Pembrokeshire. Very busy at Gelliswick due to the bank holiday but launched the yellow boat without problem. Top of the tide, a flat sea and warm sunny weather (despite it being a bank holiday). Today's team consisted of Pete, Martin, Tim (from Cardiff Underwater), Helen and Malcolm.

Boat went perfectly and we were shortly at The Wick, which is a distinctive inlet on the west side of Skomer. High cliffs, undercut underwater, rise to the southern side, whilst a ramp of rock slabs run in from the north. This site can only be dived during August, between the birds leaving after nesting and the seals starting their breeding, so we were pretty much on our last chance for 2010. Althoug there were no waves there was a big long swell and the water looked a bit brown. Malcolm dropped in for a look and found a strong surge whipping the kelp back and forwards across the cliff face and vis of about 3m. Although the rock was covered in life, barnacles and small anemeones, it just wasn't reasonably diveable. Abandoned for this year.

Went round the NW corner of Skomer to the Garland Stone. There were a couple of other boats here with divers in the water so after some discussion and a chat with the MNR warden Malcolm and Martin went in on the eastern side. Lots of surge and the divers descended to a flat area at about 10m where there was lots of kelp and confusing gullies and potholes. Navigating north lead to the drop off from where the divers could fall off to enjoy the wall properly.

Lots of mussel beds in this area and some huge edible crabs in holes amongst them. However both surge and changeable currents made for an uncomfortable dive. Visibility was also a bit grim at 3 - 4m, not what we are used to on the north side of Skomer. Max depth we reached was about 27m but the boats echo sounder showed 40m and 50m very close to the Garland Stone.

In light of the poor conditions a decision to cross over to Skokholm was taken, where Pete, Helen and Tim dived about 100m east of the lighthouse on the south side. Again lots of surge but as usual this site turned up a good dive (and a couple of big crabs for Pete).

All divers had second dives in the area to the east of the boat-bottom ripping rocks that stick out from the south coast of Skokholm, working NE towards the landing stage bay. Lots of small life but some difficult swell in the gullies.

An hours fruitless fishing near the stick allowed the tide to come in a bit before we recovered the boat. Superb weather today, just a pity the diving was let down by the poor weather in the previous week.

Pembrokeshire. Launched the orange boat out of Porthclais near St David's (parking £2 ea car, launching £5). Present Peter, Trevor, Martin, Stephanie (not diving), Helen and Malcolm.

The starboard engine quit just as we reached Black Scar and we moved over into the shelter of Green Scar so that Peter could work on it. Extensive examinations and attempts to restart it failed so we were reduced to one engine. All divers therefore had gentle dives around the south side of Green Scar, following a bouldery reef out to the west and back. At the western end there were suddenly huge carpets of colourful starfish just where the current picked up. Max depth about 15m but lots of crabs, lobsters and interesting holes. Also at least one large conger.

Limped back west past Porthclais to the Prince Cadwgan Reef. Martin, Helen and Malcolm dived here finding thick beds of mussels coating the whole bottom and no sign of the wreck. A very shallow dive at 10m max depth, with the current making the dive a slow drift. Spotted a huge lobster as we were ascending around the DSMB. Visibility not that great at 3 - 4m.

Returned to Porthclais where we had to wait an hour for the tide to come up enough (back inside the breakwater) to allow the boat to be recovered onto the trailer. The engine problem later turned out to be a broken wire on the stator; totally unfixable at sea.

Pembrokeshire. Launched the yellow boat out of Gelliswick. A full team on board; John, Eddie, Martin, Pete, Trevor, Helen & Malcolm. Teilo and his mad but ultra-friendly dog came to see us off. High tide at 10.30am so an easy job getting the boat in the water.

Outside St Anne's there was a bit of swell running but this eased as we crossed broad sound to just off South Haven. We then went west looking to dive the Wick, but unfortunately the tide was running strongly and there were some huge stopper waves off the mew stone so we had to create a 'plan B'.

Following a quick consult of the tidal atlas we went round to North Wall, this was much calmer and the current next to nil. Pete and Trevor went in first, followed by John and Helen, leaving Martin, Eddie and Malcolm on the boat. For a change we were diving a bit further west than normal today, about half way between the west corner of North Haven and the Garland Stone. By now the sun had come out and the weather improved steadily all day. Whilst waiting for the divers to surface the MNR rib came round and the warden made the usual enquiries about which club we were and how many of us there were diving. Even out on the high seas you cannot escape being constantly monitored and surveyed! (This data goes through to the Skomer MNR Annual Report, the most recent one I can find is here. The diver data is on page 26 and ff.)

With the first wave of divers recovered Martin and Malcolm went in, now with a slight east to west current running. A good dive with all the usual life; lobsters, crabs, wrasse, loads of scallops, etc. Also a distant view of a seal which came to have a look at us as we were descending.

Good vis but all agreed not quite as good a site as the north wall proper further east. Not as sheer, boulders rather than cliffs, and not as drammatic. Max depth about 30m, dive times ranged from 35 mins to 50 mins.

Returned round to South Haven and Eddie and Trevor went in close to the wall about half way between the landing steps and the corner, in about 7m. They had a long shallow dive travelling out and round the corner and then letting the current take them gently west. Eddie's first open water dive which included a good view of a lobster.

As Pete was getting stressed through not being able to play with the animals, it being a nature reserve, we went south to Skokholm for a second dive. Most divers went in in the bay on the south side where the landing steps are, in the hope of seal interaction. Plenty of seals hauled out on the rocks and popping up and down near the boat but only distant views underwater. Eddie and Malcolm did not dive again, Malcolm because he'd left his second cylinder in the back of the car, which was less than useful.

All had a good dive although there was a bit of west to east current running on the outside of the bay, now getting low on the tide. Pete collected a couple of big edible crabs.

Return to Gelliswick bumpy but the boat performed fine all day and all the electronics worked. Recovery involved a long paddle out for the land rover, with the water way off the bottom of the slip. Next time we're not going to bother with a boat, instead we'll just drive to the dive site in Pete's landrover. :o)

Photos to be added when Helen passes them on. M.