scoo-ber

On the understanding we would not go to Fairy Bower I had agreed with JCJ to once again don the scuba gear and dive. The Harbour had looked very clear during the week so I was looking forward to getting back into the water. Tides were against us, and when we arrived at Fairlight, inside the Harbour and out of the NW wind that was promised but had not arrived. And it was as we started to get our kit ready that amateur hour began.

Things started well. Then I turned my air on and my main reg started to freeflow. I adjusted it and it stopped, allowing me to hear my backup reg freeflowing. Not pissing air, but certainly allowing enough air out to ensure an irritating, bubbly dive. So I tried swapping reg heads but that did not work so after some uming and ahing I decided that JCJ was right and I could get through the dive with just one reg. Don't let PADI know, they'll kick me out. I turned my air off as we walked to the water, forgetting to turn it back on before JCJ had jumped in. I orally inflated my BC and slouched into the water. I fined over to JCJ who turned my air on and damn near pissed himself when he saw that I had trapped my reg-hose under my dive suit hood, something I've done once before. Very embarrassing. Once we were though giggling we descended.

We descended into the water that had looked clear from the surface and found the water to be extraordinarily clear. I could not help but think it would all go wrong at the drop and we'd find Fairlight's green water. JCJ added a little to amateur hour as we moved out, removing his mask to clean it of his mist-clearing-spittle; he was diving in fog. We got to the drop to find the water still very, very clear. I reckon we had at easy 10m of vis, but we were paying for it in temperature, or rather lack of it. Chilly at 16degrees I was very pleased it was clear as if it had been that cold and murky I think I would have ben shivering uncontrollably. As it was I was far too occupied actually seeing what Fairlight looked like to notice how cold it was. Until about 30mins, when I was shivering quite a bit. But happy. Did I mention how clear the water was?

Anyway, fish-wise it was a success. Although JCJ and I failed to find the schools of old wives he was hoping to snap in the sunshine we found loads of other fish. Loads. There was a decent boarfish, a big blue groper and loads of juveniles. We could see pretty much the entire length of the little wreck, could see how many sponges and soft corals the rocks housed. We headed towards Manly, over the sand at the bottom of the drop, over the rocks and back to the back over the kelp.

I took a fair few pictures, some of them OK. I also swapped cameras with JCJ and saw the real difference between what he sees through his top-end-glass and I see in my decent-point-and-click. The difference in light is marked. Oo, light, that reminds me. Best part of the dive. The water was clear, but clear with a green tinge - typical for inside the Harbour. But at one spot we found a small "cove" in the shade of an apartment block. In that "hole" the water was blue. Really blue. And there was a clear border with the greener water through which the sun was shining its rays. It was border-line incredible.

So, a great victory snatched from the jaws of a farcical start. Big shout-out to JCJ for suggesting tanks. But it would have been a lovely freedive.