A winter trip to Eyemouth with Derek

Having dived the local quarry, river and lakes everyone needed a taste of salt for a change so Peter enquired about spaces with Derek in Eyemouth. Very quickly we were booked on for the weekend and then our friend Paul also joined us as he was looking for a buddy for the weekend.

It was quiet with Derek, just the four of us diving on Saturday so we weren't going far. First dive was the Burnmouth Caves where the water was a touch warmer than we were used to in the quarry at 7 degrees Celsius but the viz was a bit pants leading to an unanticipated game of blind mans buff as we all hunted for torches.

Paul had had a rebreather issue on the first dive so the surface interval was spent scratching our heads and wondering what it was. It seems it was a folded over counterlung which had since unfolded.

The second dive was the SS President. It's more a pile of bits these days having been pounded by the sea since 1928. Again the viz wasn't brilliant but wasn't as bad as the caves so we played follow the fins while meandering around wreckage and rocks. Paul's rebreather performed admirably on this dive.

After waving off Paul (he was only allowed out for Saturday) we had a lovely walk around Greenends Gully and looked across at the lion rock formation to the west.

Dinner was taken at Oblo, one of our favourite places in Eyemouth, followed by gentle drinks in the Contented Sole and bed at the Eye Sleep Over.

On Sunday is was a bit more crowded on the boat. The first dive was the Gullies in the St Abbs marine park where the visibility was better but still not great. The sea was quite surgy which didn't help the rebreather divers although the twinset diver was having a great time.

Dive two was the Glanmire, my most dived wreck. Visibility, being a little further offshore was markedly better although it was reasonably dark at the bottom. We had a bit of a tour end to end and apparently swam under the prop and completely missed it! On the ascent we were able to show the closed circuit benefit as we met an open circuit chap at 6m, did deco and left him still there doing his deco.

A good time was had by all. Thanks to Peter, Neil and Paul. Derek and Aquamarine Charters https://www.aquamarine-charters.com/

Oblo: https://www.oblobar.com/