Booking a dive

[jimbob]

If you were traveling to Cornwall buddy less and fancied a dive how would you go about booking one? I'd always assumed that contacting Dive centres was the way forward but judging from my lack of success are you better contacting charter boats direct?
For some reason I'm more comfortable talking to dive centres I guess being the only diver in the family I keep hoping that they will offer to buddy me up and chuck me in. What's in it for them though?
Why don't dive centres act as booking centres for charter boats?
Is it too early in the year for midweek dives?
Any advice very welcome.

[Kirstie]

Originally Posted by jimbob

If you were traveling to Cornwall buddy less and fancied a dive how would you go about booking one? I'd always assumed that contacting Dive centres was the way forward but judging from my lack of success are you better contacting charter boats direct?
For some reason I'm more comfortable talking to dive centres I guess being the only diver in the family I keep hoping that they will offer to buddy me up and chuck me in. What's in it for them though?
Why don't dive centres act as booking centres for charter boats?
Is it too early in the year for midweek dives?
Any advice very welcome.

Try Dive St Ives - they've got a rib and were very helpful when I phoned them yesterday. Not sure if they do midweek dives but they've got some nice ones coming up next weekend (14th) to Seal Rock, Porthkerris Reef and the Enrico Parodi.

[jimbob]

Thanks Kirstie, Dive St. Ives were my first port of call unfortunately they don't have anything midweek. I think I've made a mistake not including a weekend in my days off.

[turbanator]

You could look for shuttle-type dives.
Did you want North Cornwall in particular?
You could try Looe Divers, Porthkerris or Dive Action.
Gary (Dive Action) took us to the Volnay on a 5:00ish run last year mid week.
If you want to do the Scylla or JEL which are technically in Cornwall, you could go from Plymouth - Brian of Aquanauts goes midweek, I think, as do Deep Blue.

Further down, there is also a dive shop in Hayle, but I can't remeber the name- sorry.

hth
P

[dry suit diver]

Redeemer on here usually have a few spaces, not sure about midweek though.

[jimbob]

Thanks guys. I've bitten the bullet and asked for an extra day off. Hopefully I'll be able to sort something out for Saturday the 13th. Fins crossed.

[Hellvet]

shop in hayle is prob gulfstream scuba, also try cornish diving in falmouth, and seaways in penryn.
All do trips for single divers as far as i know, but prob depends on demand as its still early ish in the season for travelling down

[Ian@1904]

http://www.gulfstreamscuba.co.uk/Boat_Diving.html
I have used these guys a couple of times, dives are from a RIB. Nothing too adventurous - no deco.
Price did include the air fill, but a bit of a trek to the dive shop. If you are on your own they can usually be relied upon to find you a buddy. In my experience.

[NeilP]

Originally Posted by Hellvet

shop in hayle is prob gulfstream scuba, also try cornish diving in falmouth, and seaways in penryn.
All do trips for single divers as far as i know, but prob depends on demand as its still early ish in the season for travelling down

Redeemer normally goes out of Falmouth on a Wednesday evening and a Friday evening. If the skipper has a charter during the week, and there are spaces, I am sure he'll let you tag along.

Cornish Diving - well Steves got a Rib and a Hardboat - I haven't seen the HB this year though, so I don't know if he's just using the RIB this year or not. They'll do escorted shore dives around locally too.

Seaways diving - Colin uses Redeemer.

There is another dive place called Seafans Scuba based at Maenporth beach, just out of Falmouth. Gaynor runs it and she'll take you for an escorted dive too.

Dive Stives don't allow twinsets or CCR on their RIbs, from what I understand - they're pretty strict on diving slack and reckon if you extend your bottom-time then you'll go past slack or something. I've never had the need to use them myself.

Gulfstream are ok - they've got a huge Rib and will take it anywhere you want. Will dive with very small numbers too.

There are a couple of outfits going out of Newquay, and you've got Porthkerris and Dive Action, just over the Helford by St Keverne.