Sunday also does not promise to be better - going to the shore, you can see that the sea waves around two meters. We decide to go to the flea market again to buy fruit. Well and at times to throw another round of the market. What if… This time my optimism was fully justified. I find a colorful Frenchman who has put up for sale a real ship's porthole made of pure copper. Price - 150 eur. Expensive, trying to bargain, but unsuccessfully. The man explains in broken English-French that it is from the French fleet sunk in Toulon in 1942. After a long bargain, you manage to bargain for 10 euros, and still get the ship's thermometer in the "present". We are both happy to take pictures in memory.
In the afternoon, Vyacheslav offers to go windsurfing to the other side of the peninsula. I am afraid of the strong wind, but Slavik has a big board with a 6-meter sail, it should be ok for me. It also turns out that it is much easier to ride with this than with mine. The conditions for surfing are also ideal - a wide lagoon with a small depth, protected from waves. The benefits of this place have also been appreciated by many other surfers and sailors. The boards flash only around in the small waves. I also manage to go skiing a couple of times.
Monday also awaits us with wind and waves. Sergey mixes a boat in the field, we also decide that it is no longer worth staying here. We decide to start early tomorrow morning. We dry and load the equipment. Around noon I decided to take a farewell swim in the already shady Mediterranean. When I have swum a good piece in the sea, Alexander appears on the shore, shouting and waving his hands. After his behavior, I thought that an accident had happened, although I could not imagine floating ashore - what could have happened if all 'us' were ashore? When I swam within earshot, Alexander scared to hurry
to bury in the field - a lobe has been negotiated to "Le Rubis" - a French submarine that sank near Saint Tropez.
Urraaaaa !!! I don't have to be rushed twice. We got on the bus in half an hour, I hurriedly forgot the computer. Fortunately, the Uwatec bottom timer is with you, experienced techno drivers at a depth of 40 meters can already do it with decompression "by feeling". On the way, we run into the gas tank to buy batteries for the camera, because I had not charged the batteries. After an hour's drive, we get to the dive center, which is located in a nice campsite, right on the sea shore. The diving center belongs to the pedantic Germans, who carefully examine our "papers". One of us is immediately deducted because he only has OWD. The manager is critical of my PADI DM certificate and announces that it is only pulling on three CMAS stars if I still have a Deep and Wreck certificate. I sent him my Advanced Trimix certificate and I try to impress that this time he has to say "Oh!" Twice in front of me. He stubbornly said that Advanced Trimix was just one specialization. When all the papers have been written, we stack the belongings in a decently looking RIB (7.5 meters, 200 hp 4-stroke engine) and go to sea. What to drive is not far, about 10 minutes. It turns out that our dive guide has been in Riga and studied with our firefighters. We find out even common acquaintances. When we are on the spot, the guide reads a strong briefing - "step right, step left - shoot without warning". I listen to it with one ear and only the house with my head. The second guide demonstrates a unique way of "tying" - as soon as we are in coordinates, grab a rope and jump overboard. No markers, buoys… We will have to introduce this method in the Baltic Sea as well.
Alexander and I are the first to go, because we will be under water for the longest time. The current really turns out to be strong, it is good that we now have a thick rope to hold on to. A submarine outline appears at a depth of about 30 meters. Fantasy! The submarine is standing almost on a straight wedge, the hatches are open, the light hull is torn at the top, revealing the compressed air cylinders and other "intestines". We swim to the hatches, to even "inside" to pour inside. However, no - my configuration is a bit "thick" - saidmounts would work here. But the temptation to swim inside is great… Instead of a pedestal camera how far the hand allows and I try to film the inside. When posing on the submarine bridge, Alexander feels at least like Admiral Danics. We swim to the bow and descend to the bottom. Depth - 39.8 meters. Unfortunately, the "front view" fails, as very strong currents and turbidity reduce visibility in this area. I did not risk to rise above the submarine in this place, because I am afraid of getting lost. Slowly I go to the stern, where our rope is tied, taking photos and filming as much as possible along the way. There are a lot of fish around that give the shots the necessary "accents". The views are just fantastic. Of course, the views in the Red Sea would be more colorful, but the Mediterranean is "bluer" and there are no colors out there, but surely "Le Rubis" takes a solid second place in the beauty contest after "Gulf Fleet 31". Its first place at least because it's 106 meters.
We start taking off in about 22 minutes. Along the way, we see the other drivers in our group. Since I don't have a computer, I'll make a "gentle" take-off with a few extra decopations. It turns out that there is practically nothing left in my oxygen cylinder, so I transitioned into the air and filmed the rest of the group, which is just starting to take off. At a depth of six meters, we developed a real "dumpling soup", because while the others are slowly going up the rope, I try to keep my depth. The guide looks reproachfully at me, probably because I'm left alone and on the wrong rope. I give it to him by hand, I show that I have everything in order and make me peace. When he gets out of the boat, he reads a furious debrief about it, but it's like water for me - it's not just diving in the Baltics. The others also get "on the bark" - Jana gets the most for the wrong weights and buoyancy. When we land, the last one left with my "refrigerator" is no one to ask for help. I stretch it to the stern of the boat and put it on my shoulders. Since the sea is quite wavy, I try to capture the moment when the wave brings to the shore and jumps… I fall to a depth of about one and a half meters and fall under the weight of the “spark”… I go to the shore viens One It's fun for them, but I really don't have the strength to fight the waves and liquid sand with all the equipment on my back. I'm trying to get up - unsuccessful. There is a sympathetic sigh on the part of the cafe… I thought about the option - go to the diving center on the climb. No, it would be humiliating! I strain my strength again… and I succeed !!! There are applause and applause from the cafe, a couple of pensioners smile and say something in French… I am a hero!
We pack our wet belongings in bags and go back to Hyeres. At the wheel Jana, who demonstrates Schumacher's worthy driving style on mountain serpentines. I'm already fatally relying on her skills, but some are probably close to seasickness. Roadside barriers and poles flash a few inches from the side of the bus. There are no barriers at all in some places… A dissatisfied voice is heard from behind - "Hey, be careful, don't bring potatoes !!!" - "Who said that ??" - "Potatoes!"
At the campsite we appear in the dark. I decided to end the rest of the tulamor, but no one from our house supports my idea. I take a bottle and go look for a more responsive audience, which, of course, I quickly find. From the continuation of the whole evening, I remember only Robespierre's toast worthy of patriotism - "About France!"
The active part of the trip also ended on this note. The next morning Alexander boils a farewell pilaf, dries and packs things. It is planned to leave in the afternoon.
