Should I bother?

[PJ.McKenna]

Folks,
This is my first post, so be gentle.
Like many people I started the oul SCUBA diving abroad - Malaysia - in 2005. Since then I dove in Australia, Fiji and Florida. I maxed out at about 40 dives and a PADI Rescue Diver card (whoopdidoo).
The few dives I've done since returning to Ireland have been very different and I am left wondering if I'll bite the bullet and invest the money in a full set of Irish-waters gear or restrict myself to occasional holiday dives.
In the tropics the water seems much clearer, the fish more concentrated, active and colourful, cleaving to smaller territories. I don't mind the cold much.
Diving in Ireland seems to be an exercise in groping around in murk occasionally seeing starfish, urchins and broadly edible silver fish hiding under kelp. Even though I now live in Galway the viz has been so poor on the three or so dives I've done in Killary that they were purely acclimatisation exercises. At least my bouyancy control hasn't deserted me, though with 14Kg of lead on me it was more "sink control".
So, am I going about this the wrong way?
Any ideas?
-P.J.

 

[flw]

I've only done a few dives in Ireland-the first off Kinsale in Cork,which I still remember as warm clear waters filled with life and crayfish-and asub which was deep for me a the time which was dark but clear and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many years later I was much further North- and the Laurentic and Justacia count as 2 of the best wrecks ever-again in clear waters.
I guess if you dive stranford loch it may be different.
I grew up partly in Malaysia, and snorkelled among the reefs there, and have since divedother tropical sites such as the red sea - however in my opinion cold water wrecks of the UK hold the most fascination for me - the life is just different, not as colourful in some ways,but just as diverse - I thought the same 20 years ago when I started out, and find it just as amazing now

 

[kelpmermaid]

If I may add my own much-devalued $.02 US, I think you should keep up with local diving. I enjoy the nice, warm, clear water and the colorful fish, etc., when I go to visit Mom in FL and dive there, but I think there is a lot more going on in our kelp forest. Would it be possible to find a class on local marine life? It really helps to know what you are seeing.

 

[wsacdiver]

the diving in Ireland can be absolutely amazing(esp. the west coast) if you know where to go. Get in contact with a local sub aqua club. If you ever head over to the east coast, check out hook head, wexford. it can be phenomenal!
- David

 

[String]

Ireland has some fantastic wrecks. Its not tropical coral reef but the irish sea has more fish life than greece and half the med!
Get a drysuit (no chance in hell id be stupid enough to attempt wetsuit diving here) and get looking at the wrecks. Joining a local club may help a lot too.

Ireland can have some VERY good diving.

 

[NudeDiver]

Sounds like diving in Ireland is a lot like diving in Alaska.

I dive in Alaska. I don't particularly enjoy it - esp. in relation to diving in the tropics - but diving is diving. It's better than not diving. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy it, then why do it? For me, diving up here is as much about getting out of town and doing something interesting. The "something" just happens to be diving. If the appealing part of diving for you is the actual diving, and the actual diving isn't much fun, then I dunno why you would do it.

Good luck!
nd

 

[wsacdiver]

I dive in a wetsuit and don't have only problems, but then again it was summer. Personally, some parts of Ireland, depending on the conditions, were the best dives I have done. Cold water is just as good as warm water. How's the viz in alaska though?