OTTER SUIT
It was 4 years almost to the day from the last time that I
was heading down the M6 to Otter Watersports in search of a new drysuit. My
current suit is a Britannic telescopic and I had enjoyed using it and I was
interested in a new one.
Once I arrived, John Womack (Jnr) checked the computer
for my measurements and went to look for a suit. Unfortunately or fortunately
as I looked at it, there was not one to fit my size and john offered to make me
a made to measure suit. This was great as it let me choose things like seal
type, pocket location, colour and most importantly the suit would fit like a
glove. (I’m still a growing lad and my current suit was feeling a bit tight,
Hence my trip back to Otter Watersports)
In those 4 short years there has been a considerable
development in the Britannic suit. Firstly the material has changed again. My
first Britannic suit was made of a heavy weight indestructible material which
kept me dry for over 11 years and I’m sure its still going strong. My current
suit sported a much lighter material which was stated to be just as strong. I
certainly found no problems with this and I found the lighter suit
advantageous. For my new suit a new material known as Britannic armour skin
would be used. This tough material is smooth and shiny on the inside and helps when
donning the suit.
I like neoprene seals and the neoprene now used on otter
suits has a special webbed design that stops you putting a thumb through a seal
when donning the suit. This was certainly of interest to me as a month
previously I had done exactly that.
Ever put your legs into your suit and then noticed the internal braces are tangled
up. The new Otter suits now come with braces that sport quick release clips
which can quickly sort out the tangles without removing the suit.
Another improvement was too the boots of the suit. In the
past I have always noted that the boots wear down in the same place, most
likely due to fin abrasion. The boots on new Britannic suits now come with a
redesigned boot with a larger protected section on the front of the boot. This should
stop the wear and tear.
Lastly I noted on my current suit that the elasticated
strap connecting the umbilical part of my suit was wearing away the fabric
where it ran between my legs. On the new suit John has added a Neoprene sleeve
to stop this happening.
The new suit comes with valves and hoses and a bag that
doubles as a changing mat and you have a choice of hoods.
So for me my trip went well. I travelled down by car on
my own (as the train fare was more expensive “what’s the point of that”?) Fuel
for the 400 mile journey cost me £60 and its worth trying to car share if you
plan a visit.
Even with a Hefty fuel bill I’m very happy that I
travelled down. I received a great deal on my new suit and it fits me very
well. I’m looking forward to many years of untroubled diving in it.
Mike Clark
Every year in October Grey Seals have their pups around our coastline. This one was pointed out to me by a group of photographers from Glasgow. (Many thanks to you). just wanted to put this post up to let you know what to do if you find a seal pup on the shore. Underwater close encounters on the seals terms are welcome and exciting but for a seal pup on the shore all contact should be avoided and they certainly should not be touched, even if they look injured. The reason for this is that the mother seal will be keeping a close eye on the pup from the surf and too much disturbance can scare the parent off. human scent on the pup will almost certainly mean abandonment by the parent. If you do see one enjoy your encounter from a safe distance and use a long lens to get a nice picture. 
