April 10, 2007

Easter Weekend - Killary Harbour

Easter 2007 the Naas Sub Aqua Club moved operations to Killary Harbour, Co Galway. Our twenty strong group based themselves in The Sleep Zone Hostel & dived out of Rossroe Pier, at the mouth of Killary Fjord.

Little Killary(s).jpg

The excellent weather certainly presented the best of this very picturesque part of the west of Ireland.

Killary Group(s).jpg

Rosemary Finn, John Dillon, Padraig Hennigan, Liam Whelan, Phil Brady, Jenny Dunne, Sam Williams, Barry Lawler, Eamon Russell, Tom Cruise, Brendan Flynn, Liam Staunton, Marian Fadian, Bernard Kruger, Eamon Grant,  Dianne Coleman & Matt Donnelly.

The ideal weather conditions also leaving all dive site options open to our two Leading Diver candidates, Liam Staunton & Brendan Flynn who were Diving Officers of the day for most of the weekend.
Both Naas 4 & Naas 2 RIB’s were launched on Friday evening & moored in the shelter of Rossroe Pier, ready for action early Saturday morning.
This was the first weekend that the clubs equipment was put to the test & all the hard work on maintenance over the winter months by Matt Donnelly, Tom McCabe & their helpers paid off with everything working well.
 
Dive sites were as follows:
Killary DiveSite.jpg
Saturday:
(1) Carrickabullog Rocks N53 36.632 W 09 55.654 (2 Miles 230º South West of Doonee Beacon)
A nice close dive site and a good start Saturday morning to what made a great weekends diving. We had summer weather blue sky’s 10 meters plus visibility and good fun which is the most important thing and often forgotten about when diving and having a nice relaxing weekend.
I was asked how I make look so easy organising the weekend “ I said organising the diving was handy get DOD’S to do it , but it is a logistic nightmare getting people to the restaurant and pub on time and most important back home at some time.!  
Carraig Bullog Wall 
 Is a wall from 6 meters to 22meters on the south side of the rock which lead down to boulders with a rock sand finish there was plenty of life to be seen all different types of wrasse some dogfish and a lobster who was afraid to come out from under a rock he must have heard we were coming.! We would later get Liam Staunton our fish and sea life expert to tell us what we really saw. A nice dive for a warm up and to get the trainees confidence up on there first boat dive, for more adventurous diving that followed. 
(2) Carrickgaddy Rocks N53 38.403 W 09 57.670 (3 Miles 284º North West of Doonee Beacon)
Thank God for GPS and there cards when we eventually found the other Carrickgaddy Rocks which had not moved after we took a close look at Frehill rocks not sure who was on that boat. Who needs coordinates when you have charts and a top of the range GPS and Barry as Cox’n? We did call the other boat over when there was just a dot on the horizon.(GPSMAP not worth a ...... if divesite not plotted in!)
With a little guidance and local info from our Paddy diver buddies which were already on the site when we arrived. We went diving, some of us studied the lobster pots and there nearly full catch others followed the reef wall keeping it on there left yet another nice dive little or no current was experienced on this or any of the dive sites the weekend. We dropped in at 15 meters and again could nearly see the bottom with great vis. Plenty to see for the inquisitive who took time to look under large boulders depth went down to 30 meters some kelp at shallower depths nice dive under the guidance of Brendan Flynn DOD
Sunday:
(3) O’Malley’s Breaker N53 38.024 W 09 59.583 (4.3 Miles 274º West of Doonee Beacon)
First dive Sunday picked by Liam Staunton DOD we dived this on High Tide. (Rock under water on high). We dropped in a shot at approx 6 meters for trainees but some of us new veterans decided to drop in south west of the shot where the depth went to 33 meters under the well versed and well dived and local experience of the area Barry on Cox’n. When we dropped in we were met with a wide variety of fish shoals it was like an aquarium there was so much life we followed the rock sand interface engrossed in the fish life until it was time to ascend what a dive.
(4) Doonee Beacon N53 37.794 W 09 53.363 (at mouth of Fjord)
As the weekend went on the dive sites got better Sunday evening under the outer beacon on the north face we dived the wall of the island it was so colourful with sea plant life and with the jewel enonomies blinking at us as we passed, we approached the west outer corner of the rock there was a shoal of fish probably Cuckoo wrasse again and a dog fish that kept hitting his nose off the rock which sloped down to meet the sand. I would like to dive the south face of this island some time. First Stage divers were on that side and Scuba dive west was anchored on the east side a well dived site Liam Staunton DOD.  
Monday:
(5) Inish Barna N53 37.699 W 09 52.295 (close to mouth of Fjord)
 It was lovely finish to a great weekend where we entered at 10 meters on the East side of Inish Barna these rocks were shelved and stepping off to 40 meters lead be Marian we dropped down to 20 meters heading north taking our time and observing the plant life mindful of staying off the bottom so not to stir up a cloud of silt. On our return heading south along the Eastern wall about 15 meters depth there were boulders where we spotted congers peeping out of most of the rocks I have never seen so many all in one area. We then spotted Brendan and Terry who came well prepared with John West Salmon to feed the congers as he coaxed them out we watched at a safe distance and incredible size out they came for easy pickings Brendan dropped the tin so they helped them selves to the last of John West. Good pictures were got when the camera did finally come out. When we surfaced I thought the boat was anchored we had such a long fin to the boat but it was only Rosemary picking up other divers! Thanks to Rosemary who did dry Cox we were finished nice and early Monday morning Brendan Flynn DOD.
 
Eamon Russell(ps).jpg            
Fund Raiser - Quiz Night
We are having a Quiz night on Thursday 19th April in Ballymore Inn. Each member is required to get a team of four together to support this fund raiser (€40 per team)

April 04, 2007

New Instructors & April Fools

Naas Sub-Aqua Club has gained two more Moniteur* Instructors last weekend. Congratulations to Eamon Russell & Dave Headon who both passed their final Mon* exams on Saturday.

The final part of the exam, the Modular & non Modular lecture took place in UCD, the Pool exam took place in the Marian Pool & the Open Water exam took place in Sandycove on Saturday 31st March 2007. It was a busy day for all the Mon* candidates, starting at 7.30am in the Marian Pool. The written exams were held back in January & consisted of four one hour written papers. The course was run over the past five months in the Dublin South region & their dedication finally paid off on Saturday. As we all know having an ample supply of active instructors is a huge asset to our club. Well done to both Eamon & Dave!

2007 Trainees

This season’s trainees completed the last of their first five trainee dives in Hook Head, Wexford last weekend, Sunday 1st April 2007. Conditions on the first dive was good, with visability 3 - 4 meters but conditions deteriorated for the second dive. With their first five under 10 meters dives completed they can now move on to greater things!  

IMG_4732(ps).jpg

Leading Diver.

Liam Staunton kicked off his Leading Diver with his first DOD (Diving Officer of the Day) on Sunday 1st April 2007. Liam seen below taking control of the group showing he was no April Fool!

IMG_4717(s).jpg

Left to Right: Liam Staunton, Tom McCabe, Barry Lawler, Una Corrigan, Claire Berry, Terry McCaul, Liam Whelan, Tom Cruise, Eamon Russell, Eamonn Grant & Noel Spillane.

IMG_4773(ps).jpg