Imported post
OK Troops, here's the deal......
During a night a Andy Hayhurst's gaff on Tuesday night this week, we sat down and ruminated (nay, masticated!) over just where the ever growing Troop might like to dive next year - given its expanding skills-set and deep-seated enthusiasm for all things getting wet? And we thought we'd provide a vertiable 'smorgesbord' of choice. Hey, just call us the 'free-economy'!!
AND ALL YD MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US !!!! I can't emphasise that strongly enough !! You've had the patter - now meet the divers !! And we range in constituent from the 'newbie' to the 'are you serious?'
Many dive-sites/wreck options were discussed, and it'll come as no surprise to anyone that there are simply more than 'Twelvety' from which to choose.
We therefore had to do some pairing down in our options for next year's dive calendar. Otherwise, this list would not stop and, by the way, it'll all be there next year!!
With the exception of the 'Tech Week' in Weymouth in August, the following list of options is by no means hard and fast - should the majority wish to either change or substitue a site or wreck, then this can be weighed on its merits and a decision made. All we need from you guys is dates!! Do not be shy in letting us know your choices/preferences.
OK, here are the initial suggestions and dates that we came up with:
* PLYMOUTH: Any Bank Holiday (Except August);
10 to 12 divers maximum, 3 days diving, land-based, but diving off the 'MV Seeker' (the original 'MV Skin Deep') dive boat. Easy to book. Has a diver's 'lift' at the stern (happy days) and an on-board compressor. Dales has dived off her before and rates her. He also knows the Skipper. Result. There is simply rucks of good diving to be had in this neck of the woods - everything from wreck to reef, from fish to f....lipping good nights out. Miss it and you'll be sorry.
OBAN: Sound of Mull, (somewhere north of London.....)
3 days, liveaboard. Options for the choice of craft range from 'Kylebarn', Jane R', 'Gemini Storm' and the 'Dundarg'. If there are enough of us, we could awlays hire two boats.
These itineraries (post dive) invariably take in stops in some of the most beautiful 'wee ports and & harbours' in Christendon and play host to some amazing pubs - with Scottish licensing laws (Oh Happy Daze!) - and friendly folk, so our evenings should be the Nads as well. The choice of single malts on offer may see both Gav and miself decide to do 'er...just the afternoon dive for me thanks'.....
The dive sites around here take in a multitude of wrecks at varying depths, reefs, shelves, seals, big Lobbies and a raft of swims-through, arches and overhangs - so for the scenic diver we're sorted. 2 Tanx, bring yer camera mate - plenty going on and will make for a top new section on the gallery board.
WEYMOUTH:
recreational/easy diving again. 45 metres max and plenty of(at least 30-odd) hard-boats from which to choose.
In terms of wrecks to be visited, we have the 'Salsette', 'HMS Hood' (great dive, good viz and now a 'block ship' covering the Portland harbour entrance - now 'turned-turtle', her successor was sunk by the Bismarck in the Denmark Strait during WW2 during the famous sea battle) and the wreck of the sub 'M2', as well as the other block ships in the manor. Weymouth is easy for fills, accommodation and has a goodly selection of hostelries from which purchase the requisites for the following morning's hangover.
WEYMOUTH (TECH DIVING WEEK): with 'Skin Deep', 18th - 22nd August 2003
These currently are the only HARD dates booked for next year's dive calendar - the rest are up for confirmation.
Diving to 65 metres (ha, shandy drinkers!), this is for those of us that are qualified and capable of diving between 30 to 60 miles off-shore.
Price: £35.00 per person per day, plus accomodation, plus gas/mix, plus excess fuel where needed after the boat mileage 'per day' has been reached.
Given that there is an obscene amount of good wreck-diving in this bracket/distance from shore, you can be sure of a good time with a bunch of top dives to be had.
NORWAY: 1 week in June or July. 'Enjoyable Diving in the Green Waters'
Might be one that John Gulliver Esq. wants to sign-up for. Diving between 10 and 40 metres (so eminently do-able for most), you'll get some excellent wrecks, Fiords and fish here. Picture the scene: heading down the sheer-drop of a Fiord wall and seeing where it takes you and what strata and formations in to which it might take you?? Got to be a 'what next?' factor here, right?
Cost are approx £500 per person for the week, plus ferry cost from Newcastle, plus gas/mix. Please let us know in advance should you want anything other than 21% as the gas will have to booked and loaded onto the boat to take it out there well in advance. I've not done the ferry to Norway, but I've done the DFDS to Gothenberg (Sweden) and it's hoot major. The ferry wil have bars, discos (2 Tanx and me giving plenty on the dance-floor - throw your washing in!), cinema and casino. The ferry has cabins so we can get a berth for the night.....if we need it it. Some folk kip on the chairs in the muster area, so your call. Oh, and nosebag a-plenty of course.
ANGLESEY: Dates To Be Agreed.
1 to 2 days diving offshore out of Amlch (Nor/Nor-east of the island).
Similar to Trearddur Bay (the North-west of the island) in that there is an obscene amount of diving here for the novice through to the Uber-techie, though none of it massively deep at all - 60 metres (and that's going some in the trenches) being about your limit. Most of the diving on this shelf is easily above the 30 metre range - coz you can't go any deeper unless you chart (GPS with intention!) to go deeper.
We are positively spoilt here: subs, U-boats and wrecks galore (e.g. the 'Pottery wreck' - so called because of the sheer volume of pottery still on-board in about 45 metres; the 'Visgnes' in 40 to 45 metres; the 'Royal Charter' in 9 metres; the 'Torch' in 20 metres; the 'Segontuim' in 28 metres and the sub 'Resurgam' in 12 metres - though this has to be dived with permission).
And these are just some of the choices - there are frankly cart-loads to choice from. Andy Hayhurst knows of a couple that are "not in the dive books and off-chart", so we also have a few to aim at that maintain an air of mystery!
Following this, there is plenty of reef and a ton of decent shore diving to be had - most of it in pleasant pootling depth (Hobby, Dales and I did a squad of it last time we were there) of between 6 and 24 metres and so will suit just about everyone that's happy to shore dive other than the hardened deep-wreck-wallah. The fish life here is in profusion and there are some heartily big crabs and lobbies to see - I know, I've seen them.
I've never dived here when the viz is bad - usually between 5 and 12 metres, although further out (off a hrad boat) it remains about 6 metres.....still not too shabby and better than the Cape or Stoney.
The other benefit about the easy diving off Anglesey is the ease with which we can acquire accommodation, food and fills. There is a large number of boats to be chartered and it's a genuinely nice place to stay of an evening - food, pubs and gigglesworth.
ISLE OF MAN (IoM): Date TBA
If you thought the diving above is varied and well worth it, then the IoM has the monty!! Depths range to suit (between 2 and 80 metres), caves, walls, swims-through, drops-off, wrecks of all desciptions, easy drift dives......please, tell me when the fun stops!!!
Taking the ferry over there - best not to fly as your baggage allowance will mean that you're only be able to take a mask, fins and snorkel, and the fact that you'll need to leave 12 hours between your last dive and flying home (as you can dive the moment you get off the plane) -, on which we shall have a hoot masseeef, we settle into a 'friendly' dive centre - Steve that owns the place is squared away and a TDI centre to boot.
Here we can get any mix of our choosing and charter to where ever we might fancy. Oh, the restrictive practises!!
Well, I'll leave Scappa Flow, The Farne Islands, Morecambe, Barrow, The Channel Wrecks and Garstang for another posting, but if we could begin to have names in the ring for the above and a suggestion of which dates will suit, then we can get under way and begin the booking of Skippers/boats and deposit process.
Safely assume that all day-boats will have heads and tea & coffee as a minimum - some may even have full galley facilities. Those that don't have on-board compressors will allow us to take our gas from shore and stow it for us before use.
Assume also that most boats will be approx £30/35 a day, per person. There may be sundry, though not extortionate charges for fuel, but these will be flagged well in advance once the Troop begin to give numbers and dates for the various trips so we can provide a fuller 'SP' on any given trip.
So, what say you YD-ers?? Sort your live's out and get on board!! Just think, between 2 days to a week with your favourite crowd doing some of the best diving the UK has to offer and getting four-parts-Susan with the Troop in the evening into the bargain!! Convivial company, common-cause, banter that is fierce and will have you on your 'arris AND top diving!!!
I CAN'T HEAR YOU !!!!!!!!
OK Troops, here's the deal......
During a night a Andy Hayhurst's gaff on Tuesday night this week, we sat down and ruminated (nay, masticated!) over just where the ever growing Troop might like to dive next year - given its expanding skills-set and deep-seated enthusiasm for all things getting wet? And we thought we'd provide a vertiable 'smorgesbord' of choice. Hey, just call us the 'free-economy'!!
AND ALL YD MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US !!!! I can't emphasise that strongly enough !! You've had the patter - now meet the divers !! And we range in constituent from the 'newbie' to the 'are you serious?'
Many dive-sites/wreck options were discussed, and it'll come as no surprise to anyone that there are simply more than 'Twelvety' from which to choose.
We therefore had to do some pairing down in our options for next year's dive calendar. Otherwise, this list would not stop and, by the way, it'll all be there next year!!
With the exception of the 'Tech Week' in Weymouth in August, the following list of options is by no means hard and fast - should the majority wish to either change or substitue a site or wreck, then this can be weighed on its merits and a decision made. All we need from you guys is dates!! Do not be shy in letting us know your choices/preferences.
OK, here are the initial suggestions and dates that we came up with:
* PLYMOUTH: Any Bank Holiday (Except August);
10 to 12 divers maximum, 3 days diving, land-based, but diving off the 'MV Seeker' (the original 'MV Skin Deep') dive boat. Easy to book. Has a diver's 'lift' at the stern (happy days) and an on-board compressor. Dales has dived off her before and rates her. He also knows the Skipper. Result. There is simply rucks of good diving to be had in this neck of the woods - everything from wreck to reef, from fish to f....lipping good nights out. Miss it and you'll be sorry.
OBAN: Sound of Mull, (somewhere north of London.....)
3 days, liveaboard. Options for the choice of craft range from 'Kylebarn', Jane R', 'Gemini Storm' and the 'Dundarg'. If there are enough of us, we could awlays hire two boats.
These itineraries (post dive) invariably take in stops in some of the most beautiful 'wee ports and & harbours' in Christendon and play host to some amazing pubs - with Scottish licensing laws (Oh Happy Daze!) - and friendly folk, so our evenings should be the Nads as well. The choice of single malts on offer may see both Gav and miself decide to do 'er...just the afternoon dive for me thanks'.....
The dive sites around here take in a multitude of wrecks at varying depths, reefs, shelves, seals, big Lobbies and a raft of swims-through, arches and overhangs - so for the scenic diver we're sorted. 2 Tanx, bring yer camera mate - plenty going on and will make for a top new section on the gallery board.
WEYMOUTH:
recreational/easy diving again. 45 metres max and plenty of(at least 30-odd) hard-boats from which to choose.
In terms of wrecks to be visited, we have the 'Salsette', 'HMS Hood' (great dive, good viz and now a 'block ship' covering the Portland harbour entrance - now 'turned-turtle', her successor was sunk by the Bismarck in the Denmark Strait during WW2 during the famous sea battle) and the wreck of the sub 'M2', as well as the other block ships in the manor. Weymouth is easy for fills, accommodation and has a goodly selection of hostelries from which purchase the requisites for the following morning's hangover.
WEYMOUTH (TECH DIVING WEEK): with 'Skin Deep', 18th - 22nd August 2003
These currently are the only HARD dates booked for next year's dive calendar - the rest are up for confirmation.
Diving to 65 metres (ha, shandy drinkers!), this is for those of us that are qualified and capable of diving between 30 to 60 miles off-shore.
Price: £35.00 per person per day, plus accomodation, plus gas/mix, plus excess fuel where needed after the boat mileage 'per day' has been reached.
Given that there is an obscene amount of good wreck-diving in this bracket/distance from shore, you can be sure of a good time with a bunch of top dives to be had.
NORWAY: 1 week in June or July. 'Enjoyable Diving in the Green Waters'
Might be one that John Gulliver Esq. wants to sign-up for. Diving between 10 and 40 metres (so eminently do-able for most), you'll get some excellent wrecks, Fiords and fish here. Picture the scene: heading down the sheer-drop of a Fiord wall and seeing where it takes you and what strata and formations in to which it might take you?? Got to be a 'what next?' factor here, right?
Cost are approx £500 per person for the week, plus ferry cost from Newcastle, plus gas/mix. Please let us know in advance should you want anything other than 21% as the gas will have to booked and loaded onto the boat to take it out there well in advance. I've not done the ferry to Norway, but I've done the DFDS to Gothenberg (Sweden) and it's hoot major. The ferry wil have bars, discos (2 Tanx and me giving plenty on the dance-floor - throw your washing in!), cinema and casino. The ferry has cabins so we can get a berth for the night.....if we need it it. Some folk kip on the chairs in the muster area, so your call. Oh, and nosebag a-plenty of course.
ANGLESEY: Dates To Be Agreed.
1 to 2 days diving offshore out of Amlch (Nor/Nor-east of the island).
Similar to Trearddur Bay (the North-west of the island) in that there is an obscene amount of diving here for the novice through to the Uber-techie, though none of it massively deep at all - 60 metres (and that's going some in the trenches) being about your limit. Most of the diving on this shelf is easily above the 30 metre range - coz you can't go any deeper unless you chart (GPS with intention!) to go deeper.
We are positively spoilt here: subs, U-boats and wrecks galore (e.g. the 'Pottery wreck' - so called because of the sheer volume of pottery still on-board in about 45 metres; the 'Visgnes' in 40 to 45 metres; the 'Royal Charter' in 9 metres; the 'Torch' in 20 metres; the 'Segontuim' in 28 metres and the sub 'Resurgam' in 12 metres - though this has to be dived with permission).
And these are just some of the choices - there are frankly cart-loads to choice from. Andy Hayhurst knows of a couple that are "not in the dive books and off-chart", so we also have a few to aim at that maintain an air of mystery!
Following this, there is plenty of reef and a ton of decent shore diving to be had - most of it in pleasant pootling depth (Hobby, Dales and I did a squad of it last time we were there) of between 6 and 24 metres and so will suit just about everyone that's happy to shore dive other than the hardened deep-wreck-wallah. The fish life here is in profusion and there are some heartily big crabs and lobbies to see - I know, I've seen them.
I've never dived here when the viz is bad - usually between 5 and 12 metres, although further out (off a hrad boat) it remains about 6 metres.....still not too shabby and better than the Cape or Stoney.
The other benefit about the easy diving off Anglesey is the ease with which we can acquire accommodation, food and fills. There is a large number of boats to be chartered and it's a genuinely nice place to stay of an evening - food, pubs and gigglesworth.
ISLE OF MAN (IoM): Date TBA
If you thought the diving above is varied and well worth it, then the IoM has the monty!! Depths range to suit (between 2 and 80 metres), caves, walls, swims-through, drops-off, wrecks of all desciptions, easy drift dives......please, tell me when the fun stops!!!
Taking the ferry over there - best not to fly as your baggage allowance will mean that you're only be able to take a mask, fins and snorkel, and the fact that you'll need to leave 12 hours between your last dive and flying home (as you can dive the moment you get off the plane) -, on which we shall have a hoot masseeef, we settle into a 'friendly' dive centre - Steve that owns the place is squared away and a TDI centre to boot.
Here we can get any mix of our choosing and charter to where ever we might fancy. Oh, the restrictive practises!!
Well, I'll leave Scappa Flow, The Farne Islands, Morecambe, Barrow, The Channel Wrecks and Garstang for another posting, but if we could begin to have names in the ring for the above and a suggestion of which dates will suit, then we can get under way and begin the booking of Skippers/boats and deposit process.
Safely assume that all day-boats will have heads and tea & coffee as a minimum - some may even have full galley facilities. Those that don't have on-board compressors will allow us to take our gas from shore and stow it for us before use.
Assume also that most boats will be approx £30/35 a day, per person. There may be sundry, though not extortionate charges for fuel, but these will be flagged well in advance once the Troop begin to give numbers and dates for the various trips so we can provide a fuller 'SP' on any given trip.
So, what say you YD-ers?? Sort your live's out and get on board!! Just think, between 2 days to a week with your favourite crowd doing some of the best diving the UK has to offer and getting four-parts-Susan with the Troop in the evening into the bargain!! Convivial company, common-cause, banter that is fierce and will have you on your 'arris AND top diving!!!
I CAN'T HEAR YOU !!!!!!!!
