You probably think this blog is about one of our trainees feeling very sick on the dive last night. It's not. It's nothing to do with the viz either. Its a blog about Johnny Cash. Cheesy? Yeah it probably is, but I'm a yank and that's how we roll.

Last night myself and Dave were in search of "The Cathedral" in Kilkee near Middle Rock.  Brian dropped us off at a 13m dropoff near Middle Rock and we followed this reef around to the SouthWest. Our first drop landed us at the mouth of a huge cave. This alone would have made it a great dive. Dave loosing his fin was also a highlight for me. He stubbornly tried to get it back on, but in the end accepted my help. It was funny watching him go in circles for a while.

As we followed the reef away from the cave to the SouthWest, Dave motioned to me. He made a sign for the arch and my heart leapt, that was exactly what we were after! It is a gorgeous natural formation and as beautiful as the picture on the left suggests. The picture is taken by Martin Kiely from Aughinish. He gave me permission to link to his album, you should take a look he is one good photographer! Check it out HERE.

When you swim through the arch you come across an enclosed area that resemples an auditorium. Kind of like something you might see in Athens, with bench's (reef walls) at the sides for spectators and an open air stage (sea floor) in the center. At the back of this room you have several holes that go back into the rock that are home to lobsters, Tom Pots, Wrasse, Spotted Gobi, crabs and other fish. The room seemed to house a lot of life, and all of it larger than normal size. WE did a tour of the room and came across a lobster bigger than any I had ever seen before. One claw from this lobby was much larger then my own hand, not that I got that close mind you, he looked like he could snip my air supply in one pinch.

We looked at each other after doing the first tour to see would we move on. After spending several dives this summer trying to find this spot, there was no swimming away from it. While we were there I counted a half dozen very large white sea fans and watched the starfish gorging on the mussles on the sea floor. I recon there was no life on the floor itself as that big lobster had cleared the place.

Now getting back to the Johnny Cash reference. It must have been country hour on the way home cause that was the tune on RTE1. Mid Week diving has to be my favorite time to dive. First of all its having to ditch work a little early to make the slip on time. Then its the dusk falling on the horizon as you finish up diving back to back, making everything more special to look at.  The trip home is usually different as you are trying to make it back before everyone at home is in bed...and maybe a light meal when you arrive starving.  I must have had a bit too much Nitrox in my mix cause I was singing Johnny Cash's song as I past through Lissycasey. If you ever get a chance to join us Mid Week - you won't regret it!