Derek’s Dive Domain

Oh it is such torture, writing about these dives and the holiday after the event, but not as much torture as having to endure them in the first place.  OK, so if you believe that, you will believe anything.  Today’s dives were pulling in the diving required for my Deep Dive specialty, so we spent the pre-dive social time learning some knots that we would need to tie underwater, down at 40 metres, as part of the narcosis demonstation etc.

We got the kit sorted out and piled into the minibus and travelled north up the island to Rad Azul.  After kitting up we stepped in at the beach, and descended down to 5 metres, and swam out past the harbour/marina entrance, and then down the long steep slope to 41 metres, where we did the drills.  We kneeled on the sand whilst we did the drills, tying the knots, and doing the egg in the water, and sending a bottle to the surface bits and pieces, and then we turned to head up the slope.  I don’t remember it being that steep, it seemed like about 45 degrees :)    Anyway, we head up and have a quick pause at the memorial at 38 metres.  I was glad of another chance to look at this properly as the last time I was here, I was nervous to say the least.  This time I am far more composed and had a look, and read the inscription on it, and then headed up.  We came up around some rock walls on the way back up, and with the current this morning, it was quite hard going.   Deco consisted of 7 minutes at 3 metres, which had reduced to 2@3 and a safety stop by the time we got up to that level.  Then out, and a break before moving about a quarter of a mile up the coast (which requires a drive of about 4 miles!) to do our second dive of the day, and the second Deep classification dive on the wreck at Tabaiba, which we had dived earlier in the week.

We did this dive without Michael as he had been struggling with a cold all week, and needed some time away from us (I am sure it was nothing to do with just needing some time away from us generally ).  We did basically the same dive as the first time, swimming out along the pipeline to the wreck and finnind around it before carrying out our planned trip through a passageway which starts at 24 metres and rises across the wreck, coming out at 18 metres.  Then we popped into the bridge, entering through one of the doors and exiting by a window.  Being inside the bridge, I had a moment of “giddiness” as I was swimming level, yet the boat was at a 45 degree angle, which caused me a little concern, but I just refocused, and the moment passed.  I decided to get outside the boat at that point though, just to be on the safe side!  Then it was back along the pipeline and up the harbour wall, before exiting back at the new entry point via the very handy steps.

Then it was the usual back to the hotel, and plenty of social gathering and mucking about.  Beers in the evening were at a fish restaurant in the net village along from Abades, where a friend of Michael and Rebecca’s had started up his own restaurant.  Much beer was consumed before heading back to Abades and bed.

Dive 8 (102)  Max Depth 41.6m, dive time 50 mins

Dive 9 (103)  Max Depth 30.2m, dive time 42 mins