Ideal diving conditions at the Dara!

Last Friday we went back to the Dara for the first time since the 50th anniversary dive last month. We packed all ten divers into the big boat which made it a bit cramped but the wreck isn’t far away from Hamriyah and the sea state was forecast to be very calm as indeed it turned out to be in reality. The current was also minimal and the viz better than I’ve seen on the Dara for a long time. It was a rare pleasure to float in mid water several metres above the wreck and look down on so much of it. The Dara is very broken up and it can be difficult to navigate in poor viz unless you know it reasonably well.

The fish life was as abundant as usual on the wreck although there was nothing really noteworthy apart from a medium size leopard ray briefly seen by some divers near the stern and a cloud of dust and debris surrounding Mike and a bathtub. By 4pm we were back at the club, boats and gear washed and enjoying some liquid refreshment.

It has been suggested that an east coast dive is a bit overdue. This may not happen this Friday but will be arranged in the near future. Apart from the change of scene, we can accommodate more divers and recent demand has been high. Not a bad problem to have I guess.

Thanks to the efforts of PJ, we may shortly be able to access the money in our accounts for the first time in a long while. I am tempted to name the bank that has raised inefficiency to an art form but I remember the trouble the “name and shame” approach caused Dubai club a couple of years ago. But if anyone is thinking of opening an account, I’d be happy to advise them where not to go!