Glub!

We haven’t really done a whole lot this last week for one reason or another, which is probably a good thing given the schedule we’ve somehow managed to land ourselves with over the next couple of weeks.

One thing we’ve done is become intimately acquainted with Leybourne Lake (near Maidstone) which is our local training puddle. Last Sunday we were supposed have a nice sunny days diving in Portsmouth, with a start time of stupid o’clock. The sunny part didn’t work out, so it was called off, and instead we had a lie in followed by Leybourne Lake in the rain. On the positive side, this means I got some of my practical BSAC Sports Diver training signed off. Which is kinda odd, as I have the PADI equivalent, plus I also have the majority of my BSAC Dive Leader Theory done too.
Monday we went to the pool for the continued education in lifesaving. Apparently I know now how to throw a variety of types of rope. Also discovered that with the assistance of just one other person, I can haul Chris out of the pool should he need rescuing at any time. At his size this did come as a big surprise to me. *Pause* Not that I’m saying he’s fat or anything…
We enjoyed Leybourne so much on Sunday, that we decided to do it again on Wednesday evening. In the rain again. Because to be a UK Diver, ones sanity needs to have gone awol. And we’re ‘Ard. Even my little car is ‘Ard, cruising down the M20 with mud spatters up both sides and on the roof – we laugh at the squeaky clean 4x4s and FRPs that don’t know what mud is! Anyway, Weds evening I was asked to put my PADI hat on and take a 14 yo trainee out for a pootle, just her second open water dive! She was most excellent, very calm and very good control. And paid me a wonderful compliment; she said I was much better than the diver she went on her first dive with (a very good and experienced diver). *polishes halo*.
And you know what? We enjoyed that so much, I left Chris back home to build his new bed (don’t ask, suffice to say, the last one could only take so many VTOL attempts), while I went back to the lake again this morning. Got more training signed off. Plus, we had an experience that you only get once in a lifetime.
You have to understand that Leybourne’s attraction, other than for training lies in the many wrecks it has. Fine examples of which are; one mini, one BMW, VW Polo, one moped, two ickle boats and a giant headless teddy bear. Scattered among these, on a good day one might come across the odd perch. The fishy variety, not the parrot variety. However, this morning we came across a beastie that was thought to be the stuff of legends. Leybourne’s equivalent of the Nessie. It was (wait for it, you’re going to be dead jealous…) It was…
*drumroll*

… a pike.

I bet you’re all excited now. Oh, and it didn’t rain.

However, I gave the lads of the dive club a display in supreme elegance. In approximately eighteen inches of water, after I’d dumped my kit on the side, I was walking around to the steps, and tripped over a sneaky underwater object, landing spectacularly on my face in the water. The lads immediately stopped what they were doing and took time to admire my bum.

Apparently.

Would have been nice to have had a hand up, but they were too busy laughing and comparing notes.

One of my dive buddies also fell over, straight onto his bum amid much mirth. He was absolutely fine right up until he took his boot off and was as surprised as the rest of us to discover vast quantities of red stuff dripping. One thing about UK divers, is that with eight divers he had four first aid kits, one nurse, four first aiders and a trainee first aider all on hand, and was at Maidstone A&E within 20 minutes. Fortunately, not even stitches were required, and he is now home with large bottle of something or other. Standing on large spikes is not recommended.

Tomorrow afternoon we hope to go out of Dover in the RIB. I guess if it rains, it could be Leybourne instead.