Scapa Flow liveaboards

[Hickdive]

I'm baffled watching some of the Scapa Flow videos about the height of the entry platforms off these trawlers. The MV Valkyrie's entry, for example, looks nearly 2m. Why not use the lift? Is it too slow for entry?

I hate heights but I've never had a problem jumping off any boat in Scapa. Valkyrie's gate is a fairly typical distance from the water (about 2m as you say) and my feet are clear of the water before my head is level with the deck.

The problem with lowering people into the water by lift is that it is time consuming and with the boat on neutral, drifting on the wind, it would blow a fair distance from the buoy before everyone was in the water. But the skippers are fairly accomodating so I daresay they'd lower individuals in if they really wanted.

 

[KenGordon]

Gordon Mackie has spaces on Valkyrie in late October. TRIPS

 

[Centrals]

TRIPS

I am interested on the Shetland wreck but not this yr. PITY.
BTW, is there any dive operator based on Shetland? Because I could not find any.
Cheers.

 

[KenGordon]

Valkyrie goes there for some weeks. I tried to get a group together to go but failed, so we are going to try for St Kilda instead (end of May 2017 if you are interested). We will probably be blown out and have to do the Sound of Mull though

 

[Centrals]

Thank you for the invitation. But Shetland is one of the few places in Scotland that I really would like to visit. I will keep my eye on the schedule of Valkyrie in the future.
Never realize that you can dive St. Kilda. The place is too isolated. Sound of Mull is more civilized btw.
Cheers.

 

[Paul Haynes]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This discussion has been split off from the A&I thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ac...ational-diver-after-fall-board-mv-elaine.html

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I'm comparing Scapa liveaboards and the MV Jean Elaine's site hasn't had updates in a few years. Is it still an operation?

There are a number of good dive boats operating in Scapa. However in my opinion some should be dived on and not from. Without doubt the best dive boat now is MV Huskyan https://www.facebook.com/MV-Huskyan-Divers-Lodge-123954874351145/ She is a brand new build and without doubt the best dive boat of her type in European waters. In addition the service aboard is outstanding. There is some information on her on the news letter link: http://www.wreck-x.com/downloads/Newsletter-Nov15.pdf

My good friend and dive buddy Rod Macdonald, the author of Dive Scapa Flow are running a special Scapa Flow Shipwreck Diving & Maritime History Week aboard MV Huskyan in April. If anyone would like further information, drop me a line at paul@wreck-x.com

Another boat I've dived from a lot in Scapa is MV Karin, owned and Skippered by John Thornton.

 

[Hickdive]

Bob Anderson is planning some Shetland trips with the Halton, contact him for details;

mvhalton

However, having dived the wrecks in the vicinity of Lerwick, TBH I wouldn't go back unless there was some exploratory diving on unidentified wrecks on offer. IMO Seventies Soviet Klondikers pounded to bits in 20m aren't worth the trip.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Kelly and I travelled from Sydney Australia to Scapa Flow in August 2013 to dive the German WWI wrecks. We used MV Radiant Queen and despite being an old trawler, she was in mint condition and run by the best dive operator I have dived anywhere in the world (I have almost 4,000 dives to date). The owner and skipper, Emily, knows more about the wrecks than any person alive without a doubt. In 2014 she had a new boat built, the MV Huskyan, which started operating last year. This looks fantastic and is easily probably the best dive boat in the northern part of the UK, if not the whole of Europe.

The diving was a lot easier than I thought, considering it is deep, very cold (for us), sometimes very dark, often dirty and with some currents. We took all our own gear and only hired a small pony for deco gases. We did not do huge bottom times, but had deco on every dive. The live boats was something we have only every experienced once, but was easy to get used to. As long as you are experienced at diving to 40 to 45 metres in cool water (under 20C), then you should not have a problem. The entry from such a high deck caused no problems and the diver lift was fantastic at the end of the dive. Kelly tried to talk me into putting one on our own boat .

Their accommodation is also excellent, only 100 metres from the wharf where MV Huskyan ties up.

As mentioned, most boats are booked out by a group. MV Huskyan is now probably totally booked out for 2016 and most of 2017, but if you contact Emily, she might be able to put you in contact with a group who has not yet filled all the spots. This is what we did over a year before we went.

One of the best diving holidays we have ever done (and we have been to Chuuk, PNG, Solomons, Indonesia etc).

 

[Paul Haynes]

Kelly and I travelled from Sydney Australia to Scapa Flow in August 2013 to dive the German WWI wrecks. We used MV Radiant Queen and despite being an old trawler, she was in mint condition and run by the best dive operator I have dived anywhere in the world (I have almost 4,000 dives to date). The owner and skipper, Emily, knows more about the wrecks than any person alive without a doubt. In 2014 she had a new boat built, the MV Huskyan, which started operating last year. This looks fantastic and is easily probably the best dive boat in the northern part of the UK, if not the whole of Europe.

The diving was a lot easier than I thought, considering it is deep, very cold (for us), sometimes very dark, often dirty and with some currents. We took all our own gear and only hired a small pony for deco gases. We did not do huge bottom times, but had deco on every dive. The live boats was something we have only every experienced once, but was easy to get used to. As long as you are experienced at diving to 40 to 45 metres in cool water (under 20C), then you should not have a problem. The entry from such a high deck caused no problems and the diver lift was fantastic at the end of the dive. Kelly tried to talk me into putting one on our own boat .

Their accommodation is also excellent, only 100 metres from the wharf where MV Huskyan ties up.

As mentioned, most boats are booked out by a group. MV Huskyan is now probably totally booked out for 2016 and most of 2017, but if you contact Emily, she might be able to put you in contact with a group who has not yet filled all the spots. This is what we did over a year before we went.

One of the best diving holidays we have ever done (and we have been to Chuuk, PNG, Solomons, Indonesia etc).

Further to Micheal's reply above, MV Huskyan is an outstanding boat and without doubt the best of her type in European waters, also her owner Emily is an exceptional dive boat skipper. I helped skipper Huskyan on the 4 day sail from the builders yard from South coast of England through the North Sea up to Orkney early last year. For those who may be interested, I'm running a special Scapa Flow Shipwreck Diving and Maritime History Week in April and there are still spaces left. Here is a link to the event flyer available from the downloads section of the Wreck-x website: http://www.wreck-x.com/index.php/downloads you also find there the recent Wreck-X news letter, which I'm sure you'll enjoy reading.

 

[Redshift]

That MV Huskyan seems too fancy
I have only dived with the MV Invincible and it was a great experience. I enjoyed staying at the boat, but as has been said, it's not really necessary, although we did spend one night moored at a different place.