So yet another Snorkelling expedition was arranged, and this time, with the extra option to dive in Dromore lake. There was quite a breeze which drove a chop across the surface of the water. The universal comment from all concerned was that it was "friggin colder than last week". The dry suit people were getting abuse from all quarters.. :-)
12 people braved the cold waters and logged an open water snorkel. Well done to all, it was tough, cold, especially getting to grip with the choppy conditions and snorkels filling up with water :-(
Well done to those who also snorkel dived. Then for those hardy/foolish enough, the hardened vetererns followed up the snorkel with a dive. Visibility was good, compared to trying to dive in Killaloo, that is.. Watching small insects, seeing a number of "caves" built into the mesh of the weed/grass like vegetation, thinking, what sort of creature could do that?? Fresh Water mussel shells, remains of old trees. The dive/snorkel tested ones fitness and endurance. Nothing like the pool work to accelerate the preparation for it.
Well Done and hopefully all is looking good for hitting the Open Water Sea dive next week. So fill the bottles and fingers crossed, diving iat Doctors Rock, Kilkee next Sunday :-)
This week at University Limerick arena things got very dramatic during a routine scuba training routine. Ciaran was taking our youngest trainee Richie through the paces of an emergency situation. Richie was tasked with figuring out how to solve a serious underwater problem. How to swim to the bottom of the pool, find his reg and mask, put on the mask, clear it, then don his full scuba gear, BCD and bottle. He was never coached, he wasn't even helped by his buddy. He was simply given a problem and asked to solve it. I happened to be floating by with a camera and captured it all - here is the video, enjoy!
The first open water club snorkel of the year, was also my very first open water snorkel ever. I met the group that were braving the cold February waters at 12 on a bright sunny Sunday afternoon, it was originally to be 11am but Mike and Johnny were kind enough to push it to 12 to suit me driving down from a visit to Dublin.
Getting into my gear required the help of Frank and Theresa, so grateful to you both. Once we were all in our gear and in the water we finned upstream a little and then back down to the entry point again. The water was fairly cold but not as bad as I was expecting for the time of year, it was well above freezing cold, and after the initial shock of cold it really was quite comfortable. I felt as though we were barely in the water when we were getting out again. I felt colder standing on the shore watching the two lads in the scuba gear than it was in the water in truth. All in all a very good afternoons activity that was quite enjoyable, although next time I’m bringing a weight belt, my hood, something to stand on while I get dressed, a bottle of warm water like Theresa had and a windbreaker. You live and learn as they say, and boy are they right!!!
Last Sunday Limerick Sub Aqua club surprised me. I thought it would be a low key affair with just one trainee braving the 5 degree waters of the Shannon river running past Castleconnell. Johnny and I agreed to assist anyone that wanted to get in the water to complete their open water snorkel or test gear. By the time Noon rolled around there were a dozen or so joining us.
The method of preparing for a snorkel so early in the season is different for everyone. Johnny has every piece of gear known to Ebay at his disposal from dry suits to electric rash vests. Paul Dave and I went for the traditional dry suit (although mine turned out to be not so dry). I am more impressed by those that stuck to their guns and came out in Semi Drys. Theresa had a novel idea. She arrived down to the shore with 2 litres of of what appeared to be the finest Avonmore milk...but in fact it was hot water destined for the back of her neck. Im not sure how that strategy paid off but I must say I never heard her complain.
Twenty minutes was all that was needed for most of us. A few kicks against the current, a duck dive or two and we were out of there. Johnny and Paul went for a reccie with scuba while the rest of us recovered in Charco;s for hot soup and coffee. Looking forward to Dromore lake next week!
The pictures were taken during the 100th GODS outing in El Hierro. Ronnie sent you a blog some time ago so you know the story. The dive centre is in a village called La Restinga. It is small and almost over whelemed by lave which towers over part of it and walls it in on 3 sides. On the south side a small harbour shelters it from the sea. Diving was every thing I hoped it would be, lots of life and good vis. To take the photos I used a Fuji Film F40 fd. The diver in open water is I think Maeve Callinan, Colm OShea is the diver beside the rock. I took a shot of a brown Moray eel with white bindel cleaning shrimps, I did not see anything else until I got home and put it on my laptop. I then noted up to 12 Scorpion fish, "Madeira Rockfish". How many Rockfish can you count?
Frost, snow, ice and no sign of a bit of warm weather; this was the norm all over the Christmas break.
So, what else was there to do but stop talking about it and clear off to warmer parts, and where better than Sharm El Sheikh in the Red Sea, a mecca for divers for many years.
The last time I had dived the Red Sea at the Sinai peninsula was in 1979, with John Wright. !
Things were a bit primitave back then as the Sinai was under the control of Israel, who had taken it over in the infamous 6 day war, from the Egyptians in 1967, but had to give it back in 1983. When we were there, Sharm El Sheikh, was called Ophira, and was a small outpost on a single roadway than ran alongside the coast and had very limited facilities. (one compressor - by appointment only. !! ) The military looked after everything.... permits to dive, night diving was frowned on, and you never knew when soldiers were waiting by the rental car when you returned after a dive. We carried everything with us and cooked, ate and slept on the beaches beside the road. Sand storms regularly covered the road with drifting sand which made for some exciting driving, especially at night where it was often more luck than skill that we found the tarmac again after sliding around in a small rental Fiat.
All our diving then was shore diving, especially on Ras Muhammed, where we drained the cylinders taking in the last look at the fantastic reefs and drop offs that have made this part of the Red Sea famous. There was no problem getting some like minded divers to go along, especially at this time of the year. Direct flights from Dublin meant the least amount of trouble in getting there.(God be with the days of car ferry to England and charter flights to Eilat ) Sharm El Sheikh is now a bustling town with the 'old' part of town a busy market place, full of traders and souvenir shops as well as local produce, and has a large marina where most of the dive boats work from.
Our first days diving was spent on the usual 'house reef'. Getting used to the gear, adjusting bouyancy etc. Just like us here at home, they were having some unusual wether and there was a cool wind blowing which created a sight chop on the surface and disturbed the umbrellas of all the sun worshippers on the beaches. ! A few boat dives along the coastal reefs were just the job..... beautiful colours, an abundance of fish life, it was great to see such a variety and most important.... warm water. A couple of full 60 min dives, nice and relaxed is just what the doctor ordered for January.
Read more...
Tis far from the Safari Beach Resort we can imagine ourselves in. But when you go reading blogs like yours Ronnie ,all you can think about is, getting back into the gear and go Diving .The fishing Clubs webcam potrays flat calm conditions and even a fishing boat is moored so it must be someway decent.
A few of us will be diving in Killaloe for the spring time, training as we always do with the search and recovery unit, but i think a true New Years Resolution would be to go for a sea dive once a month for the months of Jan/Feb/Mar. Before we know it .... Paddys Day will be here.. and roll on the season . Anyone interested in going Give us a shout and we will see what can be arranged . No doubt before this Blog is read, we will all have heard of Brians New Years Splash as he always does !!!
Hopefully the roads will be safe to travel on and the sea will stay someway decent for a paddle in the bay .
Red Sea Beach Safari with the GODS- Marsa Shagra- Dec. 2009
“OK, Phil and Tom, you two, Tent no. 3. Tony and Paula, you’re for Tent 5. Louise and Tony, you’ll be in Lodge number 35. Ronnie, you have no Manuel this time, you have Lodge 30 all to yourself…………” and so on it went, with Shane and Ollie consigning us to our various beachside accommodations. Having experienced the pleasures and discomforts of tent life, set right on the water’s edge, on our previous trip to the Sinai, Manuel and I had decided to treat ourselves to the comforts of the lodge this time around i.e. real beds, air conditioning and en- suite with even a patio, as against the cane bunks and “furniture”, open tent flap, communal showering and toilet facilities, with many night and early morning treks across the soft sand, answering calls of nature. I know that most of you reading this, would have found all that most exciting but for Manuel and me…. “Think we’ll upgrade ourselves to a spot of luxury this time”……… Unfortunately, the Godfather threw a wobbler just days before departure and being hospitalized had to miss out on the trip!
All 22 of us were relieved to reach our destination of the Eco- diving village of Marsa Shagra, just north of the town of Marsa Alam, on the Southern Red Sea coastline on the Gulf of Aquaba. One hour into our 5½ hour flight, the captain announced that he had to return the plane to Gatwick due to some engine malfunction! However, after an hour’s delay at Gatwick we were up and away in a fresh plane. All’s well that ends well. This is a diving holiday with a difference, arranged for us GODS, as ever, by Shane Gray in conjunction with the excellent Oonasdivers organization, (thank you Lydia), away from the flesh- pots (I love- em) and diving mayhem of Sharm and Hurgada. Here, you may very well have your chosen dive site to yourself and your buddies. Early breakfast, 6.30 onwards, including my own personal favorite, pancakes with chocolate sauce, pour it yourself (long day ahead, you know), ready up for the dive, then back in time for lunch al fresco. Sun bathe or perhaps a truck dive in the afternoon, back in time for tea and cake. Some hardy ones may very well prepare for an evening/night dive off the beach before the nightly pre dinner gatherings in the bar or in one another’s quarters, this being a great time to produce the duty free hooch acquired in Gatwick. Onwards to dinner then, indulging in a huge choice from the ample buffet and afterwards repair to the bar, sure Bob’s your Uncle! The food is really good and once you get the hang of eating Egyptian food sensibly, i.e. being wary of salads, avoiding ice in drinks, washing fruit and brushing teeth with bottled water etc, you shouldn’t have any problems with the Pharaoh’s revenge, (not too comfortable, I can assure you, in a communal toilet block!)
Food, accommodation and all local diving is prepaid, no cash required, just sign for your Stella beers or whatever. Soft drinks, bottled water, tea and coffee are available free, round the clock!
Local diving on the house fringe reefs is very much go as you please and unlimited, although you sign yourself on and off on the big blackboard in the dive centre for all dives. Alternatively, you can take one of the so called “truck dives”. For these your gear is loaded up on trucks and is there waiting for you when you alight from the accompanying coach to your pre selected dive site up or down the coast. You can do this morning and/or afternoon any day. Special dives, for a small charge can be arranged (we did) to dive on the wrecked Russian freighter at Abu Ghusoon, enjoying lunch on the beach between dives, this one involved a 7am start. Alternatively, one can go for the big one and undertake a very early morning, long and usually uncomfortable rib trip to Elphinstone Reef with a reasonable chance of spotting some pelagic life and a most spectacular dive thrown in. Some did, I didn’t!
Your typical house reef dive, might involve a rib dropping you off some distance out along the reef face, then “saunter” at perhaps 10, 15, or 20 meters depth, back to base, taking anything from 60 to 80 minutes underwater! You will see the most gorgeous foliage, multi colored coral, beautiful giant blue clams and a selection of fish that even Nemo himself would be proud to show off! I am talking about Turtles, Butterfly fish, stately Emperor Angel fish, Parrot and Puffer fish, Blue Spotted Ray, Crocodile, Lion, Stonefish and so many more, too numerous for me to identify or mention….. all this with me wearing only a Lidl shorty suit. However, I did wear a hood and also rented hard sole bootees, a necessity for wading through beaches, at a cost of €3 per day, cheaper than the cost of Michael O’Leary’s excess baggage! Anything else you might need to rent is available locally at a reasonable cost. Many divers chose to wear their full suits. For the diver who likes to stretch the limits, rest assured that the on site Hyperbaric Medical Centre/ Recompression Chamber is well equipped and manned around the clock! As for the people working in the eco village and dive centre, I cannot speak highly enough of their 100% helpful and friendly service and dedication towards making our visit as memorable as possible.
Our group was made up of old friends from previous trips and a large contingent from the powerful Naas Club. I think that we all gelled very well and had a great time really. On our final night, the Naas gang all showed up for dinner wearing their red polo shirts which they had specially commissioned for the trip, watch out for yours truly wearing his Naas shirt, gifted to him by good old Phil Brady! Thank you also to Ray and Teresa for the Safari tee shirt, these guys were very good to me. Photos were taken of the youngest diver in the group, newly qualified 16 year old Dylan Haughney and the oldest, nah, you’d never guess! At the sing song which rounded off our last night, Shane’s old pal Denzil told some very funny stories, Ollie sang and Margaret sang, Diane dressed up in her Santa outfit and even old Ronnie did his party piece by trying to sing (which he can’t), a ditty which he composed while stuck in a hospital bed last year. I promised some of the Naas’ers that I would put the silly words up on our blog, so here goes, God forgive me!
“Lament of the Wild Diver”: (To the air of “the Wild Rover”) I’ve played the wild diver for many a year And I’ve spent all my money on black rubber gear. Now my bottle is empty, my bum it is sore And I’ll play the wild diver, no, never, no more. (Chorus):
And it’s no, nay, never, No, nay, never no more, Will I play the wild diver, No, never, no more.
I went to the dive shop that I used to frequent And I told Willie Siddall, my demand valve was bent. I asked for another, he answered me “No, Your demand valve’s a Dacor, we sell Scubapro”.
And it’s, no, nay, never etc.
So out I did pull my long diving knife, While Willie, he trembled in fear for his life. But boldly he cried “I don’t care what you do”, I said “Ta very much, I’ll just take one or two.
And it’s, no, nay, never etc.
Then out I went diving from old Kilkee pier And thought to myself, “There’s naught doing out here” But at 22 metres I looked up to see, Three bloody big lobsters were coming at me.
And it’s, no, nay, never etc.
So, now as I lie on my hospital bed, While bandaged from arms right up to my head, I think of my life and my unruly ways And I mourn the passing of my diving days.
Crouching Tiger hidden Fire Hydrant ! After presure from the 100’s of media camped outside Tigers house he finally admitted he left his Family, his Fans and his trousers down. The favoured approach is to apologies to his family then blame the devil and ask his fans for forgiveness and then carry on as if nothing happened. He maybe in the rough but he’s not out of the woods yet !
Crouching Diver hidden Shell ! Just hot off the press a certain diver went down on his dodgy knee to propose recently. I believe he in fact when down on all fours, as the ring, hidden in a sea shell, blended in with it surrounding so much so that it nearly went out with the tide. The rock will certainly be displayed this Sat - €10 to the first person to guess their CFT no’s.
Other News. One of Coronations streets favourites passed away. Blanche(75) died yesterday, she’ll be missed for her dry wit, a trait that Limerick people are also know for. One of her best lines was “ I’ll have a tonic water and a put a gin in it to brighten it up”. On Liz McDonald “Skirt no bigger than a belt, too much eyeliner, and roots as dark as her soul”. No one admitts to watching Corrie but everyone does and any diver that denies this will be charged an extra €10 for their next dive.
For Johnny Hasset, Peter Walsh, Brian Kearney and Doc Tom, who might I add are devoted soap fans and never miss an episode, this is a particularly sad time for them and they plan to hold a minutes silence this Saturday just after the Munster match.
Mike is back on the Road but some things are not quite right ! Some time ago Mike blew his turbo, he was apparently giving it welly while listening to King of Leon’s new single 'Sex on Fire'.
This morning I got a phone call “My 5th Gear is gone, I have 4th and 6th but no 5th “ he said bewildered. “Maybe I could do without it” he added, But that's like saying which finger could you do without ! I like to hold on to all my pinkies thank you very much.
In the meantime I’ve contacted Henry Street and reported the theft !
Just finished reading this fascinating book written by Mick Moriarty. In his book, Mick takes the reader on a journey through Irish scuba diving history as he saw it happening first hand. There are chapters covering Spearfishing, Snorkeling, Commercial Diving and the formation of CFT.
This book should be required reading for all club members or anyone interested in the history of scuba diving in Ireland. The stories that Mick chronicles in his book are very interesting and his description of events is vivid.
It wasn't untill I found diving for the first time that I realised I had awoken a long slumbering passion for everything underwater. In Micks first chapter he captures this moment that every first-time diver experiences:
Suddenly the world that I had known for 26 years, a world that ended at the surface of the water, was gone. I was in a new and strange place, bathed in a brown-gold light from the late afternoon sun. The slanting rays threw mysterious shadows along the bottom of the lake behind the bigger stones and the pillars that supported the ramp. I inspected the support pillars and then looked out towards the darkenss of the deeper water beyond.
I picked up a signed copy of this book back in May for our Movie Night at the Lakeside Hotel in Ballina. I believe you can still get a copy of this book through CFT, more info is available at their website.
Halloween has come and gone and The Christmas ads already on the radio and TV, the nights are getting longer and the chances to dive are getting fewer. Send your regs and bottles away for service and go looking for that funny shaped tube you hardly ever use...yah your snorkel that's right.
A great way to keep the cobwebs off your finning legs is to join us in the Pool on Tuesday nights at 9pm for some snorkel training.
Spread the word to freinds and co-workers too - we are recruiting again for new members - SCUBA classes are around the corner. Bring them down to the pool on Tuesday nights and look out for us - we should be easy to spot...the giant pool shoes are a dead giveaway.
Prologue, As some of you are aware Francis is a true blue -a Lunster Supporter living in Manorhamilton and is also known to service the odd regulator and VIP a few bottles. He also supplies compressors and wouldn't be lost in Moore Street with his slang and sharp wit.
Chapter One. Last November we decided to replace our compressor before the existing one blew up and according to Murphy that's exactly what happened. Yes, Murphy got his hands on our Marnier and it finally gave up the Ghost back in May.
Chapter Two It finally arrived although I suspect Francis was holding on to it for some time, delaying his arrival to coincide with the Munster v Ulster interprovincial in Thomand Park. This was strongly refuted but how could you believe a Dublin Jackeen wearing a crisp new Leinster Jersey hailing from Leitrim and driving a Galway registered Land Rover Sport. Especially since his son was dressed from head to toe in Munster gear.
Reporting back from our GODS (Golden Oldies Diving Society) Centenary diving trip (i.e. Shane Gray's 100th organised trip) to El Hierro...
There were 20 of us, from all parts of the country, including current and former members of L.S.A.C.; Maeve Callanan, John Mullins, Tom McDonnell, Colm O'Shea, Manuel Di Lucia and yours truly. We were later joined by Pat Hehir from outside Ennis, who just happened to be over there on his own. Most of the party had been on Shane's first ever trip way back in 2001, so it was to prove to be a pretty nostalgic return!
After flying out of Dublin, overnighting in Tenerife and speeding out by luxurious high speed ferry in a 2 hour run, we reached El Hierro, the most westerly island in Europe. The ferry docked at the Island's capital Valverde, whence we undertook the one hour trip in 3 vehicle convoy, to our destination, the small fishing and diving village of La Restinga. Too late for a dive we chilled out in the 20 degree evening sunshine, gathering in Shane and Ollie's apartment, as we did every evening, for Happy Hour drinks and a surprise presentation of lovely commemorative polo shirts. Onwards then and every night, to local restaurants for grub, usually finishing up in "El Bar", wearing only pants and tee shirt, at whatever hour of the night or morning took our fancy.
This year’s training started with a bang, full on, no expense spared, we had more equipment than a dive shop, underwater scooters, camera’s, video recorders, full face masks, underwater communications, mono fins, You name it we had it!
In the pool it was a real family affair with a life time of ages from Cian at 12 to the legend Ronnie who’s surely 104 and fitter than most of us creaking 40 year olds. And to document all this, we were delighted to have a reporter from the Limerick Leader attend and try his hand at scuba for the first time.
And it doesn’t end there , we get to do it all again next week, but the highlight will be on the 3rd of November when, due to popular demand, Peter Walsh will be giving his highly acclaimed, free diving breath holding workshop – I can’t wait.
This massive basking shark which was caught up in a fisherman's net in the Irish Sea yesterday will be served up as an exotic dish at a number of restaurants this weekend. The 500kg shark was taken on board by fishermen who were trawling for prawns off Lambay Island near Skerries, north county Dublin yesterday. The 14-foot long shark, nicknamed a "sunfish" due to its habit of swimming just below the water's surface, became entangled in the trawler's nets and died about an hour or two before skipper Ian Milne of MVF Celtic Venture hauled the massive fish on board.
Basking sharks were once fished off these shores for their oil up until about 20 years ago. Although the EU has placed a moratorium on fishing them in Northern Ireland and the UK, they are not protected as an endangered species in the Republic. While the shark will fetch about €10 a kilo at Doran's Pier of Howth, where it is now being sold to the public and local restaurants, basking sharks are not commercially viable for fisherman, according to owner Sean Doran.
"It's not high value and very awkward to get on board," he said. However, shark is a bit of a delicacy in some countries and orders were coming in as soon as the massive haul was reported by locals, he added.
A record number of basking sharks have recently been tagged off the Donegal coast, including 50 in just three days in June.Basking sharks are not a danger to swimmers, like their cousins the Great White shark, although they could capsize a boat or sailboat if swimming high enough in the water.
I am just back from a short break on the South side of the island of Tenerife where I took advantage of an invitation that was thrown out to the club in general at Maceik's leaving do some weeks ago. I’m not sure that poor Maciek thought anybody was going to take him up on the offer so quick but he did make the mistake of sending me on his Spanish mobile number. We arrived on Sunday and just chilled out for the day, but on Monday I sent a text to Maceik to see how he was and what was the story with booking a few dives. He called me back at the end of his working day and was good enough to arrange for me to be picked up outside my hotel the next morning, I did try to negotiate with him about the pick up time as 08.30 is too early for me even at home but I was on the losing side!!!!
The following morning I awoke at 08.12 to the sound of my watch alarm, turned it off and said I would get up in 5 minutes but one minute later the alarm on my phone went off, I tried to ignore it for a minute but a sharp elbow from my significant other was my signal to get up and turn it off. Fortunately I had packed some stuff in my back pack the night before so grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge I went down to meet my lift to the dive center. I was met 2 minutes later right on time by the lovely Ramona who came to Tenerife 10 years ago for a short break and is still there to this day!!!! Ramona had two of her dogs in the back of the jeep who were so well behaved that I did not even know there were even there until the end of the journey when they jumped out looking forward to another tough day lying down in the dive center sleeping, running around, being petted by the divers and getting thrown some tidbits from the guys in between dives. Then Maceik came out from the equipment room all smiles and hand shakes it was good to see him and he seemed to have to have settled in well. He booked me in to the center and give me some form to fill in, made it all so easy. We had time for a quick chat and he told me of his lucky escape two weeks before when some Muppet in a uninsured rental car knocked him off his motorbike, he is ok but the bike needs a lot of work to repair it. The sea water is good for healing his cuts and scrapes so no break from work for him, anyway onto the diving.
On your marks divers, pool training is just around the corner. It’s time to put the wet suit away and go looking for your faded Speedo’s, you know the one’s...It’s the pair you bought when you were 22 about 32 years ago, they started off red and now look a gay pink.
Build for speed but not the cat walk, once on, they automatically make you go blue as you fail to hold in the 6 pack you once possessed. Some say Dave Ryan has a navy pair and refers to them as his nicker Speedo’s.
For the younger members it’s the pair that says RipCurl or QuickSilver,
They start somewhere below your man boobs and go right down to your calf !
Cool they might look but but no one know what your packing (or lack of) and anyway they behave like your own personal sea anchor. Apparently our chairman has a lovely baby blue pair.
Enough said.
Peter and I would be delighted to see you strutting your stuff at the poolside.
So join us on the 13 of October for the first of many.
Hi guy's Just back from a great dive holiday in the Maldives! (Honeymoon to some), By the way thanks for the best wishes. What can i say about the diving there! You dont need me to tell you that it's everything you think it is and more! Only one down side (except that i had to come home) was that it was the tail end of the off season, vis was sometimes reduced to ten metres down from a reputed 50m!!!! Dive times were set so would have to dive at tidal times, High to low tide was 0.5m or less, a lot considering the high point of the island is just over 1.5m.
Got there after 4 flights so not able to dive day 1, walked the beach instead, glad i did, just 1m offshore a school of fish were hiding behind some rocks, then i saw why, 3 baby white tip reef sharks "playing" with each other. Couldn't get my gear on fast enough then, snorkeled for the rest of the day, was counting the minutes to my first dive!! Just being a 1* was limited to 20m, didn't mind though was plenty to see. Got in as soon as i could and was like a kid in a sweet shop!! Hundreds of fish in hundreds of colours, Trigger fish, Lion fish and a Rock fish to name but a few. In the middle of what seemed like an underwater rainbow i looked down and saw some white tips resting on the seabed, just then a turtle swims lazily past and blocks the view! nearly forgot i was married at this stage and only 20mins into the dive.
The army was in Kilkee this week for diving, but the sea wasn't cooperating and I hear they had to stay inside the bay. With this in mind Johnny and Doctor Tom headed up to the coast to see if the weather had improved at all before they moved the boat out. I was on my way up as well, but unfortunately ran into some turbo trouble. Anyone have a good mechanic?
Johnny offered to DO for the weekend with Dr Tom and in the end they managed to get out to North Diamonds. Steve and John from Loch Derg joined them as a pair and Brian from LD joined John for the first dive. Dr Tom and Ken completed the group while Dave and Mike K. did coxwain. The sea was a little rough and got a little worse as the day wore on, so Dave and Mike ended up back in the middle of the bay for their dive.
My afternoon went from my turbo pouring smoke all over the dual carriageway (the second thing I rescued from the smouldering wreck was my dive gear) to me having to take dictation from Johnny on how the dive went. Hopefully theres one or two more dives planned this month. Our DO promised good weather this week, so keep a lookout for the texts.
September is a busy month on the sporting calendar. If you wanted to get a dive in this past Sunday you needed to be up early to beat the rush. Kilkee slip was full of football fans, eager to get in a dive then rush back to watch the match. We needed to get the boat launched quickly, luckily we had a few volunteers from Lough Derg SAC to lend a shoulder. Thanks guys. The Spring tide was rushing out so fast that another club nearly launched there boat on dry land - but luckily some bright spark caught the trailer winch at the last second.
The dive pairs were Ciaran and Richard, Doc Tom, Matt and myself and two members of Curragh SAC. The sea was not all that inviting, but we sought some shelter outside in Biraghty Mór. With three dive boats operating out of that small area, coxwains were kept busy trying to sort out which bubbles to follow and what SMB belonged to which pair. Once we got down a few meters the lumpy sea was quickly forgotten and a nice relaxing dive was had by all. When the last diver was collected we headed straight for home, conditions didn't suit dangling the legs over the sides of rib or even trying to drag out a few mackrels. Besides Ciaran was fairly green in the face after he came up - must have been the runny eggs he had for breakfast.
Back to the slip to unload the football fans quickly. The rest of us chilled out to watch the Kilkee Strand racing. Brian was on the way for the second dive and Matt was up for one too. I agreed to cox for them - once in that sea was enough for me. The second dive was out by Bishops Island, again seeking the shelter from the waves. Must have taken twenty minutes to get the boat to our destination, and another twenty back after the dive. Our shore marshal was even a little bit worried, but all was forgiven when we arrived back safe and well. Brian misplaced his dive computer at some point on the trip, so if anyone spots it give him a shout.
I did make a statement in the Diving Officer' s report for 2009 that I was stepping down and willing to hand over the role of Diving Officer to someone else, But, alas, I was re elected once again...
My cunning plan did not work, For those of you who did not make it last night to the End of year AGM. This was brief extract of my Report:
Approximately, 35 Dive outings occurred during the Dive season 2008-2009. The Months of July & August were subjected to intermittent diving activity due to due weather conditions. But, at least most members were able to log an average of 30 dives over the season.5 new members joined the Club this year. All completed the Pool and classroom requirements and one has moved on his club diver test with another pending test.
The club has converted 6 trainee Divers to Club diving grade this year with one person outstanding. Mike Orth, John Hassett, Maciej Perepeczo, Ken Devereux, Emma Sheehan and Roger Noonan with James Gaffney to do his test very soon.
A special word of thanks to Emma, who has finally overcome the last hurdle and passed the Club Diver test in fine style. Well Done:- Great achievement!!Not forgetting also, the great work as secetary, in keeping the lines of communication going, keeping the meetings on track and on time, making everyone's job on the Commitee a lot easier :-)
The Club has converted 3 trainee Coxswains to Coxswain Grade also. Mike, John and Matt.
The Club also has a qualified Rescue Diver also, again Congratulation Matt for achieving the grade.
All in all, I would like to pass my thanks and congratulations to all who have put in the work to prepare for these tests and successfully achieved the relative grades.
It is with the help & support of Brian Kearney and Ciaran Enright & Dave Ryan T.O. that has allowed the development of the candidates to continue.
Special thanks to Dave and John & Mike for their help & support and enthusiasm on dive sites, to Brian Kearney and Ciaran with helped out with Coxswain training over the winter.
Great credit for this is due to Mike Orth, who has successfully re ignited the Club membership via the club website and re kindled the great spirit, good humoured banter, & great social aspect of the club once again. The dive blog, Events Calendar, are all great aspects of the Limsac 2009 season.Great credit is due to his leadership and support and so I thank Mike for his great work for the Club throughout the year.Much appreciated...
To the Equipment Officers, John and Ciaran.. Thanks guys for keeping the boat and trailer in PWO. It makes the job of the DO easier.Great Job!
I thank all those who assisted me on dive sites this year.It makes my role as Diving easier and would urge all members to continue to help, with all aspects of the diving and dive preparation.
Please continue to develop, participate in courses and enjoy your diving safely.
It only took a few phone calls and we decided Wednesday was the day for diving in Kilkee. 6 of the finest divers arrived in Kilkee 2 hours before noon but something looked wrong, very very wrong, the sea was far from the placid state we'd expected. A brisk stroll up Dunlikee was all it took to realise our plans for a relaxed dive were in jeopardy, Anti Cyclone - It sounds more like some new technology from Dyson than the promise of good weather, well that what were experienced yesterday, we thought we were inside a Dyson. From Beyond Bishops to Donegal point as far as the eye could see, the coast line was a mess, with water cascading over Berrity to spectacular waves looming over middle rock, it was not a day to venture outside the bay.
Even Skinny from OceanLife was mystified as to where the 4m swells were coming from...Ok ok they were coming from somewhere in the mid Atlantic but why? Their was a big H sitting there for the last week and a ½. Enough of this negativity and after a brief discussion we decided middle of the bay was the only place we could go, Skinny on the other hand wasn't convinced and headed over to Illaunabha, but soon arrived back with his tail between his legs and decided to join us.
The weather gods shined on us last weekend sending a high pressure system that settled over Ireland delivering clear blue skys for days.Our DO reacted almost instantly, throwing together a new plan for the whole weekend for anyone that hadn't packed their dive gear up in the attic yet.Just when we thought the diving might be finished, this extension of summerwas welcomed with huge relief as many of us hadn't been out in a month.
Wikipedia defines Indian Summer as "a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn".It goes on to say: The term "Indian summer" is used metaphorically to refer to a late blooming of something, often unexpectedly, or after it has lost relevance. This is comparable to the use of the term renaissance in the sense of "revival", but it carries the added connotation that the revival is temporary.(Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_summer>)
I for one hope this revival isn't temporary at all - and I hear another fine weekend is planned. We might not have the clear blue skies again, but a lack of rain and mild winds should mean the viz can only get better and we might just squeeze in a few more dives before we get back to the pool for next years training.
This past weekend a lot was going on.Cois Fharraige was all set to descend on Kilkee again and the mood was electric around the town.There was a huge blue tent erected on the way in, presumably where the festival goers with tickets were went to flock. But in these recessionary times it seems more people decided to buy a bag of cans and hang around the main street.It wasn't just tents that littered Kilkee for the weekend.Personally, sitting out on the dive boat at Goerge's Head was about as close as I needed to get to hear the music just fine thanks.
Congrats and best wishes to Dave Keane as he ties the knot today and flies off into the Maldives sun for his honeymoon. Really, getting married, was only a secret ploy to get in a great Dive Holiday. Enjoy the Honeymoon, the Diving.. All the Rest Dave...
A little bird told me that a certain bearded Instructor celebrates his birthday today.
As you all know once you turn 40 you begin to count backwards as this is how you’ll end up, be it 2 or 78 you’ll be wearing nappies, drinking from a beaker, talking gibberish and using a walker/zimmer frame for transportation. If you can reach 0 you’re now above the national average and well on your way to celebration your 3rd 21st as you begin count forward again.
8pm arrived and there I was still running around looking for my socks, I shouted “Have you not ironed my shirt yet !” The response I got was both verbal and visual, the former being inappropriate as this is a family blog and the visual bit was a stainless steel pot hurtling past my nose.
Eventually we got on the road after we kissed and made up, it was 8:03pm and we were dead late.
Myles Breen’s was quite with a few local heads propping up the bar as we made our way to the back of the pub. Doc Tom, Dave, Mike O, Magic, Johnny, Emma and Brian our DO were there to greet us, They were all in a exceptional good mood despite the weather, did someone win the lotto I thought, Dave maybe - he was dressed very smartly but then he was once an ex male model for Brown Thomas’s autumn collection, it’s when I heard that Coor’s Lite was free, I understood.
We were queuing up of buy each other rounds as if this free promotion exempted us from our previous obligations regarding who’s round was next. Coor’s Lite it wasn’t as it began to take effect immediately and the customary “before” photograph took a while to organise in fact all the photos had an “after” look about them. Johnny using some choice hand signals expressed his delight in getting his picture taken over and over, while Dave got very European and began to hug and dance with everyone.
Before the clocks go back and we descend into darkness, instead of looking for our Diving lamps why not brush the cobwebs off your high Nelly and take it for a spin.
“Cycling – Thats not for me, anyway the last time I tried it, my fins will got stuck in the spokes and I hurt my head! “, said the training officer.
This massive basking shark which was caught up in a fisherman's net in the 
