Does anyone dive in rivers ?

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by Gram43

Another vote for Devil's Bridge. Dived it all year round in the past and night dives too, great for people on the bridge watching the torch lights underwater. Good little drift, but in the summer, beware of the bridge jumpers!

Originally Posted by principia

The devils bridge has some really cool rock formations, loads of fish, big eels and what ever the bikers have thrown off the bridge.

J.

Why have I not heard of this great dive? Take me there, I insist!

[Devon Diver]

Yes, 'cos they pay me to

[Adrian Kelland]

Aren't most cave dives river dives too?

[West Ireland Diver]

Originally Posted by divingniknaks

Do you need permission from landowners, fishing rights holders or just Sod it and Dive it ?

.

There is a lengthly discussion going on between canoeists and anglers at the moment over river access in England and Wales.

The basic premise is that no one owns the water, just the land. If you can access/egress the river without tresspassing then you are good to go. If you have to cross private land to get there then that's a civil offence and you will require permission from the landowner.

No one can charge you to use the water, but if you park your car on someones land or cross it where there isn't a right of way then they can charge you.

The situation is different in Scotland and I've no idea what the situation is in NI.

[Ferg3333]

I have done, and the vis is usually less than 0.5m. Did the river leam a few weeks back for a laugh, no other reason

[Gram43]

Originally Posted by Buoyant Babe

Why have I not heard of this great dive? Take me there, I insist!

We used to do this dive as a last dive after Capers and/or a night dive. Helen, as you get to Capers via the M6 (as I do now) you would have to back inland towards Kirkby Lonsdale and just outside the town is the "now famous" Devil's Bridge.

You have to hump your gear to the riverbank and then once kitted up go in. Its a good drift and will last around 15 minutes if you stop where the main rockpool is and bimble around. If you go any further they'll be dragging you out of Morecambe Bay!!

Years ago there was a story of a guy who had been taken there after passing his OW. He apparently went in when the river was running too fiercley and got dragged about 5 miles downstream, bobbing about like a piece of cork. Rescue found him later after his ordeal, hence stopping in the main rockpool area. (only what I heard)!

Will take you there someday.........Graham

[Rydive]

I'm a keen white water kayaker, and have been toying with going to dive the river Etive which is a highland river near Glen Coe (popular with kayakers). I think the key to getting the vis is to be there when there has been no rain at all and the river is at a base level. Also, a river that runs over bedrock rather than through fields etc will have a much better chance of good vis.

I'm quite new to diving and haven't done it yet, but my reason for doing it will be to see the rock formations that form the white water features on the river. There is a 6 metre waterfall on the Etive with a pool below, which is aparently 11 metres deep. The thought of touching the base of a waterfall whilst in mid water is pretty cool.

If I do it I'll let you know what it's like.

[Keith Whittaker]

The Swan river, which runs through Perth, is one of our most popular dive sites. Always good if the ocean is blown out. Viz can be British standard at times but there are a number of small, but interesting, wrecks, all sorts of the usual urban detritus, an amazing number of Seahorses, pods of Dolphins and the occasional Bull Shark.
Most evenings will see divers somewhere along the river, hunting for Prawns.

There is also, IIRC, a popular river dive in NZ, where you can ski underwater over worn smooth rocks. Can't remember what the river is called though.

[shark_girl]

I have considered diving on the Itchen (Hampshire), but only to contemplate rapairing my grandad's fishing platform (foundations are getting a bit rotten in 2m+ of water)
The river is mainly for trout fishing, and with chalky soils is crystal clear. Bit worried about the rate of flow, but there would be plenty of entry/exit points. Just need to do it out of trout season, wouldn't want to get caught by some rich buffoon that thinks because he's spending £400 for the day, he knows how to fly-fish.

Also, not terribly convinced there'd be much to find, except for the wildlife. Occasionally see otters and water voles around there. Not exactly a dumping ground for valuables....

[susanmac]

Linn Of Dee

Diving here tomorrow . Maximum depth 8m and gorgeous rock formations, salmon, trout and eels. There is a waterfall at the top which is worth the swim against the current to get into, hold on to your mask and regs as it throws you about then spits you out downstream . Then it's a drift through the channels of rock to the exit point, it's like being in an underwater flume.

BBQ between dives makes it a cracking day out . I'm just about to make the pavlova for pudding.

Susan,
x.