Unfortunately there isn't a session called 'Entering the Water during Heavy Swells on St Helena' otherwise we could have done that. As it is I did a Dive on Saturday, but none of the planned dives since as the swell has been too big for diving off the Steps.
On Saturday we did a Deep Dive. The manual for Deep Diving basically seems to say 'it's very easy to die, in fact if you don't die get to a decompression chamber and breath pure oxygen to make sure it stays that way'. Well the nearest Decompression Chamber was 3 weeks 3 days away waiting for the RMS so it seemed a near certainty that we would die. Somehow we all survived and passed the course, having not died I'd quite like to do the dive again as we dived the Frontier (ship) which looked interesting, but I was rather too concentrating on not diving to pay too much attention.
For those of you who are interested to know what would actually kill me I suggest you learn to dive, I would post the full gory list, but my Mum reads this and I don't want to scare her.
Not too much anyway.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Advanced Diving
Well today I passed the first of 5 parts for my Advanced Diving course. Today was underwater Navigation and basically consisted of us (there are 4 of us doing the course) starting from a point swimming 30m in a set distance and then getting back to where we started using various techniques.
Despite many attempts by my co-students I do seem to have passed. I think Anthony (my instructor) gave me credit for the fact that I did get back to exactly where I started from, but the other 3 had moved the rocks and the anchor a few metres to one side to try to confuse me. I think that was unfair of them to be honest, I didn't do it to them.
He also let me off a little bit because he distracted me by pointing out the Turtle. This was especially distracting as I'm fairly sure I was already distracted by the other Turtle, but it may have been the same one, i can't be sure (Anthony thinks there was only one), I think it may have been a Green Turtle.
Anyway, i got plenty of time to practice my underwater skydiving http://malpas-chronicles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/diving-cheddar-gorge.html which we're going to be tested on in a few weeks time (Peak Performance Buoyancy it's called).
Apparently there are a lot of Whale Sharks around at the moment, Anthony has been diving with them and depending what happens we may also get the opportunity if they hang around :) here's hoping!
Despite many attempts by my co-students I do seem to have passed. I think Anthony (my instructor) gave me credit for the fact that I did get back to exactly where I started from, but the other 3 had moved the rocks and the anchor a few metres to one side to try to confuse me. I think that was unfair of them to be honest, I didn't do it to them.
He also let me off a little bit because he distracted me by pointing out the Turtle. This was especially distracting as I'm fairly sure I was already distracted by the other Turtle, but it may have been the same one, i can't be sure (Anthony thinks there was only one), I think it may have been a Green Turtle.
Anyway, i got plenty of time to practice my underwater skydiving http://malpas-chronicles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/diving-cheddar-gorge.html which we're going to be tested on in a few weeks time (Peak Performance Buoyancy it's called).
Apparently there are a lot of Whale Sharks around at the moment, Anthony has been diving with them and depending what happens we may also get the opportunity if they hang around :) here's hoping!
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Update
Well, I've been back nearly a fortnight. And I've been busy, and lazy, well mostly lazy, except when I've been busy.
The first weekend back was a little hectic as I went Diving early Saturday and then tried to buy food as the shops were closing (after breakfast). Last weekend I couldn't dive as the water was too rough, so I got up late and shopped before breakfast, mainly.
The dive was quite unusual, firstly there were 11 of us, which is the biggest group I've dived with so far, but by judgement, or fluke, Anthony got us all back to the boat before anyone ran out of air, but anchored us on an interesting reef so we could keep diving and surface when our air was getting low - a nice safe way to dive in a large group which doesn't make everyone's dive as short as the shortest. One other particularly interesting feature was the thermocline. This is an underwater break in water temperature. I first spotted what looked like a heat haze (I guess it was) and so I reached out to touch it, and suddenly it went cold. It was, in places, really small so my feet were warm, my torso cold, and my head warm. Not seen one like that before.
The final cool thing about the dive was I had some new gear I bought in the UK. So I knew what direction we were going in thanks to my compass, and I had the actual time, as opposed to just the dive time, thanks to my watch. Next time I'll have my knife (safety only) and Torch to use if needed. But I am beginning to think the camera would have been good, that and a photographer of course!
Work is busy - we're cracking on with surfacing, but whilst better progress than I think the Island has seen for a while, I don't yet think we're making the sort of progress we need to. Added to the Roads Section (I can't remember what I've blogged before, and can't be bothered to check) there is a restructure going on, I am now the Acting Transport Infrastructure Manager - which sort of means roads; but as an interim measure I've also picked up a variety of oddball sections which don't fit anywhere else - such as the billing unit for Energy and Water??? I'm hoping that this is only for a couple of months until I am left with simply Transport Infrastructure, but we'll see.
So that's an update on my world (the real world).
The first weekend back was a little hectic as I went Diving early Saturday and then tried to buy food as the shops were closing (after breakfast). Last weekend I couldn't dive as the water was too rough, so I got up late and shopped before breakfast, mainly.
The dive was quite unusual, firstly there were 11 of us, which is the biggest group I've dived with so far, but by judgement, or fluke, Anthony got us all back to the boat before anyone ran out of air, but anchored us on an interesting reef so we could keep diving and surface when our air was getting low - a nice safe way to dive in a large group which doesn't make everyone's dive as short as the shortest. One other particularly interesting feature was the thermocline. This is an underwater break in water temperature. I first spotted what looked like a heat haze (I guess it was) and so I reached out to touch it, and suddenly it went cold. It was, in places, really small so my feet were warm, my torso cold, and my head warm. Not seen one like that before.
The final cool thing about the dive was I had some new gear I bought in the UK. So I knew what direction we were going in thanks to my compass, and I had the actual time, as opposed to just the dive time, thanks to my watch. Next time I'll have my knife (safety only) and Torch to use if needed. But I am beginning to think the camera would have been good, that and a photographer of course!
Work is busy - we're cracking on with surfacing, but whilst better progress than I think the Island has seen for a while, I don't yet think we're making the sort of progress we need to. Added to the Roads Section (I can't remember what I've blogged before, and can't be bothered to check) there is a restructure going on, I am now the Acting Transport Infrastructure Manager - which sort of means roads; but as an interim measure I've also picked up a variety of oddball sections which don't fit anywhere else - such as the billing unit for Energy and Water??? I'm hoping that this is only for a couple of months until I am left with simply Transport Infrastructure, but we'll see.
So that's an update on my world (the real world).
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Home Again
After a month back home in the UK and a few nerves on the journey back to St Helena, I am now back home. And it is Home, home is not in the British Isles, it is in the South Atlantic. Which is something of a relief, I was expecting to feel a little homesick for the UK and I don't, although it would be nice if family and more friends were a little closer.
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it - er melt again
Went to Fort William today, and it SNOWED!!!!!
I would have taken a photo to post, but it wasn't settling by the time I got back to Ballachulish and had access to a Camera. But I did make sure I collected some in my coat pocket to bring home as proof that there was snow...
If it snows here properly I promise to post a photo, unless I'm too lazy.
p.s. I am unreliably informed that 5 exclamation marks are excessive, and that anything over 3 are the sign of a madman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have taken a photo to post, but it wasn't settling by the time I got back to Ballachulish and had access to a Camera. But I did make sure I collected some in my coat pocket to bring home as proof that there was snow...
If it snows here properly I promise to post a photo, unless I'm too lazy.
p.s. I am unreliably informed that 5 exclamation marks are excessive, and that anything over 3 are the sign of a madman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Happy Christmas
Well I made it back to the UK, it was a long and grueling journey where I absolutely didn't spend 3 days on a ship eating extremely well followed by a day and a half on a tropical island swimming in the beautifully warm clear sea.
Back in the UK I've been very busy so I apologise to everyone I haven't met up with. I've been to Devon and some friends there helped me realise that I prefer St Helena to Devon, where it's a little warmer this time of year, and the DYL at Exwick Heights are not a problem.I haven't re-roofed Mum's Car Port s expected as the online supplier (www.edecks.co.uk) who promises 2-3 day delivery took over a week and only managed to deliver after the order had been cancelled. However thanks to Wickes the garage has been made watertight again.
I'm now in Scotland for a break from rushing around but back to England briefly in the new year for a hectic run around before heading home again.
p.s. sorry Christmas greetings are late, but I've been busy, and lazy.
Back in the UK I've been very busy so I apologise to everyone I haven't met up with. I've been to Devon and some friends there helped me realise that I prefer St Helena to Devon, where it's a little warmer this time of year, and the DYL at Exwick Heights are not a problem.I haven't re-roofed Mum's Car Port s expected as the online supplier (www.edecks.co.uk) who promises 2-3 day delivery took over a week and only managed to deliver after the order had been cancelled. However thanks to Wickes the garage has been made watertight again.
I'm now in Scotland for a break from rushing around but back to England briefly in the new year for a hectic run around before heading home again.
p.s. sorry Christmas greetings are late, but I've been busy, and lazy.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
It's Cold
It's a bit chilly this morning, my computer says it's only 16C, and the 6:30 am weather [forecast] report confirms this.
Also looking at my computer, it says -1C for Somerset, that now sounds as bad as, say, -8C, which it is in Ballahulish, or -200C which it is in deep space. Anything below about 12C is meaninglessly cold.
What say I don't leave and you all come here? It's nice and warm, by comparison.
Also looking at my computer, it says -1C for Somerset, that now sounds as bad as, say, -8C, which it is in Ballahulish, or -200C which it is in deep space. Anything below about 12C is meaninglessly cold.
What say I don't leave and you all come here? It's nice and warm, by comparison.
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