South West Ramblings 10

Mark Webster · Issue 81, Nov/Dec 2014 · pp. 74–79

Products mentioned: Nikon D7100, Subal ND7100, 10-17mm FE zoom, Inon Z240 flash guns, Nikon D300, Subal ND20, 105mm micro lens, fibre optic snoot, Mitylite torch

The UK summer season is always unpredictable at best, although the months of May, June and July had produced some consistently warm and calm conditions to cheer us up after a particularly stormy winter. But it could not last of course and the winds gradually began to increase in early August before the tail end of hurricane Bertha brought gales and heavy rain to most of the UK. In the south west we also get a second plankton bloom in August and this arrived at the same time to further reduce the visibility when combined with the disturbance of fine silt by the rough weather, which has been a left over from the massive seas of the winter. So when the weather and visibility gods are aligned against the intrepid underwater photographer we have to make the best of the conditions when the opportunity arises to get under the water. The colour of temperate waters is generally toward the green/g…