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Um El-Faroud on a Yellow box

Well, yet another excellent weekend of diving with the Scubaworksmalta.com crew !

I will be honest, I did not miss the P29 on Saturday as I was gainfully employed. I did hear, on the grapevine, that I was not the only one who missed it.

I am calling my broker in the morning to buy shares in Suunto.

So, I can only really comment on Sunday. And I am very glad to.

Amazingly even the weather was sorted out for us by Scubaworksmalta.com – none of the forecast rain dampened our spirits.

Given the sad demise of the Scubaworksmalta.com trusty wheels we had to use a Toyota Tardis – not sure quite how all the gear, especially my Inspiration CCR Rebreather fitted in?! Not too sure that Toyota knew that they sell a Tardis or even know what it means… Possibly would get lost in the translation.

Anyway, moving swiftly on.

The plan was to dive the Um El-Faroud at Wied Iz-Zurrieq (Blue Grotto is easier to say and spell!) and as a group of primarily professional divers we dived our plan…

4 vehicles, 10+ divers and we all made it to the dive site more on less on time. Looking good.

I think we all found the amazing wreck of the Um El-Faroud today.

Vis was not up to par but impressive given the rain we have had most of this week and no perceived issues with swell or the notoriously fickle currents at this particular site.

Not wanting to hamper any specific dive teams dive, I opted (and insisted…) to do my own thing on my CCR. So I was not in any specific buddy team, but everyone was my buddy!  First dive on her for 3 months and with her refurbished counterlungs. Usual incredible service from Ambient Pressure Diving – an amazing Cornish success story! Also first dive on her with a drysuit, since 2004.

Briefed everyone on what I was doing and how they may assist me, in the highly unlikely event that anything should go wrong.

Being on CCR, I did not need to do any surface swim or stay shallow, to save on gas and/or reduce deco time.

So, all looking good and feeling perfect, I slowly dropped down and went across the valley, watching the others going across the valley on the surface on their backs, switched to high setpoint, still good… and at 21m, just as I exited the mouth of the valley I FOUND A SEAHORSE!!!

And I could not share it with anyone

Down to 30m by the helmet and all still going well, so I continued to the Um El-Faroud with the rest of the group.

The awesome wreck, John Dory, large nudibranch, barracuda etc., etc., meant very little – I found a seahorse! I found it on the way back too and waited there to get some other divers to come down and see it. But – I then could not find it!!!

Never mind, they found it on the next dive – so they all had to believe me after all.

Another fun weekend of diving with Scubaworksmalta.com in the paradise some knows as home – Malta!

I then got my belated Birthday Present – a massage at Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort & Spa – I will definitely sleep well tonight. You need to give it a try – ask for Elena.

XXXXX

(Name withheld for legal reasons – currently being investigated by the FAA for flying in a residential area without a valid license).

Tags: barracudas, Blue Grotto, Deep diving, Malta best diving sites, Malta scuba diving, Technical diving in Malta, Um El Faroud, Um El-Faroud on CCR Rebreather, Wied iz-Zurrieq, Wreck Diving in Malta