17th July 2011
With more swell predicted off the North East coast, plans to dive Eyemouth were reluctantly abandoned and instead we opted to head across the Pennines to dive Capernwray.
On arrival it was clear that just about every other diver in the North had come to the same conclusion as the car park was positively heaving with hundreds of divers!
Once kitted up we braced the mass ranks of trainees to head out into the depths of the Quarry. Underwater visibility around the large airplane wreck had clearly suffered as a result of the sheer volume of divers.
Pressing on we explored around some of the other sites until eventually reaching a small rocky outcrop, where we were delighted to find one of the resident sturgeons free swimming around the pinnacle. It was then a simple case of just waiting on the fish to appear as it continually circled around the pinnacle.
For the second dive, Richard and Peter headed out along the plateau with the aim of locating the wreck of the Thunderbird 4 ‘submarine’.
Once successfully located, a quick check revealed that Gordon Tracey was not trapped inside and there were no signs of Pod 4 resting nearby (yes some of us are old enough to remember this iconic TV programme of our childhood), so it was a case of heading out over the wall and out to the old Wessex helicopter. Sadly the helicopter appears to have suffered at the hands of metal thieves, as much of the aluminum fabric appears to have been pulled off the rear framework of the aircraft.
Close by the wreck we also stopped and observed an extremely large trout attacking the passing divers exhaled bubbles.
From here we then headed back across the Quarry bottom back to the entrance point.
All in all a good days diving.
