My Favourite Photo:

Eugene's recent mail regarding the photo competition got me reminiscing about a trip I once had to
Spain a few years ago. A friend of mine had been badgering me for a while about the two of us heading off for a diving week somewhere warm. Mick had done his Padi a few years before and had just returned from a trip around the world that had involved diving in such exotic locations as Vietnam and the Galapagos. This would be the equivalent of our very own middle age road trip.

We decided on Estartit on the Catalonian coast. Ryanair fly direct to nearby Girona nowadays, but back then we had to go via Stanstead. We had an excruciatingly slow coach ride from Girona airport to the bus station and caught the one-and-only transfer to Estartit (by the way, before we go any further it is pronounced "ester tit" not "estar tee", as some bashful types would have you believe. Now that we have that sorted we can move on).

Upon arrival in Estartit, we headed straight for the dive shop operated by Unisub, got our gear sorted for the following morning (a 5mm long john, in case you were wondering) and gazed out at the world-famous Medas Natural Marine Park. It was there. Less than a mile from the dive shop. Sitting in front of us. Like the Muglins….only different.

The following morning we turned up at the shop, gave in our cards; a Padi Advanced Open Water from Mick; a CMAS two star from me. I have to report that they were more impressed with mine than
Mick's. I tried to guild my lilly somewhat by mentioning that I was, in fact, a Leading Diver
Candidate, but it didn't seem to register.

We went straight to Dolphin's Cave for our first dive of the day. It is a series of long caves and swim-throughs. Not much by way of fish life, which was disappointing considering we were in a Marine Park. The topography was something else though. Anyway the most exciting thing on this pleasurable dive was that Mick developed a sharp pain over his eye about 15mins into the dive. We ploughed on in our ignorance, enjoying the 22degree water and endless vis.

Once back on the boat the skipper spotted the bulge on Mick's skull and diagnosed sinus trouble. There followed lurid stories of skulls bursting from pressure etc. We went for lunch, and then Mick went to the doctor. In Spain, as in most of the rest of the world, this involved knocking on a door, being seen by a doctor, having a prescription filled out, paying Eur7 and heading for the pharmacy to pay a further Eur3 for medication. The whole experience took 20mins and cost Eur10. The bad news was "no diving for a week". We DIDN'T HAVE a week!

I made a pact with Mick that I would take my camera, shoot everything that moved and he could enjoy the diving vicariously when I got back. There would be no moaning we would behave like adults.

I dived La Vaca in the afternoon. There was much life here; a Giant Moray; scorpion fish every where; beautiful coral and polyps.

You know how it is on dive weeks. The days just seem to meld into one another. I know we went to
Dolphin Cave and La Vaca a couple more times. Also, Feranelles and a lovely 30m dive at Pedra de
Deu.

We lunched at the Nudos Marineros most days, not for the fine food but because the place mats had depictions of a selection of knots on them. It was a Leading Diver Candidate's dream. I can't have been great company, but then, it was my Leading Diver year and anybody who has done it, knows what that means.

On the last day, Mick decided to give it a lash, having consumed his Eur3 of sinus drops. The deal with the dive shop was simple: any pain, end of dive. We were back at Pedra de Deu. We got down to 20m. All eyes on Mick. We were just about to head off when we watched him wince visibly. He looked up, shook his head and gave the universal signal for "I'm outta here".

It is hard to imagine how unfortunate he was. As soon as we saw him safely on the surface and
swimming back to the boat, we turned around at 20m and almost stumbled upon two octopuses sitting in the open! There was all kinds of life and coral on this dive and I even managed to shoot a massive Eagle Ray as it swam in the distance. The area is famous for Rays but this grainy shot was all I saw of them that week. About 20mins into the dive we happened upon a shoal of small fish. As we neared them they morphed into a bait ball right in front of us. I started shooting as fast as I could. As they got very close I stuck the camera out in front of me, for protection as much as anything else, and pulled the trigger. For a second, I could see the result on the screen. What a fluke! I ducked out the way of the fish and joined the others at the bottom to watch the spectacle. It was one of the best dives I've had and I managed to get a screen-saver out of it! Mick said he was happy for me but as he stared at that photo incredulous, I couldn't help thinking he was dying inside.

I would recommend Estartit to anybody for a week's diving. It is cheap to get there if you avoid
August. The setting is stunning, the food is magnificent and there are lots of good bars. It also has some of the best and cheapest dive shops I have come across. We spent our 24hr "no-fly" time in beautiful Girona and headed home determined to do it again.

Newsletter Articles

The Los Erizos Wrecks by Colm Lowney
Gozo Trip by anon
L'Estartit by Mark Seavers
Nearly No Nudis by Gavan Byrne
Schull Easter 2007 by Maire Kirby
The Fleet at Scapa Flow*
Diver Profile: Lionel Crabb*

*sourced from the web by an enthusiastic member