two years on â the Maldives - Bracknell Sub Aqua Club

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deep thoughts Nic Hallett cavewoman II the sequal Yetta Andersen Diving Fashion A new dive season and the Dive Shows are coming! Hence a flurry of kit related activity as tired credit cards appear for another work-out. Diving fashions change and it is easy to lose sight of fiscal prudence and get caught up with new and different types of kit as they become the desirable way to dive. What are today’s fashions and what drives the trends? Part of kit-churn is just driven by changing interests and experiences. That 12L cylinder you proudly bought a while ago now seems too small and suddenly everyone seems to be trading up to 15L’s. And then every cylinder sprouts a Siamese twin and you start thinking ‘I too need a pony!’ Many are also ditching their singles for twin-sets which requires another fashion transplant, that from jacket BCD to wing. And then even within the world of twins notice how many more are being enticed by independents over manifolds. And that is before we even start on the ephemeral waft of dry-suit fashion! So what drives this consumerist treadmill? Advertising must work with unfeasibly pneumatic models filling the glossy dive magazines. But peer pressure is probably the greatest engine for change. It is easy to be inspired, enticed or even covetous of the next persons new bits of shiny. Particularly if that person is a more experienced diver that we look up to or admire! In fact if I was a marketing manager I’d be discounting kit to dive instructors everywhere just to fuel this influence. And what about club magazines? Well if any company wants to test out our influence I’m looking for a fashionably new shiny twin set and wing… and you know where to find me: publicity@bracknell-scuba.org.uk Our cover story in the last edition of mouthpiece, ‘Cavewoman’, featured an account of Yetta’s experience on a cave diving course. This issue, Yetta continues to tell us more about the real nitty gritty of getting down to the action and thrill of her first cave dive! day <strong>two</strong> and the action starts Happy that my kit was ready, I awaited our departure which involved a 600m trek uphill and downdale to the Dinas Silica Mines. My kit weighed about 17kg, so I was grateful for some help with my reg bag which I couldn’t squeeze into my rucksack and my fins which would probably have flapped about attached to my rucksack. Some of our group had already set off ahead of us as they knew where they were going. The path started out pleasant enough but soon became quite steep and difficult to step up in places – difficult if you’re a bit on the shorter side! The steepest and hardest bit was at the beginning, but then I found myself on grass that gradually levelled out and then descended. Great until I remembered I’d have to climb it on the way back! I heard the sound of a waterfall and there was a fabulous view of a river about forty feet down. I had to pry my eyes away from the beauty as there was still a bit more of the walk up to the mine and a bit of climbing over some fences, then bend down to enter the dark mine. reaching the mine Hot from the trek, I didn’t really notice how cool the air in the mine was until later. Being in the mine was pretty awesome all by itself. I deposited my cylinder and kit on the ‘bench space’ my instructor, Martyn, had saved for me. I drank some water and set off on my solo trek back to the car to collect my second load of kit… now which way was it? :-) Arriving back, we kitted up at the mine entrance (basically where we could see), and did our buddy checks. Martyn briefed us again and we went through the emergency info and pack. So, all kitted up and torches on, we entered into the mine. Wow oh wow, so cooool. Martyn explained features of the mine as we walked to our base and I could quite happily have spent longer just looking around. down to the dive First, Martyn ensured we fully understood the plan. Then we agreed our gas management plans and checked our kit, breathing all regs under the water. It was pretty darned cold, so my mask was fogging on the surface and I was keen to get under as reading my gauge was annoying. First dive plan was for Nick to take the reel seven metres into the mine to a post where a permanent 8mm line was secured. He was to secure the reel and lead us out along the line. I had added a block weight and thought all would be fine but it wasn’t quite
Photos (left to right): trekking to the mine, cave entrance and kitting up area right so I had some buoyancy issues at the start. I wanted to get another weight, but Nick was off and we were committed. Having to address my buoyancy at this stage was not good as it was not possible for me to fully appreciate the first part of the line which descended with the passage, along, around and back up the next north facing passage to rail number one. From this rail we descended back down the passage, along and around and up again to rail number <strong>two</strong>. By this time we had penetrated approximately 40m with surface air at the tops of the passages. The dive was wonderful but part of me so wanted to have a good look around, while the other part was very aware of not losing sight of that line! utter darkness On the return we also practiced a lights out. All torches were switched off and Martyn covered his. It was pitch black but I was not scared. I had the line and was well equipped to follow it. I encountered no problems following the line. I remembered my training and used my common sense. Although that part of the dive lasted only about three minutes, my brain seemed to become extremely acute and processed a number of thoughts: I considered all I had read, understood and learnt and let the thought of the possible consequences should I be following the wrong line and not be exiting at all. It made me shudder. We arrived back at base, where Martyn had a light shining. We were debriefed in the water and went through our plan for the next part of the dive and recalculated our gas. Martyn encouraged us to calculate our thirds aloud so that we could double check each other. our next dive This time I led the dive which involved line laying. It was fine until I found a knot in the line (already in existence on the reeled line rather than caused by my laying). It was a bit tricky to sort out but I spent a bit of time methodically addressing the problem and had to start trying to work out whether I could, in fact, use the line with the knot in place rather than spend more time and air trying to untangle it. Martyn came down and together we solved the problem. I continued, pleased to see the bogie and arrive at the planned point for fellow diver, Nick, to take over. I was now at 80 bar and Nick, wearing twin 7’s had plenty of air to continue. I began to really feel the cold and my fingers felt like ice so I was pleased to see Nick unwrapping and detaching the line on the return allowing me to just reel in as stretching those snoopy loops with frozen fingers would have been a bit arduous.Our dives finished and fingers warmed, we wished we could do more! debrief More trekking back with our kit and it was off to the pub for our debrief. Martyn went through everything, letting us know how we had done and signing our log books accordingly. I must mention what a marvelous instructor Martyn was, especially when you consider what he has done. I never felt for one moment intimidated or patronised as the ‘85 dive BSAC Sport Diver’ and beginner in this environment that I am. He was always sensitive to all our needs and readily answered any questions. A genuinely great guy who I am in no doubt probably now thinks I’m raving bonkers, but that’s another story! I can highly recommend the course and assure fellow divers that, given the due respect, there is nothing to fear. The experience was everything I had imagined it would be, and more: incredible, wonderful, humbling, daunting, exhilarating, beautiful, thrilling, satisfying, euphoric and cold! preparing for the exam Sunday night, I slept like a log and once back home started work on my exam. This required study and research, re-visiting everything I had been told, reading all the book and finding other sources of information. After the course I sorted out my kit and on 4 November, I headed back to the Silica Mines and dived them again. The rains in October had certainly made the walk muddy and slippery but, thankfully, we had a dry, bright day and no major accidents occurred. I led the first dive entry and followed the same permanent line as previously, on the course. I very much enjoyed the return, where my buddy led and I managed to take a look around. We then did a second dive following another, safe, permanent line where I led the exit. The water was still 8°C, crystal clear and I look forward to many more dives there. More information at www.farrworld.co.uk. www.bracknell-scuba.org.uk
Page 1: Winter 2006/7 two
Page 5 and 6: Photographs Nic Hallett meet the co
Page 7 and 8: training corner Pete Custerson stra
Page 9 and 10: ice divers ball Garry displays his
Page 11 and 12: I-SPY THE PROJECTS OFFICER Tish Bha

two years on â the Maldives - Bracknell Sub Aqua Club

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two years on â the Maldives - Bracknell Sub Aqua Club