Hartlepool - Any info please

[mark w]

Hi all, looking at organising a weekends diving from Hartlepool, as I have never been there before thought some of you on here might be able to provide me with some usefull imformation on dive sites, slack times, air fills, accomodation etc. any info would be greatly recieved.
Many thanks
Mark

[dry suit diver]

dont dress like a monkey

[Davey Willo]

Originally Posted by mark w

any info would be greatly recieved.
Many thanks
Mark

Dive somewhere else.. seriously, if you live in and around Hartlepool then great, go dive the place, but please do not plan a dive trip and travel any distance to get there, you'll be seriously dissapointed.

Regards and apologies to any 'Monkey Hangers' who frequent YD.

Dave

[Woz]

Don't dive in the Coal Dock. I did. And the story goes like this:
Got kitted up in my membrane suit and just as I was about to jump in someone shouted "your zip is undone". So- got out of my kit and it wasn't undone but knackered. Bum. So- into my mates slightly tight neoprene suit and get kitted up. Again. As we were about to jump in we saw the pleasant sight of a bloke pouring away into the dock a load of used paint thinners just to give the already oily water a glossy sheen. Ho hum. In we went (not my drysuit hooray) and went down to about 6m. The bottom after a couple of hundred years of coal loading and unloading is about 3m of silt which makes navigation a doddle as you just follow the trail back. However- I was doing my compass nav lesson which was somewhat hampered by the colossal quantities of scrap that had been thrown over the side along with the coal. So- finished the dive during which we saw nothgin but silt then had the fun of climbing up an iron ladder to get out.

If you want to dive round there then I would either sit in the car for another hour and go to the Farnes or turn right earlier and dive off Redcar.

[Ron Young]

Hi Mark W

Listen to Dave, it's good advice. If you live in the region, fair enough. There are plenty of good wrecks off the Tees/Hartlepool to Sunderland area, but the viz is usually poor to totally cr-p. During the mid summer months on neap tides and after a spell of light westerly winds, the viz can be exceptionally good, but it's certainly not worth risking a long drive and pre-booking dates.

The Farnes/Seahouses/Beadnell and Craster areas are a different kettle-of-fish and just another hour and a half drive. However, except for a couple of wrecks, the others are all in deepish water

Cheers Ron

[Martyn Ward]

Originally Posted by dry suit diver

dont dress like a monkey

And if you do, for God's sake keep off the beach!