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The weekend offered a great chance to get together, play with the Rib, and just relax. It also allowed the club the opportunity to say goodbye to great friends and long standing members of the club, Mick & Jane. I’m sure I’m one of many in putting my hand up and acknowledging how much of Mick’s own time he has put into teaching and coaching diving as well as into the club as a whole. Cheers Mucker.
On behalf of the club, everyone wishes you both, and the girls, all the best in your new home and life. You will be missed, and remembered with a smile, and I’m sure we won’t have seen the last of you.
The early risers hit the road and headed North into the Cumbrian wetlands, while the ladies enjoyed an extra hour or two under the duvet. Saturday was wet. It was so wet that we could have floated the RIB up the A59, Windermere rose a foot in just a few hours, & even the ducks went home. A member of the club was asked by someone from the Hostel if were we were planning on diving in the Lake, to which, considering he was clad in drysuit, and had an assortment of diving gear spread evenly around, the answer was positive. This sprightly chap’s response was “you must be mad!”, he must have miss-understood the irony and smirks when, on asking what his days entertainment would be, he replied he would be walking the fells. Considering the weather and cloud level, I wonder if he appreciated that we would be considerably warmer, drier and actually get to see more than he would. In the famously repeated words of a climbing partner, he’d have been just as well staying in bed, pulling a pillowcase over his head, and getting his wife to occasionally throw cold buckets of water at him.
All the more reason to go diving and even though everything else was, our spirits certainly weren’t dampened. Once the maintenance crew, Phil, Grayeam & Brett, got the engine firing with a new set of plugs, we were ready to load the first wave of divers, Brett/Phil & Rob/Mick with Grayeam as cox’n & the every calm Dave marshalling. Despite the rain there was almost no breeze and the lake was dead calm. The only real disturbance being the wake of the lake cruiser and steam boats, which with their smoking chimneys, added to the misty Autumn atmosphere.
The first dive site being Wray Castle, on the opposite shore of the lake, with an impressive rock wall dropping to what’s believed to be 40+ metres, ending up in a muddy bottom. The plan was to stick about the 35m mark and explore the cliff. Phil went under with Brett to get some depth progression for Brett’s sports diver qualification. Mick and myself followed, choosing not to go quite as deep and avoid the silt kicked up.
The second wave of Andy/Dave, Barry/Grayeam/Chris then followed to the same site. The RIB must have collected a few stowaways on its last outing, so thanks to Barry for clearing them and attracting his new title - Barnacle Barry.
A wee spell off for lunch and then back to what we came for, this time choosing the nearer site of the bottle dump. A reward being offered to the finder of my knife, lost on our last visit here, however no finders. It’s a silty bottom dive, although there is a rock outcrop with a decent drop off. Mick found the monster of Windermere, a fish, (Pike?), so large you only occasionally hear of it by a few old fishermen in hushed whispers in the cellar bar. Discretion being the better part of valour we finned above and passed leaving it undisturbed.
A good rummage was had by all, SMB’s launched and a few goody bags were raised, chinking with their contents, to later impress wives and girlfriends.
After a hot shower at the YHA we re-grouped and filled our bellies with food & drink in Ambleside’s finest. No reports of snoring have filtered through.
Next morning was an amazing contrast to the previous day, crisp clear skies and warm sun. The anticipation of a great day ahead was followed by a leisurely dive. Windermere was like a mirror and it was a privilege to be on the lake on such a grand morning before the steamers and cruiser embarked.
Dive done, we put the RIB back on the trailer, tightened the wheel nuts, and headed home.
Well done to Brett for logging a deep dive at Wray Castle and thus completing his Sports Diver qualification.
Thanks to….
Brett, for picking up and towing the boat once again, and Suzanne for the use of her drive.
Phil for being DO, and keeping a keen eye on proceedings and helping Brett with the RIB.
Grayeam for expertly being Cox’n
Everyone for putting the effort in and having a great weekend!
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