Fiona's 'Holme Bank' Trip Report

[Pink & Fluffy]

I had a lovley dive in Holme bank chert mine on Friday eve the water was so crystle clear you could not see the waters serface edge .I have never seen water like that before as used to the muddy sumps of swildons hole . It was a hard frost outside and the neoprine stuck itself to the snow outside. After entering the mine and walking a bit the temp inside the was warmer then outside . the water was very cold ,but I was nice and warm in my new drysuit .I will post up some pics of my next dive there as going back to do a photo trip next time in a couple of weeks .

[nikos]

Where is this place? Sounds rather interesting - looking forward to the piccies soon!

Glad the neck seal worked (thanks for the PM) - I decided to go for a latex job as I have struggled for 5 years with leaking neoprene..........

[Pink & Fluffy]

Originally Posted by nikos

Where is this place? Sounds rather interesting - looking forward to the piccies soon!

Glad the neck seal worked (thanks for the PM) - I decided to go for a latex job as I have struggled for 5 years with leaking neoprene..........

Holme bank is in Derbyshire but access can only be gained by CDG members
The pics are going to be nice ,looking forward to taking my underwater camera and making it work hard as have recently got the underwater housing for it . good luck with the neck seel .
Fiona.

[Tim Ingmire]

Good god girl you can't just leave it at that. C'mon you have to let us know the camera, housing etc etc.

For those not interested in UW photo stuff you can just close your eyes and move to the next post.

Looking forward to seeing the pics. I can't quite believe that you get crystal clear waters in the UK - unless it's from a tap.

[Pink & Fluffy]

Originally Posted by Tim Ingmire

Good god girl you can't just leave it at that. C'mon you have to let us know the camera, housing etc etc.

For those not interested in UW photo stuff you can just close your eyes and move to the next post.

Looking forward to seeing the pics. I can't quite believe that you get crystal clear waters in the UK - unless it's from a tap.

#

Well my camera is a Canon powershot A80 digital . Then I got a underwater housing to go down to 40 m to go with it . I have used the camera for caving but I have had to get a seprate flash and slave unit to stop the steam being picked up in the pics this takes quite a bit of time playing with it to get good results . I am still experimenting . but with the housing on, underwater my pics come out great so will post them up when come back from next trip .
There is crystal clear water in the uk as clear as tap water but these places are underground in caves or mines but the vis can turn very quickly into nil if you stir it up. Even your bubbles can do this when they hit the celing . the vis going in can be crystal on the way in but the outward trip can be very different .

[Mr T.]

Err...guys!

Fiona (Cragcrawler) is no mean squeeze-shufflerer! She'll do dives that most men would cack-their-kex at! I jest you not.

Some of her stuff would/will make your hair turn beige!

Speak to her; dive with her; don't treat her lightly! She's got the sand that some us fail to produce!!

Well in Fiona!

[NotDeadYet]

Holme Bank is a lovely place, I especially love one of the little side passages where you can still see the footprints in the dirt of the last miners to work there before it flooded, but some of the tunnels where they've stacked the deads in the roof... scarey, glad there's more than one way out of it. There's also tonnes of dry passage that is good for rooting about in, it's a maze above the water level.

Glad you enjoyed it. I took a mate of mine there once and he went stomping down the passage shouting "where's the water then?"... sploosh!!!!!! It really is so clear that you don't see it unless you know your way.

[beanie]

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

Holme Bank is a lovely place, I especially love one of the little side passages where you can still see the footprints in the dirt of the last miners to work there before it flooded, but some of the tunnels where they've stacked the deads in the roof... scarey, glad there's more than one way out of it. There's also tonnes of dry passage that is good for rooting about in, it's a maze above the water level.

Glad you enjoyed it. I took a mate of mine there once and he went stomping down the passage shouting "where's the water then?"... sploosh!!!!!! It really is so clear that you don't see it unless you know your way.

Dinas Silica mine is like that too you just can't see where the water begins

looking forward to the pics

[Digger]

Well I really liek this place. Viz can drop a fair bit if you stir it up, I find where you get into the water it can drop fast.

I've got some photos from inside there on CD, but have no idea how to upload pics at the mo. Might try and get it sorted this evening.

Access isn't only CDG, if you're dry caving you can go play in there or with any Cave Diving ticket I'd imagine you can get the key. It is a site where you can comfortably dive backmounted twins and still be able to see the whole thing, so suitable for DIR diving. Might want a helmet if you're not being a bit careful to get to the water though.

Digs.

[Jen S]

Originally Posted by Digger

I've got some photos from inside there on CD, but have no idea how to upload pics at the mo. Might try and get it sorted this evening.

I take it they're my photo's! Feel free to post them, I've never got round to it. They're mainly of you in there anyway!!!