Baygitano

A change of plan put me on first wave, buddied with Caroline. Also diving were Paul L and his friend Paul. Chris and Debbie boathandled. Bumpy but quick ride out. Was nice to get in the water, which was noticeably warmer than the air. Sorted a few minor snags etc on way down. Vis 4-5m.

Shot was near engine block and from there made our way to the boilers, then past winches and plates to bow. My first time at the bow - having explored the stern section on previous dives, and was very pleased to see it - quite impressive. Conger and John Dory as well as plentiful bib, pollack, ballan and cuckoo wrasse. Brown sponge fingers on slab. Blobbed at bow. Felt a bit cold on ascent - and even colder in the boat. Snorkel useful today, sorting out a clip in C’s BC, and retrieving fin.

Boat handled in afternoon. Quite choppy (and cold) very good practise chugging up to shot and marker buoys. [Rip off (£8+) parking at Lyme Regis and toilets locked].

Brixham

Babbacombe

Weather looking a bit rubbishy but Babbacombe would be fine. Strong NW winds 30-40mph were forecast and later on it was very windy; water riffled in the bay, and white horses further out. Tide was neapy and low tide put in not a problem (and the vis ok too 5-6m). Gloomy weather to begin with, then some sunnier spells and rainbows. Geoff H soon appeared and I finished my leisurely kit up. I took the blob and led - it seemed much easier than last week, and took pictures and navigated. I made more use of the QR clip and simply used a finger to hold it aside if required going about. Only one minor kit addition (after losing knife on Friday) was Jon's hosepipe knife-holder and ordinary kitchen knife for a spare.

Part of plan was to go out and find anemone covered anchor. Early in dive Geoff managed to catch my attention and point out the John Dory. Snapped a few pictures and got a few ok ones [I only noticed later that it was infested with ectoparasites]. We got to some larger reef, with lots of snakelocks and velvet swimmer crabs, had a look around that before heading out over the sand. I quike like the sand, especially in good, there is actually lots to see. There were hermit crabs and a few harbour crab, and delicate anemones. After a while (thanks to the 5-6m vis) we located the anchor. As before there were large long-legged spider crabs, tunicates, and sponges; also [again spotted in photographs later] several unidentifiable species 'possibly' nut crabs', and a Pisidia longicornis (a little crab with round shell and big right claw).

We had a look round the anchor then headed back to the reef, and followed that. There were some nice big bits to look round and lots of debris. Some of the 'items' I'd seen before, some I hadn't, like the piece in the picture below that had a row of parallel bars, and a cylindrical base(?) that had angled pipes coming in at the side. Onwards and eventually a dark bulk loomed up, it was 'mushroom' rock. Mushroom rock is a big rock shaped like a mushroom. Its sides and overhang are covered with a dense and colourful carpet of sponges, as well as tunicates, anemones, and algae. We surfaced here ending the dive, with only a very short surface swim back to beach. I was pleased with my navigation. Usually it's crap.

Swanage Pier

Had a day off, so we went to Swanage in Dorset to snorkel under the famous pier. 30-40mph NW winds, and quite cold; but vis was good 5m. Useful facilities, dive school/shop, air, very easy access and entry to water, toilet (open in winter!) and a shower. Chip shops and cafes are a short walk into town. Imagine extremely busy in summer.

Anyway, the pier is fantastic. Went in down steps and over stony and weedy shallows to the left of pier (lots of crab burrows). Then under the pier and worked my way along, (careful to mind anglers lines - they moaned noisily anyway) and tied blob to a girder while under pier. There are a few clumps of fishing line to avoid. Interesting bits of metal, pipe, and rubble etc litter the bottom.

For fish there were Wrasse, gobies, sand smelt, a dragonet. Probably because the tidal range is minimal there is interesting turfy growth very shallow (usually piers just get covered with barnacles or mussels or bladderwrack). All kinds of colourful sponges are embedded in the growth, and tunicates, sea firs, etc and there are lots of hiding places for small life in the crumbling wooden parts of the structure - which itself is quite picturesque. Also found edible crab, and prawns on the 'new' pier. The old pier is similar and also good for a look round, it's stony and weedier. I found some fan worms here. Fine sand beyond.

Was in the water 2 hours. Cold getting in, and felt cooler later, with numb toes but otherwise warm enough in 5-7mm wetsuit (10kg on belt just right). Lost a knife, not a big deal, just glad I hadn't bothered cleaning it.

Babbacombe

Paul L, Derek and Lucy, and myself dived Babbacombe on Sunday; vis wasn't great - a bit misty - but it was a lovely day and very nice dive. WNW/flat calm. High tide at 8am was ideal. Did the brief, then I led Derek and Lucy according to plan, while round and about Paul on his re-breather lurked 'in stealth mode' and assessed my leading. Ballan wrasse, gobies, lots velvet swimmer crabs, prawns, a long-legged spider crab 'skin'. No underwater pictures - too busy!

On the way back we stopped at Smugglers Cove (Holcombe) to look at access for shore-diving Parson and Clerk rocks.

Shoalstone (Brixham)

Forecast was 45mph WSW, and not looking great, but decided to have a look - and it turned out well. Shoalstone Point sheltered; it was also neapy. Vis was ~3 metres. So had a very good dive of 67min (max 10m) with Derek and Geoff. Headed out from near the swimming pool 330° (then left) and explored the low reefy and bouldery stuff. Derek and Geoff got a few scallops, but they were sparse and of these not many were big enough. I concentrated on photography.

Quickly the kelp thinned out and there was good weedy turf, and lots of trumpet anemones. Apart from the gobies there didn't seem to be any fish around, but found there to be amazing variety of crabs: harbour, long-legged spider, hermit (in whelk, top, and tower shells) velvet swimmer, angular, and a particularly interesting spot - a Bryer's nut crab (above).

I took quite a few pictures. I use the custom settings on my camera to allow me to switch between close-up mode (where I need, and it's ok, to use flash) and general shooting. It was made more of a challenge as Derek's new flexible split fins wafted the silt from the bottom most effectively.

Started to feel quite cool after 40-60 minutes but was nice and light when the sun was out. No headache or anything - drinking plenty before the dive seems to be working well. All in all a very interesting and enjoyable dive.