Pembrokeshire, July 2001

Jamie and I arrived at Broad Haven on Friday at 7.50pm. We'd driven through all weathers including the mother of all rainstorms. However it was a pleasant evening as we tucked into our bar meals and discussed plans for the weekend with the other divers.

The trip had been arranged by Tony, our Chairman. However, ongoing ear problems meant that he was unable to be there. So the diving party consisted Pete and Alex Gosnell, Ed Redman, Amanda Goodrum, Graham and June Reader, Mike Colman, Roger Loose, and me (Mick Barratt) and Jamie, my 15 year-old son.

At the 'Dive Pembrokeshire Lodge' we settled in. The couples and Amanda had rooms to themselves while the 'blokes' slept in the dormitory. For some reason Mike and Roger bagged the private twin-bedded room at the end of the dorm. The rest of us (Ed, Jamie and me) asked no questions and spread out with me at the far end in case I snored!

Before retiring we were told that the BBC would be joining us on the boat to film a diving trip. It would be entirely true to say that this was met with a mixed reaction!

The following morning saw all except me enjoy a good fry-up. I now stick to modest breakfasts since my first ever sea-diving trip when the fish had the pleasure of my breakfast. We then discussed plans for the day that would have us sailing out from Milford Haven heading north-westerly around the coast where we'd get shelter from the north easterly wind. We were also told that the BBC would not be joining us after all because they'd dropped their camera into the water!

Jamie and I got our gear ready at the B&B to ensure that we wouldn't have to do it on the boat as was suggested by the skipper during the briefing. This was done only after tightening the drysuit hose that had somehow got loose. It took Jamie, me and Ed to work out which hose was leaking air!

Our brains were thankfully in gear by the time we got to the boat and we all soon had our equipment ready and in the boat, and ourselves into our drysuits. The excellent quayside facilities at Milford Haven, seemingly recently built, made loading easy.

On the boat was another diver, Ian, who was joining us for the day. Shortly after we set out it became clear that the wind was going to make the unsheltered leg of our voyage around the coastline rather bumpy. The skipper valiantly pushed the boat, however it soon became clear that we were not going to get through the 10-foot-plus waves and he invoked Plan B. He turned the boat into a cove and we got ready for our first dive.

Jamie and I were ready first so in I went. Wallop! it was a long way down for a backward roll and it felt like I'd landed on a brick wall. Next Jamie. Oh dear, not so much a backward roll as a backward head-first plummet. He came up gasping with his mask where his demand valve should be. We quickly got matters sorted and descended. I then spotted that he was missing a fin. Being shallow (5.5 metres maximum) we spent a few minutes looking for the fin, but in vain. The copious kelp would have made spotting the fin difficult even without us having drifted away from the entry position while we were on the surface.

After a few minutes we gave up and deployed the delayed SMB to join Ed who had not done the dive because of seasickness. So, anyone who finds a blue two-month-old Mares fin please contact me!

Between dives we had our packed lunch and made plans for the next dive. The girls obviously dealt with their hair!

I had some spare fins, in the car (doh!). Fortunately the crew had a spare set of fins so we were able to go down to the "Dakotian" with Ed. The Dakotian was rather flattened in about 14 metres of poor visibility. We connected Ed's line to the buoy line and Ed reeled us out and back while Jamie kept to the line. I kept near both Jamie and Ed, in case he felt unwell again. We repeated this in a number of directions until it was time to surface up the buoy line.

Back at the quay we were met by the BBC who filmed us unloading the boat. So while lugging cylinders up the quayside ramp we struck up some shantie-style songs, as you do!

We had a pleasant evening at the pub, all together on a single table. Pete and Alex arrived late because Pete had experienced ear problems on the second of the day's dives and had visited the nearest casualty unit. The diagnosis was just what he didn't want to hear and he would be restricted to surface cover on tomorrow's dives.

Roger and I competed for the 'eat the most left-overs from other people's plates' Trophy, for which he is declared the winner by eating the significant remains of Amanda's steak when I was truly beaten.

Most retired straight to the dorm, but Mike, June and I decided that a short walk along the beach would be good to walk off some of the food. The tide was in so we stuck to the promenade and on along a cliff path. After setting the world to rights and to avoid having to navigate the path back in the dark we turned back and joined the rest for a late night coffee.

Next morning we were greeted by another lone diver, John, and the BBC crew, a producer/cameraman and sound assistant with her furry creature on a pole. It was a busy boat as we went out in much calmer waters to the day's sites - yesterday's Plan A sites. We then quickly returned so that Roger could get his watch from the roof of his car. We again set off, and ten minutes later June found a watch. She couldn't find an owner so yours truly bellowed "Who's lost a watch?" Oops, Roger again! He tore himself from the BBC crew long enough to put his watch on. Soon after that we were in the rough stuff and at the dive site.

Having yesterday gone in first on both dives, Jamie and I were to go in as the last pair today. I waited while the others went in, with Roger doing his customary stride entry. Unfortunately Jamie had succumbed to the dreaded sea-sickness and he sensibly declined the first dive. I therefore went in with John, a PADI Advanced Diver. I'm both BSAC (Dive Leader) and PADI (doing Dive Master) so we did a buddy check the PADI way and went in. We saw numerous crabs, some extremely large, and John took many photographs of creatures that we spotted. He then had his first experience of a deployed SMB. Back on the boat I'd briefed him about how we'd deploy the delayed SMB and he followed my instructions well, giving the SMB a good fill. It was just as well since he then proceeded to haul himself up using the line! I demonstrated the correct procedure and we surfaced after a three minute precautionary stop at 6 metres.

Between dives Pete, Ed, Jamie, and the youngest member of the crew (actually the son of one of the crew) went for a snorkel with the seals. There were not many there and those that we could see from the boat were being somewhat elusive in the water.

Some of us also enjoyed some delicious fish, caught by the crew during the morning and filleted on camera. Ainsley Harriott, you've never done this! Even the ladies took time out from hair duty to have a taste!

For the second dive I was diving with John and a rejuvenated Jamie, so in the water we went. The deepest we went was 7.1 metres and I deployed the delayed SMB to see if we could attract a seal or two, to no avail. Still, it was an enjoyable dive after I'd gestured Jamie to slow down!

Jamie positioned himself on the SMB line and I demonstrated to John how to reel the line up. I then gave the reel to John and he took us up.

At the surface I could see that the boat was some distance away, and a RIB immediately came to us and asked if we wanted to get aboard. I said that a tow to our boat would be better, and they duly obliged. We hung on to the RIB's ropes and were towed to our boat. It was only when we were aboard our boat that I realised why the RIB had come to our aid: our boat couldn't come to us because the anchor was stuck and Ed, who hadn't intended to do the second dive, had gone down (with a buddy, of course!) to free it.

We all had a great weekend and were well looked after by Dive Pembrokeshire. Next year is already booked!

Written by Mick Barratt 2001