South Devon Report 2006

[Jez]

Thanks for the tip Doc. I've never been one who suffers hay fever, but I guess that can change with age. I guess that even a small reaction to pollen could affect one's diving ability even if the normal hayfever symptons don't show?? Funnily enough I did have a snort of Beconase before my last dive and so was able to do an hour at least before disaster struck!. Thanks for the tip about sudafed, I was planning on munching a few before the weekend and then diving. Good job I thought wiser of it and went mountain biking instead.

Spearheads, I haven't dived Torquay for a while, any sign of that basking shark or tuna?

 

[Andy Davies]

Intrigued by your sinus problem ascending. I suspect its the mucous membrane in the sinus slightly swollen and occluding the exit hole into the nose. It act like a one way valve then lets air in but not out. OUCH!!!!
Describe it to your gp, but first try some simple non drowsy hayfever tabs or spray such as beconase. may just reduce the swelling enough.DONT use sudafed or sinutabs they dry up the mucous making it thick and sticky.Ever tried sucking honey though a straw??thats the effect.

Hi Doc

I have trouble with a sticky eustachian tube and sometimes take Sudafed before spearing. Is this the best thing to take, does it make things worse or would I be better off with something else?

 

[Doc]

As I mentioned on the forum sudafed acts by drying the mucous making it paradoxically more difficult to clear your ears. try sucking a McD's thick shake thro a straw as a demo!!
If you have a sticky tube the causes are many.
1 overweight- fat pushes externally just as men with a collar size> 16 tend to snore
2 relative dehydration - sticky mucous
3 inflammation from allergy ie hay fever
infection usually viral
dental probs esp wisdom teeth
I'd suggest fluids 2-3L daily not all beer!
Steam inhalation wich albus oil or menthol etc
Gargling also may help
If at all hayfever or rhinitis related then loratidine tabs or beconase nasal spray is worth a try but best see your GP to check for polyps etc if no joy
KEep working the tubes as if you can learn to control the muscles itll make life easier.
I suffer from one sticky tube and a sticky sinus occasionally
cheers

 

[Mr. X]

Woolacombe

Just heard a surfer friend is heading down to Woolacombe tonight -- any spearing to be had around there? (I seem to recall there is sea cliff climbing at Baggy Point).

 

[Jez]

Ask Pav, I think he's from up that way. There's a 2-3ft swell running though today and prob tomorrow so the viz might be caput. Good job he's a surfer too though!

 

[SurfnSpear]

I have been going through the same issue as Jez and actually had a CT scan last week and now waiting for a report. This year I have concentrated on loads more water especially before diving and also not using 'sudafed' by pure coincidence. So here I read Doc say it may contribute to the 'stickiness' which is interesting. I have also been using something brilliant (for me at least) called Sterimar I use it a lot and it is making a hell of a difference to me. I have not had a return to the problems that developed last year, migraines/sinus sqeal etc. etc.
By the way, don't know if you have been on a plane recently but that used to make my problem go nuts and I really was scratching the walls of the cabin. That has also improved, but I did feel a little bit of it when I flew in May. Thanks for the write up Doc

Regards

 

[Mr. X]

... I have also been using something brilliant (for me at least) called Sterimar I use it a lot and it is making a hell of a difference to me. I have not had a return to the problems that developed last year, migraines/sinus sqeal etc. etc.
...

Interesting SurfNSpear, the person I know with a similar complaint (v. severe form) also uses that saltwater spray & found it a great relief -- although quite pricey for sea water once you leave hospital (no prescription - pity, it works, is cheap & no side effects ) and they are continuing to use it. [They don't seem to offer this in the USA -- surprising, as selling medicinal seawater seems like it would be lucrative]. A more convenient take on the old Yoga nose-cleaning jugs?

Surprised sea divers would need the spray though -- I guess useful for when you are not near the sea.

Heard a news item last week where an Eastern European country (can't recall which) are offering a therapy to people with Asthma & other breathing related problems that involves staying down a salt mine. I guess they found salt miners don't suffer breathing problems like coal miners ... either that or they need to press-gang new miners!

BTW they also found swimming in the sea beneficial (hard to keep the saltwater out I suppose - and all that great, ionized, pollen-free sea air). Might be worth getting some preventative medication before flying (steroids?). I think Sudafed contains Ibuprofen ... some people are allergic (some become allergic with the onset of asthma, about 20% of asthmatics are allergic to ibuprofen and/or NSAIDs).

 

[Doc]

mr X is right Sterimar is exactly as described. Sterilised sea water so a good snort of the real thing probably has the same effect.
Its really taken off in the UK with loads of ENT surgeons advising it when nothing else seems to work.
Bl***y expensive though.

 

[Jez]

Three days of snorting Beconase and I pulled off a two hour dive today with no trauma, woohoo I'm sure you're all as bored or hearing about my sinuses as I am writing about it. On with the lowdown.

Went in at Anstey's Cove in Torquay, which has been quite well sheltered all week (just pay attention to the wind charts before picking a dive spot) and so the viz was 4-5m in places, nice flat water (close in that is, there were white horses only half a mile offshore). I followed a group of 'coaststeerers' up the side of Long Quarry Point (that daft sport where you scramble along the shoreline, climbing in places, swimming in others) the usual spot for fish. Found a couple of decent sized shoals of pollack, less than a pound in weight each though so just took pleasure in watching them come real close.

Plenty of small wrasse and other fish to keep me amused. I was keeping the bottom times pretty short so I could do some slow ascents. I was still a bit cagey about by nose blowing up at any moment. No bass or mullet seen so I swam over to other side of the cove (the mountain biking has kept my legs working whilst I've been dry docked). Found some excellent spider crab ground but that wasn't what I came for. Still no sign of bass (none seen this year) or mullet. A couple of nice dogfish spotted (no pun intended) but not much else. Flipped my way back to the beach along the edge of the cove covering some promising ground but rather fishless.

Just relieved to have had a pleasant dive with no trouble although I now have to wonder if I could do it without the aid of drugs. Maybe after another fews dives I can try and reduce my dosage. Will keep an eye on the weather for the next jaunt. Toodlepip. :t

 

[spearheads]

i have never seen any bass or mulllet there only pollock at ansteys cove but there are conger ells in the holes along long quary i hade two there last summer:t . Hopes nose is a much better spot but its a mile walk down there:martial and the seal steals fish of your stringer:head and follows you every were. Also Watch out for the gill netters in the bay they all think you are there to steal there lobsters out of their pots and fish from the nets .

 

[Mr. X]

...Its really taken off in the UK with loads of ENT surgeons advising it when nothing else seems to work.
Bl***y expensive though.

Doc. fancy going into business $$$$$? (I know where we could find some sea water - real cheap)

 

[Jez]

Dived Budleigh this evening (sorry Jep, just testing the ears etc still, was ok again. That's two good dives in a row. I'll let you know next time, just wasn't sure how long I'd last earlier and didn't want to leave you in the water after 5 minutes).

Anyhoo, arrived mid to late tide and the current was just in the slack (i'm not really certain how it works there) so I was able to flip around the reef at my own leisure without worrying if I was going to end up in Portland (no bad thing I hear you say ) Plenty of the little fish about, some really colourful wrasse etc. some bigguns too. Smallish pollack about also. A few spider crabs.

I was holding the bottom (ahem) when as I turned my head I caught a glimpse of a familiar silver flash. I was just in time to see the arse end of a decent bass leaving me behind in the murk (viz was about 5-6 metres). Never would have been in range. At least I've seen one, the first for me this season.

Saw couple of decent mullet later on and took a pop at one. Either I've forgotton the range on my gun or the bands need replacing, the spear just seems to leave the gun a bit slower than last year (I haven't actually fired it for several months). Next time, next time. As I started to swim back up the reef the tide race began to run and by the time I'd slogged my way out back to the beach the rocks were completely covered and the water was wooshing up the river mouth at a good pace. Pretty healthy swim with no sinus probs again. I'm worried I'll be dependant on Beconase soon though, must start cutting down gradually.

Rather fishless dive really (apart from the tiddlers) but enjoyable nonetheless. If I don't get too drunk Friday I might venture over to Thurlstone (east winds forecast for a few days now) as I'll be down that way. Can't wait to see it in the summer, it looked really fishy when I dived there in late winter.

 

[Jez]

Dived Thurlstone in the South Hams yesterday. A lovely day with bright sun and clear water (6-10m viz). A bit of a strong offshore wind (the windsurfers were ripping around the bay) but not too much chop thankfully.

10 mins into my dive and I was approached by a mixed group of mullet and bass. One huge mullet among them. The bass were too small apart from one specimen but I missed him with a surface shot (I can't hit anything from the surface, I wobble too much in the waves). They hung around while I reloaded (can you guess what happened next?) but legged it when I was ready again. I flipped around in the weed and quickly headed for the bottom. They reappeared but I ran out of air waiting for a good shot (and my mask started to fill up. I'm going to have to ditch my Mares mask, its so unreliable).

Didn't see much for the next hour or so so swam through the shallows around towards Hope Cove to the south. Its good fun crawling over rocks in shallow water stalking stuff. Found masses of sandeels and what I think were baby herring or sprats. Got buzzed by a pair of mullet but couldn't train my gun on them in time. The only down side to shallow water hunting is that it seems to put a lot of strain on your neck as you are always looking 'up' compared to your body.

I found a number of giant spider crabs and enjoyed teasing them for a while (I'll have to harvest some sometime, just can't be bothered with the work). A few pollack sited but only tiddlers. I began heading to shore to get out and soon found I was going too fast as I crested several underwater peaks and startled some healthy looking individual bass (maybe 6lb or so). The water was so clear there was no way of hiding from them. I think I might get a longer gun for clear water. None of then wanted to fall for the old 'hide and seek' as I tried to tempt them back for a look at me.

I crawled through the heavy weeds and found some mullet and school bass in about two feet of water right by the waterline.

No fish by the time I got out but had had a good dive and was pleased to have had no plumbing problems again. I have to get some fish on my spear soon, I've got my CT scan in 2 weeks and probably surgery shortly after (with ages out of the water after).

 

[Jez]

Hi all. Going to try Thurlestone again on Wednesday prior to my jaunt to Cornwall (see Cornwall Thread). Gonna get that bass good and proper. :martial Anyone free to join me?

 

[killien]

Hi there,

I dived Budleigh Salterton today and yesterday (low tide). Caught quite a lot of spide crabs, big ones. Caught the biggest I have ever seen, will post pictures soon. I have seen a few wrasse, little pollacks and two bass.

Vis was really good 4-5 meters

 

[Jez]

Hope the photos work.

At last, shot two very decent bass today, the first fish of my season. The irony is in my last report from Thurlestone (where I dived this morning) I said I couldn't hit a sausage from the surface because of all the chop. Both of these beauties were skewered from on high!

I saw a lone mackerel early on following some sandeels. I've never seen them in the water before (although I've landed many with a rod) and they really are very nice to look at, so colourful. It didn't hang around though and I couldn't swing my gun fast enough.

Carried on up towards Hope Cove, about 300 metres off the shore over some shallow kelpy boulders. Moved out into deeper water and started to see bright sandy patches in between as the depth increased (viz was anything from 6-12m). I then was a white flash. And again, clearer. Yes, a mouth, and a big one too. A dark blue grey shape cruised into view heading right for me. I knew this was no mullet so lined up good and early. It circled me but didn't make it halfway round before I blasted it one from above. Sad as it sounds but I spent last night (among other things) in my garage, holding my gun with the spear and line stretched fully out, just to get a mental image of the range of the gun. I really think this helped and I think I have always underestimated its range. Mind you, the longer the shot, the more accurate you have to be no?

I swam back up to Thurlstone Rock and then doubled back again towards where I entered the water, where I was the bass on my last trip. Swimming in over some string and jap weed I saw another dark grey shape cruising past. It skirted behind some weed and looked back for a peek. Big mistake, skewered from abouve, right through the lateral line. A few twitches later it was on my stringer.

I did see another couple of good bass from the surface (bigger than those caught) but they were out of range and never came back for all my (limited) trickery.

Looking forward to a long weekend in Cornwall, hopefully starting tomorrow.

 

[foxfish]

Well done & a nice report Jez, your photos show you are well kitted up

 

[spearheads]

jez your bass are much bigger than the first 2 i have had this summer. Some bass and mullet are showing in ansteys cove had 1 today only abought 2 lbs.

 

[tuomo]

Hi guys,

Been silent for some time cause had my shoulder operated and was unable to dive.
Anyhow, me and my brother Pekka are heading to exeter area and we're planning to do some hunting. Budleigh, my brothers old hunting grounds, is one of the places we will be checking out. Anyhow South Devon hunting coming up.

Tuomo

 

[Jez]

Hello Tuomo and Pekka. Hope Pekka got my reply to his message that he sent while I was away in Cornwall.

I will be happy to meet you guys and go diving (I've got Pekka's weights in my garage!).

On my way back from Cornwall today I visited Thurlstone again after last weeks success. Very hot day and a bit burnt but had a good day. Dived the same spots and saw even more bass today. There was 1-2 foot swell which made things interesting (maybe I'll check out the reef with my surfboard come some big swell!) but the viz was very useable still at 3-5m. I saw some big bass during some aspettos but the bigger they were, the more twitchy they are! The slightest wiggle from my gun and they thumped the water with their tails P(you know the sound?) and were gone in a flash. Some swam right beneath me and I still can't believe I missed.

Lots of schoolies seen too and couple of mullet. I probably passed over lots of bass but the water wasn't clear enough to let me see down far. I was head down heading for the bottom at one point when a bass that had been following me revealed itself as it bolted away behind me. When I reached to bottom I turned to face the way I'd come and hid. Sure enough two decent bass of maybe 6-8lb hoved into view but wouldn't get close enough (bigger gun, bigger gun). Anyway, I managed 3 passable bass in a couple of hours of about 3lb each. Considering moving to Thurlstone.

Well done on the fish Spearheads, I'll have to go dive with you soon in Torquay. Good to hear there's some bass in Torquay. Have a CT scan this Friday. I'll probably find out then when they want to re-bore my ear canal with a Black n Decker and if we can meet up sometime (after the op I'll be out for months till it heals).