UK diving holliday

[DutchKees]

Hi there,

I just signed in on this forum, we are a couple from Holland. I do a bit in underwaterphotography and my wife is a writer/instructor.
I signed in on this forum because we are planning a two-week diving holliday in the South-West of the UK this summer. The plan is to travel every few days to another location to dive there. Our main interest will be to write an article in our local travel/dive magazine about the marinelife and best shoredives in this part of the UK.

Wrecks and long boattrips will not be the main interest of this trip (we are already doing a liveaboard in the Channel to satisfy my wreck-addiction :-) ).

Internet is a fantastic medium, but there is almost too much information about this region. So I would really like some info from you insiders. What are the absolute top divesites we must see? We have Lundy and the Swanage Pier already on our list, so anything in between is possible. Please help us with some good inside directions, cause on the net every spot and operator is "the best".

Looking forward to the reply's

Regards,
Kees Opstal
www.kopstal.nl

[cris]

The Lizard peninsular and the Manacles in particular are fabulous Cornish dives. Wrecks, reefs and both shore/boat diving. Yoiu could even base yourself out of Falmouth.

C

[Roz]

Hello there

If Swanage is on your list already try and dive the Kyarra. Then perhaps you might want to plan a coast meander from Swanage to Cornwall. It really is a pretty drive and does show England's green and pleasant lands at it's very best. There's a ruined castle at Corfe (near Swanage) and Portland Castle was built by Henry VIII. I think there is a really nice market in Bridport. Go and see the Cerne Abbas Giant and the Eden Project. Eat a Cornish Pasty, have a proper cream tea. If you are into cakes, then you can buy Lardy Cake in Weymouth. And a great place to eat fish and chips is straight out of the wrapper sat on a wall overlooking Weymouth Harbour. It truly is picturesque.

Walk along Chesil Beach (Barnes Wallis tested the Bouncing Bomb here) and then shore dive it afterwards. A bit of a challenging walk after you have dived, depending on what you are wearing. Have a picnic at Lulworth Cove and perhaps do a shore dive there. Walk around the corner and look at Durdle Door. That's diveable from the shore, it just hurts a lot as you carry your kit up the hill afterwards. Kimmeridge is very very shallow and you have to fin for what seems like ages to get any depth of any kind, but it's pretty. As you cross the bridge from Weymouth into Portland you'll see "The Ferry Bridge" on the right hand side. This is where Fathom and Blues are based and you can dive beneath the Ferry Bridge.

As Cris said, Cornwall is storming diving. On the way, I'd try and dive out of Lyme Bay, either with Doug of Blue Turtle fame http://www.blueturtle.uk.com/ or John Walker http://www.lymeregisdivecharter.co.uk/Johnwalker_survey_sampling_filming.htm They can certainly advise you on good trips.

Out of Plymouth you have Steve Wright and Seeker http://www.wrightys-charters.co.uk/ Don't be put off by his website. He's a very capable and safe skipper. Or you could consider Danny Daniels http://www.discoverydivers.org/ As you meander around Lyme Bay you have Divers Down near Babbacombe/Torquay http://www.diversdown.co.uk/

In Falmouth are Cornish Divers http://www.cornishdiving.co.uk/

Email all these dive centres and let them know what you are thinking of doing and ask for their advice. The skippers are fantastic and the two dive centres (Babacome and Cornish Divers) should be able to point you in the right direction. AP Valves/Ambient Pressure Diving are based in Helston. If you contact them in advance, I think you can have a tour of the factory, but don't take my word for it.

I hope that you have the most amazing weather and a special and memorable trip. Please let us know how you get on. Any one else out there got some top tourist tips of "things I must do" on the South Coast?

[Ron MacRae]

Kees,
You must do the James Egan Layne out of Plymouth. On a sunny day it's one of the most atmospheric wreck dives with the sun shining through the ribs of the hull. And the life on the wreck is stunning. As you're there you might as well do the Scylla too. Not as good but relatively pristeen as it's only been down a few years.

Also, with your surname, what about the Alex Van Opstal as one of your wreck dives. It's also up there with the best of the wreck dives. You can do this off hardboats out of Weymouth and probably Swanage.

Ron.

[Eddie Clamp]

Hi there,

I just signed in on this forum, we are a couple from Holland. I do a bit in underwaterphotography and my wife is a writer/instructor.
I signed in on this forum because we are planning a two-week diving holliday in the South-West of the UK this summer. The plan is to travel every few days to another location to dive there. Our main interest will be to write an article in our local travel/dive magazine about the marinelife and best shoredives in this part of the UK.
Looking forward to the reply's

Regards,
Kees Opstal
www.kopstal.nl


Hi Kees

I see the advice is starting to come in :). Haven't dived around the West Country for some years so any advice from me would be well out of date :rolleyes:

However, I am very interested in your forthcoming article. We here in BSAC Travel get very few reports on diving around the UK. Loads from outside the UK. So would be very interested in your article if you would consider giving permission for it to be replicated as a BSAC Travel report after it is published.

South West "where to dive" section is here: http://www.bsac.com/divelocations.asp?itemid=1921&itemTitle=England%2C+South+West&section=1251&sectionTitle=UK
You will find links to some of the earlier UK trip reports there.

Have a great holiday.

[DutchKees]

Fantastic advice already. Thanks a lot.

@Eddie: ofcourse :) , I will keep you informed.

Greetings,
Kees

[Steve Summers]

Hi Kees,

some great options above I would go with those for sure, with the addition of the Valentine tanks in Studland bay a cracking shallow dive with some great photo opportunities. I had a picture of me taken hovering over the gun barrel and I was almost obscured by bib. I went from Swanage pier but believe they go out from Poole as well.

Enjoy.

[SoggyBottoms]

Out of Teignmouth you have the Bretagne and the Galicia - both have plenty of life and opportunity for scalloping at the right time of the year. Teignmouth has a recommended pasty shop

Salcombe is a superb pretty yachty town that gives access to the Maine and Riversdale. The Maine is one of my favourite dives - good fairly intact and plenty of life. The Riversdale and the Skaala will stretch your limits on air.

Out of Plymouth, if the Weather God is very good to you, Eddystone and Hands Deep offer excellent sea life

hth, SB

[Mike Smith]

Why stop at Cornwall? Had a most excellent trip to the Isles of Scilly last year.