 At the National Watersports Festival, Dive Rutland used dryrobes for those participating in the try dives, a) to keep warm under b) get changed under and c) to just "hang out" in.    DRYROBE® were kind enough to donate those that we used and since then we have used on a number of occasions. The last serious use was in Pembrokeshire as part of our Junior Open Water dives... the students on exiting the water were wrapped up in the dry robes to get them warm. But unfortunately we were so focused on ensuring they got warm that no-one took any pictures of the three of them... What is a DRYROBE®? well they are universally marketed as THE OUTDOOR CHANGE ROBE™ but they are much more than that. The Dryrobe has a waterproof & windproof exterior shell fabric & a lining that dries you & keeps you warm. The design allows plenty of room to pull your arms in through the sleeves & get changed inside it. You can get a wetsuit, swimsuit or tri suit, on or off, easily, while staying warm, dry & fully protected from the elements. Other features include, soft lined external pockets, large internal storage pocket & MP3 player pocket. Our Unique chunky YKK® Zip front is an essential element providing fast, easy exit & entry which allows you to get in & out of the dryrobe® while you have all your kit on. This is simply not practical with the more traditional 'pull over the head' poncho design. Cold-weather conditions present unique challenges. Preserve your energy & core temperature with full-body protection from the elements. Leave it on over your clothing or wetsuit & re-use multiple times throughout the day without the dryrobe ever feeling wet or cold. It's even machine washable, so you can keep it fresh too! Dryrobe is all about warmth. Staying warm while changing, standing around waiting to compete or train. It’s about getting warm after being cold & staying warm and much much more.  So its uses are far and wide, here are a few of our suggestions.
Sports: Obviously surfing as that is where it all started then there is diving, kitesurfing, motocross, mountain biking, open water swimming, outdoor obstacle races, sailing, standup paddle boarding, surfing, surf lifesaving, triathlons, windsurfing Camping - ever put a tent up in poor conditions? well next time wear your dryrobe® Sideline support - whilst supporting your loved one playing the sport of their choice i.e. Rugby... how many times has it been rainy, cold or generally miserable but you are there... well wear a dryrobe® and you will be warm and dry. Walking the dog and much, much more. So whatever use you decide to put your dryrobe® to, it will keep you warm and dry and guess what we are your local stockist, so what are you waiting for - come and get one  Number 5 BCD here (Aka “Jonny 5”)! Wow what an amazing week I have had. Back in June I heard one of the club members talking about how she was going to Fuerteventura in September and I was determined I was going to go! She used to use number 7 all the time, but when she lost a little weight my luck was in! I couldn't believe it when she picked me back in August. Since then I’ve always made sure I have given her the best buoyancy I possibly can and she actively hunts me down now when she comes to pool practice nights. So when she confirmed she was going to Fuerteventura on a club trip I couldn't contain my excitement. I have been counting down the days till I got to enjoy some sunshine and see a whole new world. No other Aqualung BCD from the Dive Rutland container had ever been abroad, I felt so honoured to be the first :-) Dive Rutland hire out kit to members for any of the trips, so when she came to collect me the day before the holiday she also collected Reggie regulators and a wetsuit amongst other little bits. I went home with her, and next thing I knew I was packed in her suitcase. A few hours later and my first aeroplane ride and I was in a luggage hall surrounded by people speaking Spanish. A little scary, but I was excited to dive somewhere other than Stoney cove! The next day I was taken to the Deep Blue Diving Centre. Wow, the sun was shining bright and there was so many other BCDs there. Its a busy place, but everyone was so friendly. She told me we would dive at 1315 but when we got there the owner Rolle told her to get ready for an extra dive at 1100, so it was straight into the sea! Whoop! Wow Wow Wow is all I can say… we saw so many fish together, colourful ones and big ones. The next dive in the afternoon however was a little more eventful. We rolled in off the bouncy RIB boat together and into the salty sea. It was rough, with big crashing waves. I was feeling a little queasy but knew I had to look after her. Besides we had fish and stingrays to find and watch. I loved the scenery and we had an amazing dive together. Fortunately I found my sea legs quick as she was very very sea sick when she surfaced. I was worried she would not want to get back in again after this, but Rach P (owner of my new best mate “Scuba smurf” BCD) managed to help her with magic tablets & the Dive centre gave her special chewing gum so we could continue our adventures together.
Throughout the week we dived and dived - 13 dives in total. Even a night dive. We saw Octopus, Barracuda, Rays, Sole fish, Stingrays, loads of Moray Eels, Nudibranches, Sea Hares, Starfishes, Sea Urchins, Scorpion Fish, large groups of mackerel, countless other fish, and cruised in and around loads of amazing topography. I loved every minute of it.
Sadly we had to leave on Saturday, so Friday was our last dive day and we made the most of it even with a close up view of a big stingray. Saturday was a day of relaxing and sunbathing with Scuba Smurf, then back into the suitcase for the flight home. Fortunately we were then reunited at East Midlands airport. Today Im enjoying an airing in the garden at her home, then back to the pool tonight with her for a final dive before I go back to all my friends in the container. SO many stories to tell them all… not sure Stoney Cove will ever be the same! Hoping I get to visit more dive sites around the world soon … remember we can be hired for club trips … so who fancies taking me for the next adventure? Happy diving from a very happy BCD number 5 Yesterdays training at Stoney was a little special. First of all it was exceptionally quiet as you can see from the pictures taken yesterday at 7:20
 It was Wreck Speciality day, nothing particularly special about that, I hear you all think... well today was a little special. First of all this was the final speciality required by Sam Adcock for his Master Scuba Diver. One that he had always wanted to do but had to wait until he was fifteen to complete, so he could have completed another 'easier' speciality before today, but choose to wait... on top of that we also completed his fifth dive during the course.  Ready for Sam Adcock's 50th Dive Sam, joined us in our Seal team and has progressed through Junior Open Water and all the way to Master Scuba Diver (well once a little paperwork has been completed!). He has also introduced in recent times to Haribo Strawberries and Party Rings (do you remember those?)
So a very special day indeed... one I was very proud to be part of... Well done Sam.... |
