Wow! What a weekend! After attempting to fit everything into my car (try diving equipment for 3 people, 4 people's luggage, food and sleeping bags etc) we finally left - with Luke and Helen wondering where on earth they were going to sit. Megan and I became experts at zoning out conversations, including a particularly long one (lasting the whole weekend!) on taxidermy - and this was with no creme soda (Helen and Luke were already on a "calamity pill" aka pink sweet/cashew high). Other random conversations ended up in us swearing vociferously at Mpumalanga drivers while contemplating their sanity and taking of pictures of taxi drivers who were driving too close. A brief shopping stop in Pongola to buy a jaffle iron ended up in no jaffle iron, but a fire grid, sinus medication, a "mask" and "fins" (if you can call them that!) and some Paddle Pops (what would a trip to the coast be without Paddle Pops?). Randomness again! But many laughs and some loud singing later (what would a trip to the coast be without the Yellow Submarine?), and an extremely polite petrol attendant in Hluhluwe saying "O Sheet, she blew up, sorree" in response to "where's the ATM", we arrived at Sodwana. Confusion reigned when Duncan wasn't with us, but Luke Duncan was, as was a Megan... mmm! The contemplation that we were mad was well developed when Megan and I went running (on REALLY soft sand) the next morning. It was solidified when we got to the beach, with Luke and I super-excited! The first dive, to four buoy, was AWESOME! Parrot fish, angel fish... I came up early (power inflator leaking big time - lost 40bar in about 5mins!) meant that I found out I don't have awesome sea legs! Moving is fine, bobbing for 20mins is not! although the huge swells might've had something to do with that... While Helen attempted to perfect her narcolepsy tendencies, Megan and I perfected our Jo technique while discussing the "hot" males with the conclusion that wetsuits are not flattering. The second dive to Coral Gardens was also AWESOME! Luke's sea legs meant that he gave the dive a miss, but with a great briefing by Rob (the DM) we knew what to look for and saw so much - including a honeycomb moray, anemone fish charging, a trumpet fish - the list goes on! That night was the "awards ceremony". Mental Note: Po10C and Nordic Ice together is not a good mix! Luke got the 007/Alias award (for causing confusion at having 2 names - Luke and Duncan!), Helen for dropping her weight belt (in her defence, it was lumo pink and yellow!) and me the "little Miss Sunshine" for thinking a dive was AWESOME and still bouncing up and down about it after having to come up early coz of dodge power inflators (calm DM = calm diver!). Many G 'n T's, some incredibly random conversations (how big is your tick bite fever scar?) and several interesting renditions by the live band while convincing skippers to buy us drinks later (read about 1am), Megan and I decided it was bed time. Lesson learnt: Seasickness pills do not compensate for drinking and are not good on an empty tummy. But another AWESOME dive to Wayne’s World - starry morays (yes Luke, an eel - not some coral!), incredible nudibranchs, hawkfish, goldies etc. To avoid bobbing in a boat, bob in the sea and there's no sickness! Helen perfected her narcolepsy skills so much that she missed the next dive. The second dive that day to Kyle’s Reef to drift to Caves and Overhangs was not so great. Although we saw a blue-spotted ray, which was nice, we seemed to be swimming against a current and it REALLY made me appreciate the WUC DM's who seem to have more organised dives. Luke and I developed some interesting hand signals! After a really late lunch (5pm) we went for cocktails (try a Brazilica - Coffee and frangelico smoothie - YUM!) and dinner (at 7pm!) at Sodwana Lodge. In true Megan and Jenny style, we stayed up talking (read had random but really cool conversations!) with Rob at the fire until 3am. All good and well but we needed to be up at 5:30 to pack and be at the beach at 6:30ish. Needless to say that Rob, who wasn't diving, and Megan didn't make it. But they missed another AWESOME dive - the same DM as the day before but it also made me realise how important a decent dive briefing is. We went to Anton’s and saw so many different things - it was a lot calmer so the smaller fish were out. I also dived with a 15l cylinder instead of 10l and buddy-breathed with Peter (not strictly a good thing) so lasted an hour. Also made me realise how calmness helps - another power inflator broken and Peter (another one!) shot to the surface a few times! Back to camp and we waited around until 2 for the WUC tanks. The theme of random conversations, including those of taxidermy (would a taxidermist catching a taxi to the dermatologist still drink coffee?) was continued on the long drive back despite the fact that we were in 2 cars. With no taxi drivers on the dark pot-holed road, we had to take photos of Rob and Megan in the car behind instead! We eventually got home at midnight. I know Luke and I walked around like zombies at Wits when we eventually got there and Helen and Megs collapsed on couches - how Rob coped with work at 8, I have no idea. I do know that I LOVE DIVING! A trip of truly AWESOME dives and truly random conversations!
Click on the link below to see pics!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lancasterjenny/Sodwana08Diving?authkey=7WCrOR-xkLo
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