Of Mice and Men
It was a Sussex Diving Club first
time in real water for new divers 2005 trip to Horsea Island with some of us
along for the ride. I just wanted a non-complicated kit check before a course
the next weekend and a friend needed a lift. I wasn't really there to shot
pictures but I popped off a few because I'm like that.
I had basically promised to be blob bitch for an instructor while he
moved a student through some drills so I kitted up and sat on the edge putting
my fins on and doing the prebreathe on the Inspiration. They strided in and I
gathered my blob and just rolled forwards. Even as I came back to the surface
the sudden tang of cold told me something was wrong. It was so instant it was
very wrong.
As it spread from my elbow to my wrist I declined the OK signal I was offered
and reported a flood. I swam to the ladder and as I took hold of it the cold
hit the temperature sensitive bits and started down my leg. I revised the
assessment to a bad flood and, wondering if it was the neck seal. Heck this is
an eight month old suit and I know I do a lot of diving but no way....
Well Tim took the blob and set off to do the drills and I hauled myself up the
ladder. The fault was soon evident.
Now that isn't a tear.
That isn't a burn.
That is something chewing.
Now I know I have mice in my cellar. They came after the dog food and I tried
the 'humane' trap which normally gets the lucky winner a one way trip to a new
life up the golf course which was my wife's suggestion. However the new
occupants were of sterner stuff and avoided it and when one ran across an open
space, stopped, looked at me, scratched itself and ran on I decided they were
just laughing at me.
Eating my dog biscuits is OK. We have lots of them but eating my dry suit is
enemy action.
Oh well. I dripped off to the changing rooms and put my clothes back on and the
trainees did their dives and there were some problems but it all worked out. We
are back in a fortnight and after that we should be able to put them in off the
club boats.
I am now the proud possessor of an electric mouse trap.
OK I don't feel as good about it as the old trip up the golf course one
but I reason it either makes them jump or the lights just go out.
I'm sorry if small furry creatures are you thing but this is war.
The pictures can be accessed by clicking the thumbnail but they tend to be 900K+ files
Pictures by Nigel Hewitt
Thumbnails by Easy Thumbnails
by Nigel Hewitt
