Cathedral Rock, St Abbs

[charlie]

Went for an evening dive on Tuesday with guys from SUSAC. As the conditions were favourable, we decided to head to the east coast. I'd been wanting to try & find Cathedral Rock (http://www.ukdiving.co.uk/places/coastal/articles/st_abbs.htm) (a submerged double archway) at St Abbs for ages. This was my fourth day of diving in a row following our weekend liveaboard trip!

We submerged at exactly 20:00 (30 min after HW). Resultantly, access was easy. Headed SE, skirting several walls. They were adorned with the most voluptuous display of anemones & corals with large friendly ballan wrasse making us feel very welcome. Much to my relief, I brought us to the archways. The tide was running against us, so we had to get down low & pull ourselves along the rocks to get through the big arch. We then ascended beside it and allowed ourselves to be sucked through the upper small archway. Stopped to poke our fingers into the "air" (expired gas from divers) which had gathered on the ceiling.

We then made our way back. I was instructing Joe, so we carried out a shared buddy breathing ascent from 15m. He managed it without any bother: could see the other buddy pair almost the whole time during the ascent as the viz was 10m+. I then tried to guide us home. After a short time, I was flashed to join my buddies. Gus had found a sedate but beautiful octopus (it did only have 7 legs! :eek:) sitting on a rock. Absolutely wonderful!

http://bp2.blogger.com/_Ief4XfR2u_w/RkRPfPk0xII/AAAAAAAAADA/3vP720GwgJU/s400/octopus.jpg
(http://bp2.blogger.com/_Ief4XfR2u_w/RkRPfPk0xII/AAAAAAAAADA/3vP720GwgJU/s1600-h/octopus.jpg)
Unfortunately, my navigation was flawed on the way back & we ended up doing our safety stop mid water. At least we had the delight of being surrounded my multitudinous comb jellies: quite amazing. We had a long surface swim back to shore but all agreed that it was a fantastic dive.

Our plans for a 2nd dive were scuppered by the news that night diving is not allowed at St Abbs Harbour so we returned to Coldingham to visit the pub for a coke & log book filling. We weren't made to feel very welcome in there... perhaps not local enough?!

[chris]

Never knew the issue about diving banned at night, they usually put a barrier across the harbour wall and state that there is no cover, but not banned??

Good picture of the Octopus though and well done on finding Cathederail first time out.

Maybe you should do a map for us with bearing??

[chris]

Map of the area for interest

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/chrisareid/divemapstabbs.gif

[charlie]

Never knew the issue about diving banned at night, they usually put a barrier across the harbour wall and state that there is no cover, but not banned??
A wee baldy English guy wearing glasses approached us at the end of our dive. I asked if he was the Harbour Master & he said that he wasn't but was the HM's diving watchman or something. He said that he was there to keep an eye that we were OK. Anyway, he noticed that we'd left some kit at the entry point & then he told us about night diving not being allowed. Apparently if you night dive there, the locals are liable to call the Coastguard out. He claimed that this happened a few weeks ago.

Absolutely excellent map, chris: many thanks for sharing it! :)

According to the wee baldy bloke, there's a gully near Broad Craig that is a good site for angler fish. He claimed that it ran through the middle of Broad Craig but I suspect from your map that it's between Broad Craig & Scott's Rock. Will check it out next time.

[TheMacallan]

(a submerged double archway)?!

The top shows at low water.


The tide was running against us,

Slack water is mid tide so you had the maximum tide.


that night diving is not allowed at St Abbs Harbour

Been like this as long as can remember.

The "baldy guy" is Bob Clay who can supply spare parts.

[PeterM]

I think it only appropriate that you call thi dive by its original name, as it is only a Cathedral underwater.

Not that I feel there is any right or wrong on the matter, it just makes the dive report subject sound more interesting........:D

PS Chris' reference to well done finding it from shore navigation is that on our first dive here we were dropped just in front of the rocks for a simple drift through, but still managed to descend and take 30 minutes to actually see the arch, and then only momentarily as we approached it from the wrong side against the full tide.

[Davieg]

Nice wee trip report guys.

[charlie]

Thanks for the info, guys! :)




The "baldy guy" is Bob Clay who can supply spare parts.
Yeah, I was being facetious as he has more hair than me! He seemed like a decent enough bloke actually and was quite apologetic about upsetting our plans. We were happy enough anyway.


I'm just a self-confessed StAbbs novice, so why don't one of you seasoned east coat divers supply us a comprehensive dive site guide for the area... please! ;)

[chris]

as an experienced ST Abbs diver, I would like to have provided such a guide, however having never shore dived slutt rocks, not me. Always wanted to shore dive it, but been too embarressed to try it and not get to it.

[charlie]

The top shows at low water.
Do you mean that the top of the rocks show at low tide? That makes sense with relation to Chris' excellent map.

I presume that the actual archways are always submerged: my computer showed a depth of 9.3m when I touched the ceiling in the upper archway. According to my tide planning software, the tide level was 4.02m above chart datum at that moment.

[chris]

Yeah the top of the rocks show at low tide, the archway is always submerged.

[stew]

Always wanted to shore dive it, but been too embarressed to try it and not get to it.
i reached it on my first attempt from the shore...easire than it looks but a hard task none the less.
wont forget the experience in a hurry.
it was the first time i threw-up underwater..:o

[charlie]

wont forget the experience in a hurry.
it was the first time i threw-up underwater..:o
Is that your way of feeding the resident ballan wrasse? :eek:

[stew]

didnt even have my camera...:rolleyes: