OP
DrSpacemanMD
Registered
Yeah i think I will just give it a miss if for no other reason than I don't want to end up spending money to dive in the green.
Diving in Scotland
- Thread starter DrSpacemanMD
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
There are some excellent diving in Scotland.
If you are likely to have a return visit, then you could take this opportunity to do a little research.
If you are likely to have the opportunity to stay longer in the future, then you should also look at Orkney, I.e. Scapa Flow.
I would suggest that you gain as much experience as you can with your drysuit, the majority of UK diving is dry suit diving, if you do get to dive in the UK you will be better prepared.
Gareth
If you are likely to have a return visit, then you could take this opportunity to do a little research.
If you are likely to have the opportunity to stay longer in the future, then you should also look at Orkney, I.e. Scapa Flow.
I would suggest that you gain as much experience as you can with your drysuit, the majority of UK diving is dry suit diving, if you do get to dive in the UK you will be better prepared.
Gareth
Captain Swoop
Contributor
Visibility is best but you need to wrap up warm. For example sea temp off Scarborough up to Tynemouth is 9.4 today.
You mean it is still warm
You might need Deep Specialty for couple of relatively deeper wrecks!
If it was one of the AOW adventures, it's not the full specialty.
I don't even get that in the summer!
You said wrecks? Uh, then the wreck specialty also needed. And assuming the dive is by boat, I hope they have boat diving card as well!
Whilst I agree you will need proof of qualification if you are hiring a Drysuit, you will probably not need to show a qualification card for boat diving IF you can show logged experience. Similarly, as long as the sites proposed are within your qualification, you will probably not need to show a deep speciality car. I would confirm this in advance.
HOWEVER, also be aware that a lot of British diving INCLUDES COMPULSARY decompression. The BSAC and SSA diving qualifications include rescue in the core qualifications, and from Sports Diver (BSAC) dives requiring decompression stops are allowed.
If you do get the opportunity to dive Scapa, take it. But also be aware;
The larger ships are sitting in water between 42m and 18m deep. Granted they are on there sides. The block shis are generally 20m dives, however this is in very tidal water.
Any UK diving it is strongly recommended that you carry and can use a DSMB.
Gareth
HOWEVER, also be aware that a lot of British diving INCLUDES COMPULSARY decompression. The BSAC and SSA diving qualifications include rescue in the core qualifications, and from Sports Diver (BSAC) dives requiring decompression stops are allowed.
If you do get the opportunity to dive Scapa, take it. But also be aware;
The larger ships are sitting in water between 42m and 18m deep. Granted they are on there sides. The block shis are generally 20m dives, however this is in very tidal water.
Any UK diving it is strongly recommended that you carry and can use a DSMB.
Gareth
admikar
Contributor
Captain Swoop
Contributor
The OP has 7 dives and is on the OW/AOW track. That puts Scapa a long way away in diving terms.
If that is a real aim then he needs to get a good deal of coldish water diving, be totally comfortable in a drysuit, using a DSMB, midwater ascents without a visual reference and possibly somewhat sporting surface conditions.
Although the deepest sites are 45m the tops of those wrecks are 20ish so a multilevel profile can avoid much deco while still being a very worthwhile dive. You would still want a twinset so some experience of that would be good.
Because of the depths and potential deco using an appropriate Nitrox mix is helpful. It may be the case that you choose one with an MOD shallower than the bottom, so good buoyancy control is required.
We had a club trip there back in October. The water was a toasty 14C, vis was 10 to 15m and everyone had fun. We had a mix of people doing just no stop dives through to people doing 40 minute ascents. Having said that the people doing no stop dives were qualified and able to do deco, but just are not into it.
The most important thing would be to be on a boat doing appropriate dives, with an available buddy who wants to do the same sort of profiles as you. To get on such a trip talk to the boats, explain your situation and get setup with a club or shop already running one. Keep in mind that pretty much nobody is going to want a complete unknown as a buddy there, so bringing your own or doing some dives with them beforehand is best.
See MV-Valkyrie | Taking diving to a higher latitude. for a very good boat, and http://www.purpleturtlediving.com/scapa-23rd-to-29th-of-september-2017/ for a commercially run trip on that boat aimed at an appropriate level. My son does bubblemaker with Purple Turtle and I can recommend them without reservation.
If that is a real aim then he needs to get a good deal of coldish water diving, be totally comfortable in a drysuit, using a DSMB, midwater ascents without a visual reference and possibly somewhat sporting surface conditions.
Although the deepest sites are 45m the tops of those wrecks are 20ish so a multilevel profile can avoid much deco while still being a very worthwhile dive. You would still want a twinset so some experience of that would be good.
Because of the depths and potential deco using an appropriate Nitrox mix is helpful. It may be the case that you choose one with an MOD shallower than the bottom, so good buoyancy control is required.
We had a club trip there back in October. The water was a toasty 14C, vis was 10 to 15m and everyone had fun. We had a mix of people doing just no stop dives through to people doing 40 minute ascents. Having said that the people doing no stop dives were qualified and able to do deco, but just are not into it.
The most important thing would be to be on a boat doing appropriate dives, with an available buddy who wants to do the same sort of profiles as you. To get on such a trip talk to the boats, explain your situation and get setup with a club or shop already running one. Keep in mind that pretty much nobody is going to want a complete unknown as a buddy there, so bringing your own or doing some dives with them beforehand is best.
See MV-Valkyrie | Taking diving to a higher latitude. for a very good boat, and http://www.purpleturtlediving.com/scapa-23rd-to-29th-of-september-2017/ for a commercially run trip on that boat aimed at an appropriate level. My son does bubblemaker with Purple Turtle and I can recommend them without reservation.
Similar threads
