Babbacombe (night dive)

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.

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.

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.

Babbacombe

Good dive. Not amazing vis, but not terrible either, and the main thing for me today was to try out my twin-set. Not too bad carrying; got fins on at the bottom of the steps and walked in. Took a minute to get down (with 6kg) and a bit light; still need to weigh all the rocks that Geoff helped me stuff into my pockets (and a bit more because I was a long way off emptying the tanks). Set-up all fine. Hoses all in the right place. Saw some pipefish and took a few pictures.

Shoalstone (Brixham)

Babbacombe

Dived with Geoff H. Swam steadily north from beach. Vis was 3-4 metres. Went over weedy/rocky lower shore to the silty turfy rubble and reefy bits. Then went W for a while across the gravel ridges and silty/sand. After a while came up against the rocks jutting out from just beyond the bridge. We went round the edge of these approx NW. About here we separated and rendevoused. Had a look round the rocks here before making our way back.

Lots of fish: ballan wrasse, goldsinny wrasse, pipefish, dragonets, tiny silver fish, a tompot blenny, and a very fast garfish type thing. Gravel sea cucumbers and lots lightbulb seas squirts in the rocks below the bridge. Throughout dive plenty of spiny starfish. Some masked crab, hermits, velvet, etc,.. Little bit of a surface swim at the end. A good exercise: as not great vis, doing towing, navigation, and taking a few pics.

Babbacombe

Dived in a three with Derek and Lucy. Once Lucy's bouyancy was sorted (needed a little extra weight), we had a very smooth dive. We went out from the beach, and it wasn't long before I spotted a pair of cuttlefish on a bit of reef. I got Derek and Lucy over and fortunately managed to find the cuttlefish again. We watched for a while and got a few pictures.

Later, out over the silty sand, I spotted the anchor (vis was 4-5m) and we had a look at that. Derek went up the line to check location. As the silt cleared I looked for scorpion spider crabs - but couldn't see any this time. Lucy found a long legged spider crab out on the sand. On we went (I think we did bit of a circle) and Lucy found a well camouflaged topknot resting on lump of concrete. Out the water after 70-something minutes, and we stopped at the café for a sausage and egg baguette.

Babbacombe

Original plan was to dive Ladram, but as we'd done this recently (and good vis there slightly doubtful), decided to go to Babbacombe. Just Derek and myself diving. Vis was reasonable; and as ever lots to see. Found over the gravel ridges a big diamond-shaped flatfish, elongated body.

Lots of hermit crabs, including one covered with live tube worms. Necklace shell, and a 'great' goby, and much other wildlife around the little boulders out on the sand. Later on we found a big rope that had lots of plumose anemones stuck to it. Very pretty with the sun behind. Snake pipefish and two-spot gobies around the weedy stuff closer to shore.

Ladram

Weather fortunately settled enough lately for the vis to be ok here. Was a bit misty as we started off but over the reef - straight out from the beach - it was 5-6 metres. Not as much life immediately apparent, but once we started looking there was plenty to see: solenettes, dragonet, hermit crabs (diogenes pugilator busy fighting), a big sea potato. Some dead dogfish, lying together, gills all chewed up. And a few not dead.

Some nice colourful animal turf, with sea squirts etc, nudi eggs on the outer reefs on the overhangs. On the way back, very pleasant with the sun out, I took some bubble pictures, and found some spotted cowries. I've found shells on beaches and diving, but it was the first time I'd seen live ones.

Good to be here during quiet part of season. Parking reasonable, food and shops to hand. Steep hill from car park could be bit of a slog with 15l and a pony.

Babbacombe

Led Dave and Christian - their first UK shore dive; and keen to do a dive before the Pentewan weekend. Unfortunately vis not very good ~2m? We went north out from beach then in elongated loop west then east ending up north of the breakwater. Nice slow pace. Weedy, and lots of drifting weed surging back and forth, claustrophobic. Nicer out on the sand and we found some little 'islands' with life - plumose, crabs etc,.

Exmouth Dock

Just after HW, jumped off the pier with Phil and Dave Mac. Clattered down over rocks, looking for stuff. Later on picked up a thing that turned out to be a 4oz brass weight. Gloomy 2-3 metres vis. Big torch essential. Very dark below 10m.

Had IXUS with me, but rubbish replacement battery failed. Went by the overhang a couple of times. Lots of common starfish. Lots of tompots around the boulders to the south and east of the fish quay. Current strong, springly I think it was, and by the end of the dive quite glad I was well weighted.

Babbacombe

Exmouth Dock

Jumped off fish quay at 18:40 with Derek and Phil. Bryan provided shore cover. Went down slope in a SW direction (usually go more westerly). Bouldery, sand and clay patches. Dead fish and line close in but less rubbish than along quay. Lots of sponges and sea-firs on rocks. Abundant common starfish. A tompot blenny, shore crab, small mullet (?), and other unidentified fish seen only as fast moving shadows, or lurking at the back of overhangs. Levelling off at the bottom at about 16-17m it was more shingly, with smallish boulders. Wildlife was similar here but thinned out. Phil found a butterfish and a flounder, and I got a quick look at these.

Very dark, and pretty poor (1.5m best) vis. Blobby plankton throughout. Big UK torch made a great difference to the dive; having used some smaller ones lately. Rubbish on bottom included clothing and a bunch of blue fabric. I half expected to see a dead body wrapped up in it. It was quite creepy down there.

Nerdy camera stuff: white balance evaluation on the old IXUS 700 triggers the flash (if on) and uses that 'image'. This is really useful (and worked underwater). Torch also very useful to help camera focus and far more manageable with the latern grip as it can be held with a couple of fingers. These tweaked using GIMP and noise reduction applied with Neat Image.

A bit disoriented after swimming about down there, we eventually headed back up (NE) to light. Current getting much stronger. Found more and different sponges, took a few more pictures, and swam back to the slipway.