Post Lockdown Plymouth

First diving trip of 2020 for Cotswold Diver yesterday, we dived Cawsand Bay on the west side of Plymouth Sound. We tested the “1m plus” COVID-19 procedure, shot line deployment and recover, and even a lifejacket confidence test in the shallows! It fits 6 people, with a single cylinder each, so perfect for shorter journeys.

There are a few lessons/observations for anyone diving from the RHIB to consider:
1. Be organised-bring your fins/mask/sanitiser etc in a net bag, and keep all your kit together.
2. Bring something to put your face covering in, and kept dry) while you’re underwater (your mask box is probably perfect)
3. Wearing a face covering makes it incredibly dificuly to communicate across the boat. We normally shout or huddle together at speed, which we obviously can’t do at the moment.
4. The practicalities are such that you need to make sure you sanitise your hands before you put them near your face-it really isn’t practical to wear disposable gloves every time you touch something that someone else may touch.
5. We have purchased 2 new lifejackets for the club, for use by the Coxswain/Boat Handler (because we shouldn’t share one between 2 people). These are water-activated auto-inflating, if you go into the water wearing it it will inflate! However only wear your lifejacket whilst on the boat, not getting on and off in the shallows, if you take a slip or a dip a £20 fine for inadvertent lifejacket activation will cover the costs of re-arming it 🙂

All in all a long but good day, despite the weather forecast and dire vis reports. Cawsand Bay has never let me down, it’s a sandy/muddy seabed but has some great life, such as baby and young cuttlefish, baby squid, flatfish, starfish, fantasticly feisty decorated spider crabs, anenomes and more!