10th November “Why is it called the ‘Podsnap’?”

**Freef** · 11th November 2007, 15:43

...'Because that's the ships name, Lesley'

A last minute abort for Stoney saw me giving Lesley and Malc a call to see if they were getting wet for the weekend. They were-at Capernwray. As the alarm was already set for 0400 to get towards the front of the queue at Stoney [33 miles away], I left it at the same time to get near the front at Cappers-190 miles away! An early kick off meant that I was able to do the trip in 3 hours and get a soss sarnie for breakfast as well at the truck stop services at Junction 35 of the M6.

I arrived behind Lesley and Malc, so I must have passed them somewhere on the way up. We were diving with Leigh who was bringing his girlfriend Julie along to mind the car keys and drink lots of coffee while we were in the water. While I was speaking to Les and Malc, Leigh turned up and the usual mickey taking started in earnest, a theme that would continue throughout the day.

I have only dived Cappers on 3 previous days, and the last time I was here I managed to sprain my ankle the following day which put paid to my 2006 diving season. Hoping for a better result this time the Dolphin was ‘loaded, locked and ready to rock’-loaded with sorb, locked in the car and ready to take me to look at some rocks that is.

Leigh had been ‘persuaded’ to lead the first dive, which is good as he is the most familiar with the site. He also promised us a look at the sturgeon that had been introduced to the lake, a promise we hoped he would be able to keep. When I lead a dive anywhere, the only promise I make is that at some point, if we are lucky and the vis is good, we might actually see one another.

As I was getting the Dolph through its pre dive checks a cheery hello shows that Yas was also on site. We had a quick chat before she had to go and get her diving sorted. As I was bent over a ‘nice arse’ comment revealed that one of the legendary Blonde Mafia that I hadn’t met before was also there for a DIR experience day.

Once we were more or less ready to hit the water Lesley was worried that she would need to recover my fingers when they froze and dropped off with the cold as I was going in gloveless. Leigh was in his lobster mits, Les and Malc in 5mm gloves, so she may have a point, but I always carry a pair of 5mm gloves with garage glove to make getting them on easier. This isn’t just in case of the cold, but in case a sharp object needs moving.

After lugging the 7L sidemount to the waters edge and setting it down next to the camera I clambered into the Dolph and walked down with the others to the slipway. I was hoping to be doing the trimix experiment today, but at an unfamiliar dive site I would rather be spending my time enjoying the view.

What a view we had. After Stoney’s summer vis of 5m and the very restricted vis on my last sea dives [1-2m] being able to see 10m was a bit un-nerving. My agoraphobia kicked in at the start so I had to smear silt over my mask until I had relaxed and was ready to see further than two arm spans underwater again. We were met with a welcoming committee of trout, brown and rainbow, that were on the scrounge for a free meal. The slope is quite steep from the end of the slip to about 14m, where a boat lies where we had a settle down. Once we sorted our formation out we followed Leigh on the grand tour.

You can almost hear the cello. [Leigh]

With the vis we were able to dive in an extended line with Leigh slightly in front, Les and Malc off to his right and me off to the left. The first landmark we found was a direction sign to Australia.

Start digging here.

Heading across the flat bottom at 16-18m, the next object we found was a large cargo container with the Dragonfly helicopter perched on top. I was more interested in the section of metal ductwork nearby. After posing with my head in it for Leigh, I did my version of ‘The World’s Strongest Diver’ and lifted it over my head while Malc filmed. As I less than gently put it down again I nearly crowned Malc with 30 kg of metal, but his reactions were pretty good and he avoided injury.

Someone told me that there was a penny at the bottom of the duct. [Leigh]

The Dragonfly was an early helicopter and there is a potted history on the Capernwray website that reads thus:

“WESSEX DRAGONFLY HELICOPTER - this old lady first flew in 1943 and was commissioned to HMS Eagle in October 1953. She moved to the Advanced Training and Development Unit in 1953 and continued in Service in a variety of roles until her last flight in 1962. She then moved to the Civil Aviation Fire School at Stanstead where she was used extensively for crash rescue training techniques. Scrapped in 1991, she was bought by Capernwray Diving and Leisure Ltd in 1996 and now lies atop our 'cave' in 14 metres.”

The ‘cave’ mentioned is the container that has been ‘modified’ to allow caving and penetration practice. Having had a look around we then went to the Podsnap wreck. Capernwray describe the wreck:

“PODSNAP - a Dickens Class Harbour Minesweeper. Built in 1944 specifically to clear mines in around harbour entrances during WWII. She is 50ft long, has a beam of 14ft and displaces 25 tons. She was scuttled at Capernwray in December 1995 and now lies on her side in 18 metres.”

The short version is tat she is a big wooden wreck on her starboard side. We had a slow swim around the wreck and waved at the other divers at the same site. After a couple of photos we were off again to the next stop on the grand tour, the deep end.

Bow section of the Podsnap.

The ‘sump’ of the quarry is 21m according to the map, but we got 19.5 at the deepest. The sump is a small ‘amphitheatre’ with a shotline and not much else, so after a photo we were off again.

Lesley, Malc [lurking in the background] and Leigh in the deepest part of the quarry.

Leigh leads us on a wander over to a light aircraft that sits near the wreck of ‘The Answer’. If these wrecks were in Stoney, the current vis wouldn’t let you see one from the other, but in the clearer waters of Cappers we found it easy to navigate. Like the Wessex and Dragonfly, the aircraft wreck is above the bottom of the quarry on a platform. In better nick than the ‘Cessna’ at Stoney the ‘plane sits in a well lit area.

Large metal floats for seaplanes were soon scrapped after the first experiment sank.

Malc taking video of the plane.

Throughout the first dive we were stalked by a large fish that kept swimming past us too often for my comfort. I was sure that once we were in a quiet area that it’s mates would jump us and nick our cameras and computers.

Lesley looking for…?

As we left The Answer Leigh blobbed up. I don’t know why he did this, but as he was proclaiming he was ‘a proper Yorkshireman’ all day I can but assume that he had ‘GET THE TEAS IN’ written on the blob for Julies benefit.

Leigh feeling strung out. Or a bit ropey. For reel fun, make up your own caption. Just don’t wind Leigh up.

We headed West at 15m until we got to the African Queen wreck where we stopped for another look around, and a couple of pics before we carried on to the exit.

Lesley looking around to make sure Malc hadn’t spotted the naked blonde woman.

Malc swims over the centre of the Queen.

On leaving the Queen we passed the Dragonfly again, allowing me to take another photo of the helicopter.

The Dragonfly is a bit un-airworthy now.

Once near the first wreck we saw, we know it is time to start heading up to our stop at 6m for 3 minutes. We hadn’t accrued any deco for this dive so we spent the time watching the trout pestering other divers for food. One of the bigger ones swam between my head and the end of the camera strobe arm, which shows how used to divers they are.

We were kept under buy this trout that wouldn’t let us pass until fed.

Dive 1 profile.

Back on the surface we clamber out and Julie passes out the keys she has been looking after. The café at Cappers is rather splendid in that you are allowed to ‘sit in’ while wearing wet dive kit! At Stoney there is a hatch where you can get nosh, Dosthill has a caravan, Guildy don’t let you inside in wet kit [despite it being a dive centre], so being in the warm and out of the rain is a novel experience. Leigh was getting g a lot of stick after Julie had grassed him up for wearing her nightie. He explained that it was a long T-shirt, but as it covered his wedding tackle I would call it a nightie.

Malc told Julie that it was a slippery slope, next he would be in her bra and knickers. I wondered how Malc knew, but the image of Leigh in a nightie was bad enough without the thought of Malc in some of Ann Sunmmers finest clobber to go along with it.

As I wanted to see the Wessex on dive 2, I was elected, as in Peoples Democracy Of… terms [ie I decided myself] to lead part of the dive. Leigh was to get us too the Podsnap where I would take over. We got in and then waited for Lesley to cause a bit of a commotion as she fed the fish. We were mobbed by a lot of fish as they came screaming in as the lunch bell was rung.

Once fed they hung around the shallows as we headed deeper. According to the site map the gnomes were on a bearing of 160 degrees from the ship. Being cautious I chose 150 degrees and a right turn when we hit the cliff as a better course as this would ensure we knew which way we would need to turn to find the gnomes.

The mast next to the Podsnap.

I recorded anything I saw as we headed out to the cliff. Past the end of the mast there is a stool, then a hill to your left. After that it’s a shotline then you hit the cliff and turn right. After a bit, and passing a barrel to our right we find the gnomes sat there. The swim from the where we hit cliff to the gnomes seemed like it was a lot further than you would think with a 10 degree deviation.

At the gnomes, the next bearing is 250 degrees, which will hopefully lead us to the Wessex. After a swim we are spot on target and find a helicopter that is undamaged, unlike the one at Stoney. I get into the cockpit and get snagged. Leigh is taking a photo so I look as nonchalant as I can in the circumstances before trying to free myself, which I eventually do, heading backwards rather than forwards and out through the window.

Nose and crew/cargo door of the Wessex.

Wessex interior. The one at Stoney used to look like this.

One careful owner of the Wessex.

I’m stuck! I try to look unflustered for the photo while feeling around for what the hell I’m hung up on in the cockpit of the Wessex [Leigh].

Malcolm takes refuge under the tail to stop Leigh landing on him. Leigh landed on Lesley instead.

Leaving the Wessex I head to a bit of cliff where we start our ascent to 6m to see the horses. We passed a concrete cow on the way which made me wonder if Damian Hurst had taken up diving, and was planning an ‘installation’ here.

Nowhere near Milton Keynes and still there are concrete cows around.

Leigh led the way into the pass at the end of the 6m training area from where we wandere slowly North. Shergar was duly found and sat on before we got to the exit, where Malc opened his bag of trout food, causing another swarm of trout. Once out, teas were drunk and goodbyes said as I started the 200 mile trip home.

Into the valley that leads to the horses and exit.

Lesley was deducted 3 points for a poor dismount.

A bit of a feeding frenzy at the exit.

Dive 2 looked something like this.

The green route was the first dive [as best as I can remember], the blue the second, which I am more sure of because I had to lead a bit of it.

Dive details:

Dive 1:

19.2 m
62 min
vO2 0.94 L/min

SI: 1 H 48 min

Dive 2:

17.1 m
67 min
vO2 0.91 L/min

Temperatures

Air [on arrival] 12C
Surface 12C
Bottom 11C
Air [after dive] 12C

PS, this is my 1000 post.

**Freef** · 18th November 2007, 19:53

Malc's video of the Capernwray 'do'.

I had no choice of the music, honest.

YouTube - capernwray

11th November 2007, 15:43	#1 (permalink)
Freef Custom Title Disallowed! Current Rebreather/s: Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Dolphin Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Land of the Freef, UK. Posts: 1,356	10th November “Why is it called the ‘Podsnap’?” ...'Because that's the ships name, Lesley' A last minute abort for Stoney saw me giving Lesley and Malc a call to see if they were getting wet for the weekend. They were-at Capernwray. As the alarm was already set for 0400 to get towards the front of the queue at Stoney [33 miles away], I left it at the same time to get near the front at Cappers-190 miles away! An early kick off meant that I was able to do the trip in 3 hours and get a soss sarnie for breakfast as well at the truck stop services at Junction 35 of the M6. I arrived behind Lesley and Malc, so I must have passed them somewhere on the way up. We were diving with Leigh who was bringing his girlfriend Julie along to mind the car keys and drink lots of coffee while we were in the water. While I was speaking to Les and Malc, Leigh turned up and the usual mickey taking started in earnest, a theme that would continue throughout the day. I have only dived Cappers on 3 previous days, and the last time I was here I managed to sprain my ankle the following day which put paid to my 2006 diving season. Hoping for a better result this time the Dolphin was ‘loaded, locked and ready to rock’-loaded with sorb, locked in the car and ready to take me to look at some rocks that is. Leigh had been ‘persuaded’ to lead the first dive, which is good as he is the most familiar with the site. He also promised us a look at the sturgeon that had been introduced to the lake, a promise we hoped he would be able to keep. When I lead a dive anywhere, the only promise I make is that at some point, if we are lucky and the vis is good, we might actually see one another. As I was getting the Dolph through its pre dive checks a cheery hello shows that Yas was also on site. We had a quick chat before she had to go and get her diving sorted. As I was bent over a ‘nice arse’ comment revealed that one of the legendary Blonde Mafia that I hadn’t met before was also there for a DIR experience day. Once we were more or less ready to hit the water Lesley was worried that she would need to recover my fingers when they froze and dropped off with the cold as I was going in gloveless. Leigh was in his lobster mits, Les and Malc in 5mm gloves, so she may have a point, but I always carry a pair of 5mm gloves with garage glove to make getting them on easier. This isn’t just in case of the cold, but in case a sharp object needs moving. After lugging the 7L sidemount to the waters edge and setting it down next to the camera I clambered into the Dolph and walked down with the others to the slipway. I was hoping to be doing the trimix experiment today, but at an unfamiliar dive site I would rather be spending my time enjoying the view. What a view we had. After Stoney’s summer vis of 5m and the very restricted vis on my last sea dives [1-2m] being able to see 10m was a bit un-nerving. My agoraphobia kicked in at the start so I had to smear silt over my mask until I had relaxed and was ready to see further than two arm spans underwater again. We were met with a welcoming committee of trout, brown and rainbow, that were on the scrounge for a free meal. The slope is quite steep from the end of the slip to about 14m, where a boat lies where we had a settle down. Once we sorted our formation out we followed Leigh on the grand tour. You can almost hear the cello. [Leigh] With the vis we were able to dive in an extended line with Leigh slightly in front, Les and Malc off to his right and me off to the left. The first landmark we found was a direction sign to Australia. Start digging here. Heading across the flat bottom at 16-18m, the next object we found was a large cargo container with the Dragonfly helicopter perched on top. I was more interested in the section of metal ductwork nearby. After posing with my head in it for Leigh, I did my version of ‘The World’s Strongest Diver’ and lifted it over my head while Malc filmed. As I less than gently put it down again I nearly crowned Malc with 30 kg of metal, but his reactions were pretty good and he avoided injury. Someone told me that there was a penny at the bottom of the duct. [Leigh] The Dragonfly was an early helicopter and there is a potted history on the Capernwray website that reads thus: “WESSEX DRAGONFLY HELICOPTER - this old lady first flew in 1943 and was commissioned to HMS Eagle in October 1953. She moved to the Advanced Training and Development Unit in 1953 and continued in Service in a variety of roles until her last flight in 1962. She then moved to the Civil Aviation Fire School at Stanstead where she was used extensively for crash rescue training techniques. Scrapped in 1991, she was bought by Capernwray Diving and Leisure Ltd in 1996 and now lies atop our 'cave' in 14 metres.” The ‘cave’ mentioned is the container that has been ‘modified’ to allow caving and penetration practice. Having had a look around we then went to the Podsnap wreck. Capernwray describe the wreck: “PODSNAP - a Dickens Class Harbour Minesweeper. Built in 1944 specifically to clear mines in around harbour entrances during WWII. She is 50ft long, has a beam of 14ft and displaces 25 tons. She was scuttled at Capernwray in December 1995 and now lies on her side in 18 metres.” The short version is tat she is a big wooden wreck on her starboard side. We had a slow swim around the wreck and waved at the other divers at the same site. After a couple of photos we were off again to the next stop on the grand tour, the deep end. Bow section of the Podsnap. The ‘sump’ of the quarry is 21m according to the map, but we got 19.5 at the deepest. The sump is a small ‘amphitheatre’ with a shotline and not much else, so after a photo we were off again. Lesley, Malc [lurking in the background] and Leigh in the deepest part of the quarry. Leigh leads us on a wander over to a light aircraft that sits near the wreck of ‘The Answer’. If these wrecks were in Stoney, the current vis wouldn’t let you see one from the other, but in the clearer waters of Cappers we found it easy to navigate. Like the Wessex and Dragonfly, the aircraft wreck is above the bottom of the quarry on a platform. In better nick than the ‘Cessna’ at Stoney the ‘plane sits in a well lit area. Large metal floats for seaplanes were soon scrapped after the first experiment sank. Malc taking video of the plane. Throughout the first dive we were stalked by a large fish that kept swimming past us too often for my comfort. I was sure that once we were in a quiet area that it’s mates would jump us and nick our cameras and computers. Lesley looking for…? As we left The Answer Leigh blobbed up. I don’t know why he did this, but as he was proclaiming he was ‘a proper Yorkshireman’ all day I can but assume that he had ‘GET THE TEAS IN’ written on the blob for Julies benefit. Leigh feeling strung out. Or a bit ropey. For reel fun, make up your own caption. Just don’t wind Leigh up. We headed West at 15m until we got to the African Queen wreck where we stopped for another look around, and a couple of pics before we carried on to the exit. Lesley looking around to make sure Malc hadn’t spotted the naked blonde woman. Malc swims over the centre of the Queen. On leaving the Queen we passed the Dragonfly again, allowing me to take another photo of the helicopter. The Dragonfly is a bit un-airworthy now. Once near the first wreck we saw, we know it is time to start heading up to our stop at 6m for 3 minutes. We hadn’t accrued any deco for this dive so we spent the time watching the trout pestering other divers for food. One of the bigger ones swam between my head and the end of the camera strobe arm, which shows how used to divers they are. We were kept under buy this trout that wouldn’t let us pass until fed. Dive 1 profile. Back on the surface we clamber out and Julie passes out the keys she has been looking after. The café at Cappers is rather splendid in that you are allowed to ‘sit in’ while wearing wet dive kit! At Stoney there is a hatch where you can get nosh, Dosthill has a caravan, Guildy don’t let you inside in wet kit [despite it being a dive centre], so being in the warm and out of the rain is a novel experience. Leigh was getting g a lot of stick after Julie had grassed him up for wearing her nightie. He explained that it was a long T-shirt, but as it covered his wedding tackle I would call it a nightie. Malc told Julie that it was a slippery slope, next he would be in her bra and knickers. I wondered how Malc knew, but the image of Leigh in a nightie was bad enough without the thought of Malc in some of Ann Sunmmers finest clobber to go along with it. As I wanted to see the Wessex on dive 2, I was elected, as in Peoples Democracy Of… terms [ie I decided myself] to lead part of the dive. Leigh was to get us too the Podsnap where I would take over. We got in and then waited for Lesley to cause a bit of a commotion as she fed the fish. We were mobbed by a lot of fish as they came screaming in as the lunch bell was rung. Once fed they hung around the shallows as we headed deeper. According to the site map the gnomes were on a bearing of 160 degrees from the ship. Being cautious I chose 150 degrees and a right turn when we hit the cliff as a better course as this would ensure we knew which way we would need to turn to find the gnomes. The mast next to the Podsnap. I recorded anything I saw as we headed out to the cliff. Past the end of the mast there is a stool, then a hill to your left. After that it’s a shotline then you hit the cliff and turn right. After a bit, and passing a barrel to our right we find the gnomes sat there. The swim from the where we hit cliff to the gnomes seemed like it was a lot further than you would think with a 10 degree deviation. At the gnomes, the next bearing is 250 degrees, which will hopefully lead us to the Wessex. After a swim we are spot on target and find a helicopter that is undamaged, unlike the one at Stoney. I get into the cockpit and get snagged. Leigh is taking a photo so I look as nonchalant as I can in the circumstances before trying to free myself, which I eventually do, heading backwards rather than forwards and out through the window. Nose and crew/cargo door of the Wessex. Wessex interior. The one at Stoney used to look like this. One careful owner of the Wessex. I’m stuck! I try to look unflustered for the photo while feeling around for what the hell I’m hung up on in the cockpit of the Wessex [Leigh]. Malcolm takes refuge under the tail to stop Leigh landing on him. Leigh landed on Lesley instead. Leaving the Wessex I head to a bit of cliff where we start our ascent to 6m to see the horses. We passed a concrete cow on the way which made me wonder if Damian Hurst had taken up diving, and was planning an ‘installation’ here. Nowhere near Milton Keynes and still there are concrete cows around. Leigh led the way into the pass at the end of the 6m training area from where we wandere slowly North. Shergar was duly found and sat on before we got to the exit, where Malc opened his bag of trout food, causing another swarm of trout. Once out, teas were drunk and goodbyes said as I started the 200 mile trip home. Into the valley that leads to the horses and exit. Lesley was deducted 3 points for a poor dismount. A bit of a feeding frenzy at the exit. Dive 2 looked something like this. The green route was the first dive [as best as I can remember], the blue the second, which I am more sure of because I had to lead a bit of it. Dive details: Dive 1: 19.2 m 62 min vO2 0.94 L/min SI: 1 H 48 min Dive 2: 17.1 m 67 min vO2 0.91 L/min Temperatures Air [on arrival] 12C Surface 12C Bottom 11C Air [after dive] 12C PS, this is my 1000 post. __________________ David. Currently owner of two differently sized ankles. Last edited by Freef : 11th November 2007 at 15:45.
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