T and I got a last minute invite to the Farnes from Hazel, so off we went!
Two excellent dives, first on the wreck of the Somali, which is rather different since it was blown open for salvage exactly one year ago on the bank holiday monday. I wouldn't know as I've not dived it before, but Hazel was the last to see it intact! It turned out to be an very pleasant dive in the good visibility for which the Farnes is famous. Plenty of critters including some big fish to see amongst the four big boilers and the steam engine, standing tall from the seabed. The cargo is well scattered and lots of shiny little things like old bottles of pills, hand cream, perfume, you name it - were lying around.
Being springs there wasn't anything like slack water so the pull down to the wreck was an effort, but once on the bottom there was plenty of shelter from the current. It was crowded on the surface (7 RIBS in total and a hard boat), but as we were 2nd wave we had the wreck to ourselves.
T and I had a busy time going to get fills (much better to bring spare tanks for the Farnes), but Stan, a diving legend and true gentleman, made us a free fry-up lunch (breakfast leftovers) while the tanks were on.
Our afternoon dive was along the pinnacles and onto the St Andre, which rewarded us with a pretty couple of ling and a nice conger. The horde of local wrasse followed us: hoping, no doubt, to be fed. I wish I'd taken my camera under with me!
With no underwater photos, I present some images of the trusty dive boat & Hazel's 'treasure' - I'm not a tat collector (sorry Hazel!), I prefer pictures, but here is some 60 year old marmite :-)
Iain Crampton