[ancl]

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Got my first dive at Stoney this Sunday after doing OW dives at Gildy and attempts afterwards

Any hints / tips for a first-timer ?

Going to probably have a drive up there on Friday afternoon to take a look around.

Anyone else going to be there want to say hello ?

ancl.

 

[Finless]

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Go to the Stoney web site - there are maps of how to get there + where the attractions are in the water and the depths etc.

Unless you are bored or close by I would not think you would need to check it out in advance.

Also, weekends (that I have been) are very busy and unless youu get there VERY early you will have to park in the top car park which is a bit of a trudge down to the water - go midweek if you can.

 

[MATTBIN]

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Hi ancl
I have been a few times and its a good place to do some drills/practice etc. The water is warm there at the moment about 20c, I was there last weekend.
If you leave the waters edge and take a left hand course you will be on a fairly wide ledge about 6/8m there is often a lot of life around there, including the pike(s) in the reads, its usually quiet there as well. It goes under the pub and there is a swim through and the 'nautilus' so its worth the effort.
You can also swim over to the bouy and drop down onto the Stanegarth, a tug thingy, that was purposely sunk a while back and is at 22m (to the bed) its been stripped, deliberately, of anything dangerous so its a good wreck penetration.
Generally I'd say the place is very safe, if crowded sometimes. It is often better at weekends to get there late as several people will have cleared off by then and you may get in the bottom carpark, remember to ask at the check-in.
They operate a 'log' system which gives reduced entry fees, you will have to pay full whack if you havent joined, but they give you a credit for this amount against the joining fee (or they did). Membership can be for varying lengths and costs vary accordingly.
No Nitrox at weekends, air fills can take a long time at weekends, so you will get a good SI  

The silt isnt too bad so viz can be poor rather than awful. I have gone off away from the main crowd occasionally and deliberately kicked up the silt to make sure I wouldnt freek out if I ever encountered zero viz so the silt is perfect for that 'drill'.

The hard surface all around the waters edge makes it a clean place and the other divers are generally OK about kit being in there way.

I am sure you will have fun.

Regards
Matt

 

[Sean]

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Have they at last got a web site

 

[Dominic]

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The pike and most fish seem to prefer the 6m shelf. Aside from the monster that wanders the 20m shelf from time to time. Allegedly.

Crayfish like hiding under rocks or in cracks on the wall between 6 and 20, they're there if you look hard enough.

It's great fun to drop a crayfish on your unsuspecting buddy.

The easiest way to get to the Stanegarth is down the ramp and along the wall until you see the anchor chain. Follow the chain. It's the biggest shipwreck in any inland site.

The 35m hole is a cold dark dump, you're not missing anything by not going there.

 

[MATTBIN]

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Not as far as I am aware, a few other people have put something together. Did you know the shop has an on-line arm and that has a web-site but isnt named stoney-shop.co.uk or anything that would immediately hint it had anything to do with them.
Nothing like customer focus is there.  

Matt

 

[ancl]

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Was planning on looking in the shop, with the intention of buying a dry suit, local dive shop to me  only seems to sell Moby, and chatting to locals and online reviews the suits seem poor so going to stay clear of that suit.

Anyway if anyone on YD is there, come and say hello, I'll be the one in the semi dry and hot water bottle  

ancl

 

[MATTBIN]

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My 16yr old dived in a semi last week and was fine, I was in my dry suit no hood and it wasnt that cold, mind you he did put a dry suit on for the second dive  

You'll be fine in a semi you big jessy now get in the water and stop complaining.

Matt

 

[Finless]

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Apologies - I lied (unintentionally) earlier. As several more astute people have noticed Stoney does not have its own web site. The below link appears quite good for info on Stoney + there were lots of others when I searched on Google.

Stoney

Phone 01455 273089 and they will be happy to fax you a map of the dive site etc.

What's all this talk of temperature. I dived there in Feb in a 3 mil shortie - don't know whats wrong with the youth of today. Yes, that statement is as accurate as my Stoney web site announcement.

 

[MATTBIN]

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I believe an un-intentional lie is actually a mistake, who's pedantic! Agree about the yout of today though.

The cost of entry is £6 if you are diver logged i.e. registered, I think its £10 if not. Night dives on the same day as a day dive require that you pay again!

Matt

 

[laterontoday]

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Not sure that you do pay twice for day dive and night dive. Might be a mirth of the place.  How do they charge you a second time?   The pub is open for anyone to use you dont have to be diving and have paid to go in there so cant see how thay can charge twice.  I might eb wrong of course.

Steve

 

[And]

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Quote[/b] (ancl @ Sep. 10 2003,12:30)]Was planning on looking in the shop, with the intention of buying a dry suit, local dive shop to me  only seems to sell Moby, and chatting to locals and online reviews the suits seem poor so going to stay clear of that suit.

Anyway if anyone on YD is there, come and say hello, I'll be the one in the semi dry and hot water bottle  

ancl

<font color='#0000FF'>Hi

I wouldn't expect too much from the shop, and I wouldn't buy a drysuit from them. I find their prices to be on the high side and I would only use them in an emergency.

Better off choosing a dive shop which has more to offer, SDS, Divers Warehouse, Roho, Northern Diver. They all have their good and bad points but from all four you'll get better service IMO and better prices.

Andy

 

[kinetic]

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I would add that you should get there as early as possible, that is to say as close to 8am as you can.

That way you can normally get your first dive in before it gets too crowded and therefore too silted up.

kinetic.

 

[ancl]

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Plan is to meet up with the other newbies to Stoney at 0930, if that goes well, I feel a weekday visit.

Plan: Fake Illness on Monday at Work, Get wife to call in sick on Tuesday whilst I'm on my way to go diving !!  I love it when a plan comes together

Honestly I feel a flexi-day coming on......

 

[kinetic]

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Lucky sod......

Have a good one and let us know how it goes..

kinetic

 

[Lou]

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Apparently, the weekend before last arriving at 8am would have resulted in you not actually getting onto the site at all!  Our nitrox instuctor arrived at 5.30am and was five rows back in the queue and got one of the last places in the bottom car-park.  His mate arrived at 7.30 and got one of the last places, full stop.  This was an unusually busy weekend but it is a warning.

You would be better off arriving later than 9.30, or much earlier.

Have fun anyway.

Lou

 

[ancl]

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Bottled It !

Off to Gildenburgh instead as after talking to the others in the group, general view was go to Stony during the week.

Today's impulse buy at the dive shop was a Q40 torch and some 3mm gloves.

 

[Mary]

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Quote[/b] (Lou @ Sep. 11 2003,11:58)]Apparently, the weekend before last arriving at 8am would have resulted in you not actually getting onto the site at all!  Our nitrox instuctor arrived at 5.30am and was five rows back in the queue and got one of the last places in the bottom car-park.  His mate arrived at 7.30 and got one of the last places, full stop.  This was an unusually busy weekend but it is a warning.

You would be better off arriving later than 9.30, or much earlier.

Have fun anyway.

Lou

we turned up about 10am and got in! just have to wait for a couple of people to start leaving about then.

 

[Lou]

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Guess its ok if you live nearby to risk it.  I wouldn't dive if I had to go tot he top car-park, sure way to get bent IMO, so it would be a case of drive home again.  If you can pitch up late and hang around on the off-chance I guess its ok.  
Personally I like weekdays or the winter...less stress!

 

[ancl]

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Had a real good time at Gildy ( if thats possible !! )

First dive had problems getting down, not enough weight. Second dive put some ankle weights on, no problems descending - a real good dive.

Had to dive as a threesome on the second dive as one of the team got his ( hired ) cylinder bounced by the filling station for being out of test.

The other guy kept rushing off and disappearing leaving me and the other diver guessing where he'd gone, not good :-(

Finally got to see the double decker bus !  Breathing resistance become harder at 14m, adjusted the ATX50, but didn't seem to help, ascended a couple of metres, and it improved.

Still it was good to be in the water, and I had a really good day out.

Stony during the week here I come.....

ancl