Written by Marnie.
On Sunday 18th October, a group of UBUC divers made the trip down to Swanage Pier for Nick’s LP3 dive management trip! With training to be completed, marine life to discover and the very important possibility of underwater pumpkin carving, there was plenty to look forward to!
The adventure began with a long 2.45hr drive down to Swanage. The journey was an event in
itself, featuring some questionable overtakes, plenty of car karaoke and one particularly
determined car on a mission to find two pumpkins along the way. Thankfully, this mission was a success! 🎃 Two pumpkins secured and spirits high, the convoy eventually arrived at Swanage.
Unfortunately, the sea had other plans. Upon arrival, the conditions were looking rather choppy, but that wasn’t going to stop our brave divers from getting their kit into trollies and trekking down the pier. After all, we’d driven nearly three hours, so we might as well get wet!
Once underwater, visibility was around a metre, and the swell had turned the dive into
something like a “washing machine”. Not quite the crystal-clear tropical paradise we’d all been dreaming of! Despite the conditions, divers managed to spot plenty of cuttlefish, blennies, dead crabs and a lovely schools of fish. An impressive amount of wildlife considering you could barely see your own buddy!
After both the first and second waves had safely surfaced, the sensible decision was made by Nick to call off the second dive due to the wind and high waves. While safety always comes first, there were certainly a few more disappointed faces than usual. Why, you ask? Well, there had been hope for an underwater pumpkin carving session on dive two! 🎃🔪
With a few pumpkins acquired on the drive down, some divers had clearly been
looking forward to taking Halloween preparations to a whole new depth. Sadly, the choppy
conditions meant our dreams of creating the world’s first UBUC underwater pumpkin carving
competition were put on hold. Some people were naturally more devastated than others…we
suspect the pumpkin enthusiasts may have taken this cancellation particularly hard!
With the diving finished for the day, everyone packed away their kit, while a lucky group starred in Nick’s Practice Rescue Management (PRM) assessment. Luis kicked things off with a fantastic demonstration of what NOT to do, giving everyone a valuable lesson in how not to approach a PRM scenario (his own words). Nick then followed up with managing two different PRM situations, putting his skills to the test and proving capable of managing a rescue in a real situation if required.
With the day complete, it was time to pack up and begin the journey back to Bristol. Of course, no UBUC road trip would be complete without the obligatory McDonald’s stop, providing some much needed fuel after a day of battling the washing machine sea. Car karaoke and many naps occurred for the return journey, with some cars arguably providing more entertainment than others. Once everyone had safely made it back to Bristol, kit was washed and packed away, drawing the day to a close.
Despite the challenging conditions, cancelled second dive and sadly postponed pumpkin
carving plans, it was another fun day out with UBUC, with plenty of laughs, wildlife sightings and valuable training completed.
Congratulations to Nick for passing both his LP3 and PRM, getting him one step closer to
completing his DL 🎉
To the divers who made it all the way to Swanage for a single dive and no pumpkin carving, may your next dive bring better visibility, calmer seas and a second chance at Halloween underwater!🎃🤿
YAY DIVING!
0 Comments