Diving equipment

[mitachu]

I'm wanting to dive in the UK more as I've only ever dived in either Stoney Cove, the Maldives or Australia. However, I don't have a lot of storage at home at the moment (no garage!!) and also, perhaps more importantly, I keep being told by people that diving in the UK is very hard and - to be frank - a lot of effort for very little reward.

My question is..... Is it worth me starting to buy expensive equipment like a drysuit so I can dive in the UK (I live in the Midlands so I'm a fair drive from the sea :( ) and struggle with storage or do I just stick to diving abroad?
If I *did* get a drysuit I'd be best off getting a membrane one as I'm assuming that they dry a lot quicker than neoprene ones and would therefore be a lot easier to store - is this correct?

[Gordon]

Yes it's definitely worth bothering with, and you don't really need a lot of space to store your kit (to start with - it will grow and eventually take over your house...) - but all of mine lives in my room at uni, (along with a tuba) which isn't a huge room.
Whatever you do, don't get put off if you jump into stoney and start questioning why you want to dive in this country! Its all about the sea.

G

[dwgle]

I would question anyone who claims that UK diving has little reward. Yes there is a little more effort involved, you have to look after your own kit, transport it around, get it serviced, filled, repaired etc.

However, there is life and wrecks aplenty in UK waters. Everything to satisfy divers of all interests and skills. The advantage of diving regularly in the UK (if you live here) is more time underwater doing what you love. Get yourself into the sea!

I dive in a membrane dry suit. This is because whilst learning to dive i had the opportunity to try lots of different types and i prefered it over the neoprene kind. They both take up the same amount of space.

D

[Maria CM]

I prefer membrane.

best wishes,

Maria

[Turtle Dude]

I've only ever dived in either Stoney Cove, the Maldives or Australia.
Nice contrast!

However, I don't have a lot of storage at home at the moment (no garage!!) and also, perhaps more importantly, I keep being told by people that diving in the UK is very hard and - to be frank - a lot of effort for very little reward.

My question is..... Is it worth me starting to buy expensive equipment like a drysuit so I can dive in the UK (I live in the Midlands so I'm a fair drive from the sea :( ) and struggle with storage or do I just stick to diving abroad?
If I *did* get a drysuit I'd be best off getting a membrane one as I'm assuming that they dry a lot quicker than neoprene ones and would therefore be a lot easier to store - is this correct?
The amount of equipment can depend on who you are diving with, your club or association or school - if they have loan tanks etc. Then it can cut down your own equipment. A dry suit, BCD, reg and fins can all be got in one bag and stored under a bed. it is the tanks that take up the most space (and not easily stored above a wardrobe!)

Getting a drysuit depends on when, how and where you are diving - I used to happily dive a lot in warmer months in the UK with a wet suit. The dry suit was/is for colder months and if I was going to spend quite a bit of time wet out of the water (e.g. on a RIB in between dives).

Why not borrow, or hire a wet suit, in summer months and try out some UK sea dives before spening lots of money on an expensive drysuit.

[Steve Knight]

My question is..... Is it worth me starting to buy expensive equipment like a drysuit so I can dive in the UK (I live in the Midlands so I'm a fair drive from the sea :( )

I live in the Midlands however I consider myself close to every sea;) so go for it

Steve K

[northern_diver]

some lovely dives in land and coastal in britian, as someone says something to suit all needs. a drysuit is really nice but then again for the diving season months its possible to dive happily with a semi-dry and manybe a shorty on top for extra warmth. depends on the diver really though.

britian definatly has the dive sites and really, bottom line is its only a little efford and it is our hobbie.

regards ad safe diving,
john

[C Forrest]

Is it worth me starting to buy expensive equipment like a drysuit so I can dive in the UK (I live in the Midlands so I'm a fair drive from the sea :( ) and struggle with storage or do I just stick to diving abroad?

It's definitely worth it - and the space issue can always be resolved!
My boyfriend and I both dive, and we've recently managed to get both sets of our diving kit, 3x single tanks and 2x twinsets, into a tiny space at the top of the cellar stairs - albeit every now and again we have to mount an expedition to the bottom to rescue an escaped fin....:rolleyes:

[Ben Panter]

If you'd like to see whether UK diving is worth the effort I'd suggest getting the 'Go Diving' DVD from HQ - it's free, and gives some lovely footage of diving around our shores!

If you can find yourself a local friendly club they'll be able to introduce you to some great sites.

Good luck!

Ben

[Janos]

Diving in the UK is superb. If I had to choose one country to live in for the diving then the UK would be it.

Re: Small flats, I used to keep my dive kit in my girlfriends flat in SE London. I used to wash it in the bath, then hang it up in a room with a dehumidifier going full pelt. It was bone dry the next day.

Janos

[Att23]

definitely worth diving in the UK especially around the coast! As a member of Stafford Dive club, we also not exactly close to the sea but we still manage it quite often.
Im currently at Uni and although my room is not particually small trying to wash and dry kit after a trip is a right pain! However the advantages of having certain pieces of your own kit, such as bcd, regs and a suit out weigh the pain in looking after it. I store mine in a dive bag in the corner of my room and its fine.
As for a suit, I have dived in a semi dry now for 2 years, and for most of it, I havent had a problem, esspecially during the summer months, a quarry in north wales at the begining of April was always a bit of a shock to the system though!!! :eek: No got a drysuit so its all fine :D
I would say hire a semi dry to try it out and see how you feel before you spend a lot of money on a drysuit.

[northern_diver]

this months diver or one of the 3 main mags has an interesting and IMO useful equipment guide you might find useful if you want gear. in the end i follow the idea of "get the best you can afford" and disregard shiney toys over good gear, even if its old.

best of luck mitachu,
john

[mitachu]

Thanks for the replies. I contacted BSAC HQ and got sent a free copy of the 'Go Diving' DVD and watched it the other night. Wow, is all I can say! Not only on the fact that this DVD was totally free but also for the professional content, quality, presenting and general feel-good-I-want-to-go-diving sensation it gives. I am definately in the mind that there's good diving out there, especially that recent wreck sunk off the south coast (I forget the name now though... something like the Syrll?) that I would LOVE to dive.

I've done several dives in a semidry and found those fine although they were in Stoney so I imagine the sea is a touch colder.

[Janos]

Thanks for the replies. I contacted BSAC HQ and got sent a free copy of the 'Go Diving' DVD and watched it the other night. Wow, is all I can say! Not only on the fact that this DVD was totally free but also for the professional content, quality, presenting and general feel-good-I-want-to-go-diving sensation it gives. I am definately in the mind that there's good diving out there, especially that recent wreck sunk off the south coast (I forget the name now though... something like the Syrll?) that I would LOVE to dive.

I've done several dives in a semidry and found those fine although they were in Stoney so I imagine the sea is a touch colder.

It is a good DVD. And when it's good. UK diving is really, really good.

The wreck off Plymouth is called the Scylla, and it is a fun dive.

Janos

[PeteM]

I've done several dives in a semidry and found those fine although they were in Stoney so I imagine the sea is a touch colder.

Depends on the time of year, but except of late summer the sea tends to be warmer than Stoney (at least on the south coast)