Stoney Cove - 4th/5th July 2000 (AOW Course Part 1)

Stoney Cove, Leicestershire - 4th/5th July 2000 This was the start of the Advanced Open Water course for Mark, Darren and me. After spending the previous evening stripping off in Maclusky's in Bristol and crashing at Marks place in Clifton, this is what happened....... Roy pitched up a tad late (Beer Penalty!) and we had an entertaining journey to Stoney, convoy-pursuits etc. Mark and I coined the phrase that 'Our diving Instructor is a ****' after he burned past us at 120mph This was the first visit to Stoney Cove and we were impressed. I particularly like the spring rolls and managed to get through five of them on the first day............ enough scene-setting... on to the diving. Dive #1

This was officially classed as the wreck dive down to see the Wessex helicopter that was sitting on the 20m plateau. There were a few 'miserable old scrote' - type Perch sitting in there. We managed to all get sat abreast of the tail while Mark looked down on us from his perch on the rear rotor-housing. Roy had supplied us with torches which made the red bit of the RAF symbol visible. Dive #2

After yet another couple of spring rolls and chips, the haphazard graph above says it all. This was the navigation bit of the course and I was too busy concentrating on the compass and counting fin cycles to take notice of depth !!! We also bumped into an aircraft cockpit which was just below the platform that we jumped in from (picture below). Dive #3

Roy bowed out of this dive and let Mark, Darren and me have a freebie on our own. This was a shallow dive around the quarry machinery that was right of the dive-platform. We did consider have a little venture over the edge of the drop to 20m but seeing as Roy had lent Darren his dive-computer, we had effectively been 'tagged'. Mark and Darren were playing noughts and crosses and drawing Roy on the concrete while I eventually managed to stabilise myself on top of somethingorother (hence the flat bit on the graph toward the end) The diving finished, we headed of to Hinckley to find somewhere lively to chill out. We did find an empty pub with a couple of helter-skelter slides(!) in it and the guy behind the bar suggested that we tried Tamworth about 20 miles away. Tamworth on a Tuesday night was about as lively as central High Wycombe !! Having eventually tracked down a couple of rooms for the night ("It's the Motorways you know, they make rooms very popular here !") we headed off for an excellent 'Eat as much as you can chinese' followed by a visit to the hottest spot in town, the 'Xenon' nightclub. It was so lively that Mark fell asleep 10 minutes after walking in. We didn't see Darren much as he was badgered by two ladies (I think one of them was called Heidi) who wanted to cadge a lift to Birmingham !! After a couple of watery beers it was back home........ The barman in Hinckley has a lot to answer for !! Before we come onto the first dive on the Wednesday, here are a couple of pictures from Stoney that I was unable to take the day/evening before as the camera-batteries were flat !!............




Okay............ enough of that, here is what happened Wednesday............... Dive #4

This was the deepy that we had all been waiting for. I don't what it is about diving to depth that appeals to people but, for me, it was the extra element of danger that made it that extra bit special but also a lot more conscious on what I was doing. Pat Delaney had joined us for this and he was buddied with Darren and me while Roy buddied Mark. Descending down the descent-line from the 5m plateau to the hydro-box at 20m on a buddy-line with Darren was a weird experience. There was no wildlife down here, only a blue nylon rope disappearing into the dark-blue depths. Pat switched us over to the second descent line and we continued to go down after Roy and Mark. The thermoclines were very noticeable. Unfortunately, my watch only picks up a temperature-reading every 5 mins. so this is not that apparant from the graph. We had to forget the underwater skills as Nitrogen Narcosis zoomed in on Mark causing him to make a (fortunately prevented by Roy and Pat) dash for the surface...... at least he knows the signs now....... Darren and I don't but thankfully there was no harm done and he is still with us - ready to do it all again when we resume the course in the near future. In case you wonder why the graph shows a further blip down to 5m, this was to accompany Pat to retrieve the hang-tank that we had fixed to the line. Dive #5

Stoney had lost a compressor on the Tuesday which meant that there was a huge wait for air-refills. Eventually, Roy, Pat, Darren and I made the final dive of the excursion to the newly-scuppered tug (whose name eludes me at the moment). Following Pat, who had taken the compass-bearing at the surface, we swan to in underwater. It was unreal and very 'X-Files' seeing the hull of this (quite large) beast appearing in front of us. Roy had the camera for this dive so there may be further pictures published here. Even though the wreck was sunk on purpose, it was still weird walking (as best as you can with fins on !) along the decks and sitting on the stern seating.........

Mark and I agreed on the way back that we ought to buy Roy a box of 'Erm..... Cheers Pal' chocolates. (private joke.... unless you read Viz !)

Stoney Cove, Leicestershire - 4th/5th July 2000

Dive #1

Dive #2

Dive #3

Dive #4

Dive #5