The following report was written by Sonia Isard and Deborah Povey. Two recently qualified divers who came to Stoney to enjoy their first UK dives !!
"We had been looking forward to our first UK dive for weeks before hand; little did we know we would both have very different experiences at Stoney Cove. We have only ever dived with each other and with one of us with a perforated ear-drum we did consider cancelling the trip. However, the thought of a few hotties up north was appealing so we decided to take the three hour road trip to sunny Leicestershire.
After a busy week at work we were not at our most sociable when we arrived so decided to have an early night and make the most of the five star quality accommodation!
The next morning we met our dive guide - G.I. Joe AKA Garry Pointer. We were really pleased as Garry had supported us during our pool training. We shared our concerns about not diving together and were assured that we would be looked after.
Sonia's Day!
With only fourteen dives under my belt I was beginning to get nervous about diving without my usual buddy or with the clear visibility of the Red Sea . I had heard mixed things about diving in England-not many positives, but being a true Brit I felt I had to try it and decide for myself.
Once at Stoney, I set up my kit and went for a walk-around with Garry to orientate myself with the site. It was smaller than I expected but my nerves were slowly starting to be replaced with excitement.
After an egg cob (roll for the southerners amongst us) and a hunt for some hotties, George, Garry and I headed down to the water for my first UK dive.
Once I (eventually) got used to the cold water and persuaded George that my need for his gloves was greater than his, we started to descend.
Surprisingly, once under the water I did not feel anxious; I started to relax and enjoy the dive. I soon got used to the visibility and decided now was the time to let go of my BCD inflator hose and enjoy the sites that Stoney had to offer.
The dive was fantastic; the temperature did not affect me as much as I thought it would and diving with a different buddy was a great experience. I saw the Stanegarth with a pike as captain; the plane cockpit; a Mini and much more.
Overall, my day at Stoney was amazing. I would definitely promote English diving and am looking forward to my second trip up north in September where I will be more confident and know what to expect from the dive site.
Povey's Day!
With a perforated ear-drum and sinus infection I was unable to dive, although Denise did offer me a rather attractive mask... I decided to decline the Princess Leia look.
I was looking forward to a day of rest and relaxation but little did I know that by asking Denise if she needed a bit of help, it would turn into the hardest day's work of my life!
My first duty was to make sure the boss (Denise) had a cup of tea - milk and one sugar. I then listened to the briefing before commencing my surface support role. I had a lovely little red clip board which clashed somewhat with my copper blonde hair but I did not let that stop me.
Throughout the day I collected air/time in and out data and continually went back and forth to base camp (the van !) to collect weights, mask de-fog and a host of other bits and pieces. I did not intend on getting wet but found myself wading in to help with taking off fins and removing kit.
Although I was extremely disappointed that I could not dive, my role of surface support gave me an insight into the work that goes on above water. I did not realise the preparation that goes into a day of diving.
Overall, my day at Stoney was great and I would definitely recommend experiencing a day helping out with surface support. I am now looking forward to the dive trip in September to do my first UK dives.
Although we both had completely different experiences of Stoney Cove, we both thoroughly enjoyed it and are glad we did not cancel the trip. Sadly we did not meet any hotties, but we learnt things about diving, grew in confidence and most importantly 'met people, went places and did things underwater'"
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