ST ABBS TRIP - BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND
The spirits were high when Stef, Nigel, Simon, Bev and Chas met on Friday night in the New Inn, Coldingham. The weekend promised to be good as for the past two weeks the sea had been flat calm and the forecast was good. How we were fooled ..............

Saturday morning was bright and sunny but only if you were out of the strong cold northerly wind that had developed. The owners of our bed and breakfast were smiling with glee because the "surf was up" which meant they could resume their surfing lessons which had been impossible for the past 2 weeks. If we'd not experienced Swanage a few years ago we'd have said the sea was rough! I think
Stefs log book entry for Swanage could easily have been applied here - "out of the harbour and into hell". Luckily we didn't go very far and came back between dives. Paul, Chris and female Steph met us Saturday morning at the harbour. I think Paul wished he'd stayed on shore because once in the water he took one look at what was down there (nothing) and had all on resisting Chris' attempts to pull him down! The visibility was disappointing but Stef, Simon and Nigel were overjoyed at their sighting of 3 fish. Bev and Chris had no such excitement apart from the skipper saying just follow the
current and it will take you south. All the time their computers showed them drifting north! The dives were short because the water was only between 6 and 7 degrees. Bev was as blue as her dry suit and the shaking was not a sign of the DTs. Stef rose to the challenge of the harbour ladders and the gear humping amidst grunts of, "I can't do with this. You don't get any of this in Coniston"!
A few pints in St Veda's hotel livened our spirits and amid much "uming and ahing" where to eat Nigel rose to the occasion with a master plan - two pints in the New Inn followed by gammons all round back at St Veda's. Don't mention the fish pie! Chris had organised a much more upmarket meal "somewhere off the AI "! Without the bad influence of the jT2s Bev and Chas went to bed with the
others around 11.00pm - sober! (so that's what they get up when JT'S are not around'!! - KB)
It was an early start but Stefs charm with Pauline, the landlady, worked and we had a lovely cooked breakfast at 7.30. Unfortunately Stef saw his again 2 hours later! After that he said the "F word" a few times and ducked out of the 2nd dive. The first dive on the Sunday was a bit of a "benchmark" (Chris's word) - meaning we'll measure the rest of the diving for the year against this trip and hopefully it can only get better. It was quite a disaster really. Paul still didn't fancy the idea of diving in pea soup so kindly donated his regulator to Craig when he "blew a seal". Stef cheerily commented
afterwards that it was revenge for Craig saying to him all the time "Stef, have you blown a seal"!
Craig's humour and exuberance completely deserted him but who would blame him. Getting up at 4.00 am, travelling 4 hours, just about to go in and have your first stage blow on you is no joke.
Capped with crap viz, rough seas and sub-zero temperatures.. . . . . . . ... I must remember Chris' quote, "this is a hobby and not a punishment". Maurice started off confidently with his new diagonal crotch zip and he made sure his flaps were all sealed before getting in. Why then when he took his suit off in the harbour did he empty the feet of water and wring out his clothes? Must have been another one of those "semi-dries". Craig and Maurice's faulty equipment meant they didn't do the 2nd dive and Stefs faulty stomach and lack of enthusiasm meant he didn't do one either. The others only did so because being Yorkshire people they'd paid for it - so they'd do it! Simon and Nigel actually said they'd enjoyed it - but I think that was said just to wind the others up. Bev and Chris didn't say anything (Bev because she was so cold her whole body had gone into a gibbering spasm and words couldn't form). Perhaps if she'd helped Nigel with his single handed unloading of the boat it might have helped her warm up.
Paul's help was also appreciated by helping people de-kit because their hands had frozen beyond use. Still after all this Simon was heard making arrangements with the skipper for a repeat performance if there were spare places on the boat for a future weekend. Perhaps this irrational behaviour was just a symptom of hyperthermia. It was noted, however, that Simon and Nigel went straight home and didn't hang round for the 3rd shore dive that they'd talked so enthusiastically about the night before.
Thanks to Bev (I must actually count the SMBk in bag before Isay there is one missing) Denton for the write up for the St Abbs trip.