info requested

[uwhooligan]

Hi
Im going to be returning to the UK from Canada for yet another family visit in May and am thinking of squeezing in a dive or two. Curious as to any 'convienient' diving in the locations I'll be frequenting. I'll be staying primarily near the M25 / A3 Wisey interchange and will quite likely be closest to the coast when I visit friends near Bristol and Bracklesham. So my question is threefold , is there any inland diving near southwest London (quarries canals etc?) Any diving at all around Bristol ? (my friend who lives there , nondiver, reckons the silt from the river makes it not worth thinking about, I thought i'd ask those more in the know) and any near Chitchester ? Specifially I prefer sportdives on or about shipwrecks, nothing crazy.
cheers

 

[Adrian Kelland]

uwhooligan

There is inland diving at Wraysbury, never down it myself.

You won't be far from Littlehampton or Poole if based at Wisley

Bristol diving - forget it, there are inland sites at Chepstow (the National Dive Centre) and Vobster. You could spend a couple of hours driving and get to Weymouth/Portland or Plymouth, HMS Scylla should be sunk by then, our first artificial reef.

The only boat I know of in Chichester is Eclipse. Not used it myself, but I understand the skipper is highly rated.

Littlehampton boats
Plymouth boats
Weymouth boats Poole boats

The links should help with any kit hire as well.

Watch your timing though, the 2 Bank Holidays can be very busy.

Adrian

 

[Rage]

Hi UWHooligan.

There is Wraysbury which is SW of London, a few mins drive from Heathrow Airport. Its a shallow fresh water lake with a a clay / muddy bottom. I rate it as a training ground. See: www.wraysbury.ws

Near Chichester there is Dive-Eclipse (www.dive-eclipse.co.uk) and Wittering Divers (www.witteringdivers.co.uk). Both are are about 15 mins drive from Chichester & have an online booking service. Wrecks galore in that area.

Have fun!
Sish.

 

[uwhooligan]

Excellent, thanks for the info, I know Ill be packing my gear definately next trip back, and after browsing a few sites from those links theres a couple other places caught my eye as well, Plymouth a bit of a lure, as it seems well rated and my cousin went to University there so might even have company for the drive. So if you see a guy with a Canadian accent and West Ham tattoos this summer with a icehockey bag full of dive gear luggin up to a site or charter , then chances are its me....