On the weekend of 7th & 8th October 2017 Linda, Keith, Jon, three Pauls and two Robs headed up to the Farnes for a weekend of diving booked via Farne Island Diving.
It didn’t seem promising; the wind was blowing a gale throughout the Friday night although this was only noticed by a particularly hardy/ tight member of the party who decided to camp. It was still windy as we set off aboard the Moby on the Saturday morning. Three members of the party were suffering from a case of ‘bad chips’ but the cobwebs were soon blown away as we started taking on sheets of water over the sides.
With weather limitations we were forced into the lee side of the islands and managed a couple of dives that, if the vis had been better, might have been scenic. However, the seals were undeterred by conditions and came out to play in numbers paying close attention to proceedings. There were also lobsters – lots of lobsters. One diver forgot to refit his drysuit hose to his regs after a trip to Lanzarote so enjoyed some suit squeeze but seemed grateful for the helpful tips from the rest of the group about how this could be prevented in future. After an equally bracing return trip to shore we were looking forward to day 2!
The weather on the Sunday was improved but once out of the shelter of Beadnell the wind and swell were still in evidence again limiting options. The first dive of the day started on the well broken up St Andre - a great dive with an impressive amount of metal in evidence; followed by a relaxing drift as the current picked up. The second dive was a repeat of the previous afternoon’s dive with a more detailed inspection of the gullies and walls; again the seals were highly interested in activities.
Thanks to Keith for organising a worthwhile trip - I think we’ll be back….
