Kirsty Andrews reflects on the past 12 months of her diving and resolves to take a new direction in 2025
KIRSTYANDREWS
Resolution season
Kirsty Andrews reflects on the past 12 months of her diving and resolves to take a new direction in 2025
And so it comes round again , the end of a year . A perfect time to reflect on the successes and challenges of the past 12 months , and plan some excitements for the next twelve .
A couple of years ago I spent my January column talking about fitness for divers , and mentioning productive use of the club pool to work on aforementioned fitness … this raised quite some mirth in my own club , some of whom may have remarked dryly on my own pool attendance record . It hasn ’ t been any better this year , for which I can produce many excuses , some more believable than others . So I won ’ t focus on fitness this time except to say we all know it ’ s important . A fitter diver is a safer one .
Other resolutions are available , which are less likely to fall by the wayside . Let ’ s try those instead .
This time last year I asked myself the question , which dives did I really want to do ? I thought of two dive sites I had absolutely loved in the past but not managed to revisit for far too long . I ’ m speaking of the wrecks of the M2 and the Baygitano on the South Coast ; both absolute stunners in the right conditions . I wasn ’ t even being that ambitious in my goal-setting , as charter boats regularly take divers to both . My approach to dive planning tends to be quite haphazard and I have a habit of saying yes to everything if I can : this time I would be more purposeful and targeted . How did I do ? The M2 still eludes me . I couldn ’ t find a date that worked , or conditions led to cancellation . That one , I ’ m rolling over to 2025 . Might see a few of you down there !
The Baygitano on the other hand was far more successful . I managed a handful of dives , including a double-header on one day , on that 20m-deep wrecky playground , and she was just as gloriously fishy as I ’ d remembered . Fantastic fun : I ’ ll never say no to another dive on the Baggy but I ’ m happy that I planned the dive and dived the plan in 2024 .
Another regular rolling goal ( and I admit a slightly competitive one between me and my buddy ) is to see a new ( to me ) marine species every year . I managed several , including the
“ My approach to dive planning tends to be quite haphazard ”
elusive red bandfish , not once but twice , and introduced my buddy to his first red blenny as we zoomed past in the Rathlin Island current . Red is the colour of success for us this year .
There are actually a couple of other more challenging mini-projects that I ’ m working on ; I ’ m happy with progress but they ’ re not quite finished yet , so watch this space for now and I hope to report back in these pages soon . Beyond that , I want to be more purposeful in my diving generally ; in a number of ways . Giving back to the BSAC community , inspiring love of the sea beyond our existing groups , capturing data and sharing it to add to maritime knowledge : all are worthy causes where plentiful resolution opportunities lie .
What aspiration is pushing itself to the top of your list for 2025 ? ‘ Dive more ’ is a good one but be specific and you ’ ll be able to look back next time and really measure your success . In these cold windy winter months , it brings a warm glow and an enthusiasm to take us into the New Year . �
A fishy , colourful dive on the Baygitano
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