Capernwray birthday dive

Well it seems like an age since Costa Rica, so this week I dusted off my drysuit and headed to Capernwray on the edge of the Lake District to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. The sun was out, the viz was amazing and the water was....... freezing!

I've never dived at Capernwray before, but found the whole site far less daunting than Stoney Cove. The water was a gorgeous blue, the 'tame' trout swim right up to your mask to stare you in the eyes, and the wrecks and attractions on the bottom certainly keep your interest up.

Despite wanting to divest myself of lots of cash in the shop, I was disappointingly hauled out by my brother (who has certainly become his father's son LOL) clutching only a £2 hose clip!

Managed three dives - but by the end of dive three my brain felt like sorbet and my fingers like frozen sausage. A long surface swim home from the gnome garden at the other end of the quarry nearly finished me off (guess who didn't put extra wight on to compensate for adding a thicker undersuit, and who couldn't stay down at 3m when down to 50bar?).

Having totally forgotten how much all the kit weighs, and how I haven't made any attempt to lose the 'christmas pudding' and holiday excesses yet, the biggest shock of the day wasn't actually the 5 degrees C water but the treck from the car to the slipway carrying 10 kilos, a tank and the rest of the gubbins. I needed a 5 minute float about to get my breath back! Shameful.

That said, would I do it all again tomorrow? You bet I would.... oh and I logged my 25th dive :-)

PS - anyone ever fancied free diving? Me neither, but there were some interesting sights by the way of camouflage 'skin' suits and over the top (super hero style) briefs, topped off with 'dolphin' shaped fins!! Utterly bonkers but fascinating.....