2007 report

"Back in Black"
by Simon Nash, 6th - 8th July 2007
Well, this was my first dive trip since my slipped disc operation back in April. My back felt good and ready but I was quite apprehensive as we headed down on the Thursday night to the B&B in Hayle. Meeting up with the others and a couple of pints in the Cornish Arms had me in a more relaxed mood.
The next day we met up with Doug, the Skipper of the San Pablo III (what happened to the other two?) at the harbour, only to be told that there was too much wind / swell etc and the days diving was canned. Ninety percent of me was disappointed, but I would be lying if there was not a small bit of me that was quietly relieved as it gave my back another day and I didn't fancy a full day tossing about on the high seas on my first day back.
The troops then spilt up and did their own thing for the day. Adam and I headed off to St Ives and did our culture vulture impersonation by visiting the Tate. As with most arty-farty things, it is often the other visitors who are more interesting than the actual art. Quick wander around town followed by a pub lunch and then we headed off to the tourist trap that is St Michael's Mount.
By this time the sun was baking and being a bit of a chrome dome, my head was starting to burn. A quick trip to the National Trust shop on the Mount revealed the only hat they had was a £1.99 pirate hat – bargain! Yes, I probably looked a prat but hey-ho at least the bonce wasn’t truly roasted.
Day 2 dawned and the wind had dropped and we had a go situation – yeehah! For those of you who don't know Hayle; getting in and out of the harbour is very difficult other than at high water and basically you are out for the whole day. We left at about 9.30 am and got back in about 8.30 pm. Doug the skipper knows his onions and is relaxed but his boat does suffer a bit from the heady cocktail of aromas that is diesel fumes and cigar smoke.
Dive 1 – St. Chamond (the train wreck) – 30.9 m for 46 mins, 7 mins stop @ 3 m
Wreck Tour: St. Chamond (DIVERNET)
This is a dive I had wanted to do for some time but must admit was a bit nervous during kitting up due to the old back. Usually, when I hit the water I think about whether the old drysuit will leak and wait for the slow cold trickle of water to hit; but this time my first 30 second anticipation was all about my back. Relief, sweet relief; no pain. I could enjoy the dive and worry about getting out later.
Seeing the locomotive engines scattered about the wreck was fantastic and the viz was really good. However the real highlight came at the end of the dive just as we were about to call it – Adam pointed frantically behind me and I wondered why he was pointing at a shoal of whiting. Only then did I see it – a Sun Fish!!!! Sun Fish (Encyclopaedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland)
Now I had seen them in Ireland on the surface but never on a dive, never mind on a wreck at 30ms on my first dive back after my op…. We had just had Monty Halls at the club and he had been talking about diving with the Mola Mola in Bali – well this might have been Big Mola's, Little Mola but we were well chuffed. We got back on the boat jabbering about Mr Mola Mola in a Shaggy stylee (and not the "Yoicks, Scooby" variety).
In all our excitement I had forgotten about my back and would I be able to get up the ladder. However, the climb was easy and I had no probs; probably helped by the fact that the ladder was a sideways one at an angle.
Dive 2 - The Kintuck – 31.7 m for 33 mins, 5 mins stop @ 3 m, 5 hr 41 min interval
Second dive after a good five and half hours interval was on this old steamer. Very pretty wreck albeit broken up. Bows quite impressive and big old boilers which Doug had shotted nicely. Adam and I were rewarded with a sighting of that Toffee Penny of the Quality Street box that is our ocean – a John Dory… Two lucky and unusual spots on one day; fortune obviously favours the spinally challenged.
We headed back into harbour at about 8.45 and back to the B&B where a BBQ was being cooked for us by the landlady – nice one. Comments were raised when we were tucking into oversize spare ribs about where the B&B's dogs were as they were no where to be seen; but we assured they had been locked up out of the way as opposed to meeting any other fate. Mus brought out his hookah (all perfectly road-legal) with a very nice apple tobacco which made the already tired little bunnies very mellow indeed.
Dive 3 – The Dux – 34 m for 38 mins, 5 mins stop @ 3 m
We were only to do one dive today as otherwise we would not have got back into port before 9.00 pm which meant a very late departure home. Again no probs with the back on this dive which was very pleasing. Again very pretty dive on this broken up wreck – anchors and props abounding.