shallow. Very little current. Had a look at the reef on ascent. Left the reef for final ascent on blob.

Carnatic

Zodiac ride out though gap in reef. Splashing in was a bundle and there were a few knocks, though everyone did roll off at the same time. On the bottom it was a little dark and melancholic (still early in the day) but a great wreck.

Little striped partner gobies (they live with a prawn) in the sand near the stern. We went up through wreck, though not much to see within; then over the big gap between the stern and bow sections, and over the bow. Good views over the hull and we stood off the bows and I took a few pictures. Very pleasant dive; safety stop over the wreck passed quickly, current almost nil.

Sh'ab Abu Nahas

Surperb night dive. Off back of Typhoon with Adrian and down to reef. Against slight current with reef on left shoulder. Could see the lights of the other buddy pairs for a short while but we soon dispersed. I had my small UK torch and mini UK torch strapped to strobe as a modelling light (this would be sufficient).

Wildlife included large basket stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, thorny starfish, red blotchy starfish, various sea cucumbers and a brilliant spanish dancer. Tiny pink coral crabs and a striped prawn. Stonefish, rabbitfish. A tiny cuttlefish, and my first cone shell!

Good moonlight views up the coral reef. Started back after 25 minutes but drifted back in 10 and had time to potter around a bit more. For taking pictures much easier swimming into current.

Kingston

Shortly arrived at Shag Rock, and after lunch I went for a snorkel around the Kingston. Wore rash vest and hood to keep sun off - and could have used a few kilo's of lead. Had a good look at the layout, found the spare propeller, boilers, mast and crows nest easily enough.

Then in the afternoon we dived it. Nice relaxed dive. Adrian and me jumped off back of Typhoon and went straight down to the stern (attractive stern counter) and propeller. Then swam alongside and then back through holds. Out from wreck on starboard side to swim along the reef. There is a lone propeller that side - though higher on the reef. Anyway Adrian had stopped to investigate a very large rectangular block, and while he was looking at that, I spotted a turtle swimming in our direction, and Mike further up. I got Adrian and we had a closer look. The turtle seemed oblivious to us as it munched on soft coral. We watched for a while (we thought better of grabbing it and riding it around - like the guy does in 'Silent World') then swam back to the wreck.

Kingston was shallow and picturesque, ideal for Mike's students to practice their new camera skills. Lots of interesting fish and nice coral. Red starfish with white dots.

Thistlegorm

Down to the explosion and out to the port side locomotive. Some current but not too bad. Into holds again and saw more of the cargo, including the wellies, and on the way out Lysander wings, and Beaufighter/Beaufort cowlings, coils of cable, rifles etc,..

Plenty of wildlife, batfish, lionfish, crocodilefish, cornetfish, yellow spotted boxfish and a blue spotted stingray. Also some delicate transparent jellyfish.

Went around fore-decks, rail-tanks. Saw Chris and Debs. Lots of divers later arrived in groups from the other liveaboards. [9 min @ 6m].

* * * * *

Current a lot stronger on the second dive. Went over starboard side to anchor chain and followed it, over reefy boulders and sandy patches, out to the anchor. On the starboard side we passed the second locomotive, and then veered back to the ship and up the side. Had a look round some more rooms and found the bathtub.

Dunraven (Sha'ab Mahmoud/Beacon Rock)

Check-out dive. Buddied with Adrian. Zodiac took us to the reef. Superb vis (20m+) and lovely warm blue water. Unicorn fish, butterfly fish, big-eye, painted wrasse; a blue spotted ray, pipefish, and moray. Ulli showed us prawns and nudibranch.

Very nice wreck, upturned hull very encrusted with coral and with lots of soft coral around the gap in the bow. Lots coral feeding. Descent over reef and swim along bottom alongside wreck to the stern. Swam around the propeller and rudder. Then over top and through forward section past boilers.

Re: kit. Weight fine, 10kg good guess with all new factors (would drop to 9kg). 2x12l (aluminium), 3mm long-john type suit and rash-vest. Long time since I'd used the long-johns; and realise now how easy they are to get in an out of!

Thistlegorm

With Ulli guiding (we didn't want to miss anything!) Adrian, Phil, Jake, and me went down the line from Typhoon to a spot behind bridge structure, then made our way down over the peeled back deck and tangle of the explosion - littered with shells and bits of truck. We swam towards the stern section and rounded upperdeck and gun platform. Stern very intact with rails etc. Looked around here a bit, and went back the way we came. Extremely large naval shells (but I missed the universal carriers).

Crossing back over the 'explosion' we entered the wreck, our route taking us past the Bedford trucks and motorbikes. Then up and around fore superstructure and rail tanks to the winches, bow, and anchor chain. About the bow, current was quite brisk and we made a rapid drift along the port side. Past the davits and just a little further along the deck to the shot. Excellent first dive on one of the most famous Red Sea wrecks!

* * * *

So, my first ever 'proper' night dive was to be the Thistlegorm! Buddied with Phil and Jake, we made our way down shot, and dropped into the fore hold. After a good look round here (below big truck) we swam up to bow. Scorpionfish (easier to see at night), crocodile fish, lionfish, yellow/blue spotted box fish, long-spined sea urchins, and an interesting shiny/'terracotta' crab. Lots other divers lights, and it got busier later. Far less currrent this time. Back on board greeted with hot chocolate!

Brixham / Breakwater Beach

Went to have a look in spite of weather forecast and we (Geoff and me) had excellent 6m vis, and some sunshine! Very nice easy and very shallow dive - just 5m. Few other divers there getting ready, but the place very nice and quiet.

Off the beach we went north and east and pottered along at the edge of the rocks. Mixed weed and remnants of kelp. Nice reefy slabs. Found a larger rock with a small tunnel that had sponges, dead-men's fingers, small anemones, sea squirts and horse-shoe worms. I'd brought my camera - just in case - and got a few pictures of a black-faced blenny. He was quite bold - much like the tompots sometimes are.

So close to Shoalstone expected to see a few sea hares - but there were none. Lots of tiny netted-whelks. Spiny, and velvet swimmer crabs. A solitary brittlestar.

Still fine, we sat out and had a bacon sandwich and a cuppa. Coming home I made the mistake of taking us around Paignton on the main road and got stuck in the Torquay/Newton traffic.

Babbacombe

North/north-east from slipway with Geoff and Derek. Swam out a little way before dropping down and heading directly to Mushroom Rock. Been here a few times before, it has some nice boulders around it; and the rock itself has a good overhang. Small anemones and sponges (some like melted cheese), hydroids, and a few Dead men's fingers.

Sprats on the way out, plus usual ballan wrasse, gobies, and dragonet. Vis wasn't quite as good as looked from the beach- about 3m, murky and bitty. Had been about 4-5m a few days earlier for Geoff and Derek but most likely rain has messed it up. It wasn't terrible but just seemed bad compared to Salcombe the other weekend!

Carried on N a bit then left along edge of reefy weedy stuff and out over sand and the gravel ridges. No sign of the anchor or the rope (a nice thick piece of rope we found once that was covered with plumose anemones). Saw all the usual crabs, one or two edibles and masked, and lots of velvet, harbour, spiny, long-legged spider, and hermit (with parasitic anemones).

On the way back, I stopped to look at something and when I caught up with my companions they looked a bit different - then I realised I'd found two other divers - so I gave an OK signal and skulked away! I think one of them must have had yellow fins. Anyway I was starting to get lower on air and it was all a bit gloomy, so I sent up a blob and surfaced. Derek's marker was about 15-20 yards away and Geoff surfaced as I reached them. A heavy rain shower as we swam in soon passed and the sun got out.

Gammon Head

With Bryan boathandling, Derek, Lucy and I dived some reefy gullies off Gammon head. Chris and Les were also diving on the first wave. Similar swell and lumpiness as yesterday. SW breeze and sun and showers. Underwater vis pretty good, 6-8m maybe; and some current, so 'bit' of a drift dive.

A lot of kelp on top of the rocks but some less kelpy bits with weed and sea firs. Nice turfy gullies to swim along, with pink sea fans, boring sponges, bright yellow 'antler' sponges, crater sponge, elephant's ear and so on. Attached to a sea fan and one of those antler sponges were several egg-cases - 'mermaid's purse'. Also quite tiny coils of nudibranch eggs (and a tiny yellow/orange tipped nudi egg-laying). A few fish around - cuckoo wrasse, the odd dragonet, and lots of fry.

My spare spare mask was fine - not as nice visibility as the frameless but ok. As for weight 10.5kg about right for 12l+3l bottles and wetsuit. On our stop, enjoying weightlessness and the clear sunlit water, Lucy spotted a nice blue jellyfish.

Not long after we were back on Mir, Chris and Les appeared. All on board, as Les got his breath back after his exertions, we tidied up the boat, collected the shot, and Bryan drove us home.

Back at North Sands it was time for a rest and some food - of which I was glad we'd bought our own, as the Prawn cafe was a 'bit' on the expensive side! Being mostly sunny it was nice to sit around on the grass, while the 2nd wave went back to the Soudan. Eveyone had a nice dive there I think, and jammy Sara saw the 'Great Soudan Conger' out of its lair and free swimming!

Soudan

Arriving at a blustery North Sands on Saturday morning to boat handle for the 1st wave, the dark grey sea didn't look exactly inviting; pretty lumpy in fact as a fishing boat lolloped along over the infamous sand bar. It wasn't really too bad.

Once out of the river mouth we turned left and chugged along in the direction of Prawle Point where Geoff M and Sara, Terry and Bryan, Chris and Debbie dived a reef just east of Gammon Head. Tide, a couple of pots (and some crap steering) made it awkward to retrieve the shot. By the time Adrian hauled it aboard it was time to start picking up our divers. Return trip was a little bouncy and there was a bit more boat traffic off the beach. All good practise- and I needed the coaching- so thank you all for that (no one was 'actually' sick). Everyone enjoyed their dives, and the reef very pretty and full of life.

Back at base I put my stuff together, and got ready for the Soudan which I was diving with Anne. [I just checked and it was the one (a French steamship) loaded up with peanuts]. Adrian was diving in a three with former club members Mark and Cathy.

Adrian, Mark and Cathy went in first. And Anne and I stayed to assist Derek in the boat as it was quite choppy, and would make diver retrieval much easier. When it came to our turn Anne and I made our way down the shot into the current. Vis was a good 15m. We swam a short distance to the boilers where we found an old lobster (I also saw a squat lobster) and two conger. One of them was VERY big. Around and about pieces of heavily encrusted and broken wreck poking out of clean white sand. We followed a line of girders to section of hold covered with red weed and sea firs. Then went along some prop-shaft towards the stern where we found an upturned tender. We rounded the stern and made our way back swimming across the current.

Back at the boilers we begun our ascent up the shot. All was well, but I was to have some mask trouble. I was using an different mask as my usual Oceanic one had split, and it flooded each time I looked at my computer on our 6m stop (each time I'd thought I'd fixed it!). Quite glad when we'd done our time and could surface. Otherwise a great dive.

Morris Rogue (off Meadfoot Beach)

Had for a long while wanted to dive this submerged rock outcrop off Meadfoot beach. With neapy tide, fine weather and 5-6 metres vis, it was a good time to try it.

Towing a DSMB we swam straight out to East Shag Rock then bore 120° until the small rock of Thatcher lined up with Orestone. I couldn't see Shag Rock/Daddyhole car park scrub transit. After some re-adjustment, I did a final check on the back-bearing and transit and we dropped down right next to a sloping mound of rock with lots of plumose anemones, dead mens fingers, boring sponges and sea firs.

Round and about in all other directions flatish and silty - deep soft silt, black a few inches down, littered with razor shells, mussels etc,.. with feeding starfish here and there. I sorted myself out and we went off nice and slowly anti-clockwise around the rock - which grew and became more craggy and interesting as we followed it round, to the 3-4 metres stated in South Devon Diver guide.

There were lots of colourful Dahlia, browny Daisy anenomes, and a rich animal turf (with bryozoans, sea-squirts, sponges etc). Wicked looking velvet fiddler crabs, harbour crabs, as well as a few edibles lurked around the base of the rock or perched up the sides. Most remarkable was the number of long-legged spider crabs (scorpion etc,..) I'm not sure of the types, they're a bit similar and can be difficult to tell appart when they're covered with crud. Also a one-armed -and pretty sorry looking- lobster, a small cuttlefish, and a nudibranch I'd not seen before.

There weren't masses of fish around the rock: a few wrasse, a tompot blenny, but lots of dragonet, gobies (inc. leopard spot and what was most likely a giant goby), and a scorpion fish. On the silt were worms, razor-shells, anenomes, brittlestars, netted whelks and hermit crabs.

After a go round the rock we headed north toward the coast. Found a few smaller reefy bits (low vis round one of these) on the way. We got about halfway back before needing to surface and swim the rest of the way, which didn't take very long. We had 75 minutes, max 12m. Wetsuit comfortable.

I thought it was a really good dive and would do it again one day, if I could find it!

Pros: lots of interesting animal life (especially, I reckon, the long legged spider crabs), it's exposed to current, below the kelp, and fairly craggy with a variety of habitats. (12-14m). Cons: long (600m) swim, would be easy to miss, boat traffic. Requires a buddy with patience and some stamina.

Note: would avoid springs if not diving from boat.

Shoalstone, Brixham

A very nice dive staying mainly around the low reefy ledges fairly close in (a bit over the sandy/silty stuff) and taking it very easy. Vis was much better than last time. Lots of interesting wildlife, including nudibranchs, usual crabs and a recently moulted long-legged spider crab, 2-spot gobies - and the trumpet anemones. Also, very many sea hares, sometimes stuck together in a chain.

We went first north from the carpark then west with the current - which felt quite strong but wasn't in fact too bad as we hadn't drifted as far as I thought. Derek towed the blob, so I was able to concentrate more on concentrate a bit more than I would otherwise have, on photography and testing a new camera case - all fine. But undersuit wet and right arm soaked; almost certainly the zip (which kinks and the fabric on which the teeth are set is broken).

Bretagne / Galicia

Met up with Geoff at Exmouth's fish quay, and very soon on the Wave Chieftan (trip organised by Doc and Jurassic Coast Divers), enjoying flat calm sea and sunny skies.

Vis wasn't great, but although it was quite gloomy it wasn't as dark as my previous dive there. We went down the shot and as requested of the last pair in wrapped the chain around one of the anchor hooks (vis was very bad here). Off we went and mainly swam along and around the deck. Short animal turf, lots Dead men's fingers, some pink sea fans. Found a small nudibranch. Some fish - inc. tompot blennies in pipes etc. Just below 100bar I sent the blob up. Geoff liked the lift on the back and somehow maneuvered himself to get on it first! It was good! Richard Tibbs the skipper also provided lots of tea and mars bars!

On the Galicia, the vis was better and the dive overall pleasanter. Didn't see very much line, and no monofilament net. Bib and pollack. Some edible crab. Those nice white anemones. Short trip back to Exmouth to unload, and took a few pictures on the way. I was using the AF35 strobe, I think for the first time since flooding it - and it was fine! [The good thing now is I'm not in the least worried about it knocking about in the bottom of a boat - any use I get out of it is a bonus.] Geoff and Abigail went back out and dived Straight Point (left out of Exmouth) a reefy dive with gullies that's supposed to be quite good.

Charlestown Shipwreck Museum

Excellent museum! Lots of old dive gear and an amazing variety of artefacts: cargo, personal belongings, ammunition, fittings, and shipwreck memorabilia. Also displays about Charleston, the quay and village life (with mannequins etc).

A couple of things from the centre included this 1920s German diving suit. The ballbearing joints seized up at depth and it became completely immobile far before its intended operating depth. Used more as observation bell, than for anything fiddly. The German divers that brought it over to Britain for a job didn't think much of it themselves - and were apparently a bit wary of it! The bulge round the middle is a ballast tank.

And I liked this early dive computer - and the box with the skinny bird (with the weight belt hanging off her). It's didn't look too much bigger than the one Paul L lent me to try when I was learning to dive!

The centre was very good value and we could have spent longer there. Yas was a bit weary, but my ears were quite painful and was unable to appreciate as much as I might have.

The earache was from an ear infection (trapped water and so on). By the time we left Charlestown I really wanted to get something for it, but the very heavy traffic stopped us getting into town (St Austell) so I went to Boots the Chemist in Bodmin. That was a complete waste of time. The lady at the pharmacy counter said there was nothing they would give me and I went away feeling a bit stupid for thinking they would help me - if not for the pain, for the infection; as well as half deaf, in pain, and with a tiring drive ahead of me (after even more paracetamol and ibuprofen I managed a little sleep in a layby).

Back home I made some ear drops from surgical spirit and white vinegar (50/50); these would have to do the weekend until I could get a prescription. [A few days later Yasmin got some Swim Ear too to try - it smells just like tape cassette cleaning fluid and costs £5 a bottle! I think my homemade stuff will be just as good for getting rid of trapped water after a dive/swimming.

Roskilly

A diving couple at Porthkerris told us they'd been at Roskilly, near Newlyn. I decided to take a look, and maybe snorkel there as it would be sheltered etc,.. Would be a nice shore dive - not sure what's further out, but rocky with sandy patches and below kelp lots of life, inc. cushion stars. Sprats, mullet, tompot blenny, and a couple of Cyanea Larmarkii (blue jellyfish).

Took a couple of awful pictures - blaming kelp, inadequate lung capacity,.. and before too long the flooded battery compartment on my AF35 strobe. The flood was my fault for not tightening the nut (the cover can be attached and in place but not sealed). Anyway that made bit of a mess, opening it up to find grey sludge and burnt terminals, I got rid of the batteries and flushed it out with water. Later on flushed with mouthwash (alcoholic see - and all I had!) and cleaned with cotton buds. Still looking horrible and one of the springs broken. Back home I made a new spring out of a top (B or E) guitar string - it had to be springy enough not to prevent a seal from being made. Anyway I dropped that in and the thing actually works!

Vase Rock (Manacles) / Drawna Rock

Slick excursion to Vase Rock. Kitted up went down the beach to walk onto the Celtic Kitten (the front drops down and makes a ramp). Finished getting small bits of kit on, and in nearly no time at all we were over the reef. There was going to be some tide, but sheltered to the N of the rock. Derek and I went in and down the steppy pinnacle. On the way I saw a nice lobster. Flash AF35 not working wonderfully (could have been the deflector or batteries - dunno). Then caught up with Derek at about 25 metres. We went back up, anticlockwise around the pinnacle. Impressive walls of jewel anemones. There were urchins, sea fans etc,. also cuckoo wrasse and the occasional pollack.

At the top of the pinnacle, nice views over the gullies. Saw some of the other divers making their ascent and I did the blob and we followed not long after. They'd gone to 30+ but we'd had a bit longer.

Later on Derek and I did a last dive round Drawna rock. We swam along the inside of the rock to the deep part at the northern end. The plan was to swim round this end and go over to the reefy lump about 15m-20 further north still, where I had promised Derek that there were trumpet anemones. Lots more sea hares 'cuddling' and spiny starfish on the move - busy attacking things. Nice swim back around the seaward side - even though it is a bit weedy, nice and lumpy.

Drawna Rock / Porthkerris Cove