29 June 2010

Wreck Dive: Kerrygo from Buccaneer ~ Sunday 4th July

It looks like we are going to dive a wreck called the Kerrygo around 14 miles outsits in around 36m to the bottom havent dived this before skipper Chris reckons this is a really nice dive and wants to make sure we have a great dive hence this wreck.There is also the option for a second dive please let me know if you want to do this or just the 1 dive. With neap tides and flat seas now for nearly 2 weeks fingers crossed for a good one

8.30 ropes off

Divers so far
Chris P
Simon
Tony Skipps
Nikki H
Phil
Tad

27 June 2010

Red Sea Oil Spills ~ Update

An update on the oil spill can be viewed HERE. There is a short video (or three) on You Tube, click HERE.

And on Arab Tube TV there is some pictures and video ... sadly my Arabic is not good enough to give a better account, click HERE for the link to the video news.

Next MD Meeting ~ Wednesday 7th July

Just a reminder about the next MD meeting , same time , same place as usual! Agenda to be sent out soon! Honest!

Gold Class Service

As mentioned in a previous post this weekend saw me embarking on the dive section of a TDI course. This endeavour was not without its problems. On opening the tanks on my twin sets my primary regulator (just been serviced) was free flowing like Niagra Falls. My intial thought was damn, damn and double damn as I struggled to stop the flow by judiciously thumping the second stage. This proved futile so I was about to give up and thinking I would be spending the day topping up my tan on Seazones dive boat, but oh no, up jumps Ian Hanness (TDI Instructor) who pulls out of his dive box a full dive technicians tool kit. He then proceeded to strip down my first and second stages and declared the interstage pressure was off the scale. With lots of fiddling he managed to stop the flow, so I was able to continue with my dives.

On return to Port at 16.30 I phoned Ocean View to find out what time they closed. The answer was 17:00, but to my deepest gratitute Graham said no problem get here when you can and I will wait for you. Once I got my regultor and tanks to him at 17:30, the tanks were then Nitrox filled and whilst this was being done Graham stripped down my regulator with his engineer on the other end of the phone giving him step by step instructions and as suspected he found the problem was a grooved high pressure seat. This was replaced and the regulator was set up again and is now working perfectly.

I would like to say what wonderful service this was from Ian and Graham which saved my weekends diving/training.

Thanks Guys.

Ernie

Cancelled - B-B-Q 4th July 2010

Due to the change in schedule of 'Bucaneer' from Eastbourne to Shoreham we have decided the B-B-Q is no longer viable so it has had to be cancelled, but never fear we will set a new date (Ernie is waiting to try out his new pinny)

Fortuna Dive 26th June from Sea Zones

I hadn't planned to dive on Saturday as I was hoping to get out on Sunday but other commitments for Sunday left me desperate to make the best of the flat sea's and hot weather. I had noticed on Friday night that Mick Luff had some spaces still left on Seazones for Saturday so a quick phone call bagged a couple of spaces on the hope I could fill the other space Ernie was also booked on to do his first dives of his TDI course. After TXTing out Trez came back first and filled the space apologies to everyone else this was a last minute thing so the spaces couldn't be advertised on the blog.

A perfect day flat calm a real cherry of a diving day got me licking my lips with anticipation. a fire in Newhaven made the journey in a bit frustrating as all the roads were closed and traffic was being diverted but got there in the end.

Boat loaded and we headed out to the Fortuna an old favourite. When we arrived another boat had dropped a shot as was disgorging a deck full of divers "that's the vis gone then" I thought. Soon we were kitted up and it was a relief to get into the water and down the shot. Once on the wreck the vis was a little disappointing being around 4-5m but still acceptable with plenty of light.

We headed to the stern and the steering quadrant and I was hit by how much the wreck is broken up since my last visit. Swinging around the stern we cut back into midships and the holds still stacked full of bags of cement.

We then had a little episode of underwater kit adjustment for Trez before heading towards the bow through the shoals of Bib and Pollack. It was soon time to think about ascending and Trez sent her SMB up but the reel jammed so she had to release it and I sent mine up instead.

Once back on board it was time to tuck into Micks now legendary Seascones and head of towards Birling Gap for a drift but on arrival the water colour was looking very off colour and we opted out of the drift but Ernie and the tekkie team went in to do some skills and guess what a minute later they popped back up not being able to see their hands in front of their faces, although 2 other divers who had travelled down from Bedfordshire decided to dive it out for at least 30 minutes tied together on a buddy line god knows what they were looking at.

Diving over we headed back to Newhaven for a drink and a chat and to find that Newhaven was still closed due to the earlier fire so getting out was very slow going.

Summer is well and truly here England are out of the World Cup but Sussex still offers world class diving. Bring It On.

Video to follow.

Tad

Buccaneer Dive Sunday 4th July Changes

Next Sundays Dive from Eastbourne on Buccaneer has had to be changed for commercial reasons. Chris West Buccaneer Skipper apologises for this but we can still dive from Shoreham 8.30am ropes off BBQ to follow at Sheila's and Ernies after.
on the boat so far
Chris P
Simon
Ernie
Tad
If anyone else is interested please let me know asap depth will probablly around the 30m mark dive site TBC

Tad

22 June 2010

Post Dive Barbie - 4th July 2010

Sheila & Ernie are having a post dive Barbie on the 4th July 2010 (time to be confirmed).

Everyone is invited. All you need to bring is any alcoholic drinks you may want, we will supply food and soft drinks.

Can you please let us know by posting a comment or email if you are coming and with how many.

Sheila & Ernie

21 June 2010

Red Sea Oil Spills !

Thank you to Simon for pointing out this worrying story about big oil spills on the Egyptian coast at Hurghada (and area). Click HERE for the the link.

Any large oil spill in such an area may have a very major impact on the environment and also tourism.

We will 'watch this space' for more information on impact and the areas effected. Marsa Alam is approx 150 miles South of Hurghada.

14 June 2010

Clodmore Dive 12th June from Buccaneer

Trez and Tad the MD contigent joined Ocean View divers for a merry jaunt out the wrecks of the Clodmore and Inverclyde aboard the good ship Buccaneer. The sun was shining and the sea was flat the sea gods were smiling.

An hour out saw Captain Chris dropping the shot and soon we were all walking the plank for a jaunt down to Davy Jones Locker and his bedfellow the wreck of the Clodmore. Trez and me teamed up with OV dive chick Hels and descended the 27m to the bottom where we met with the usual suspects Barry Bib and Jackson Pollack. The vis was a grainy 3-4m but with plenty of light conditions were acceptable for a quick mooch along the upturned part of the hull before returning to a higher part of the wreck to release the blob and assend for a jug of the hot grogg.

We soon relocated to the site of the inverclyde and as the tide was running and we were on springs we did not expect anything special.Hels soon got fed up of playing flags on the line and indicated she was going to surface (good move Hels)whilst Trez and me drop down into the wreck to release the shot for Chris and send it up on the bag.A quick scout around we had soon had enough of fighting the current and popped back up where the rest of the team had eaten all the pies.

Another great day out with the ever jovial crew of Skipper Chris and Roger The Cabin boy and the Ocean view guys.

Reports from my TWSAC contacts indicate that there was 10m vis on the The wreck of the Mohlen Pries in 38m a bit further out on Sunday so get ready boys and girls the Plankton has gone and the vis is picking up.

Tad

13 June 2010

Bowling & Laser Quest ~ 8th June

MDers warmed-up for the MD Bowling Championship with a Laser Quest session, that got us all running round like kids playing cowboys & indians , well it WAS a birthday party too! And, there was a cake for birthday girl Tracey, we started to put candles on the cake and after a while realised the cake wasn't big enough!! But she's just youngster in MD! We were joined on the 'Green Team' by two lads , no doubt whose energy brought triumph for the Team ... well done all!

Then came the serious business of hand to hand combat on the lanes! Well, hand to ball, in any case. Some 'Turkey's' were evident , that's three consecutive strikes, but Tracey had an unfair advantage ... she said she could see twenty pins at the end of each lane , but wasn't sure which ten she should aim for! That's one of the downsides of Performance Un-enhancing drugs , well red wine in any case!

It was a really good laugh and helped us all keep our dive fitness up to scratch ... well sort of!

11 June 2010

Dirty Diving ~ Pro Diving Not Always Glamorous !

Saw this article on the BBC web site ... some UK diving, not in the clear, blue or warm waters that tend to make it in the diving magazines. Click HERE!

06 June 2010

Meridian Divers in Malta part2.mpg




Part 2 Of Malta Trip will start work on part 3 asap

The 'Trick' of White Balance

Here are two 'version' of the same shot of yours truly diving on a small wreck in Tenerife. The shot was taken on a camera (mine) that doesn't have an underwater white balance function. The 'blue' version is 'as taken' , the second version is after colour has been adjusted by a white balance process undertaken after the shot (on a PC).



Laser Quest/Bowling - Tuesday 8th June

Laser Quest is booked for 19.40. Meet at Lloyds Lane 19:30 sharp.

Cost for Laser Quest and Two games of bowling is £10.00 per person.

02 June 2010

MD Meeting of 2nd June

The notes of the MD meeting of 2nd June have been circulated by email , please add a comment if you haven't received them!

01 June 2010

Poppy gets off to a flying start.

See meridian-mutts.blogspot.com/ for report