Training off Hamriyah Beach and traffic jams

Last Friday was a training day for Matt, Aaron, Jules and Jen. Being an instructor short,   I opted to give Karen’s dhow a miss and concentrate on getting the drills out of the way. We moored the boat just off Hamriyah beach and the shallow water was ideal for the mask clearing, alternative air supply, controlled buoyant lifts and towing that was required. All of this was successfully achieved – well done to all. 

Next week hopefully we’ll be able to get out and see things that are a bit more interesting than sandy seabed. Thanks also to Cathy for running out of air and falling unconscious several times as well as being towed, lifted and generally manhandled around the water.

Getting the boat back to the club was interesting. A combination of the ongoing Sharjah Rugby 10’s tournament and end of prayer time at the mosque resulted in a major traffic jam outside the club. Fortunately Aaron turned “traffic cop” for 10 minutes and we got through it.

Saturday’s dive on the Dara had to be cancelled as Brendan was in major pain (his words) on Saturday following a hike in Hatta on Friday. Some priorities need adjusting here I think!

Mike has been doing some work on the trailer after the wheel went walkabout last week. As a result we now have new hubs and rims. We really need further upgrades of the wheel / axle assembly as the boat is too heavy for the current configuration. Mike is on the case so watch this space.