UKDIVING
Grey gurnard hugs the seabed
PHOTO : DAWN WATSON
In the surface interval , everyone enjoyed more hot drinks and sandwiches while watching the local seal colony in the distance . Incident management training then took place on Condor under the supervision of Advanced Instructor Clive Warrington . The scenario involved treatment of a casualty diver , expertly played by Anthony Smyth , showing symptoms of DCI after a rapid ascent .
This was a brilliant training opportunity . Advanced Diver trainee Libby Daly gained experience in incident management , and everyone revised First Aid for Divers , use
Back to the harbour
of a VHF radio to make a Mayday call ; preparation for a helicopter rescue ; use of Condor ’ s automated external defibrillator , and O2 administration procedures . Rebreather specialist Darren Bedford also explained how a unit can be used to provide O2 to a casualty in an emergency . Happily , the only casualties of the day were a split neck seal and a pair of broken sunglasses .
The final dive site was Long Nab , underneath the old Coastguard station . On descending , the first job for Libby and Dan Daly was to free Condor ’ s anchor ,
PHOTO : LIBBY DALY which was wedged under a rocky ledge . With the tide running at 1-1.5 knots , this was a pleasant drift dive over boulders and rocky gullies , with lots of life including long spined scorpion fish , common dragonets , reticulated dragonets , grey gurnard , lots of crabs and lobsters , starfish , dead man ’ s fingers ( soft corals ), plumose anemones , and even a curled octopus . The depth steadily increased as the dive progressed , ending at 17m on a sandy bottom , with masked crabs scuttling around . The vis was a much improved 6m on this dive , probably due to the current .
Regal feast
We returned to Scarborough at 5pm and took the kit off the boats before heading over to the Regal Lady for the evening session . The Regal Lady , one of the famous Dunkirk Little Ships , spent many years giving holidaymakers pleasure cruises around the bay , but is now owned by club member Heath Samples , who converted her to a Dunkirk Museum and bar – a favourite location for club parties .
The wonderful staff had the barbecue lit and ready to feed lots of hungry divers . Sausages , burgers , chicken wings , chorizo and delicious salads really hit the spot . We were joined by more guests and some prospective members who had come down to see what the club was all about . The much-awaited fundraising raffle then began , MC ’ d with panache by Chris James , the star prize a hand-knitted Colonsay woolly hat . Seasearch forms were completed under the supervision and expertise of Dawn Watson and Rob Spray . More than 60 species were recorded in a successful day of Seasearching !
Many thanks to Club Treasurer and general marvel Anne Morrison for organising the day , to Clive Warrington and Darren Bedford for all their help on the boat , and to everyone who donated raffle prizes , bought raffle tickets , and helped with the BBQ and boats in any way . It truly was a fun day for all . Hundreds of pounds were raised for club funds and we did some enjoyable diving which added to our knowledge of the Yorkshire coast . Most importantly , the day was a magnificent display of teamwork and friendship . �
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