Portland

[Nick Kay]

The St.Dunstan was posted as "27m", so getting 33m at the bottom of the shot was lets say "slightly out"...

[izzyimset]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

The St.Dunstan was posted as "27m", so getting 33m at the bottom of the shot was lets say "slightly out"...

Hi Nick. Admittedly that would have been my original mistake from years ago and should'nt be held against BDC.

When I collated the original information (as webmaster) for the DiveDorset site http://www.divedorset.com which might have later been used as a BDC reference for the 'complementary' information sheets, the idea wasn't to 'tell' divers what the exact depth of a site was, but to give an indication to those less aware what the depths they could be going to would be ~ give or take 3 metres.

http://www.divernet.com/wrecks/wtour400602.htm has a good reference to St. Dunstan which would be worth reading before any dive on it and ranges it at 29-30m. I always check Divernet before any new site.

I dived with John Liddard on that one as the piece mentions, but admittedly, I never assumed there would be any significant differences in the standard agency gases and referred back to what I got myself most of the time. My thought being that divers can regulate their own depths without reaching max and standard agency mixes would cover these depths anyway.

I will make amends by diving the Dunstan again and measuring depths around her in a strict kind of way as well as gauging the slack. So pls, don't blame the BDC guys only.

BUT you can't say diving with scooters is not fun (! :-)) and hey, everyone is trying to their best.

PS: With an 'anglers hat' on, if any of you kind people out there 'luv' the high speed RIB shuttle skippers with those cool shades and self-confident hand waves on them when travelling at what they assume is light speed on a couple of cushions, could you please remind them that when they return into the real world the harbour speed limits are real too --6 knots max-- and that although it might look totally impressive to the diving punters on board to full throttle, it is totally impolite to those who live, boat and fish in this harbour when you try to swamp them in your wake.

(That's my only personal grump about Portland dive operators. ! ;-)

Cheers
Izzy

[Nick Kay]

OK, but 6m out???

Also, even the skipper queried the posted depth...

[Paul Oliver]

Originally Posted by izzyimset

could you please remind them that when they return into the real world the harbour speed limits are real too --6 knots max-- and that although it might look totally impressive to the diving punters on board to full throttle, it is totally impolite to those who live, boat and fish in this harbour when you try to swamp them in your wake.

It could also be worth asking Portland Port to put up a few more speed limit signs as the 6 Knot speed limit is not very noticable.

[David Wallace]

Originally Posted by Paul Oliver

It could also be worth asking Portland Port to put up a few more speed limit signs as the 6 Knot speed limit is not very noticable.

I would polietly suggest that the responsibility is on the mariner to obtain the relevant information. Round here Chichester harbour has on very small sign on the entrance, Littlehampton has a bigger one but still one. Langstone in similarly signposted. Most of the regulations for speed and boat conduct for portsmouth entrance is not posted at all! Thats why its a good idea to carry (or at least have prior access to) an Almanac for planning purposes in advance of boating in an area you are not familure with.

respectfully

[Paul Oliver]

Thats fine, and something we do, there is a map on the Portland port website that shows this. However from conversations i have overheard down there complaints about boat users going too fast are VERY common and i'm making a suggestion that could possibly help them.

If it was not fairly topical i doubt Izzy would have mentioned it.

Afterall time and effort in putting a speed limit sign up could be very cost effective compared with time spent dealing with complaints over several years. Or use of a permanent marker pen on a few buoys like they have done off Herne Bay Harbour seems to work ok reminds me anyway.

[Andy M]

Originally Posted by Paul Oliver

It could also be worth asking Portland Port to put up a few more speed limit signs as the 6 Knot speed limit is not very noticable.

How can you miss it? It is posted clearly on the breakwater, and on the jetty that you have to go round when you come into castletown.

My pet hate is those dive club ribs who come round that corner at full throttle close in, and they dont even look to see if someone is coming the other way
Should be illegal, lock them up in the floating prison I say.