Post-Buzz

I was pleased to feel less stuffed up this morning but still wasn't sure how my ears would be diving. The last time I tried to dive with a cold, I had ear pain and reverse squeeze as I tried to ascend after aborting the dive (which is basically air unable to escape from your ears but expanding still as the water pressure subsides. It's excruciating.)

I was as happy as a cuttlefish not to feel anything as I descended and I told him so when we came across him later on in the dive. He was a beauty and well over a foot in length. I love cuttlefish as they always seem so intelligent and self-assured. He turned to show me both sides as well as a head-on stare, never feeling the need to move away from our close proximity.

However, it was mighty cold. We didn't bring our own gear this time apart from hoods, gloves and masks. We were told they had 3mm wetsuits. Mine is 5mm and fits. These were too baggy on top so the water is also flushing through from my neck and wrist seals. Brrrrrr! We've now discovered they do have 5mm. Grrrrr!

The coral is lovely, the fish life pretty and we also did an interesting swim-through but it was more of a concentration on shivering and finning to keep warm than being able to sit back and enjoy it. 

I wasn't sure I'd do a second dive as it wasn't hot, even on the boat, with the brisk breeze (3kg less fat hasn't helped my cause!) But, with a couple of hot drinks and sitting on the engine on the sun deck, we warmed through just enough to get back in. A short dive but we saw a fabulously mean looking stone fish, appearing just like a rock or shell, a couple of lovely pipe fish and a wonderful flat fish that was so cleverly camouflaged, you could barely make him out in the sand until he moved.

It was almost as cold as diving in the North Sea but at least there, you keep your dry suit on to warm up! 

Back on land, we walked back from the dive shop, stopping for lunch and a delicious noodle and crab meat soup and coffee. Our bones had warmed up and we started getting the post-dive buzz feeling. Type 2 fun today, for sure.

We were given green tea and some kind of sugared ginger to finish off the meal which was amazingly refreshing.  

We're now re-energised, relaxed, and ready for an afternoon by the pool.



For my dive log:
Dive 1 - Madonna Rock
15.8m
46minutes
23 degrees
6kg
Hood & gloves, rashy, thermacline top & 3mm wetsuit

Dive 2 - Seahorse Bay (nope but we did look hard!)
14.3m
32minutes
23 degrees
6kg