Tuesday 9th March saw me return to the water. After many emails back and forth I hooked up with a dude in Weymouth for a couple of dives largely dedicated to getting back into the swing of things and getting used to my new gear. A three hour drive to get to the harbour for 11:00, a quick cuppa while meeting and greeting and then out into Weymouth Harbour to start with a quick dip on the Countess of Erne. A nice easy dive of no more that 12m it gave me an opportunity to check weighting (16lbs withsteel tank and plate, cannister light) was about enough. Bouyancy not too bad considering the lay off, and i even managed to clip on/off my light head in 5mm gloves, which I was happy about. Vis about 3m, temp about 7 degrees, life was a single nudibranch (or similar) but I did not care. I was back!

The second dive was over the Scallop Beds and was rather unimpresive. Still cold and lowish vis, the beds are over very soft silt. There are plenty of sea pens to look at, some small goggy like fish, we gound a single crab and a single scallop. It was rather barren. On this dive I towed the SMB - another skill practice. Bouyancy again OK, apart from one hiccup when the SMB line was being tugged by the RIB driver to recall us and I lost concentration. That silt really is soft, went in elbow deep and vis dropped further still. Dive over (recall due to a large ship coming into the harbour) we headed back to Weymouth to warm up. Ah yes, diving. I love it.