2011.06.27 10:33:22

Seawolf

Well now I am back at work, recovering from a busy Day's diving out of Oysterhaven(The deep South), diving the recently found UC42 and then on to the Santo Wreck in the mid afernoon. A long but, very enjoyable day while the Club went to home ground(South West) and dived Kilkee.

The links on the earlier blog say it all. Great to see them, and then see the reality of the bones to reinforce the message, it is a grave. The visibility was good until "Ciaran of Inbher Sceine was ploughing down the Starboard side towards thankfully the end of our dive which prompted me to crossover the bow and head for the mine housings for another look back up towards the conning tower. Respect to the guys who found it and laid the plaque. Great tribute to the memory who lost their lives on this Iron Coffin.

Credit and many thanks due to Nigel who orchrested the outing and invited myself & Emma along aswell as Brian Kearney & Suzy who made the outing a home away from home.

Basically, the dives are both about 30meters and ideal for Nitrox divers to use a bottle without going into Deco. Those on air did suffer the need to cut bottom time and do an approximate 10 min Decompression if the stayed over 25mins. Only drawback was the transit times to the wrecks, between 30 and 40 mins for both sites, so more ideal to either use OceanAddicts or try an find a launch site to the east side of Cork Harbour for a Club dive boat run.

The Santo wreck, is interesting in terms of the extent to which the site is desimated. Very little is left and all that remains are the dredging buckets, boiler, some huge gearing, the prop and gear shaft. A wide debris field with a lot of Conger and wrasses using the wreckage as a home. Certainly, the wreck is worth a vistit. :-)

 

Kilkee did not endeer itself to some as the choppy conditions of the morning, encouraged a few green faces, best cure is to get in the water and snorkel, alas Poor Kieran suffered on. Thanks to Teresa and Eimhear who brought lunch for the guys, great bonding session and naturally the ribbing for those who "popped their heads above the parapet" .....  Car keys & Locked doors - Did the special one get another treat in the Chinese in Kilkee?? .... Again a song comes to mind.. Once, twice, three times a lady.... :-D

Eamonn will testify on behalf of the anybody that does any towing for the Club in the future, even if a crime is committed... "Major respect to the "Tower possee" :-) Fair play to Ken, offering words of support and encouragement " Your're doin a great job. Eimhear got that also, HanCock 2 " the Kilkee trilogy comes to mind :-)

As for Martin & Mike, well, the Wilds of Kilkee yielded some edible trophies for the free Divers on Saturday.

Limsac Divers presented some challenges and unfortunately some weight loss, but, a search and recovery event was conducted, Coast guard, kilkee Lough derg and Aughinish dive clubs were involved and through a long and intensive search and recovery with a post dive review in the Skinny or scots, the weight belt that attempted to escape was captured and held in evidendce by our RDO.  The Club D.O. had to submit an "near miss" incident report on the matter. However, in saying that, all is well with every Limerick Sub aqua member, and we can now all breath a sigh of relief and joy now, that a successfully recovery has been conducted!

So very soon, Tuesday, in fact - in the Locke, I will be conducting teambuilding exercises with Limsac members, tackling the most pressing issues of the day.

Avoiding weight loss, Filling a bottle - Navigate around middle rock - Towing, the mystery tour, Reg freeflow - Avoid  tank contents loss, singing the "green, green, grass of home when seasick - Lost - Car keys - Send for super wife...   While there, I will be signing copies of my new book - Diving - A Dummies guide to ---- :-)

Great turn out in the Locke last night, great craic :-) Ken's words of encouragement " Your doin a great job" made it a night to remember :-D