RAOC Gazette - page 56
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1980 |
| Late date | 1980 |
| Transcription |
Helen Beaumont, Privates Mick Johnson, Taf Churchill, Les Amoah, Captain John Hopkinson and PC Richard Murray. Captain Clive Beaumont tests the water. bereft of gills and scales were itching to see dark eyed Senoritas and gay Caballeros all we actually got to see was the rubbish dump, laughingly called the sea bed, off the jetty at Coaling Island on our ' shake down' dive. After that there was no stopping him; our lives became a succession of changes into and out of rubber suits, (enjoyed, I noticed, by some more than others), deep water entries, day dives, night dives and dives of every description; our very existence became orientated around the dreaded decompression tables, to the extent that we began to fear that an ascent to the top of the Rock and the attendant drop in atmospheric pressure might induce a terrible fit of de- compression sickness; that at least was the theory expounded by most when it was suggested that an ascent of the Rock would make a nice change! ! It must be said however that our enthusiastic approach to diving paid dividends and before long all our expedition mem- bers were taking part in very interesting dives on the abundant wrecks which decorate the Gibraltar sea bed. Those who have taken the plunge in more exotic waters may find the diving disappointing but the dodgy visibility and lack of fish life are well compensated by the numerous easy access dive sites Private Les Amoah helps Private Mick Johnson to kit up. — 27 and the unnatural underwater paraphenalia like the wrecks and antique garbage from ships of bygone days. On the one full day off our tyranical Diving Officer allowed us, certain members of the expedition visited, possibly with visions of rewriting their version of " Roots," the famous Apes, while the more pecunious sailed across the sea to Tangier. Well worth a day trip if you can stand the constant pestering for Backsheesh and incessant pleas to buy from this shop and that. And that was only from Helen! The star attraction on the Rock must undoubtedly be the Municipal Car Chute. On reflection rubbish disposal must be an enormous headache for the Public Works Department but the automobile chute solves a part of the problem with spectacular success. Launched from a cliff two hundred feet high someone's old, unwanted jalopy flies majestically through the air to hit the water with a resounding crash. This is not recommended as a dive site. It seemed that the fortnight's diving and sunning (yes it did eventually stop raining) passed all too quickly and before you could say " Pulmonary Oedema" we were back at the Gib airport and boarding for home. For those Diving Officers looking for an easy expedition Gibraltar is to be thoroughly recommended. The facilities are first class and the help which is forthcoming from the Garrison and resident Unit personnel will ensure an enjoyable and valuable time. DIVING DETAILS. Total dives, eighty two; Total man dives. one hundred and eighty eight; Total time underwater, seventy one hours eleven minutes; Average underwater time per diver, eleven hours fifty minutes; Average water temperature, nineteen degrees centigrade; Average visibility, seven metres; Maximum depth dived, thirty two metres. " Didn't you get my note?" |
| Book number | R0403a |