Gower and west wales shore dives?

[String]

Never thought it'd come to this but im getting desperate and bored of quarries...

Does anyone know of any good shore dive sites in the Gower or further west? Things like entry/exit/is there car parking/what state of tides to avoid and so on?

Got a feeling this weekend it maybe the only diving chance i get.

The only one ive done is Martinshaven and thats a bit too far west (and a tad shite).

Anyone done Stackpole quay?

[StephenTh]

Originally Posted by String

Anyone done Stackpole quay?

Yes - it's a lovely bimble. Bit of a walk from the car park, but level and firm. Just out from the entrance and off to the left (East) are a series of rock ridges with sand in between, often a surprising number of fish and lobsters on the ridges. Careful once you get out of the bay - there can be cross-currents. Stackpole also makes a cracking night dive.
If the wind is from the South, St. Brides on the other side of the Pembrokeshire peninsula should be sheltered - is also a nice pleasant dive.

[String]

Stackpole is an option. Think we're on springs though. What sort of tides is that divable in and is it suitable for an OD student (with about 10 dives in a quarry)?

Dont really want to do St Brides as 125 miles each way for a shore dive is over the top.

Any others further east/gower area?

[StephenTh]

Yes, coming up to springs now (link here) (looks like you'll have to apply the 1 hour correction for BST yourself - for some reason it won't link to the corrected time) but that does mean that high tide is at a nice time in the evening. In calm conditions, and at high tide, very suitable for someone with that experience. The small bay will be full and there'll be no need to go far out of the bay - if at all. At high tide, there's a lot of interest in the quay wall, which continues out underwater. Just be careful of boat traffic - only a couple of boats use this quay, but they tend to come in and out at high water.

[String]

Cheers. Its an option. Just heard club boat is buggered again and got a trainee thats never dived in the sea. If i can get her in there it may break quarry monotony.

[McBad]

Originally Posted by String

Never thought it'd come to this but im getting desperate and bored of quarries...

Does anyone know of any good shore dive sites in the Gower or further west? Things like entry/exit/is there car parking/what state of tides to avoid and so on?

Got a feeling this weekend it maybe the only diving chance i get.

The only one ive done is Martinshaven and thats a bit too far west (and a tad shite).

Anyone done Stackpole quay?

If you reckon Martin's Haven is a tad shite you are going to be REALLY disappointed by Stackpole. I suppose it has at least got a coffee shop.

M