The Lady is a TRAMP
Jeanne
It often amazes me just how far technology in our diving equipment has evolved in recent years. Sometimes it makes me angry to think that during the true “heyday” of technical diving exploration, equipment we all now take for granted was not available but was needed even more so than now! During long decompression hangs, I say over and over in my head, “Why wasn’t this gear I have on today available when I could really have used it during the early exploration years of some of these deep wrecks we discovered?” I question how much we would have discovered or seen and how much wiser would we have been. Perhaps it’s just me getting old and grumpy? I do, however, often question if some of my friends would have still been here to tell the tales of adventure we once had. Indeed, it’s true to say I’m the biggest fan of the equipment I dive with today and it’s a joy to dive with it and return to the wrecks we once were so excited to discover!
I was heavily geared up, looking more technical than ever and I returned to look at the little known wreck of a steamship by the name of not far from the Channel Islands located off France. There was something special about returning to a deep wreck armed with a closed circuit rebreather and it was a more exciting experience than it was when we first dived these wrecks on conventional open circuit. We made our descent and arrived to see the wreck at a depth of 68m/ 225ft. With buoyancy trimmed so as not to touch down and disturb any silt, we both double-checked our electronics and made sure all was safe to proceed further. A set point of 1.2 on my Evolution rebreather had been programmed and had automatically changed itself on my descent. My dive partner was once again my
