Cutttlefish and Cold Water Diving

The AGM of our local RFDS Support Group took place on Monday. This is out tenth of operation and, of course, we had a cake to celebrate. Also highlighted was the fact that for a small group we have raised, over our ten years, $315,000.oo, which is not too shabby.  It being the AGM, our Coordinator, from Central Operations was here.  Now a new year begins  for us and it starts off with four days looking after the cuttlefish divers, the last three days being this weekend. It started a few years ago with only a handful of people brave enough to endure the coldness of the winter waters. Now it has grown with people coming from all over Australia to take part in going out to see the Giant Cuttlefish which come to this area year after year to breed. Although it is classed as “diving” it is not really. The majority of people are only about twenty or so feet  out from the shore, on boards, face down and the only part of you that is under water is your head – and you use a snorkel – but the water is so cold that you have to gear up in a diving suit as ‘protection’ from the cold. We are out there for all five days of the dive providing hot food and soup. No – I am not making a mistake it was five days, but one day was in the last month 30th June, with the remaining four days in July. I am not on duty this weekend but I will probably go out anyway – even if it’s just to take photographs. I did some years

ago, but I can’t find them – probably in another hard drive.

However, we did drive to the Cuttlefish area, along Cuttlefish Drive only to find the wind was quite strong, the water fairly rough and the place deserted. I had a look around and found a notice  tied to the table that said that due to the water conditions the diving had been moved to the other side of the point where the  wind and the water were calmer. We headed off round there. I was very surprised in that I had taken Benji out here many times ( just down from the lighthouse) and I never suspected there were cuttlefish here and so close to shore. It was a fairly quite dive when we were there but I was told that it got quite busy in the afternoon. Actually, as we left the carpark, the cars were starting to arrive.  After

this we had a wander to the lighthouse, had a bite to eat, then headed off to the Wetlands for a further wander before heading home. We had a good morning out. This morning (Monday 9th) we spent three hours up at the hospital and Annabell bravely sat in the waiting room for this time while I underwent a  procedure to cut out a  melanoma from the bridge of my wee nose. It was deeper than first thought so it took  longer than expected but  it was all out and I was all stitched  up. The offending bit of me will be sent to the lab in Adelaide and I’ll get the result in about ten days. Apart from stitched and plastered ( in a nice way)  I am fine; some pain and discomfort, but nothing I can’t live with.laid I will get the stitches out in a week or so. All the stuff is now starting to wear off and it hurts, but I am told that this is normal and will fade in a little while – although I think there might be a variation between their little while and my little while. Go on – ask me what idiot put on a white shirt this morning  :o)

Today is Annabell’s shopping day and we generally go out in the morning. Of course, that was off but we did go out mid afternoon, which I was not keen on doing mainly I didn’t want to meet people and keep answering questions about the plasters on my face. Anyway, it wasn’t too bad and I got through the shopping. Home and I lay down and my dog laid down beside me and Annabell said he was a sook.