Cork Sub Aqua Club

At the club´s AGM, on 7 November last, Jessie Castle was rewarded with the “Club Diver of the Year Award”, the infamous bell! Jessie started training with Cork Sub Aqua in January, together with Marc McGrath. At the end of the series of pool sessions, both demonstrated a high level of competence in performing the scuba and snorkel skills and passed the theory exam with flying colours.  Jessie continued eagerly, got more dive experience during the summer, engaged in a few challenging dives and took every opportunity to practice the practical skills for the club diver exam (CMAS ** diver). And to top it all off, she enrolled in the “ Nitrox Diver course”, one day of theory and one qualifying dive, that was completed on 10 December in Lough Hyne, Baltimore.

… so, let´s listen to Jessie’s side of the story.

What inspired you to take up diving?

It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time, as I have loved swimming, snorkeling and messing around in the water since I was a kid. I did a couple of trial dives in Crete last year and was determined to learn to dive after I got home.

Why did you join Cork Sub Aqua?

I wanted to learn to dive and was more interested in joining a club than doing a one-off course as I intended to keep diving during the year rather than to just get a qualification I could use on holiday. I also liked the idea of being in a club so that I would have the opportunity to dive with others more experienced than me. The social side of it is also good.

Is learning to dive hard?

I don’t think it’s hard to get the basics, and after that it’s all practice. I think you learn something on every dive.

What is the most difficult part of the scuba skills?

Your buoyancy on the first few dives in the open water can be tricky, especially if there is a surge. Learning to dive in a dry-suit also made the buoyancy a bit harder for me initially, but I don’t regret that decision at all!

Did you ever have a scary moment?

Not so far, although I did experience some claustrophobia on a dive where the visibility was poor, and that wasn’t much fun.

How was your first boat dive?

My first boat dive was in Lough Hyne and I loved it. I didn’t find it daunting at all, although getting back on to the boat was another story.

What was your most memorable dive to date?

It was definitely the dive at the Ling Rocks in September. The conditions were perfect and we could see the surface from 30m. The dives on the south side of Puffin Island during the August bank holiday week away were spectacular also.

How easy was it to buy/ find all your dive gear?

It was easy enough to find new gear, although there is a lot less second-hand gear available for women (i.e. in a small size). I bought some of my gear in the UK as there is a bigger choice and it worked out a lot cheaper.  And the instructors in the club are more than happy to give advice on what and what not to buy.

Do you think that diving is for everyone?

I think that probably anyone could learn to dive.  It doesn’t involve any skills that you would need to have in advance, as long as you are comfortable enough in the water. Not everyone might want to stick at it long term, but it’s worth finding out!

What are your diving plans for next year?

I’m hoping to get out regularly to dive with the club, and maybe to get some diving abroad if I can.

Again, congratulations …. And happy polishing!

(JVM Dec 11)

Now that the weather limits open water diving, Cork SAC divers are taken the opportunity to up skill with a nitrox course. Nitrox is air enriched with pure oxygen, also know as enriched air nitrox. Compressed air has been the most common dive gas since scuba diving became mainstream. Air is a gas mixture of 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. The nitrogen part might become a cause of concern for the scuba diver. When the diver ascent too fast, the dissolved nitrogen can cause bubbles and this might develop into the decompression sickness, better know as the “bends”.  Furthermore, on deeper dives the increased levels of nitrogen have a narcotic effect on the brain, the severity of the effect depends on the susceptibilty of the individual and the depth (absolute pressure), the individual is diving at.

So it is not supprisingly that navy’s, scientists and the like started to experiment with breathing gas mixes to counteract the disadvantages of conventional air mix as a diving gas. During the seventies, the American scientific agency – NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) researched extensively the effects of increased levels of oxygen and reduced fraction of nitrogen in breathing gases for scuba divers. And in the early eighties a new diving gas was promoted, called nitrox. This gas is also know as “Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN)” or “Safe Air” or “ The Devils Gas “ by the skeptics at the time. The higher percentage of oxygen in the mix will limit the diver to a maximum dive depth. The benefits of nitrox, compared to air, are a direct result from the lower percentage of nitrogen in the mix. The main advantages are the reduced risk of decompression sickness, less apres-dive fatigue, and longer dive times.

On Saturday 12 November, Cork SAC instructor Helen Buckley organised the nitrox diver course for region South, on behalf of the Irish Underwater Council. Three different dive clubs, namely NMCI, Blackwater Fermoy and Cork Sub Aqua, did put forward a total of 5 candidates.  The theoretical part covers topics such as dive physics and physiology. Furthermore the future nitrox divers were thought how to analyse gas mixes and calculate CNS% – uptake. After a full day of lectures, Cork SAC candidates Vanessa Casey and Jessie Castle passed the theory exam with flying colours. What remains for both candidates is the qualifying dive on 10 December,next. Once both diver are certified, they will be able to dive nitrox mixes up to 40%, with a ppO2 limit of 1.4bar.

On the weekend of 5 and 6 November, three Cork SAC members attended the advanced nitrox course in the Clubhouse of Blackwater SAC in Fermoy. The lectures, on Saturday, focussed on compulsary decompression, i.e extra required dive equipment, dive techniques and emergency and contingency plans. The practical part took place in Portroe quarry in Co.Tpperary. As this is a technical diving course the expected level of the skills is very high. All participants practiced drills such as mask swapping, swapping stage cylinders, reel work with blacked-out masks and deployment of the suface marker buoy underwater. Next the candidates need a minimum score of 80% to pass the theory exam, before completing the qualifying 40 meter dive with up to 10 minutes of mandatory decompression. Cork SAC candidates for the Advanced Nitrox course were Donncha Cronin and Stephen McDevitt. And Joost Vanmuysen attended the weekend as part of his Advanced Nitrox Instructor course.

July 8 to 10 saw divers from far and wide assemble in Baltimore, Co. Cork for a regional dive weekend hosted by the Cork Sub-aqua Club. Throughout the course of the weekend, the Cork club were delighted to be joined by divers from Aughinish, Ennis, Inbher Sceine and UCC and the group enjoyed some wonderful diving.

Divers assembled for registration on Saturday morning.

‘Official’ registration was not until Saturday morning, however this did not keep those able to make it to town early enough on Friday out of the water.

A little after noon on Friday a boatload of divers made their way into a stiff westerly to the wreck of the Hourtien, a French steamer that ran aground on the southern side of Cape Clear in 1931.

The site of the Hourtien provides the opportunity for both a scenic and a wreck dive. The dive is best navigated by starting in a deep canyon to the south of the wreck. The canyon runs to depths well in excess of 30m, its walls and floor are home to conger eels, lobster, crayfish and the usual array of invertebrates. Following the canyon to the north divers come initially across scattered debris before arriving at the Hourtien’s boiler in about 18m of water.

By Friday evening more divers had arrived. As there was still only one boat in the water Whale Rock, a scenic dive site just outside the entrance to Baltimore harbour, was chosen as the second dive site. Two boatloads of divers made the short journey and enjoyed the rocky landscape and a variety of marine life.

Saturday morning saw the sun make an appearance and the strong winds from the previous day had calmed significantly.

After breakfast it was all go with the launching of additional boats, diver registration, the obligatory group photo and a main dive brief all done by ten thirty am. While ten thirty does not sound early several divers were showing signs that they had not taken full advantage of the opportunity for a good nights sleep.

The site for the morning dive was Southwest Bay on Cape Clear. One boatload of divers gave a demonstration of the importance of listening to the brief. Once they had been retrieved from the North side of Cape Clear all three boats assembled at the agreed point on the other side of the Island.

The dive itself was a spectacular scenic wall dive. Good buoyancy was essential as the walls disappeared in to the vast depths below. Divers could choose their depth with some going as far as 40m. The dive was influenced by a noticeable current, which resulted in most dive groups heading in the opposite direction to that which they had originally planned.

After a surface interval, and much more importantly lunch, it was time to get back in the water. The site for the afternoon was the wreck of the Alondra, a cargo steamer that ran aground on Kedge Island in fog in 1916.

While the main feature of the wreck is the twin boilers, general debris is scattered far and wide. The wreck is surrounded by many gullies to explore and as with the Hourtien, there was plenty to see for both wreck and scenic diving enthusiasts.

Diver on Kowloon Bridge

The plan for Sunday was to dive the Kowloon Bridge. The sea gods were kind to us. The tides would not to be best for this site until afternoon, meaning that a good night at the pub would not be curtailed by the need for an early start the next day.

Sunday saw more calm seas and the brief for the dive was held at the civilised time of eleven in the morning. The site, the MV Kowloon Bridge was an iron ore carrier that ran aground in a storm in 1986. She is, according to some, the largest diveable wreck in the world.

The sea was calm but there was still a strong current when the small fleet of dive boats arrived on site.  The shot was dropped and we waited for slack water. Finally, the go-ahead was given and it was time to descend. Depths approaching 40m were reached, however some parts of the wreck were as shallow as 20m which allowed for a decent dive time. The wreck was massive and the sheer vastness of the wreck itself made the dive an incredible experience. And a great finale to the weekend’s diving.

The Cork Sub-aqua club hope that all divers enjoyed the weekend. We would like to thank all who attended for their support, including the regional and national diving officers, Dan and Martin respectively.

Kowloon Bridge, a photo by riordan_david on Flickr.

A week ago, for the first time in several years, we dived the Kowloon Bridge. It is hard to know why we hadn’t dived it recently, we dive other sites nearby on a regular basis, but I think that the main reason was that after the bow section collapsed a few years ago it became less accessible: deeper, the deck moved from 5 meters down to 18 meters, and there was less shelter from the current so it had to be dived at a suitable tide.
What we discovered by going back was that the wreck we once knew as a colossal and impressive looming overhang with outsized everything: anchor, winches, hawse hole, and ore compartments, but that was also pretty sterile from a wildlife perspective has changed. Back then the outside surfaces of the steel of the wreck which sank in 1986 still had some intact anti-fouling and the shifting cargo of iron ore inside provided no firm anchor for plant or animal life to gain a foothold. Now the older corroded twisted and folded steel plates provides a maze of overhangs and hiding places for fish, as well as a surface covered in hydroids and anenomes, the preferred food of nudibranchs. If you have a macro lens bring it. I dived with a wide angle lens expecting something like the old Kowloon Bridge, but the way it is now is fascinating in a different way.

The Cork Sub Aqua Club are again hosting a regional dive weekend in Baltimore, Co. Cork on  Fri 8th, Sat 9th & Sun 10th of July. All Divers from the Southern Region (or from further afield if you can make it) are welcome to join us.

See http://www.baltimore.ie for help in finding accommodation.

Aquaventures/Stone house B&B will fill bottles over the weekend and
facilitate any running repairs needed with Scuba gear over the
weekend (www.aquaventures.ie).

The UC 42 was a coastal minelayer commissioned by the German navy in 1915. It made six patrols from the first of January 1917 until September 10th that year, at which point it is believed that it was sank by one of its own mines. The explosion occurred just outside the entry to Cork harbour killing all 27 crew members on board.

On Saturday (June 11, 2011) five divers boarded the CorkSAC boat and set course for the wreck of the UC42, located not far from Roche’s Point. For four of the crew, myself included, it was the first visit to the wreck of this German WW1 submarine.

We had a spot of luck as Graham and Anne from OceanAddicts were on site and had a shotline deployed. Our first two divers descended their shotline and deployed an SMB to mark the dive site for our second group.

Conditions were excellent (aside from a water temperature of 10deg), there was no noticeable current and the visibility was so good that the entire length of the wreck could be seen. We were diving at high water which made the depth of the dive about 30m, giving those of us diving on air just under 20 minutes bottom time. The UC42 is a compact wreck and this turned out to be ample time to do a complete circuit of the submarine.

Wreck diving enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the wreck is in pretty good shape. Mine slots, a torpedo tube and batteries to power the electric motors could all be made out and the propellor is fully intact. The wreck supports plenty of sea life including some huge conger eels, plumose anemones, deadmans fingers and several members of the cod family.

All in all the UC42 is an excellent dive. This diver can’t wait to return and spend a little more time looking in the numerous nooks and crannies for some of the less obvious forms of marine life.

Video below:

Pretty Good visibility and some reasonable weather helped make this a very good weekend’s diving. We normally try to pick a sheltered spot for Easter with some alternate sites to choose from if the wind strength or direction turns out to not be ideal. Dingle has nearby Smerwick as an option if the wind is westerly or southerly, but in the end it was northwesterly which made the dive sites around Dingle (Crow Rock, The Gravelly), and those near Ventry like Parkmore point, even the south east side of the Great Blasket accessible. As usual thornback rays were seen at The Gravelly, Octopuses are a dingle special, one was seen again at Parkmore Point. I felt a bit guilty as I tucked into a big lunchtime plate of calamari at the Dingle Marina cafe, at the fate of it’s cephalopod cousins the squid, which sort of lack that charisma. Speaking of charismatic wildlife, here is always the occasional appearance of the other star of the Dingle wildlife show: Fungi the bottlenose dolphin to entertain us on the way in and out of the harbour. Some of us may have seen a minke whale on the way to the Blaskets (too far away to be sure), and apparently we missed a basking shark at about three meters depth on the Three Brothers (which divers from the UCD club, who arrived as we were diving, spotted as we were about to leave).
The highlight for many will have been the Three Brothers, a wrecked steel trawler, off the Great Blasket, and with some excellent viz for April. The boat ride was a bit arduous, with a cold wind and some choppy waves, and long enough to put the endurance of the human bladder to the test on the way back. We would have brought two boats and two bottles except that the Humber steering had problems when we launched it on the Friday. With the Humber not exactly adrift, but not steerable, and with two other people having swum out to give advice and assistance, Lucie eventually headed out on the other boat to rescue her husband.
On the social side of events Cathy from Daunt graciously invited us to a barbeque expertly cooked by Chris Crouch on Saturday Night, and a very good time was had by all.

Four divers met at 9am on Sunday. For most of us it was our first boat dive of the year. Once we had managed to shake the ice from the boat cover, launching went without a hitch and we quickly had the club’s trusty Humber RIB in the water.

Unfortunately, it was when we tried to start the boat that we realised we had a problem. A dead battery. We hitched up some jumper leads but to no avail. We wouldn’t be boat diving today.

Oysterhaven would not be most peoples favourite shore dive. However, determined to derive some benefit from the sacrifice of a Sunday morning sleep-in, three of us donned the gear and finned out to the mooring to give it a ‘haircut’ – then we finished up with a scenic dive, of sorts.

Well, it wasn’t all bad. The vis was several metres (which was several metres more than expected) and some of the crabs were sufficiently agressive to be amusing – pics below:

Night Dive Daunt Rock

Ling on Night Dive

It is getting to the time of year again when the dusk is soon enough for a night dive to be at a reasonable hour (neither midnight nor the middle of the afternoon). With the boat conveniently moored at brightly lit and easily navigable Crosshaven, we headed out on Friday evening to dive the Daunt Rock. The trick is to kit up while there is still some twilight and have darkness fall just after you leave the surface. We timed it perfectly. Joost had the good idea of attaching a light stick to a surface marker boy that he towed on the dive. Gerry, who was coxing was able to follow it fairly well after darkness fell. With a neap tide there was little current and a half moon to help us navigate back to Crosshaven. The fish life is fairly tame on a night dive, some of the fish are actually asleep. Others such as Congers that would normally be holed up during daylight are out and about at night. Also Ling which I was able to photograph despite some challenging lighting conditions. We saw several small congers (or maybe the same one several times !). There is some metal on the Daunt rock, evidence of the fact that it was once the cause of some shipwrecks. The rock is buoyed, with a red lateral mark (I would have expected an isolated danger mark). You have probably seen the buoy many times from nearby Roberts’ Cove.

On Sunday seven divers departed Oysterhaven in gorgeous autumn sunshine to dive the City of Chicago. Conditions were ideal and after descending to the shallow shipwreck below divers enjoyed a variety of activities including a subaquatic golf ball hunt and a spot of underwater juggling. For those looking for more orthodox enjoyment there was something for everyone with dogfish, crayfish, lobster and nudibranchs all making an appearance.

However, as was the case when we encountered basking sharks after diving the Bream Rock earlier in the summer, the dive was somewhat overshadowed by the appearance of a small sunfish half way back to Oysterhaven. There was some commotion on the boat and after a little “will we, won’t we” discussion several divers donned snorkel gear and went for a closer look. For his part, the sunfish was happy to stay near the surface and provide a few minutes of entertainment (and plenty of photo opportunities).

The second dive of the day was at Black Head where there are some nice rocky gullies. Conger eels, lobster, crayfish and friends were all present but for this diver the highlight of the day was the guest appearance by the sunfish.