Plan Your Dive Trip web site launched

[Jay_Benson]

Ashbourne Sub Aqua Club are launching a new web site for divers to help them gather the information that they need when organising dive trips around the UK and Eire. The web site details as many of the dive charters, air stations, recompression chambers, launch and mooring points, tourist information offices etc. as we can find.

The web site is Plan Your Dive Trip (www.planyourdivetrip.co.uk) - Home

If there are other businesses / organisations such as diver friendly bunk houses, B&Bs, launch points etc. that you use with please let us know - the more information there is for an area the better for everyone. These can be added through the website on the right hand side of the home page (Add Missing Entry) or via info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk (info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk).

There are two groups of people that the web site should be of interest to - firstly, clubs that are planning dive trips and so will need to have access to air stations, RIB launch points, places to get information about accommodation, recompression chambers, tide information etc. The second group is individual or small group that is looking for a dive charter but will need air / accommodation etc as well.

If you have any comments about the web site and how it can be improved then please let us know - we want this web site to be the first place people go to when they are planning a dive trip.

Something I should add - we are working our way around the country putting in launch points and have yet to put any up for Scotland, North Wales or North West England - these should be complete in the next couple of weeks or so.

Many thanks

Jay

[Brett Parker]

Hi Jay,

just had a quick look and it looks good.

Will have to spend some time and go through it and if I see anything will let you know but looks like a great effort and resource.

Time will tell.

[sijomon]

Excellent work - well done and thanks :)

I would suggest that you also add dive locations not related to launches or charters i.e. inland and shore sites. These probably don't apply to your stated demographic though, so maybe these have be purposfully left out.

[Jay_Benson]

Excellent work - well done and thanks :)

I would suggest that you also add dive locations not related to launches or charters i.e. inland and shore sites. These probably don't apply to your stated demographic though, so maybe these have be purposfully left out.

I haven't deliberately left out inland sites - these tend to have compressors and so get onto the site as air stations.

I'm glad you like the site - I am just finishing off the launch and moorings section and will be moving on to accommodation recommended by divers as diver friendly - this is in addition to the tourist information centre side that is there already.

After that I hope to put dive shops up and especially shops that hire out equipment. Webcams have also been mentioned and I have linked to another site that loads there already.

I guess that this is always going to be a work in progress - i just need to maintain it now!

[Edward]

I guess that this is always going to be a work in progress - i just need to maintain it now!

And that's where the time and effort in the long term is required and where most like sites have failed.

Regards

[Jay_Benson]

Hi Jay,

just had a quick look and it looks good.

Will have to spend some time and go through it and if I see anything will let you know but looks like a great effort and resource.

Time will tell.

Glad you like the site - there is going to be ongoing development on the site so that there will be diver friendly accommodation, dive shops, dive kit hire, etc to complete the picture. I would like to get clubs onto the sites at some point but that is to be decided yet.

If there is any information that I am missing - including complete categories then feel free to get in contact with me via info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk. I know that I would like to have more links to club and shop websites that have dive site information on them and I am sure that I have only scratched the surface of the books list that should be there. As I say - please drop me a line.

Thanks

Jay

[Jay_Benson]

And that's where the time and effort in the long term is required and where most like sites have failed.

Regards

Very true - time will tell. A couple of the strengths that this site has is that it is very easy to add, amend, remove details and there is not just one person behind the site. O

One thing that would help is if clubs could link to the site.

[davebarber]

Nice website but ultimately its only as good as the content

You need to rework your launch sites on the Lizard.

St Anthony, Porthallow and Coverack aren't viable they actually ban divers.

Polkerris, Porthhoustock and Kennack are the obvious choices they welcome divers.

[Jay_Benson]

Nice website but ultimately its only as good as the content

You need to rework your launch sites on the Lizard.

St Anthony, Porthallow and Coverack aren't viable they actually ban divers.

Polkerris, Porthhoustock and Kennack are the obvious choices they welcome divers.

Dave

Thanks for that - as you say - only as good as the content. I will update the site this evening. Is there any reason for the ban on divers or is that a can of worms that doesn't need reopening?

Sorted Porthoustock and Kennack. If anyone has any more details about these launch points they would be appreciated. Polkerris is already there.

I can be contacted on info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk

[Jay_Benson]

The site has been updated to include launch points and mooring facilities on the east coast of Scotland - the west coast is coming along and will be added very soon together with North Wales and the North West of England.

Also the recompression chamber at Craigavon in Northern Ireland is now included for the first time.

[Ron MacRae]

The site has been updated to include launch points and mooring facilities on the east coast of Scotland - the west coast is coming along and will be added very soon together with North Wales and the North West of England.

Also the recompression chamber at Craigavon in Northern Ireland is now included for the first time.

Jay,
A very impressive site. Keep up the good work..

Ron.

[Jay_Benson]

Thanks for that Ron.

There are further sets of information that we are working on and these will get added in due course.

We are always on the look out for updates to the site - new charters / air stations / dive friendly accommodation etc as well as the deletion of places that have ceased trading - the lists need to be up to date to be useful. If there are updates then there is a page on the website for that sort of thing or I can be contacted at this email address (info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk)

[Mikey Dubb]

This looks awesome! Especialy for a noob like myself with no knowledge of sites!..Great stuff!

[Jay_Benson]

Just a quick update.

I have completed the first wave of the launch and mooring points around the Great Britain - is there any demand for similar for Ireland / the Isle of Man / Isles of Scilly etc? As I say it is the first wave and there is going to be a second run round the coast as I am sure that there must be a large number I have missed - if anyone has any they know of please let me know - particularly for the east coast of England (Lincolnshire / Yorkshire mainly) which seems to be sparsely populated with slips etc.

If anyone has any comments about the site please let me know - if there are any air stations / launch points etc that are missing please drop me a line at info@planyourdivetrip.co.uk or via the website Plan Your Dive Trip - Home (www.planyourdivetrip.co.uk)

[Jay_Benson]

Well we are currently sat at 348 air stations, 187 charter operations, 306 launch points (of which 134 have mooring facilities) and last but not least 28 recompression facilites.

We are hoping to reach 350 air stations this week and 200 charters companies soon as well - we would have got their already but as we find out that places / opersations have stopped trading we take them off the list.

If anyone has information about missing listings or if any have ceased trading then please let me know either through the website, the email address as above or through a PM.

Cheers

Jay

[Paul Burgess]

Looks like a useful site.

If you could add trimix functionality, that would be very useful as it is the hardest of gas supplies to get - especially if you could use it as a search filter.

[Jay_Benson]

Paul

Glad you like the start that we have made - it is just that, a start.

I will have to have a think about how this can be done. If it can be done it may be that it has to be split into air only / air and nitrox / air, nitrox and trimix - this may be possible by adding some more colours but I would like to avoid too many as they become hard to distinguish easily.

When I have figured out the best way of doing it (and have done it) be assured that I will let everyone know!

Cheers

Jay

[Jay_Benson]

We have split the air stations out so that you can select air only (listed as air station), air and nitrox (listed as air and nitrox stations) and trimix, nitrox and air (listed as air, nitrox and trimix stations). Hopefully this will make chasing down the gas you are after easier - they are all yellow flags on the maps.

As always if there are air stations that we have missed please let us know and if any have closed down likewise - we aim to have the most up to date and comprehensive database available of air stations, charters and launch points.


As an aside we have listed 188 air only stations, 95 nitrox stations and 65 trimix stations - a total of 348 gas stations all told. Where I don't know the gases supplied the default is air only.

[Jay_Benson]

Just a quick update to let people know that I have been through the charter list and corrected them - there was a problem with some of the links having a space after them and this translates as something like "%20" at the end of the URL and as a result the browser wouldn't find the link. Anyway I have corrected all of the errors. I think. If there are any errors then please let me know and I will address those as well.

[Jay_Benson]

Well, we have reached a milestone of sorts. We now have 350 air stations of various sorts listed. The actual breakdown of listings is:

Air and Nitrox 96
Air Only 187
Air, Nitrox & Trimix 67

Charters 189

Launch & Moorings 134
Launch 172

Recompression Pots 28

Accommodation 4

We are obviously looking for a lot more accommodation that is diver friendly - so if you have a favourite (or more than one) please drop me a line either through the website or by PM. The accommodation can be camping, bunkhouses, B&Bs hotels - anything as long as they are diver friendly.

As ever companies come and companies go, so if there is a link that doesn't work please let me know, if there is a new company starting up or expanding their services then I am happy to add them. Normally I can get the changes done within 24 hours.

If there are any sections that you think need adding to help the dive trip planning process go more smoothly then please let me know.

[Jay_Benson]

Well as the nights draw in I am starting to build up a file of new entries to add in a new section - boat chandlers - work has started building the list but they are yet to go live. Initially this will be purely around the coast starting at Cornwall and then working my way round the coast - clockwise probably for a change - later I will add inland chandlers. As always if you have a favourite then let me know and I will add it to the system sooner rather than later. Details such as website, email etc are a good start.

I am still looking for more filling stations around the country - plus new charters etc. If there are places to stay that people would recommend as diver friendly then that is especially welcome as that section is a little sparce at the moment - there are a few in the Seahouses area of the country but precious few elsewhere - OK one in Wales and one in Scotland! Apparently you lot don't sleep anywhere else which would explain why our club had to go for cottages at megabucks on our last trip.

[ChristianG]

I am starting to build up a file of new entries to add in a new section - boat chandlers
I assume, Jay, that that is the same as a ship's chandler? "Boat Chandler" smacks to me of a boat broker type of entity (also very useful but not the same type of thing) but I acknowledge that I could well be wrong. I love Ship's Chandlers, they have lots of stuff of use in the SCUBA diving fraternity but they are often ignored by that same fraternity - sadly so.

[allen]

I am still looking for more filling stations around the country

If you look at the planning section of the Totnes website http://www.totnes-bsac.co.uk/menuplan.html under "extra information" there's a list of what we think are the current commercial (i.e. not club based) filling stations in Devon and Cornwall

[GaryC]

I assume, Jay, that that is the same as a ship's chandler? "Boat Chandler" smacks to me of a boat broker type of entity (also very useful but not the same type of thing) but I acknowledge that I could well be wrong. I love Ship's Chandlers, they have lots of stuff of use in the SCUBA diving fraternity but they are often ignored by that same fraternity - sadly so.

I think in the UK the term Boat Chandler is probably more used than Ship's Chandler. Yacht Chandler is also used. Why? probably because of the large amount of inland Chandlers next to lakes or rivers, where you would never ever get a ship. There is also a fairly big canal network that now serves the leisure industry and there are plenty of associated Chandlery outlets.

I also like chandlers as they do stuff for divers but also for RIBs.

Gary

[Jay_Benson]

If it reduces the arguments I am prepared to call them "water going vessals with one pointy end and one blunt end chandlers". If that helps. Of course I may abbreviate that to WGVWOPEAOBE chandlers.:D

[Mike Halligan]

A possible asset for your listing -

We experienced exceptional standards of craftsmanship and service in repairs to the hull of our RHIB from Brian Farrell at 1st Class Fibreglass Solutions Co Ltd, Wallasey, Wirral

www.fibreglasswirral.co.uk

[Jay_Benson]

A possible asset for your listing -

We experienced exceptional standards of craftsmanship and service in repairs to the hull of our RHIB from Brian Farrell at 1st Class Fibreglass Solutions Co Ltd, Wallasey, Wirral

www.fibreglasswirral.co.uk

Thanks for the listing - I will add it when we have got the new WGVWOPEAOBE chandlers category added - hopefully later this week when I have given our techno whizz kid a nudge.

[GaryC]

The site has an entry for York called AMK diving. AMK have ceased to exist for at least 10 years. You might want to check where the information came from.

Is there any chance of having Club Air Stations listed. I know there are issues over selling air but clubs normally supply it and users can give a donation to the club. Our club often will often approach other clubs for air especially diving inland sites like the lake district.

Gary

[Jay_Benson]

The site has an entry for York called AMK diving. AMK have ceased to exist for at least 10 years. You might want to check where the information came from.

Is there any chance of having Club Air Stations listed. I know there are issues over selling air but clubs normally supply it and users can give a donation to the club. Our club often will often approach other clubs for air especially diving inland sites like the lake district.

Gary


AMK have now been removed - thanks for the information.

As regards the club air station position I am happy to list them - Ilfracombe and Caithness are listed - however they are listed under the normal air station system. I try to give details about when places are open if I can get hold of them. If clubs want to be listed please let me know and I will add them very happily - the same applies to charters (there is at least one club that raises money for their club by offering dive charter style facilities).

[Jay_Benson]

I have just been on a VHF-DSC radio course organised by that fine chap, Woz. No honestly, he is a fine chap.

Whist on the course I realised that I had missed a trick when doing the Coastguard section. This has now been beefed up. All of the Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centres are listed including their operational area and MMSI numbers.

I have to say that the VHF course was very good and I would whole heartedly recommend it. Thanks Woz.

[Douglas C]

Port Edgar marina in South Queensferry now has air & nitrox fills available.
This is as a result of the merger between FYM and Bosun's Locker.
Chandlery and boat repairs etc are available here too.http://www.fym.co.uk/bosuns%20and%20fym%20merger/bosuns%20fym%20merger.htm
Douglas

[Jay_Benson]

Port Edgar marina in South Queensferry now has air & nitrox fills available.
This is as a result of the merger between FYM and Bosun's Locker.
Chandlery and boat repairs etc are available here too.http://www.fym.co.uk/bosuns%20and%20fym%20merger/bosuns%20fym%20merger.htm
Douglas


Both air station and chandlery added. Many thanks for the information.

[Jay_Benson]

No doubt you and your clubs will be planning your dive trips for the coming year if you haven't actually done them so there is now some more information to help you out if the boat gets poorly when you are on the trip. I have added in those chandlers that I can find in Yellow Pages (I am a bit of a tart when it comes to gathering information as I will accept it from anywhere as long as it looks like it is still there [so if the website is down they don't get mentioned as I assume that they have folded]) from Cornwall and Devon up the west coast up to the Scottish border. There are some holes in the data there - some of them are huge and are just waiting for your favourite chandlers to be added with information received from your good selves.

Anyway, as always I will make my plea for more data from you good people - the site is only as good as the data and I will keep it up to date with the information I receive. One thing that would be good would be some commentary about the launch points and whether they are useable at all states of the tide - where I have information it will be added as a comment.

Have fun using the site and have fun planning your trips (and actually getting in the water).

[Jay_Benson]

It is the new year and so I thought it about time that we checked the current status of the orgainsations on the web site to make sure that they were still going - unfortunately there were a few that haven't survived so have been removed from the site. there have been a number of corrections made and services expanded in a number of cases.

The numbers of each type currently are:

Accommodation 20

Air Stations 185
Air and Nitrox Stations 101
Air, Nitrox & Trimix 69 .............Total Air Stations 355

Chandlers 55

Charters 193

Coastguards 20

Launching & mooring 134
Launching 173

Recompression Chambers 28

I have managed to fill in a bit of the Norfolk coast with a launch point but the east coast of England is still looking pretty hard to launch a boat from so more launch points would be welcome.

[Vic]

The numbers of each type currently are:

We used to have a lot of that information on the BSAC Wiki, but that seems to have disappeared :-(

Vic.

[Jay_Benson]

We used to have a lot of that information on the BSAC Wiki, but that seems to have disappeared :-(

Vic.
We didn't steal it. Honest, guvn'r.

We built this database up from a number of sources over the last 18 months or so and I have to say one of the things that I wasn't expecting was the turnover of shops. A lot of the organisations that we identified initially had ceased trading or weren't verifiable before we went live so didn't make the live version. With all of the these things it is all well and good getting them set up - it is the maintenance that is the drag - and out of date information is worse than useless as you, the customer, may rely on it.

I spend some time each week expanding the database and maintaining that which we already have - this last week saw our first mass mailing of the organisations on the database asking them to reverify their data. That process saw a number of organisation knocked off the list but a few more came on as well and there were some that have expanded their services.

I am always on the look out for new places to get gas, stay, launch boats from, get a charter place etc but I have to rely on the diving community to help this keep moving forward. So if you have any information then it will be gratefully received - this can be a closure or an opening.

[Vic]

We didn't steal it. Honest, guvn'r.

No, of course not. I in no way intended to imply you had; I was just bemoaning the loss of what was, for a time, a very valuable resource.

So if you have any information then it will be gratefully received - this can be a closure or an opening.

Sadly not. I have not had anything to do with this server for quite some time now, and I no longer hold any database backups.

Vic.

[Jay_Benson]

No, of course not. I in no way intended to imply you had; I was just bemoaning the loss of what was, for a time, a very valuable resource.



Sadly not. I have not had anything to do with this server for quite some time now, and I no longer hold any database backups.

Vic.

Vic - I should have put ;) after my post to indicate that I was trying to be humerous - sorry. :rolleyes:

There is still something of the old BSAC database left somewhere on this site - I keep bumping into it as I trawl the web for new locations - when I come across it I dig in as far as possible and resurrect the information (after checking that it is still up to date).

[Vic]

I should have put ;) after my post to indicate that I was trying to be humerous

I got that - I just wanted to make sure no-one reading the thread got the wrong end of the stick. It's quite unbelievable how often two people chatting on the Intertubes are seen to be having some sort of row by a third party...

There is still something of the old BSAC database left somewhere on this site - I keep bumping into it as I trawl the web for new locations - when I come across it I dig in as far as possible and resurrect the information (after checking that it is still up to date).

Most of it will be out-of-date; for a while, we had quite a vibrant wiki in parts, but from the moment it was decommissioned, the real-time stuff (the sort of thing we're discussing) will inherently be useless. C'est la guerre...

Vic.

[Jay_Benson]

Site updated - unfortunately due a number of businesses folding.