Diving. Frightens the life out of me . Have you seen that Netflix on saving those kiddies in the cave ? Jesus H those divers have balls.
Marshalling at a Classic club meeting at Pembrey several years back, i started talking to a fellow marshal and for something to talk about I asked what he did for a living. He then tells me he was a diver, so as I’d done a bit I asked him what kit he used. He started to reel off the kit, woolly bear under gear, dry suite, then he said a leather suite and on top of that a chainmail suite. I was gobsmacked with his answer when I asked him where the hell he went diving to warrant wearing kit like that, he said oh! I dive in sewers To this day I don’t know if he was pulling my leg, I was going to say, taking the pee or not.
Did my PADI a few years ago with my daugjter but I only dive on holiday. I’ve had some great dives (St Lucia and Galapagos) and some rubbish ones (Zanzibar). The trouble is I only really go about once a year for a days diving as my wife doesn’t dive. Best dive I ever did:
I learned to dive with BSAC back in the 90s - Manta Divers, Branch 953 based at Tooting Leisure centre. It was a huge part of my life for 10-15 years and it’s how I met the Mrs … almost every weekend during the season we would head to the coast for the weekend. In the winter we’d be down the pool or visiting inland lakes and quarries for training. I’ve done over 5,000 dives and ended-up as an Advanced Instructor and the Diving Officer of the club with overall responsibility for all diving. These were the early days of technical diving and I progressed through nitrox, to twin-sets with stage bottles, to semi-closed and ultimately fully closed rebreather on Trimix. I’ve dived all over the world but UK diving is still my favourite … particularly deeper wrecks and the more remote scenic dives. A week trip on a converted lifeboat to St Kilda, the deserted westernmost of the Outer Hebrides is particularly memorable. I lost a couple of close friends to accidents on those early rebreathers, and had a few close calls myself involving helicopter evac from the dive boat to the decompression chamber, and when our kids came along we gradually scaled it back and I sold my rebreathers. I still have a shed full of cylinders and all the other gear at home but it has only been warm-water holiday diving for us for the last 20 years. Having said that, I do have it in mind to go knocking on Exeter BSACs door when I retire next year … so who knows!!
I used to dive years ago as a SAA member. Never went down the instructor route though I've taken beginners in the water. I completed a diver rescue course, that was extremely hard work but equally as rewarding. Lost count of the number of dives I've done, but they have all been in England and Wales. Plenty around Anglesey.
wow , seems to be a disportioncate number of divers, especially instructors or commercial, me ex padi instructor, maybe 15 dives since giving up in 94, only on me hols now diving is very equipment heavy and thats part of the appeal, checking, maintaining etc. a good dive needs good preparation and there is something similar about riding a bike, especially fast ones. i like physical things that the wholes body experiences, anyone else? skydiving too, similar, very equipment reliant, stimulates the whole body wouldn't be surprised if theres a few of those on here too
It wasn't tech heavy at all for me, just a regular single 10l tank and demand valve. I had a computer to do away with five tables and a backup digital watch
