Has Any-One Dived Scapa Flow?

[flw]

Flw :

What was the diving outside the flow like? I would have loved to have done some scenic diving aswell as the wrecks. I've been told that the visibility is much better outside the flow, than inside, was this the case for you? When i was there we had an average of 6m visibility, and it was quite dark, kind of like diving the sound of Mull. I suggested to the other people on the boat that we could maybe try diving one of the block ships, to which they replied "we don't do shallow dives." What amused me was that they were using twin 12ltr cylinders on their backs, aswell as two side mounted 10ltr tanks, and despite their apparant display of "techie mania" (which would apparantly be more for show than anything else,) they dived exactly the same profile as myself and my girlfriend, i was using a single 15ltr tank and a pony, and my partner was using a single 12ltr tank! It would appear that in the UK at least, the "techie" look has become a fashion accesory for the alledgedly "serious diver," rather than a statement of a divers proficiency or experience.

The visibility outside of the Flow is generally much better than inside it. There are loads of good wrecks to dive, although generally they are much smaller than those inside, and very few are naval. A really good week is to plan on spending most of the week outside, and tie up at night in a different harbour/pub - Westray and Stronsay in particular are good, a lot of the wrecks are around the 40m mark, but some of the prettiest, like the Endeavor off Kirkwall is in 26m - that way you also get a good night in the Indian in Kirkwall. Scenic diving is ok. some nice caves off Copinsay, but generally I think Oban is better.
I agree on the 'techie' thing, Scapa is fine for all levels, the best wreck in the Flow is the Tabarka in 15m, upside down in a hoar of a tide, get dropped off 150m uptide on 'slack' by the time you're down you'll be pretty much on the wreck, wriggle inside one of the many holes, and spend a happy hour in one of the most cathedral like wrecks ever - if you let me have a valid email I'll send you a couple of pictures a friend took of them. You do tend to see a lot of divers over-kitted and of questionable ability there, particulalry early in the year, there are incidents almost every week. twin 12's and 2 sidemounts is excessive, on the cruisers twin 10's and 30% nitrox is enough to give you all the time you want/need. The Markgraf is only 46m, so again twin 10's is fine and one sidemount. Having said all that, if we've been weathered out of our diving out of the Flow, then we've managed to dive the Tabarka in twin 12's and trimix rebreathers before, simply because they are ready to dive.
I'm looking forward to May, as we're hoping to dive the U297 and U18, but they both need good weather so fingers crossed.
Fi