Spring 2006 - Totnes Sub-Aqua Club

Yes, it is that time again, my memory does stretch back to the
last issue of Undercurrents but it does seem to have taken a
while. Procrastination is a very undervalued art and as such I’d
hate to make this sound like an apology. Hopefully the words
and pictures (yes we do have both, although admittedly, more
words than pictures) will have been worth the wait. Don’t rush
to the end but courtesy of Ruth
we now have the forerunner to
the popular Japanese waste of
time known as Sudoku and a
few more words afterwards but
no more pictures, enjoy.

DDRC (Diver Disease Research Centre) Visit
On a cold Saturday in January divers from all over the South West, including five
from Totnes SAC, descended on the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC)
in Plymouth to witness the presentation of a cheque for £750 raised by the Kernow
Federation of dive clubs’ 2004 Summer Dive Festival, and to have a tour of
the facilities. Kernow Fed is an association of dive clubs, mostly in Cornwall (but
some in Devon) who meet several times a year to share ideas, training opportunities
and have a few beers. They also organise joint diving weekends, the main
event being the annual Festival weekend in June which last year involved 95
divers from 9 clubs with 10 boats!
DDRC, which was established in 1980 to research the effects of diving on the
human physiology, is the largest and busiest Hyperbaric Medical Centre in the
South West and, despite it’s name, mainly treats patients requiring Hyperbaric
Oxygen Therapy, which includes burn victims, cases of carbon monoxide poisoning,
and much more, but true to its roots it also deals with diving emergencies
and remains a charity.
On our arrival, we were welcomed into the lounge area with hot drinks, and
caught up with members from other clubs. We split into two groups and set off
on our guided tour. We saw two small chambers (2-3 man), which seemed quite
‘cosy’ inside. The control panels looked complicated, including gas mix set-up,
and vital communication links. Due to the high oxygen levels involved in treatment,
fire risk is very high, and strict measures are taken to minimise this.
Next we looked at the larger 10-12 man chamber, and we all went inside, those
of us that managed to grab a seat were pleasantly surprised by the comfort of
the airline style seat. Each patient has individual gas supply, with a choice of
mask or hood delivery. Entertainment on offer was a DVD player, with no sound
facility! Perhaps subtitled films are easier to follow. We were told divers’ favourites
are The Deep, The Abyss etc! Due to the fire risk each patient is only allowed
one book. Considering chamber dives last several hours boredom must
be an issue. There is a refreshment hatch and ‘conveniences’ are situated in the
entrance chamber.
Then we swapped guides and viewed the technical part of the building. This was
an amazing complex of compressors and storage tanks. It must be very noisy
when it’s all running. Again there were complex control panels to deal with the
various gases involved. The amounts of oxygen used couldn’t be delivered in
cylinders by BOC, so quarterly deliveries of liquid oxygen are stored in huge
(maybe 30 feet high) tanks just outside the building.
We all enjoyed this fascinating visit, but hope not to return in any other capacity!
For more information on DDRC visit their website at www.ddrc.org and for more
photographs of the visit, visit the Kernow Federation website at
http://www.kernowdiving.org.uk/ddrc05.htm

CUBA SCUBA
Guantanamo Bay, Che Guevara, Batista, Castro, The Bay of Pigs Fiasco, the
Cuban Missile Crisis: you’ll have heard of these, but if you’re like me you’ll
probably think of them as part of history, with the exception of Guantanamo Bay
and its recent use as a prison for suspected terrorists. Well, in Cuba, they’re all
very much part of the present. What struck me most about a recent visit was
how the country seemed trapped in the past – 1959 to be precise, the year of the
Cuban Revolution. Everywhere you go, enormous posters of heroes of the revolution
look down on you, bookshops are full of revolutionary literature ( the sort of
stuff popular here at left-wing universities in the 1960s), and enormous American
cars of pre-revolution times cruise, or splutter, around the streets of Havana.
I visited Cuba at the end of January with my wife. As she doesn’t dive, but enjoys
snorkelling, we booked a hotel on the north coast near Guardalavaca which
had a nearby Dive Centre and good snorkelling off the beach. The Hotel Paradisus
Rio de Oro was marvellous, with five restaurants specialising in different
styles of food, a large swimming pool, several bars and excellent service.
We arrived early in the morning after a 26-hour journey (more about that later)
and after two hours’ sleep, I staggered along the beach to the Sea Lovers’ Dive
Centre. This proved to be a large building at the rear of the beach with several
rooms, a compressor and sinks for washing kit. It doubled-up as a tyre inflation
centre – old vehicles would occasionally be driven onto the beach and cylinders
somehow attached to their tyre valves.

Although I was clutching my BSAC Qualification Book, I was not asked about my
qualifications or experience. The staff, however, were very friendly and spoke
fluent English. Dives were organised every day, except Sunday, one at 9.00am
and one at 11.00am. The first dive was generally to a depth of about 30m and
the second to about 20m. Diving was from a large dory, partially shaded by a
canopy and powered by an outboard engine. This looked unstable, but in practice
was surprisingly steady. A single dive cost 30 pesos (about £17), and there
were discounts for multiple dives. I took all my kit with me, except weights and
cylinder, although everything could be hired. The diving was extremely easy,
with visibility so good it was difficult to estimate, and water and air temperatures
of about 27°C. A 3mm shortie was quite adequate. Most of the dives were on
reefs and of particular interest to photographers and those interested in marine
life. There was plenty to see, but the only large fish I saw were Giant Barracudas
and large Groupers.

One problem of turning up at a Dive Centre on your own is that you’ve no idea
who you’ll be diving with. On one occasion, I was paired with a German- speaking
Swiss who spoke little English, and I speak no German. Buddy checks were
in sign language. On another occasion, I partnered a fat Englishman called Peter.
He proudly told me he’d dived in lots of places around the world, but suspiciously
not in the UK. Fat Peter turned out to be a disaster waiting to happen.
He was sick in the boat, spent the entire dive yo-yoing up and down, tried to ascend
the wrong line into a fishing boat and finally ran out of air – fortunately just
as he surfaced.
An introduction to The Silent World of Rebreathers
(or how to keep Richard Wood quiet for longer than
5 minutes)
The evening began with a lecture from Mike Rowley & Sophie Rennie at
Meadowbrook. A basic introduction to the main types of rebreather available,
how they work etc. There are 2 main types of rebreather – the two
types we tried were the Buddy Inspiration, a closed circuit system, and the

Dräger Dolphin, a semi closed circuit system.
The Dräger Dolphin
(initially called the
Dräger Atlantis) was
released in 1995 and
was the first CE approved
semi-closed rebreather.
It is
equipped with a variety
of flow orifices to give
the diver optimum gas
duration and minimal
decompression in
depths down to 45m.
The Inspiration was the first CE
approved closed circuit rebreather
and is approved to 50m
with air as the diluent gas
(though 40m is recommended)
and 100m with heliox. The dual
microprocessor oxygen-level
controllers automatically maintain
a constant partial pressure
of oxygen thereby providing
outstanding gas duration and
ensuring an optimum breathing
mix at all depths.
All kinds of rebreathers have
certain basic components in
common. All start with a breathing
loop, a mouthpiece and a
counterlung. A counterlung is
attached to the breathing loop
and inflates and deflates as the
diver breathes. The breathing

loop must also include a CO2
scrubber. Of course, the CO2
absorbent canister alone will
not permit the diver to continue
breathing from the rebreather
indefinitely. The
oxygen in the breathing loop
will be consumed by diver via
metabolism, therefore, rebreathers
have to allow oxygen
to be injected into the
breathing loop in order to
continue sustaining the diver.
To prevent the diver from
inhaling the same gas that was just exhaled rebreathers are also designed
to ensure that gas circulates in only one direction around the breathing loop.
The fundamental difference between the different kinds of rebreathers is
the way in which they add gas to the breathing loop. The second major difference
between closed-circuit rebreathers and semi-closed rebreathers is
how the two systems maintain the concentration of oxygen in the breathing
loop. Most semi-closed rebreathers maintain a constant fraction of oxygen
(FO2) throughout the course of the dive, whereas closed-circuit rebreathers
maintain a constant partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in the breathing
loop. To this end virtually all closed-circuit rebreathers incorporate some
sort of electronic oxygen sensors which monitor the concentration of oxygen
in the breathing gas.
Rebreathers in general, and closed-circuit rebreathers in particular, provide
three fundamental advantages over open-circuit scuba systems: more efficient
use of gas, optimized decompression characteristics, and near-silent
operation.
There are several disadvantages with a rebreather not least of which is the
initial cost – which is in the region of £3000-8000!!
The second disadvantage between open-circuit scuba and rebreather systems
is that on scuba if a diver can breathe (and is not outside wellestablished
depth limits, Richard!) the breathing gas is going to be lifesustaining.
A problem with an open-circuit system is usually self-evident to

the diver who can, hopefully, takes steps toward a solution. With rebreathers
the oxygen concentration may drift out of life-sustaining range within
the course of a single dive. The inherent weakness of closed-circuit rebreathers
is the reliance on electronics to control the oxygen concentration
in the breathing loop. Indeed, closed-circuit rebreathers have earned a
somewhat notorious reputation as being "unreliable", largely due to failures
of the electronic O2 control system (we’ve all heard of the Buddy Desperation
I’m sure?
These problems can be largely avoided. However, this requires a great deal
of discipline and training as they are more complex than open circuit scuba
gear and require a much higher level of equipment maintenance. If you’re
one of those folks who after a dive chucks their gear in the garage to be
washed tomorrow then rebreather diving is not for you!
We all had an enjoyable bimble round the pool – there’s not that much difference
in sensation to normal scuba gear. Two differences stand out – you
cannot control your buoyancy by breathing in or out! The second difference
is the absence of bubbles – though this wasn’t too noticeable as there were
8 trainees plus their instructors in the pool at the same time – The Silent
World it was not!
Will anyone be venturing down the rebreather route – not sure – but I know
it won’t be me – way too lazy! – which reminds me - I must wash out my dv
sometime – think its been sitting in the garage for a couple of weeks now!
2nd DIVE REEF
General dive planning data.
The reef lies in the English Channel wherever the marshal says it is. It is thus
easy to find and the depth can be tweaked according to the bunch of muppets
(Ooops!) divers in the party. As a tip to the dive marshal when finding the reef, if
the seabed is really flat, turn the scale up on the echo-sounder until a pebble
looks like the mid Atlantic Ridge, you will then find that the divers will happily
jump in. Similarly, when you want to get the divers into the water, point to any
features on the shore that happen to line up, this will convince them that you
aren't just sending them in anywhere.
The reef is nice and close to the launch site (or the wreck that made up the first
dive if it is a "one trip" dive day) as this helps to save the club's petrol. The dive
is also always a "drift dive", but be careful to note that there are local eddies

which prevent you from stating accurately which direction the drift is in - that way
the marshal does not have to bother reading the tide tables. SMB's must be used
so that you can haul the
divers up when you're
bored of boathandling,
and because of the
depth (!!) they must
have a time limit that is
convenient for pub
opening hours.
The reef is always to be
quoted as "pretty rock
pinnacles covered in
jewel anemones", as
this is what seems to
get reef divers excited.
History.
The reef was discovered some time ago by a wreck diving group who didn't have
enough divers to make the trip viable, so wanted somewhere to promise the
"reefies", so that one of them would come along and boathandle. It was rediscovered
some years later by a group of instructors, who, after doing a great dive in
the morning, wanted somewhere to throw the novices in during the afternoon.
Reef layout and features.
Not too much can be said about the layout of the reef, as it is variable (it moves
from trip to trip). Some divers claim large gullies and rock walls, whilst others
say that the reef is rather small, and mostly flat. But it does usually have lots of
Ballan Wrasse, pollack, dogfish, crabs, anemones and other common stuff.
Dive information sheet: Richard Wood
“Are you covered?”
Whilst the club insures the boat and trailer and
this includes towing, this does not cover damaged
caused to third parties by the trailer
(unless it is uncoupled). The Shogun insurance
(there’s a copy of the insurance certificate in
the glove box, together with the breakdown
cover) covers both vehicle and trailer when it is
being towed against such third party damage,

ut if you are using your own vehicle you should check that you are covered (this is
something that easily gets missed, so check your policy or call your underwriters now
while you think about it)."
Allen
Declan -
the humble
crab!
Declan the
humble crab
and Kate the
Lobster Princess
were
madly, deeply
and passionately
in love.
For months
they enjoyed
an idyllic relationship
until
one day Kate
scuttled over to
Declan in
tears.
"We can't see each other anymore...." she sobbed.
"Why?" gasped Declan.
"Daddy says crabs are too common," she wailed. "He claims you, a mere crab
and a poor one at that, are the lowest class of crustacean and that no daughter
of his will marry someone who can only walk sideways."
Declan was shattered and scuttled sidewards away into the darkness and to
drink himself into a filthy state of aquatic oblivion.
That night, the great Lobster Ball was taking place. Lobsters came from far and
wide, dancing and merry making, but the lobster Princess refused to join in,
choosing instead to sit by her father's side, inconsolable. Suddenly the doors
burst open, and Declan the crab strode in. The Lobsters all stopped their dancing,
the Princess gasped and the King Lobster rose from his throne.
Slowly, painstakingly, Declan the crab made his way across the floor….....and all
could see that he was walking not sideways, but FORWARDS, one claw after
another! Step by step he made his approach towards the throne, until he finally
looked King Lobster in the eye. There was a deadly hush.
Finally, the crab spoke:
"Fuck, I'm pissed"

Golf ball hunt Saturday 16 th January 2005
On a cold, gloomy – in act I think it was even drizzling – day in deepest,
darkest gloomiest January what better way to brighten up your life than
find the darkest, coldest, gloomiest (although not deepest it has to be said)
place to be and go there. I could also mention the stinking mud but if I
make it sound too exciting those unfortunate club members who missed out
on last Saturday’s golf ball hunt might just lose the will to live.
Anyway we met at the leisurely time of 8-30am (having had plenty of time
for a lie in, huge fried breakfast and enough coffee to kill a badger) in the
car park of Dartmouth golf club. Gleefully we clambered into our drysuits, a
few attempts later having got the legs out of the arm holes and remembering
to undo the zip first (some of use hadn’t dived for a month or so), we
were all suited up with kit loaded on golf buggies. Minutes later the lagoon
came into view through the heat shimmer. Parked beneath one of the many
coconut palms donned the rest of the kit then slid into the turquoise shimmering
surf.
Turquoise took on a subtlety greener hue, then, from somewhere unidentifiable
brown made its first appearance rapidly followed by black and the
world of light rapidly slipped into memory. Fortunately there was no shortage
of sensory experience to replace the lack of visual stimuli although most
of this was to do
with sliding
through filthy
black mud groping
for golfballs. So
black in fact that
on my second descent
when I
seemed to be taking
a long time to
get to the bottom
I executed a
graceful duck dive
and mashed my
mask into the mud

6” beneath me. Time became impossible to judge and golf balls and mud became
my universe; not, perhaps the universe I would choose to live out my
days in but it certainly made a change.
Having filled my second bag of golf balls left me with no choice but to return
to the light and coconut palms and golf buggies. Just when it seemed
like there could be nothing to make the day more idyllic Ruth treated us to a
demonstration of stunt driving – power slide isn’t a phrase I’ve ever associated
with golf buggies before and I had no idea Bella could make a noise like
that.
Coffee and bacon sandwiches tasting like margaritas and tarka dhal with
stacks of garlic (you might need to replace this delicacy with you own favourite
dish) in the beach bar then to the DDRC for a tour about which owing
to an oversight in the chronology of publication you might already have
read.
Paul S
My 'sub'mission for the Clanger
competition to design a Recall
Device for use on TSAC Club
dives
This system was tested to 1500 feet,
and when linked to a Type 147 ASDIC
set, operation was virtually automatic.
When these puppies go off, you come
straight up (if you still can)! We would
have to mount it in front of the console
- but then Humber did sell us our boats
as 'destroyers', so I assume they should
be able to take the modification needed!
No prizes for guessing who submitted
this [losing] entry?!

Auntie Totters helps out?
Dear Auntie Totters,
I think I have a problem – I’ve been diving for several years now and now find I
have a compulsion that makes it impossible for me to dive with less than 50 litres
of compressed air and 25 litres of Nitrox 80 as a back-up. What should I do?
Yours, Overloaded
Dear Overloaded,
I can sympathise with this affliction as its not uncommon among the diving fraternity.
I suggest a trimix course might be the only solution to this affliction as
any attempt to backtrack could easily result in irreversible psychological damage.
Dear Auntie Totters,
I have no problem descending and enjoy my diving but find I have to stop for a
rest at around 6m for up to 7 minutes. What should I do?
Yours, Over-Cautious
Dear Over-Cautious,
Get on up! 3 minutes of deco stops is more than enough for all rational, sane
people.
Dear Auntie Totters,
I love doing pointless deco-stops. In fact, one time recently I did 25 minutes of
deco-stops for the sake of 5 extra minutes of bottom time. All the other divers
did a fabulous 35-40 minute dive followed by 3-6 minutes of deco-stops,
whereas I and my buddy did 45 minutes of bottom time but as a consequence had
to do 25 mins deco. As a result of this the chippy was shut by the time we got
back ashore and all my friends had to go hungry. What should I do?
Yours Techie-Wreckie,
Dear Techie Wreckie
Of course, you should have done the decent thing and offered to take all
your friends out for a curry to make up for their lack of supper. In future,
dive with someone who dives with only 1 x 10 litre cylinder as this will
make 25 minutes deco-stops impossible.

Clubs taking part:
· Totnes BSAC
· Ilfracombe and N Devon SAC
· Tolgus SAC
· East Cornwall Divers
· Coventry BSAC
· Peninsula SAC
· Mid Cornwall Divers
· Phoenix Divers
· Duchy Divers
· Budehaven SAC
· Falmouth and Penryn Divers
KernowFed weekend
Divers from all over Devon & Cornwall descended on Penzance for the 3 rd annual
KernowFed weekend.
This is basically how it goes!
Each diver decides in advance which 2 sites from the given list that they would
most like to dive. Each dive club supplies their own boats which are allocated to
the various sites and are then filled with the appropriate divers. It’s a monster
feat of organisation but it worked. We all got into boats going to the sites we’d
nominated.
The most popular site of the weekend without a doubt was Wolf Rock – a rock
pinnacle that rises from more than 70m and breaks the surface at low water. On
top of it they put a lighthouse so that dive boats can easily locate it.
The current was still running as divers were going in, thereby deciding the direction
of the dive. The viz was superb – easily 30m – and the scenery spectacular.
The sheer wall drops away beneath you into the darkness – good job the old neutral
buoyancy skills are working well today. The wall was covered with literally
thousands of jewel anemones that were still out feeding in the current. However
long your dive time here it just isn’t enough!
In the evening a BBQ had been organised at the campsite. There was more than
enough food to go round and it was a chance to meet up with some divers from
different Clubs and swap a few (tall?) stories.
The following day was more informal and largely depended on how many divers

turned up following the night before! Both Totnes boats initially went out to
Gull Rock where we had another superb dive.
The weather conditions for diving were perfect as it was largely sunny and flat
calm and we all had a fantastic weekend of diving.
Additionally the weekend raises funds for DDRC (Diving Diseases Research
Centre) located at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. This year we are hoping to
have raised in excess of £1000.
TOTNES SHOW—July 2005
Sadly the day of the Totnes Show did not dawn
bright and sunny as we’d all hoped but instead it
hardly dawned at all and remained wet and dismal
all day!
This did not dampen our spirits and the intrepid
few volunteers duly set up our stall including a
fantastic display by Stuart showing off various
bits of dive kit. We had several competitions
including a kind of wishing well set-up where the
aim was to get the 20p into the egg-cup and so
win a Try Dive. Our very first customer of the
day after commenting on how it was impossible
managed to get the 20p in the egg-cup first go
and so won
herself a trydive!!
The dog was
not one of our lucky winners!
Ruth Swarbrick
Pride of place though was taken by James’ Treasure
Hunt, which was a real hit with the kids.
Tony Clarke in a display of dedication that was
above and beyond the call of duty arrived kitted up
in his drysuit – for which he got in free! However,
we were all amazed to find he hadn’t brought any
‘normal’ clothes to change into and had to spend the
entire day including his off-duty periods wandering
round the showground in his drysuit!!

We had plenty of visitors to the stall and
Tony & James came very close to persuading
the Totnes Mayor Prue Boswell to come
along for a try-dive!!
In the final analysis our biggest problem was
undoubtedly the poor weather as it kept the
spectators away!
However, we all enjoyed ourselves and certainly
managed to let a few more people
know about Totnes BSAC!
Bella, James & Tony with our newest recruit?
SALCOMBE ESTUARY -- THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

April, 2004, saw the commencement of film production for the long-awaited
one-hour documentary, "Salcombe Estuary: The Neighbourhood." For Nigel
Mortimer, Conservation Officer and Associate Producer, it was a dream come
true. With his years of experience and knowledge about the biodiversity of the
estuary, Nigel plays an integral role in the making of this film. Long famed for
its wealth, its spectacular views, and as a summertime playground, Salcombe is a
popular destination.
However, most people who go there have never witnessed the rich and varied
life just below the water's surface. From the spectacular gardens of jewel anemones,
through the mesmerizing eel grass world of pipefish and seahorses, to the
very mouth of the estuary, where pelagic dolphins and basking sharks stop by for
a visit, this film will reveal the unique wonders of this rich environment. With a
financial contribution from the Environment Agency, and the invaluable help
and support of the Marine Biological Association, English Nature, Southhams
District Council, the National Marine Aquarium, The Seahorse Trust, and a host
of individuals, the production was launched in April, 2004. Producer and BSAC
Advanced Diver Elisabeth Leader is working weekly with her Totnes BSAC
crew of cameramen, lighters, animal-spotters and boat handlers to document the

estuary's extraordinary
life
through the seasons.
The film
should be completed
by end of
2006.So I hope
you have enjoyed
at least a bit of
this issue and not
just flipped it
over and glanced
at this before
deciding not to
part with the
modest sum of
whatever we’re
going to try to
sell it for.
It is with the
deepest sadness
that I have to
report that some
foolish types
have claimed that not all of the pictures included in this article were taken within
spitting distance of Salcombe estuary. I know that this will come as a shock that
such doubting Thomases
share the club with us but
then why should I suffer
alone. So to prove that
I’m not filling up space as
a result of Nigel not sending
me any more appropriate
pictures here to prove
it is a photo taken after the
same dive that these pictures
were taken on, so
there.

Mari-doku
This is a genuine mari-doku and can be completed! If you can’t
manage it pass it on to your kids who will probably be able to
complete it correctly in 5 minutes flat!
If any of you have been living in an airtight box for the last few
years and have not come across the offshoot of this ancient
Japanese puzzle known as Sudoku then ask someone who has
‘cause the rules are exactly the same but don’t let them tell you
that the original had anything to do with numbers because it
hadn’t

What’s happening?
May
Early Golf Ball dive – date to be confirmed. See Bella if you
want to know more
Sometime Easter Egg Hunt – more chocolate than anyone (not
even Sarah) can feasibly eat! Any volunteers to help set
up, please contact Lis.
Someothertime Boathandling course – course is now full, but if you
want to do it let Johnny know & he’ll put your name on
the reserves list. If there’s enough of you he may even
organise another course…..
4th & 11th Advanced Nitrox course practical sessions
13th Diver cox’n assessment – for those of you who have
completed the boathandling course & wish to progress
your skills. Numbers limited so sign up quick!
27th - 29th Cornwall weekend
June
17th - 18th KernowFed diving weekend. Something for all levels of
diver. Put your name up on the list on the noticeboard.
July
4th ish Lis’ annual celebration of all things British – like games
of rounders & bowls, BBQs in the rain and undercooked
sausages!
2007
Jun/July Sark diving week Due to unprecedented demand Allen has booked
2 weeks - June 23-30th and July 7th-14th. Let him know ASAP if
you’re interested and he needs a deposit of £45 to secure your place
(cheques payable to TSAC Expeditions). if you have a preference
as to which week, please advise and Allen will see what he can do.
November Galapagos. It’s not a cheap holiday so you’d best start saving now!
It’s now time to think about the next issue so if you have anything you would like to
write about, photos, vicious baseless rumours you would like to start then send them to
us, the editors, (the more vicious the rumour the larger the bribe in used fivers of course)
at paul@slemmings.co.uk or ruth.swarbrick@virgin.net and if we can’t find any more
reckless to do with our time we’ll stick it all into a computer and get another issue out
maybe sometime in the autumn…...
Thanks to all contributors and everyone who bought it!
from your editors Ruth and Paul S.
Club website: www.totnes-bsac.co.uk