St. Kilda

[parahandy]

Its been done a few times as a non diving rib trip.
How practical it would be as a Dive Expedition I don't know. Its an interesting thought Logistics for Air( is there a compressor on the island) and fuel spring to mind.

[John Gulliver]

It HAS ben done as a diving RIB trip. As I said, there was a club that took 2 RIBs a few years ago, according to an article in Diver (or Dive?). They went there to dive.

[Helen F H]

<font color='#000080'>im with John on this one. &nbsp;At my first dive show i went to the seminar where they told us about that trip. &nbsp;As far as i know it has been done several times with ribs. &nbsp;The island has no compressor, as i mentioned, you provide your own and fuel for it too. &nbsp;I also remember my clubs boats officer being very keen for us to do the trip, but when push came to shove they aint got the plums for it.

[Gavin Yates]

<font color='#000F22'>As I said earlier, you can do the &quot;rush there, rush back&quot; gig but you've gotta be prepared to stay on the Island until it's safe to get off if the weather changes.

Kilda is in &quot;the middle of fuckin' nowhere&quot; and anybody who doesn't take it seriously, should go alone.

Apart from that, I really wanna go !!!!!!!

[Adrian Kelland]

If I was to go, I would want to know that seriously good boat handlers were involved. I suspect most of us only get a few hours a month at best. Good weather and we're fine, but thats a long trip...

I know of Isle of Scilly trips where the rib has ended up coming back on the ferry due to weather and holiday restrictions. As Gavin says, you may have to wait, or even leave early if necessary.

Adrian

[malcolm smith]

Hard boats-------bigguns---- often have to leave early.
Good luck if you try a RIB.
If it's the diving rather than the boating you are into, plus you can afford it, take a hard boat. The skippers will drop you on the sites suitable for the sea state, and you can paddle around without a care in the world.
Money well spent.
Cheers, Malcolm.

[parahandy]

I heard third party of a tale, that there was one group of divers sat on their livaboard in Village Bay on St Kilda taking in the summer sun between dives.  
A chap reputedly motored up in his Rib complete with his dog having just motored across from the Hebrides.!!!!

Agree 100% a rib trips quite an undertaking, and the crafts involved have got to be up to the job. The one on Porgs photos does look the business though. Argh well dream on

[Narked@50]

I would be interested in a hard boat venture. The rib sounds a good story for the pub, but the reality has been mentiond already - this place is remote, and not too forgiving. I don't realy think there would be much of a £ saving given the fuel use and no. of divers going as gear required would restrict this. Throw in the weather and the camping after a days diving in un-shoted and un-familiar waters and the hard boat is getting better all the time. I don't consider myself soft, but this sounds too much like hard work and not enough like a dive holiday.

And anyway, the chart I looked at said &quot;there be sea monsters here.....&quot; &nbsp;

James

[Rupert Bear]

St Kilda has been done on several occasions by RIB. the most well known was Graeme Bruce REDS expedition in two fairly small RIBs for a long weekend diving.
&nbsp;I also know someone who has been several times in a 5-5.5m with a single outboard on his own diving. The locals even potter out to it in small boats.
It isn't that far from the Hebrides, I have been looking at it seriously doing it in mine. The main problem is the distance to the Hebrides and the weather. If I was based in the Hebrides I would have no hestitaion in good weather running out but it is expensive to get there in the first place.
The main reason I would try it is simply most people that book on hardboats take several goes to get there due to weather and waste a lot of money diving elsewhere.

[Snash]

We did a day dash out to St Kilda with 3 small RIBS back in 93.  We were staying with Niall Johnson on North Uist at the Uist Outdoor Centre, but using our own boats. After our trip, Niall started doing day dashes. This was a few years before the trip featured in Diver.

Thought you might be interested in my log book entry which could be entitled “I counted them all out and I counted them all back and there were 2 more on the return trip”        

We were cautious and ready to can the trip at a moment’s notice and had taken all planning precautions.

Paste-

In Garf’s boat out. Launched at Griminish, 8 miles out to Haskier for quick stop/ go decision and then 28 miles out to Sgarbstac. Total time 2h 15min. Virtually flat all the way. Dived with Maria. We choose the arch to do as it sticks out of the water so we know we could find it…… Bummer to go that far and not hit your site. Did not believe Mark &amp; Garf when they said the viz was shite; thought they were pulling our legs but it was peasoupsome. Still could see top of arch at 28m from the bottom at 50m. Impressive dive but nowhere as near as good as last time

Lunched at Village Bay after talking to the Captain and the twitcher. Upon leaving the Captain asked if we would take 2 squaddies back with us as the helicopter taking them on leave had caught fire and they could not get off till Tuesday. It was only on reaching Haskier on the way back that they admitted that they thought we had a large liveaboard outside Village Bay and the RIBS were just the tenders. This explained the glances they had between each other on the way back…..

Dived at Haskier – okay. Got back to Griminish to find Niall there waiting for us to welcome us home. After sorting the boats, No tea but straight to the pub to meet up with the squaddies (Pez &amp; Craig). Many drinks later we set off home accompanied by the squaddies and a Labrador we picked up en route. Less said about the Ambulance the better. Home to a mega party and sesh in the kitchen – Great day.

Paste -

However much we thought our trip was an achievement, I still think we were outgunned by the couple of canoeists we saw arrive in Village Bay when we were supping port after a day’s diving from the JDL on a trip a couple of years earlier.

Been to Kilda 4 times now and I would thoroughly recommend it. I think you need to go with the view that it is unlikely you will get out there, because of the weather, so when you do it is a real bonus.

Cheers

Simon Nash