Alton Water – Thanks go to Rick from all those taking part in the walk around Alton Water.
Congratulations to those taking part in diver training in Stoney Cove with Dave Grimson.
And don’t forget to book for Dave Hopp’s Cyprus expedition next year:
The wreck is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 recreational dive sites worldwide.As a dive site, Zenobia provides a wide range of challenges to scuba divers, from a fairly simple dive to 16 meters (52 ft) depth along the starboard side of the ship (suitable for newly qualified divers); moving up to a more advanced dive inside the upper car deck and accommodation block, right up to extremely adventurous dives within the lower car deck or the engine room (which are only suitable for very experienced divers)
I am looking at organising diving during the week for all standards of diver, and it will include dives at other sites so that the full range of diving can be accomplished.
Please look at the attached links for Dive-In who can organise both the diving and accommodation. That said we will be based in Larnaca which has a vast array of accommodation dependent on the levels of luxury you would like.
Larnaca is a thriving tourist area so plenty of restaurants etc. All the dives will be day dives so partners very welcome. The weather in July is likely to be high 20’s low 30’s and the visibility is likely to be 20m+ and the water quite warm.
At this stage I would just ask that if you are interested please drop me a note and let me know your dive qualification now, and if you want what you think it will be by June of next year. If you are thinking of bringing your partner and family. I can then advise the Travel Agents appropriately.
WRECKHEADS TOUR FOR RECREATIONAL DIVERS – notes from “DiveIn Ltd”
Working on a 10-dive package, we tend to program the dives as follows:
Dive 1: Orientation dive. Drop in at our own shot line attached to the bow of the wreck. Descend across the top of the wreck to Bridge, swim along wreck until turn at 120 bar. Multi-level up over the Lifeboats, Bridge and Restaurant. No penetration, 30m.
Dive 2: Props and Accommodation. Drop in at the stern shot-line to the top prop. Around the stern doors and over the lorries and cargo, under the funnel up to Accommodation entrance. Penetration through Accommodation and Restaurant back to bow shot-line. 30m.
Upper Cargo. Drop in at the bow shot-line and immediately penetrate the Upper Cargo Deck. Explore the lorries and cargo I the hold, ascend at the Bone Lorry and return along the ceiling. Exit through the entry point back to the bow shot-line. 30m.
Crew’s & Captain’s. Drop in at the bow shot-line to the Crew’s & Captain’s entrance. Penetration through Crew & Captains’, turn after exit and re-enter. Exit under the lifeboats and return to the bow shot-line. 30m.
Middle Cargo to Forklift. Drop in at the mid shot-line, penetrate Middle Car Deck from the pilot door. Explore the lorries and cargo towards the forklift at the stern and back to the exit at the pilot door. Return to the bow shot-line through the Upper, Accommodation or outside. 30m.
Middle Cargo to Car. Drop in at the mid shot-line, penetrate Middle Car Deck from the pilot door. Explore the lorries and cargo forward towards the Captain’s Car and back to the exit at the pilot door. Return to the bow shot-line through the Upper, Accommodation or outside. 30m.
Figure of Eight. Drop in at the bow shot-line, enter the Upper and exit through the Lift Shaft into the Accommodation. Exit Accommodation at the stern end and re-enter the Upper at the bone lorry. Enter the Lift Shaft again exit through Restaurant/Accommodation. Return to the bow shot-line. 30m.
Chain Locker. Drop in at the bow shot-line, over the keel to the bow-thrusters. Short penetration through the Chain Locker, enter the Restaurant at the lower door and ascend past the serving hatch. Through Accommodation and return to the bow shot-line around the outside. 38m.
Engine Room. Drop in at the mid-shot line, tour of the Engine Room, return to the bow shot-line through the Upper, Accommodation or outside. 40m.
Diver’s Choice. Any practical combination of the above dives.
This comprises all 10 dives of the Recreational Wreckheads Tour, however there are many of variations on these dives. Participation depends on certification level and experience. Some divers choose not to penetrate at all; we can cater for all requirements. We do our best to keep to this program and show you something different on each dive but due to staff availability and other customers cannot guarantee completion of the entire Wreckheads Tour
Please note; Dives in Middle Deck, Chain Locker and Engine Room require 15L tanks. Chain Locker and Engine Room also require a 40m cert. Please ensure your insurance, qualifications and experience covers you for the dives you wish to do.
And see Fin’s account of her diving experiences with iDive during training – also shown on the website under “Try Scuba diving” – I’m sure beginners will want to see it.
I started diving with BSAC towards the end of 2022 with the beginners Ocean Diver course. Diving was something I always wanted to try but never really knew where to begin. I spent hours on Google looking for the right ‘school’ for me, but as I had no friends that were divers, I never undertook training for fear I’d have no one to go with!
In autumn 2022 a friend of mine told me about BSAC, which was a club as opposed to a school. Immediately I was interested as I really wanted to meet new people and have people to go diving with. BSAC ticked everything I wanted; great trainers with years of experience, solid friendships, and fantastic diving opportunities as well as social events.
I began with Ocean Diver which is the first course I needed to complete. The training occurred once a week, occasionally twice for a lecture, which meant I could always fit it around work without needing to take annual leave or spend more on accommodation for a weekend. The weekly input was great for me as the learning was thorough and I could spend pool sessions practicing the key skills needed to be a safe diver. I didn’t feel rushed at all, and everything was taught at a pace suited to us as new divers. Diving is a great experience, but it can be daunting to begin with, but the trainers were very patient and respectful to our individual learning styles.
The trainers were also amazing when it came to buying our own equipment and gave us a great deal of insight into the pros and cons of certain brands, and always showed us exactly how something worked. Diving equipment can be very personal, and everyone is different! What works for one doesn’t always benefit another. The trainers were always there to answer questions and help us choose kit that was best suited to us as individuals.
This week we attended Stoney Cove Dive Centre to complete our Ocean Diver qualifying dives. This was genuinely one of the best things I have ever done. The feeling of being 20 metres underwater and in an environment that many never see was fascinating, and I am so excited to go on more dives with iDive!
I would whole heartedly recommend BSAC, particularly Ipswich iDive for anyone wanting to start their diving journey. If you’re looking for genuine knowledge, a comfortable learning environment and a great social aspect, BSAC iDive could be just for you.
