Non-divers or those new to the activity, often think that there is little point in diving in and around the UK. This is a false assumption. There is much to see and experience. The conditions are often very good indeed and can be extra-ordinary.
The temperature of sea around our coast rarely drops below 8 c and is much warmer during the summer months.
In order to enjoy diving in our waters, appropriate body insulation is required to protect the diver from the cold. Semi-dry wetsuits or more commonly dry-suits are the order of the day. Equipped with a well fitting suit, a diver in UK waters is warm and comfortable.
While it is true that the life in our sea is not as colourful as that in tropical waters, it is nonetheless interesting and often well worth seeing.
The abundance of wrecks in UK waters provide interesting dive sites to explore. Some are very shallow (less than 10 mtrs) while many others are to be found at greater depths.
Typically diving around the UK is done from boats. These can be hired or club owned. Our club makes frequent use of dive charter boats, owned by experienced skippers who provide the service we require.
There are also many sites which can be accessed from the shore. These are particularly good for a new divers first experience of submerging in the sea.
Diving need not only be in the sea. It can be in freshwater sites too. There are some which are very good indeed, offering good visibility with a range of interesting things to see. The first time a new diver meets a Pike underwater, is always interesting.
For many, the first introduction to open water diving takes place in a lake. This has the advantage that conditions can normally be predicted with a fair degree of confidence. We use a number of nearby lakes for surface and shallow training. Some sites offer very good visibility, while others may be a trifle murky, but offer good facilities for practicing rescue drills on the surface.
Diving in the Sea
Shore dives
Relatively low cost and a good introduction to diving in the sea. Can easily be part of a family day or weekend away. Depths can be chosen to suit all.
There are good shore dives to be had only a few hours drive away.
Small Boat Dives
An inflatable boat (our club owns one) allows us to get further out to deeper water. Saving the effort of a long swim or getting us to a site that we could not reach by swimming. With a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) we can go further out to sea at relatively high speeds.
Larger (hard) Boats
For more adventurous diving, we often hire larger boats operated by professional skippers to take us to harder to reach dive sites in a fair degree of comfort. Such boats are available for hire from many coastal towns. Most of them are operated by fisherman or ex fisherman.
Wreck Diving
Usually reached with a hard boat, but some are within reach of our small inflatable or with a shore dive. There are literally thousands of wrecks around the UK coast.
Drift Diving
Wheee! drift along with the current watching the underwater panorama as you go! Watch out for the rocks though.
Several of our members have joined the Nautical Archeological Society, to add yet more interest to their diving.
Yep! Mine's bigger than yours!