View Full Version : Lochaline comprehensive trip report
craigdiver
05-09-06, 09:38
Hispania, Shuna, Thesis - WOW!:D
RIB engine failing 5 mins after diving Shuna and being rescued by RNLI:o (many thanks guys) - picture on my website www.craigcampbell.co.uk (http://www.craigcampbell.co.uk)
Also, many thanks to Mark at Lochaline Dive Centre - made very welcome, great facilities, comfortable - very dedicated (filling cylinders at 1am!!!).
If you have never been to the Sound of Mull - drop whatever you are doing NOW, find a buddy, jump in the car and go...!!!
CraigDiver
Sounds great! :)
Thanks for the update & great photos.
Better make sure that your club follows the link on the CA portal page to donate to the RNLI. ;)
Did you do any scenic dives also or was it all wrecks? What's the viz like up there?
craigdiver
05-09-06, 12:26
Sounds great! :)
Thanks for the update & great photos.
Better make sure that your club follows the link on the CA portal page to donate to the RNLI. ;)
Did you do any scenic dives also or was it all wrecks? What's the viz like up there?
Viz on Hispania - 10-12m
Shuna - 6-8m
Thesis - 6-8m
On par with the Hispania was the scenic beach dive (50 yards from west pier), park car on beach, golden sands, slopes to 6m then shelves to 10m then quickly shelves to 60m+!!!!. Done 2 dives at this site, thousands of fish, lots of crevices in wall, great viz (15m)
Found it very difficult to photograph on wrecks, with no flash - everything washed out in green and needed to be very still due to low light levels. With flash all I got was spatter. Took some fantastic video of the wrecks.
RNLI guys fantastic, skilled an friendly - However, the engine that broke was bought from them less than a year ago!. Yes, RNLI membership all round.
You will have a great time at the weekend.
CraigDiver
Sounds great: thanks for the info! ;)
Sounds great
good grief .... :rolleyes:
Charlie - get back to work;)
craigdiver
05-09-06, 16:56
good grief .... :rolleyes:
Charlie - get back to work;)
Yep, took me whole afternoon to notice Charlie's clever play on words (even though he blatently put it in italics!):p
Well observed Gord.
CraigDiver
Charlie's clever play on words :p
don't encourage him!
Viz on Hispania - 10-12m
Shuna - 6-8m
Thesis - 6-8m
On par with the Hispania was the scenic beach dive (50 yards from west pier), park car on beach, golden sands, slopes to 6m then shelves to 10m then quickly shelves to 60m+!!!!. Done 2 dives at this site, thousands of fish, lots of crevices in wall, great viz (15m)
Found it very difficult to photograph on wrecks, with no flash - everything washed out in green and needed to be very still due to low light levels. With flash all I got was spatter. Took some fantastic video of the wrecks.
RNLI guys fantastic, skilled an friendly - However, the engine that broke was bought from them less than a year ago!. Yes, RNLI membership all round.
You will have a great time at the weekend.
CraigDiver
Wreck photography ISO100 A 5.6 and 1 to 1.5 seconds and hold the camera against something. Then clean in adobe that should do it.....;)
Diving was good ,thank m8:p
Just back down to earth after a fantastic weekend diving in the Sound.
Many thanks to craigdiver, Ding & alexmac for their recommendations on the dive sites. Got through on Friday afternoon and enjoyed a fantastic 40m dip from Lochaline Hotel Beach: amazing, as you stated craig! Tasty meal & refreshing drinks at the hotel until pretty late. Then upon getting back to the dive centre, I decided to try & upload the dive profile & photos to my laptop. Met the guys from Hamilton SAC who were very generous with the malts & cigars! Took me ages to complete the IT tasks due to my 'tiredness'. ;)
On Saturday morning, headed bleary-eyed to Bo Fascadale. When we were half way there, I decided to take a photo on the Brendan. An unfamiliar warning flashed on the screen: "no memory stick". D'oh, I'd left it in the card reader with my laptop - what a pudding I felt! :( The dive was fantastic though: a really fast drift due to the spring tides. Stopped off in Tobermory for a walk before diving the Shuna. My first real wreck: what an absolute joy! :p Unfortunately, our expedition organiser experienced discomfort on the way home and was whisked by helicopter to Oban to spend the night in the chamber. He's fine now thankfully.
Diet cokes on Saturday night led to a clear head for doing the Rondo & Hispania on Sunday. Out of this world! Caught a quick dip in Loch Linnhe on the way back to round off an outstanding weekend.
As the others have already said, The Sound of Mull offers one hell of a diving experience! :cool: Lochaline Dive Centre & Lochaline Boats highly recommended.
what did u c at Bo Fascadale? Sometimes u get really big fish there. Some guys a few years ago were in there with a whale. This is a special site.
what did u c at Bo Fascadale? Sometimes u get really big fish there. Some guys a few years ago were in there with a whale. This is a special site.
Nothing that spectacular, but the life on the wall was great. Some big fish right enough also. It really was a beautiful site.
craigdiver
11-09-06, 12:54
Just back down to earth after a fantastic weekend diving in the Sound.
Many thanks to craigdiver, Ding & alexmac for their recommendations on the dive sites. Got through on Friday afternoon and enjoyed a fantastic 40m dip from Lochaline Hotel Beach: amazing, as you stated craig! Tasty meal & refreshing drinks at the hotel until pretty late. Then upon getting back to the dive centre, I decided to try & upload the dive profile & photos to my laptop. Met the guys from Hamilton SAC who were very generous with the malts & cigars! Took me ages to complete the IT tasks due to my 'tiredness'.
On Saturday morning, headed bleary-eyed to Bo Fascadale. When we were half way there, I decided to take a photo on the Brendan. An unfamiliar warning flashed on the screen: "no memory stick". D'oh, I'd left it in the card reader with my laptop - what a pudding I felt! :( The dive was fantastic though: a really fast drift due to the spring tides. Stopped off in Tobermory for a walk before diving the Shuna. My first real wreck: what an absolute joy! :p Unfortunately, our expedition organiser experienced discomfort on the way home and was whisked by helicopter to Oban to spend the night in the chamber. He's fine now thankfully.
Diet cokes on Saturday night led to a clear head for doing the Rondo & Hispania on Sunday. Out of this world! Caught a quick dip in Loch Linnhe on the way back to round off an outstanding weekend.
As the others have already said, The Sound of Mull offers one hell of a diving experience! Lochaline Dive Centre & Lochaline Boats highly recommended.
Yes, Beach most definitely best shore dive i've ever done. Sorry to hear about the expedition organiser, hope it was just a false alarm.
The Hispania was my favorite closely followed by the Shuna. Look forward to see the pics (left memory card in card reader - can't say i've done that before!!!:p )
Cheers
Craig