Boxing Day in Hong Kong

by South China Diving Club

Despite the worst weather forecast to date this season, 32 stalwart souls ventured out on Yip II under overcast skies and a very chilly north wind. We should have beaten the record attendance of 2001 but 10 folks chickened out for various reasons. The most imaginative was Keith Wilson's "My sink's collapsed", a far more praiseworthy effort than "too cold" or just plain no-show. Of these, a whole 14 managed to dive! The water temperature was all of 19°C, a temperature that was positively inviting to four visitors from the UK who actually went for a swim - four times around the boat and still smiling - and pronounced the water 'fine'. Mind you, they are more used to the English Channel, and 19°C is higher than it ever gets there. Positively balmy, by comparison. However, I am ahead of myself...

Plan A was a site towards the south-west of Sharp Island (Kiu Tsui Chau), where numbers of grouper had been reported (KW - who else?). Plan B was the armpit of the same island, and which I assumed was guaranteed shelter from the regular north-easterlies. We ran into trouble pretty rapidly: a Force 4 at something like 10°C is not fun, whether you are diving or not, and since it was from due north, Plans A and B bit the dust in quick succession. Plan C, therefore, was a patch about 50 metres across on the extreme southern tip of the island that managed to be flat water and out of the worst of the wind. The worst, but not completely, as we shall see.
So, generous as ever, and taking my DM-ing responsibilities seriously, I put myself on the second flight, advised the buddy pairs of their sequence numbers and had time to get other matters organized. Not to be! Due to forgotten cylinders, I now have to rush around and get kitted, delegating to Neil and Andy the DM mantle, pro tem.
My buddy was the Finnish lady novice, Heli, who was paying a touristic visit and fancied a dive having seen our website (Gosh! How to make HK look attractive? Well done, Neil). LS did wonders by lending Heli all the dive kit she needed (I shall have to ask him about his wet suit that fits like that on her...), and after a bit of weight adjustment we set off. Funny though, the swim to the shallows was far longer than I thought it was on account of the anchor dragging - about 200 m! such was the wind. Anyway, we had a good 35 min dive, and despite coming out shivering vigorously, H thought it all worth the trouble. 5 m viz has to be good in the circs, and we saw enough to keep the interest: an absolutely brilliant (and very uncommon) species of anemone shrimp was the star, but coral, damsels, holothurians, crabs, goatfish, clown fish, anemones, cowries, ctenophores, 3 species of urchin, brittle stars - all had novelty for our visitor. So, all you cowardly ones - shame on you! When I got back a spare tank had materialized for Andy, and Suzanne was accoutred with a whole 80 bar left-over, so they got to dive after all.

Next stop - Whisky Beach. Oh, no it's not. (pause for pantomime effect...) That wind again! Stronger than ever, and even colder, there was no protection. Plan E quickly conjured: Kau Sai Chau, good enclosed bay on the south, big hills, and clean sand to boot (literally - read on!). The fireraisers were duly elected and despatched to the beach, with a garrison helping of charcoal and spare matches. Before long there was more meat and fish than you could shake a stick at arranged on a 2-m grill next to spuds, yams, chestnuts..., soon to be followed by ranks of bananas oozing chocolate. The Taylors did well again with a batch of mulled wine (and no, you don't put Chateauneuf du Pape in there ... unless you are seriously blasé), while sundry other bottles were emptied rather promptly in the proper fashion.

And then it was that time again: the famous football match. There were about 20 bodies on the pitch, none identifiable as to team, of course, except by the way they were facing (some of the time) despite an attempt to segregate those wearing red, and it was only roughly equally divided, as far as anyone could tell. Playing on the (south) wing was a definite problem as the water hazard kept moving in and out, and not many remained dry. Much airborne sand and water. Apart from Neil doing his knee a mischief - again! - there were no injuries to report, but there were a number of aching ribs all the same - from all the laughing. When we finally had to pack up to leave, the "pitch" looked as though it had had a good ploughing - not exactly South Seas touristic photograph material.

Back on the boat, secret-recipe mince pies, champagne, chocolate and sundry other hardly-in-your-run-of the-mill-I'm-on-a-diet-menu comestibles took our mind off the arctic conditions prevailing full in our face as we steamed back to Sai Kung. Colder and yet colder. There we were, huddled super friendly-like in the cabin, and Mr Yip goes and opens the window! Our heroic chairman promptly closed it again.

Fortunately, the rain only set in after we had departed the pier head; unfortunately, I lost a weightbelt to evaporation (I suppose) in the strong wind - it's the only way 9 kg of spare lead and the webbing and buckle could disappear, innit? Anyway, be that as it may, thanks to the Underwater Club for supporting the event again, and thanks to everybody else who turned out as well. It makes my job a pleasure. Despite the cold, I think everyone had a good time (I didn't get lynched), but there are surely a couple who will invest in some better clothing - lesson no. 1. Lesson no. 2? Do it again next year! Global warming should have kicked in by then.

South China Diving Club
Photos by Carmen Chung

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