ScubaSmith

Friday 20th October 2006 At Stoney Cove, with Dave Parker and MSDKeith

After yesterday's awful rain in the morning I thought to myself at 06:15 when I woke "It's got to be a nicer day" Oh how wrong could I be, zero viz on the roads all the way from Barnsley down to Leicester. The rain never stopped, this was really not looking like a fun day, BUT as if by magic coming into Stoney it stops and then never rained a drop all day, in fact it was fantastic sunshine at least until I got on the M69 to go home but that's another story.

Today I was diving with Dave Parker who I've dived with before and his very good friend and comedy double act MSDKeith who even though I don't really know him appears to be absolutely barking mad on the surface but a very good dive buddy. Both of them were diving on Dolphin rebreathers, Keiths with a few sellotape and cable tie modifications as Dave puts it, and poor old me on a 15L in a semi-dry each of them ito the 120ish dives and me looking to hit the big 30 today.

Dive 1 - After an age of Keith and Dave bickering over anything (sounded like they had been married for years!) we headed down for simple run down the road and round to the Stanegarth Dave taking the lead and Keith riding high behind us a run through the Stanegarth and then Dave's expert navigation skills finding the mini, the van and getting us to the Wessex without any 'near misses', very impressed, just a gentle climb up the rock face to the 6m ledge and a quick hunt round for crayfish, Dave does have a bit of an obsession with them but they were wise today and stayed well clear. Now that dreaded time again more practice with my SMB but this one lift per dive did mae it difficult (my excuss and I'm sticking to it. Dave was really good giving me a few pointers, but it was still a but feeble when it hit the surface, oh well, back to dry land and get sorted for the next dive.

Dive 2 - This was where it was to be one of my more educating dives (Especially after seeing Keith Little Limp One, details coming up). As normal the "Experts" got in and checked for bubbles on there rebreathers, little old me sits there thinking 'I hope I am blowing bubbles' or I have a problem, all is well so off we go down the road, Dave wants to go down to the 35m shelf to test his VR3 and Rebreather so as I am not comfortable (nor qualified) to that depth we decided that Keith would stay with me at the edge of the dark abyss and Dave would go down on his own, before you say it he kept in constant touch with us via torch codes and Keith was ready to go down if we lost contact for a second. Dave slowly disappeard into the murky deep for a minute or 2 just to test his kit then he poppped back up all safe and sound. Now this was to be my turn at a bit of navigation. Anyone who's read my previous reports will know that navigation has not been my strongest point, well to be truthful I have been really crap and got lost everytime!!
I have my new Suunto SK7 now to guide me to safety, and stone the crows (or the pike) it works I made it straight to the Stanegarth, I had always said my old compass was faulty!! So we had the regulation swim through which I am now getting to be quite a dab hand at now (with a little expert tuition). We then did a quick swim round the wessex before heading up to do some serious crayfish taunting!!
Well I went to take pictures of the Crayfish but Dave like to put them together see what they would do, mind you got some nice pics of the old territory struggles!! Then we stopped off at that old metal frame so I could have a practice at my SMB AGAIN! and as before it was a bit of a poor show, to my surprise Dave indicated to me he would surface, deflate the smb and bring it back down for another practice, we ended up doing about 5 inflations which to some of you might sound REALLY boring but to someone who has had a few deployment issues it was a god send. By the last one it went up like a rocket amd as hard as the preverbial!!

Now little to my knowledge at this time Keith (The Master Scuba Diver) was behind me also playing with his SMB, and his free flowing Dry suit hose. Under normal circumstances this would have been an "oh so what" moment BUT when we came out the water the scene was a picture that really should hve been taken (If I'd thought of it at the time) The newbie coming out the water with this rock solid SMB sticking out the water and the poor old MSD (Keith) with such a sad looking limp SMB he should have sought medical attention. Now I shouldn't mock the afflicted but I'm going to as he did give me a fair bit of stick throughout the day but if you ever see MSDKeith then just ask him about is limp one at Stoney or ask Dave Parker I know he will fill everyone in on it cos he found it hilarious!!! (He's the one who told me to write this, honest, Keith)

But all jokes aside I must thank the pair of them for a fantastic day and they may be like the Two ronnies on the surface, but their professionalism in the water was second to none and the pair of them have really driven me forward.

Thanks Keith and Dave, I look forward to diving with you again.

Mark

Piczo