Holy Island (Lindisfarne)

1394 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by parahandy, Apr 11, 2003

Frog

Discussion Starter · Apr 10, 2003

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Has anyone dived Holy Island (Lindisfarne) off the Berwick coast? I heard that the fishermen were very hostile towards divers - 30 years ago they asked divers not to dive a certain area as they had lobster pots down, and the divers out of spite cut about 40 pots free. They're hand made, so divers have since been very unwelcome. Is this still the case? Where can cylinders be filled - there are no dive facilities what so ever on the island?

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Dr Stevil

· #2 · Apr 10, 2003

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<font color='#0000FF'>Dunno frog, but Ron young has a book "Divers Comprehensive guide to the Farnes and Holy Island" which I'm planning to buy next time I'm in my LDS, Amazon had it too recently, here's a
Review of it.

Say, Ron, think it's about time you did an updated version without lobster recipes in it, not very environmentally sound these days

Chee-az
Steve

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Ron Young

· #3 · Apr 10, 2003

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Hi Guys

Divers have always been unwelcome on Holy Island, but it does not stop the fishermen from asking for help when they lose their pots/creels, or get rope wrapped around their props, etc.
You have exactly the same problems at Seahouses and Beadnell where divers are blamed for anything and everything that goes wrong, especially by the Farnes trip-boatmen.
The law on the taking of lobsters has now changed along this part of the coast. It is now illegal for dive boats to have more than one lobster on board, so this may have reduced the friction a little, but not with the tripper-boats, who look on divers as nothing but a nuisance.
Not many creels are hand made these days, the vast majority are bought professionally ready made.

There are some excellent dive-sites (mostly shallow) around Holy Island, especially on the north side and at the Goldstone Rock, where the remains of the old paddler PEGASUS can be found.
Air would have to be purchased at Seahouses or Beadnell, while the trip to Holy Island takes around 20-25-minutes from Seahouses, but look at the chart first, because there are reefs that dry at mid tide stretching almost 1.5-miles out to sea at Holy Island and tides are quite strong.

As far as the book is concerned, I have already offered this to YD members at a very good discount price. just drop me an e-mail for the details.

Also, I believe that divers have as much right to catch lobsters and crabs as fishermen do, especially if they are eating them themselves and some guys don't know how to cook them, or what they can eat, either.
Take a look at the holding tanks on any fishing quay and see how many lobsters the fishermen take!!!

Cheers Ron

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Frog

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 10, 2003

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Cheers for the law on taking lobsters - I didn't know that. I know a couple of the fishermen on the Island still make their own pots, but 30 years ago they were all hand made. I know about the dry reefs at mid tide! Forgot about the strong tides though! Dive safely.

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parahandy

· #5 · Apr 11, 2003

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As Ron pointed out:
Seems theres always been a love hate relationship with Fishermen along that stretch of coastline.

A previous time I went up diving the Farnes, my lass decided whilst i was diving to havea nice boat trip around the islands The usual thing a boat full of twitchers and familys to spot the seals. The guy in the commentary said they "might not see any seals as the divers scared them all away".

Wasn't that bloody great diesel engines on all the hardboats taking trippers around with the guys bawling over the tannoywas it!!!!!!!!

Reminds me of Blackpool out there sometimes.

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