Scapa Flow dive notes July 2013

[Tjack]

Scapa Flow Dive Notes July 2013

The Scapa Flow is legendary amongst wreck diving locations, so on a recent family trip to Scotland I decided to check it out. Here is some info.

Scapa Flow is a large body of water surrounded by the Orkney Islands off the northern tip of Scotland. What makes it famous for wreck diving is that at the end of WW1 the German high seas fleet was interned there as part of an armistice between Germany and England. While negotiations were underway as to what would be the fate of the german fleet the German commander decided not to let his ships fall into the hands of the allies so on June 21 1919 he gave the order to scuttle the whole fleet.


This dastardly deed provided divers with the highest concentration of WW1 German warships anywhere. Three battleships and four cruisers remain after extensive salvage efforts. Some salvage was also conducted on these remaining ships, large holes were blasted into them to recover non ferrous metals but they remain largely intact. The battleships being top heavy with massive guns all turtled while sinking but the cruisers lay on there sides.

Most diving is based out of Stromness, Mainland Orkney, For the average traveler full rentals, including locally made 7 mm Neoprene dry suits are available from Scuba Scapa. Scuba Scapa is the only full service PADI shop which offers guided dives to the Flow. They get fully booked up so contact them well in advance. When I was planning my trip they initially told me they were fully booked for the summer months but fortunately they had space open up about two weeks out from my trip. Other wise my option would have been to go out with Andy Cuthbert who runs Scapa Flow Charters. Andy offered me space on one of his day boats but could not guarantee I would have a buddy for the dives.

Several charter boats will take you out to the wrecks but these are usually booked well in advance by dive clubs from around the UK. It is my impression that most of these clubs dive deco profiles with twin sets or pony bottles at a minimum. If you are tech certified they might take you along, worth contacting them to see. Some of the boats offer live aboard accommodations, but from what I saw this would be pretty primitive bunk room berths. The live aboards tend to moor up in Stromness each night so a pub would be at hand for pints and bites.



Considering the conditions I was glad to go guided with Scuba Scapa which cost 145 british pounds and included charter, full gear rental and excellent guides. We had 2 divers plus a DM Alex and an instructor Theresa who was kitted out with twin set and a canister light. My fellow client from Australia had just finished a dry suit course the day before.

Most dives on the WW1 German fleet run 100’ deep or more so deco is a real consideration. We did a 33 minute dive to 101’ on the SMS Dresden and were right at the edge of deco. The Dresden is one of the least demanding of the WW1 German wrecks. With cold murky water and variable currents the WW1 German wrecks are suitable for advanced divers only. There are shallower wrecks which were used to block the entrances to the Flow, but the German fleet is the real draw here.



As a warm up dive we dove the Churchill Barrier #3 block ships on day one. These shallow wrecks provide a great gear orientation, especially with an unfamiliar dry suit, allowing us to get our weighting dialed in for the deeper dives the following day. Abundant kelp and fish make for interesting diving amongst these broken up wrecks which bottom out at around 30’ Numerous nudibranchs and sea hares were on the wreckage and some fun swim throughs were explored. These were two guided shore dives which cost 120 british pounds with transport, gear rental and guides, bring your own lunch.

Day two we boarded the Jean Elaine, a converted work boat captained by Andy Cuthbert, to dive the SMS Dresden German light cruiser, at 500’ long we were only able to dive the bow section and conning tower. One large gun is present there as well. Descending on the mooring line into the green gloom was a trip and as we approached the wreck a faint outline of the prow appeared. Reconnoitering the bow section was all we had time for so we head back up the line, hanging at 15’ multiple jellyfish cruised by in the light swirling current. On the surface we are approached by the dive boat which has a lift or elevator to bring you back up on deck, that was a first for me. What a thrill to finally dive one of the famous WW1 wrecks of the infamous Scpa Flow!



Our second dive of the daily was the F2, a German torpedo recovery ship from WW2, this wreck lies in 55’ feet of water which allows for a longer dive with better light. Here we found lots of life, Conger Eels and Cuckoo Wrasse which look like something out of the tropics. Lots of swim throughs and a great gun turret make this an excellent second dive.

Overall the diving is what it is, cold and murky on some great wrecks.
The history of the German High seas fleet of WW1 is the big draw here and these massive wrecks provide an excellent challenge. There is likewise a good abundance of life on the wrecks with schooling fish, plumbious anemones and sea stars galore.

The real bonus of the trip was visiting the Orkney Islands, one gets a sense of being at the ends of the earth here. The ferry ride from Scrabster to Stromness takes you past the Old Man of Hoy, a spectacular spire of rock surrounded with Puffins and other exotic sea birds. Orkney is a truly magical place with it’s mists and abundant lighthouses, adding to the ambiance, the islands are covered in neolithic ruins and stone circles akin to Stone Henge . Scotland overall is a very hospitable place with some of the friendliest people you can meet. If you are looking for a different kind of dive trip and you have the skills, Scapa Flow is a real adventure.

I welcome questions or comments, T

Here are some photos.....

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=6014

 

[WetLens]

Nice write-up. Thanks. Scapa Flow had been on my list years ago, but too many reports of limited vis focused my efforts on other parts of the world. If I ever have reason to travel in Scotland, I'd hope to include diving there. Again, thanks.

 

[Mustard Dave]

Good write up!

I did Scapa in April. I was there for a CCR course but unfortunately did not get to see anything German. The first two days were shore diving on the barriers where the block ships are and then onto the Jean Elaine. Unfortunately the weather took a bit of a turn and we ended up on the east side of the islands, out of the flow and mooring in Kirkwall.

Andy Cuthbertson is a great skipper and a really nice bloke (you missed out on the British skipper experience there - many are foul-mouthed, bad-tempered old curmudgeons). I stayed on the Jean Elaine for the duration. Like most British liveaboards, she is a converted fishing boat with the accommodation in what was the holds. There were two others on the course with me, who were part of a large group from the north east of England. They were veterans of Scapa, usually doing two trips a year.

When we arrived, there was a group of divers from the south already on the boat; they were staying in the bow sleeping accommodation. The two lads on the course had come ahead of their group and showed me around the boat. They showed me the bunks that are midships and said as soon as the southern group left, we would move. There is much more room in the other sleeping accommodation; it is laid out as cabins, each sleeping two in bunks. We each had a cabin to ourselves though. I understand there is crew accommodation in the bow, which Andy is converting to more twin cabins for 2014 as he and any crew go ashore at night. This means liveaboard customers won't have to stay in the cramped midships bunks. If you want to dive from the Jean Elaine but bunk type accommodation doesn't suit you, there's no reason why you cannot stay ashore in a bed and breakfast.

The Jean Elaine is self-catering so you can either go ashore or eat on the boat. If you eat on the boat, there is plenty of space to keep food and there is a small galley you can use. I had come with the intention of eating in the pub at night but the rest turned up with loads of food. They invited me to eat with them so I chipped in some cash for my share of the food and ate very well (we managed to find a few scallops on a couple of occasions so it is nice to be able to cook them on board). I think I paid £14 a night to sleep on the boat and £60 for each days diving. Air is included in the cost but O2, nitrox and trimix are available at a cost if you need it.

We used Scapa Scuba for the first day of the course as it was all classroom based - it is a great facility for any diver on the island. It is well stocked and their drysuit repair service could be very useful if you need it. They are based in the old lifeboat station and make made-to-measure drysuits on site. Obviously there is a lead time on this service but their overnight repair service could save a dive. If you drop your damaged suit off, it will be sat on the boat waiting for you the following morning.

It is interesting what you say about the deco profiles; I'd say you are right about the UK clubs - it is certainly true of mine. BSAC train you to execute decompression dives at Sports Diver level, which is considered equivalent to PADI Rescue Diver. The lads who were on the boat were saying their first visit was on 15 litre singles with ponies. The following year the ponies grew to become stages, and the following year they were on twinsets. Two had bought rebreathers and one of the others said it will be interesting to see if the rest follow. If you want to stay in NDLs and get some more bottom time, you might want to think about using nitrox.

One of the lads from my club has just got back from Scapa, on a trip run by another club he dives with, aboard MV Invincible. He loved it and due to his and my enthusiasm, we have booked a club trip for June 2014. We have booked Invincible, which seems quite spacious and has a bar aboard. Scapa is one hell of a trek from most parts of England. For me to drive from Manchester, it would take the best part of 12 hours driving non-stop. It isn't too bad if you have little kit or are hiring as trains and planes can be used. Next year, I am looking to hire a van and a minibus - that way we can do the driving in shifts and stay on the road.

 

[Tjack]

Hey Mustard Dive, nice write up on live aboard conditions on the Jean Elaine. Agreed Andy Cuthberson is a great captain and all around good guy. He was willing to take me on when it appeared everything was booked up. I did not contact the Dive Cellar or Invincible. Considering my circumstances guided was the best way to go, are there other outfits doing guided? Like you said the WW1 wrecks are doable on a 15 liter steel tank and the right blend of Nitrox will give you a decent bottom time. If pushing the limits a pony bottle would be good. I wonder what it would cost to rent a twinset?

Scapa Scuba is a great outfit, I really liked their house brand dry suites with neoprene seals, durable and no leaks. Theresa is a great guide and instructor, I observed her dry suite course and it seemed very thorough. Alex likewise is an excellent DM always within arms reach. These folk are on the ball.

What kind of water temperatures and visibility did you have in April, brrrrrr.

WetLens, I did hear they get a sunny spell in May most years. Photos I've seen seem to indicate the vis is not always murky.

 

[johnohuk]

We dived for a week end of June and managed to get 8 degrees at depth (43m) , 11 at the surface and 17 air temp... Weather was sunny/cloudy, vis was generally around the 4-5m mark.. We dived with Dive Cellar on the JohnL, a converted tug... loads of character and space..! It was shore based accommodation, so lots of room and they provide a minibus free of charge to explore the Island..! Very friendly outfit although they probably need to up their game with the strong competition but would still recommend..

The week after us, the heavens opened and it must have been miserable diving it but whilst we were there, it was shorts/t-shirts..

I never understood what all the fuss was about but now I know... the size/condition of the wrecks is awesome and one trip does not do it justice... folks here go every year... Kit was mainly twins or 15l with a pony... no-deco diving generally..

It took us 10 hrs to drive up from London to catch the ferry...although we left at 5am to beat the traffic..

Definitely saving up to go again... or maybe even Truk but i'll have some selling to do with that one at home

 

[Hickdive]

I've crossed the flow, sorting my kit on deck, in the teeth of a horizontal sleet storm in the morning and gotten sunburn sitting in the outside terrace of the cafe in Stromness the same lunchtime. If you don't like the weather in Orkney - give it ten minutes!

I've always found that to get reasonable visibility up there you need to go when the water is colder; March, April or May, before the summer plankton bloom. By reasonable visibility I mean 8-10 metres, I have seen considerably better but that's sufficiently rare that I wouldn't say going at x time of year guarantees it.

 

[FionaH]

Scapa's one of or local sites, and all the orkney dive boat assn boats are fine enough, my favorites are Karin, Halton and Jean Elaine - all have good lifts - Karin has a flat kitting up deck which I prefer to sliding down the angled deck of the n of scotland trawler shape. Vis is usually better out of season, it was 20-30m for weeks on end last winter, end of October/early November are often filled with fish life and good vis. Out of season, it's easy to ring up and find out which, if any boats are out at the weekend and jump on - its 2 minutes from the ferry terminal to the dive boats. Halton has a rayburn in the cabin making it very cosy mid-winter, and a deck shower for hot water glove/hood rinses
It can be 'technical' whatever that means, however, my daughters early dives at the age of 15 were often in the Flow - Karlsruhe, block ships, barriers etc etc.
Our next trip accross the Firth is September, hopefully a couple of days in the Flow and then head out to Westray etc, then a long weekend in November

 

[Tjack]

I can sure see how diving the Flow would be a wee bit addictive, I can't stop thinking about it. A great challenge which breeds comradery amongst divers and the Orkneys are such a unique place.

Don't the daylight hours get kind of short in April and November?

 

[Hickdive]

I can sure see how diving the Flow would be a wee bit addictive, I can't stop thinking about it. A great challenge which breeds comradery amongst divers and the Orkneys are such a unique place.

Don't the daylight hours get kind of short in April and November?

In April you'll get at least thirteen hours between sunrise and sunset but by the end of November that drops to under seven hours but it is still possible to dive. I know Valkyrie's charter season runs to around mid-November.

 

[Tjack]

What do the charter boats usually charge per day? Is there much difference in price between boats?

johnohook is that 10 hours to Aberdeen or Scrabster?

Hickdive have you been to Oran Mor in west end Glasgow? Bar in a church, far out

FionaH welcome to Scubaboard, must be nice having Scapa Flow so close to home.
Oran Mor
Oran Mor