The 16th of September 2000 sees a semi club trip around the Isle of May in the North Sea of the eastern Scottish coast. Myself, Stewart, Foggy, Jane, John from Cartmel and Steve from Ulverston.
We stayed aboard a converted fishing boat called the M.V. Faithful. Now found operating around Oban. The Skipper and his wife looked after us well, and there was mixed feelings as to his knowledge of diving though both he and his wife are divers, but some of us found them ok. The boat was very comfortable and some who have been on the Dundalk say the Faithful is leaps ahead of the Dundalk for comfort and facilities. We stayed overnight in Eyemouth harbour and had a few beers and talked shit for the evening. The next day we sorted gear out talked shit again and set of on our first hoped dive on the Submarine M77 that lays of the coast of Dunbar at about 41 - 45 meters. As we pulled out of the harbour we hit the swell, though it was a fine slightly breezy morning. The Faithful started to corkscrew and poor Steven was soon reacquainted with his breakfast. Having said that by the time we had been at sea for about 20 minutes we all came out on deck, as inside we began to feel a bit off. Following the coast and away from the shore we soon settled down to an up and down motion, but poor Steve still had a rough time. Stewart looked steely eyed as he looked a cross at the distant shore, wondering what time school finishes in Dunbar?
We arrived at the dive site, but found some treckies gassing off on a platform rig. Foggy seemed to soil his suit with delight at seeing these fellow treckies. As we were diving on Spring tides and time was running out we got in to the water and down the shot. Me and Stewart leading the way, followed by Foggy and John. Steve made the wise decsison not to dive. Stewart and me had to pull our way down the shot against a very strong tide. John had given up the ghost by now. At about 42 meters we came to the end of the shot and before our eyes, there she lay. We could see from the bow to the intact conning tower. She just comes out of the sea bed at you and it is something I will not forget as the sight of her - it was breath taking. We followed her line down the starboard side passed the conning tower and its little window and down to her intact rear surface gun. There were loads of Crabs and Lobsters and wrasse. As we crossed her back we had to grab firm hold of the wreckage; we came up on her portside. The torpedo chutes still had their hatches shut and intact on both sides.
Going up the shotline that ends at 10 meters me and Stewart had to hang on as tightly as we could because the current was so strong. We moved up the shotline as slowly as we could though the urge was to get to the surface as soon as we could as the current was getting stronger. We were both into decompression penalties and had to try and workout a rough idea of the speed we need to ascend to clear the decompression stops. We made it to the end of the shot at about ten meters and tried to hang on to the line without pulling us both down. I think we both looked a picture, as if we were a kite in a gale. All of a sudden we shot from 10 to 17 meters on the line and both our computers went in to alarm and displayed the message W*NK*RS. As we started to shoot up again we both had the same idea. We stay hanging on this we are going to get a bend, so we both just let go. I had a mega pain in my left calf and thought, "Bollocks, it's cramp or a bend". We both made our slow ascent to the surface while drifting at warp factor three towards Norway. Working together and keeping hold of each other we sent up a Delayed SMB so the boat could track us as we shot along at a good speed, until we hit the surface. The most important thing we did on this dive was to make a plan. We knew it was deep and we both agreed the air bar at which we would head to the surface. If we did not agree that about 100 bar (15 Lt Tanks + 3Lt Ponies) we would be in trouble as we had used a lot of air going down the shot against the tide. On the sub it was hard work and on the ascent we had to take our time. We could not have felt comfortable worrying about our air. This is a basic drill we both applied to our dive and when conditions changed a lot of our dive plan and bottom time we were safe. On the boat I used up a 3ltr pony with 50% Oxygen and a vat of bloody water. The pain in my calf would not go away and it eased with stretching, this meant that after a long time the calf did not get any better, thus it was cramp and not a bend. What would have happened if we did not agree our plan and we did not have enough air to clear stops and we had to hit the surface? Take note.
The second dive Stewart and I agreed to stay above 12 meters, as we headed for the Isle of May. Again the currents and Gods were not on our side and it was graft time again to get into the cliffs of the Isle. At around 10 meters I lay on a rock face down while Stewart gave me a massage on my calf again. I lay there on all fives. The we had to use SMB's and it was a pain in the bum as well as any calf muscle, as we had to struggle with the tide and with a blob. So we cheated, we tied the SMB to a pile of rocks and bugged off into a set of large caves that were full of Seals. We played with the Seals for a good while and then went for another ratch. We came (not literally) across massive Lobsters and edible crabs. There was a line of Lobster pots full of Lobsters and Crabs. We sailed into Peetwheen harbour for the night and went ashore to stretch our sea legs and hang around the Gents toilets. Stewart has me doing such odd things. The port was a nice little sea town, but it was dog-shit town, I will tell you. Back on the boat we had tea and a few drinks, as we were all bugged. The next morning we set sail for a dive at some Pinnacles and yes we had to dive in spring tides and it was graft time diving again. We seen Wolf fish and Link and all sort, as well as the shell types that were now ten a penny. One huge Lobster had a Tattoo that said Dave Critter God WHO? There was Lion Jellyfish, as well as other smaller ones that needed watching on our ascent. The dive was ok and as we rounded the end of a rock formation and through we would have an easy time drifting down the other rock face. No way ya scurvy sea dogs, the bloody tide turned and run the other way. At one point as we came near the shotline the change of tide whipped up the silt and the viz dropped, and there was the odd counter flow current running across our path. I got caught in a rip current and it just took me away at speed. There was no way I was going to fin against this current so I let it take me. I lost sight of Stewart and Foggy as I was swept away. I headed for the surface slowly and sent up my Delayed SMB and made my way up looking for Stewart and Foggy as they my have been caught as I was. The Boat had followed me and after about 2 minutes I saw Stewart's DSMB hit the Surface. I was about 25 metres from the shotline buoys. I must have been carried northwards and when the current weakened the direction of the tide had sent me back towards the Pinnacles.
The second dive was near St Abbs, and was a Cliff dive into ravines. The rain came in and a low cloud made the dive a bit doubtful, but we sat in our dive gear for a few minutes and the cloud lifted, so in we went and it to was a good dive and plenty of life, as well as the strong current. Back at Eyemouth we packed up said our good by to Jim the Skipper and his lovely wife whose name I can not recall. The trip for Stewart and me was a good trip and we had good dives, though they were hard work at times.
I hope others see the moral of this story. We made sure we had enough air, for the type of dive and if things go pear-shaped. We do, and they did, and we are still here!