MKSAC Newsletter November  1998

Two Bluey's in five days is not "Viagra man" rampant, it's two good dives!

Bluey One (Bletchley).

Wednesday night dive, last "midweek" of the season. A good crowd present and two visiting clubs, I think. Simon and I entered over the new beach (which improves viz considerably, coming and going, if used correctly) with the moon visible somewhere in front. Barely in six metres before Simon is thumping hell out of a misbehaving torch. Said torch soon picks out a huge pair of crayfish, first sign of life. Curving to the south, over the speedboat and a Capri. Small fish were using the bonnet as a dormitory. Then along the shoreline spotting fish etc. with the reeds just visible in our torches. Lots of small fish. Nothing sizeable, thirty minutes out, select reverse. Back with the reeds in touching distance hoping for something memorable to leap out, but no such luck. With the barbecue light visible above the surface, we avoided a pair of surfacing divers and tried the reed beds to the North. Once again, only tiddlers. After the dive, the "barbie" carried on into the night, but having to leave early, I guess I missed most of the fun. An enjoyable dive to end the midweek season and I didn't get lost. Thanks to all those involved with the beach and the barbecue.

Bluey Two (Arlesey).

The Sunday after the barbie. 7.30am outside the gates waiting, as usual, for someone to open up. When the gate opens, what seems like a mile drive across country finally allows me to view through the trees the other Blue Lagoon. I had not seen the water from the Boat House/Club House side before. About 40 years ago I used to swim and dive from the Hitchin side, the crane I remembered from that time had long gone, but the briefing informed of a couple of sheds, stacks of ironwork littering the bottom (beware compass readings) and an environment similar to our "Bluey", both being flooded clay workings. Dan and I, at approximate 180° bearing swam straight across, following the undulating bottom (maximum depth about 12 metres I would think). Visibility good, weed cover over the bottom more prolific than ours and greener. At the far bank we turned left and followed with the bank to our right until we came upon the sheds, one intact, the other missing its roof. Information was that large pike used them for shelter or whatever, so I wasn't brave enough to enter just investigate the exterior, two large trench were doing the same thing. Heading on past other debris Dan was surprised when I nearly pulled his leg off, he fins faster than me and whilst catching up I saw this massive pike motionless on the bottom. I thought Dan had not seen it, hence the leg pull. I have seen pike in our Bluey about as long as my arm and broad as my spread hand, but this one dwarfed them. I do not think both arms spread out would have spanned its length and both hands side by side hardly did its width justice. It didn't move, but I did, slowly away, after a long hard look, from a distance. Dan and I headed back to the jetty, or so we thought, when the trio of local divers swam by, so we tagged on to the line. We would have surfaced about 25 metres away from the jetty, but our "hitch" brought us exactly back to the start point.

Another very good dive, more memorable maybe because of the similarity of names and a bit of nostalgia.

Pete