DiversInc

It's been a while since I've posted as you may have noticed.  However after a period of prolonged hibernation, I hope I can find the time to contribute over the next year.

Despite being particularly busy over the last few months, I've still managed to get some good dives in.  In January Jim Mac and I drove down to Capernwray, (also known as Jackdaw Quarry) in Kennet.  It's just over a 2 hour drive from Glasgow down the M6 into Lancashire and not far off the motorway.

Capernwray is a great set-up with a dive shop, parking, air fills, licensed restaurant, toilets and changing facilities.  It was a Tuesday and we virtually had the place to ourselves except for ROV training which was taking place.

On the first dive we managed to do 'The African Queen', a small plane and one of the helicopters.  However it wasn't without incident.  Both Jim and I use Scubapro regs and almost simultaneously both of us began to freeflow about 20 minutes into the dive.  We surfaced and after some adjustment we carried on for another 25 minutes.  The viz was about 10-12 metres and the water temperature was 4 degrees.

During the surface interval we had some lunch in the restaurant before kitting-up for our second dive.  On the second dive we were piloted by trout and perch and we also saw some large solitary sturgeons and pike.  I also noticed the thousands of fresh water mussels attached to every surface.  During the second dive we did 'The Cave' and 'Gypsy Moth' before heading for 'Shergar' and 'Lord Lucan'.  

The water temperature had dropped to 3 degrees and the viz had zeroed to about 2 to 3 metres.  The water had began to go a kind of cloudy.  It reminded me of wallpaper paste when mixed with water.  I didn't realise at the time, but that was ice starting to form.  Despite being only a few metres apart, Jim and I both lost each other on our second visit to the 'Gypsy Moth' on account of the failing viz.  As I began to fin in his direction the inevitable happened.  With the freezing water temperature my regs had started to freeflow again.  I successfully made it to the shore and met-up with Jim, only to discover he had suffered the same fate.  

So on the drive home we discussed changing our regs to something more suitable to cold water.  Jim has changed to Apex.  However it's still on my 'to do' list.  Despite the freeflow incidents, (which actually provided a good opportunity to put our training into practice), both of us had a great couple of dives and will definitely make a point of returning.  Unfortunately for us the 70ft Hawker Siddeley 748 passenger plane hadn't been submerged and was still on land being prepared.  But hey!  That's just one good reason to return.