Babbacombe

Excellent weather (sunny NW breeze) and vis at sheltered Babbacombe. Water a cool °8C. Early start and in the water at 08:00. HW (spring) was about 09:00. Went in with Derek and we headed ~45° from the slip and found Mushroom rock (a mushroom shaped rock) had bit of a look round it. Turfy with sponges and soft coral and small jewel anemones. Lost Derek but found him again easily enough. Then went N a little and W (left). Over some fairly bouldery stuff (below). Velvet swimmer crabs and squat lobsters in crevices. Snakelock anemones. Then over rubble becoming smaller and siltier. Common starfish. A bit further on crossed sand/gravel ridges.

Many hermit crabs; but also lots of masked crabs (carapace 40-60cm) which would scurry about and eventually decide to quickly dig in backwards to escape. Derek found a rockling which he thought was dead. There were some netted whelks on it - and some hermit crabs interested in it - but it 'woke-up' swam about and even had a go at Derek before settling down again and rolling on its side.

We didn't find the anchor this time (though agreed we were probably close). But a solitary orange plumose anemone. I played a bit more with my camera set up - using another layer of green plastic taped over the built in flash to compensate on flash photos for the orange filter. On no-flash 'landscape' pictures I manually set white balance. On flash pictures I just used Auto White Balance. Using custom settings C1 and C2 I could switch from macro to landscape and their particular settings very easily.

We made our way back to mushroom rock. javascript:void(0)Lots of fry about. Had another and closer look at the growth there and the jewel anemones. Up to the wall (our dive time 70 minutes) and surface swam to the slipway. Lots more people about now and the car park full. With the sun in my eyes I strayed onto the green weed and slipped collapsing forward, jarring my shoulder; should be ok. Sorted kit out and had a cup of tea at the cafe enjoying the sun and the sight of the clear blue/green water we had just dived.

Eddystone Rock / Mewstone

Near perfect weather and neap tide combined for a superb opportunity to take the rib to Eddystone Rock.

With Brian boathandling we cleared the Sound and sped for Eddystone, skimming over wine dark sea, the wind in our hair, filled with anticipation,.. I stared hard at the hazy horizon for a first glimpse of the lighthouse, and eventually, about two thirds the way there I could make it out.

We drew up to the edifice and its stumpy neighbour, the remainder of Smeaton's tower; the workers on the helipad waved to us, and we chugged around looking for a place to drop in. I couldn't believe we were actually there and I took a few snaps so I could prove it later! After all the preparation, getting kit ready and faffing about (and I wasn't even helming or task loaded) it was time to dive :)

I went in with Adrian and we made a free descent to 40m (to achieve my first post-DL depth progression). The vis was amazing (20+ metres), and it was remarkably light even at 40 metres. I tried taking a few pictures but although my G9's case was rated to 40m the buttons didn't work! I took mental pictures and enjoyed the scenery. It was hard to know where to look first, the rocks were plastered with jewel anemones, interspersed with dahlia anemones and many others, as well as fuzzy dead men's fingers, sea fans, massess of hydroids, sea firs, etc,..

It was wonderful. All that was missing were the pink and girlish sea-monkeys of the old comic-book adverts. We turned around and headed back up the rocky slope (at 40m after 10 minutes I had just 1 minute of no-deco remaining). Our ascent took in more lovely scenery, and later I managed to get a few macro shots of hydroids and a nudibranch Archidoris pseudoargus - aka 'sea-lemon' of which we saw several, as well as their abundant coils of spawn.

We took a few pictures of each other, Adrian sent up a blob, and we drifted over some pointy kelp-topped pinacles continuing our ascent. On the surface, and in the boat, stowing kit I knew I had to return!

We picked up Chris and Debbie and returned to Plymouth, riding in the wake of a fast hard boat to help save fuel. We sorted ourselves out and I fetched a bottle for my dive with Harriet at the Mewstone. Also diving in the afternoon were Brian and Hilary, Geoff and Sara M.

We approached Mewstone shortly after a search for swimmers there had been called off and Geoff and Sara got in followed by Harriet and myself. We made a steady and gradual descent to allow Harriet to clear her ears, but after some discomfiture with a neck seal Harriet decided to call the dive. No problem at all with that.

Having used my snorkel (on the surface!) to conserve air I had plenty left to be able to tag along with Hilary and Brian. Visibility around the Mewstone was about 7 metres. It was a bit kelpy but not too bad being early in the year and it was possible to see amongst the holdfasts- edible crab, spiny starfish, purple starfish, boring sponges, urchins, etc.. and a few large wrasse. Brian towed the blob and we swam around over the low reefs and gullies. I was able to experiment with my camera a bit and I got a few pictures of my fellow divers. Shortly after beginning the ascent, I spotted a dogfish!

Brixham Breakwater (OWIC)

The day of the Open Water Instructor Course had finally come. I arrived at Brixham Marina car park and was careful to park nicely within the white lines (it's the law here) and found the Ibex Canoe hut.

Over a quick cup of tea and some choclate biscuits before our intro, lectures and lesson planning got underway, I met and chatted with a few of the other trainees. Some were at November's IFC. No break for lunch - managed a few bites of a sandwhich while transfering my (DSMB) lesson to slate and readying kit. Trainee Sophie had drawn the compass navigation lesson and we did that first, with a dry run - then snorkelling in drysuits (with weightbelt) in the chop just off the beach. We went back and forth to the mini-shot. I went next, at that point quite keen to get on with it. I did the SEEDS brief - including lesson plan, followed by the dry run, kit up/BAR check and the wet lesson. Then was Ed's turn and he taught AS. Quite cold by then end. Weather not bad at all, nice sunny day,- though breezy. Vis that had looked 4 or so in the morning dropped about to 1-1.5m.

The course was excellent - it was quite demanding and I had to concentrate hard - but was very enjoyable and interesting and all the instructors were really good. Amongst the kit things I picked up: were a pully system using a reel and blob for a datum that can be adjusted at depth; and knotting the blob so it can be pulled back down after each practise inflation.

Bretagne

Dived the Bretagne with Adrian. Not the worst vis but very dark (weather was overcast) and planktony. Among the skills today - a few straightforward ones to complete my Dive Leader training - a mid-water mask clear at the bottom of the shot. That was fine, it wasn't too cold and was easily done, but it took me a while to blink away the salty water and get my vision back. Torch battery failing and computer almost impossible to read. Luminous reg console fantastic.

Didn't go too far. Adrian tied off reel and we explored the stern. Lots of life around and about, a few large pollack, bib, cuckoo wrasse, tompot blenny, 3-4x flat fish in a little group next to a semi-transparent bright blue 'thing' (?) perhaps a nudibranch, edible crab, and sea fans.

Wind getting up a bit more on the way back. Nigel boathandled for us, allowing the pairs to dive simultaneously, and get back quicker.

Exmouth Dock

Dived with Geoff H at Exmouth. HW was 09:04, and we entered water 09:01 (tide seemed to have slowed but still quite strong). We signaled down and I made swift descent. At bottom I realised pony was free flowing, so switched to breathe from it. Then went to my necklaced octopus - wanted air quick - and out of breath holding station. Pony free-flowing again [it emptied] so decided to come back up, inflating BC. Got breath back and we went down together.

On with dive in slackening current. At 10m or so very gloomy. Comparatively gentle current around the cave, but very dark and murky. Torch out and found a big ballan wrasse lurking in the shadows. Left torch on as we continued along the bouldery, rubbish littered slope. Lots of starfish - feeding on the mussels. Lots of line and some dead fish, including a large eel. Carried on a bit further, with a pause for Geoff to sort weightbelt. On way back we found a BMX (it looked quite ancient covered with growth and crud) and Geoff told me he saw the car. The tide took us back to the pier and we went up the slope back to the light; where I took a few snaps to test out my orange (Green Magic) filter. ISO 400 (de-noised with Neat Image).

We had 36 minutes. Max depth 17.5m. Water was 7°, and vis - less than hoped for - was about 2m. Diving at springs here is a quick dip - Paul L reckoned there was about a minute of slack.

Sponge. Before and after white balance set.