Dive trip angelsey/vivian 26/04/08

Dive weekend at Angelsey and Vivian,saturday was a boat dive,first dive was a reef dive,well i think it was.All 8 of us dropped into the water,as we started to go down viz was ok,but after 7 mtr it started to get very dark,at 20 mtr it was black till you put your torch on.Dive was about 30 min but every one thought it was a dive to remember and it was worth doing it.Dive 2 the Dakota,viz was about the same but with a torch it made it a very good dive.Lots of pottery but was all broken up.Its a very intresting dive and next time we hope to have some good viz.Sunday was a trip to vivian,to good dives to finish of a good dive weekend.

hodge close coniston 13/04/08

Dive trip to hodge close,objective to go into the tunnels and upto chamber 3.Viz was good and weather was really nice.Grant and seanie made there way through the tunnels upto the third chamber as barry and howard dived in the main quarry for 30min till grant and seanie surfaced.Next dive was grant and howard went into the tunnels but just upto chamber 2,then went to have a look at the 4mtr tunnel that is now very tight to get into due to rock fall. At the end of the day all was good and every one enjoyed the diving.roll on next time.

eygpt 2007

Mull scotland

hodge close coniston

Hodge Close (Bower)

Location : Lake District From Windermere head along the lake towards Ambleside. Turn onto the A593 towards Coniston. The turn for Hodges Close is about 3 miles along this road on the right. Follow the road until you come to some farm houses. Pay the farmer so that you can park as close as possible.

Altitude: This is also an altitude dive at 150 metres.Water Temp: 5- 10 degreesVisibility: Normally vis is excellent in the quarry, also in the tunnels but care must be taken not to kick up the silt, so good buoyancy control is a must. Gas: None available - nearest location for gas will be Capernwray.Required Experience: Definitely Club Diver and above with min 40 dives and experience of Over Head environments.Amenities: None - nearest town is Kendal.Site Safety: This site is a high level risk area. Located well off the beaten track in the Lake Distrcit you are open to the elements. Emergency services can only get to you via the access road from the edge of the quarry, not much chance of getting the air ambulance in either. The main road is a good 2-3 miles away.Be aware Definitely bring an O2 kit with you and good surface cover is a must. Mobile phone reception is poor but you can get a reception going through the tunnel, the nearest landline is at the keepers cottage but that is a good 10 mins away.
Wildlife: Lots of beautiful scenery not too much life in the quarry itself though.Attractions: The tunnel system and there is also a tranisit van in the quarry at about 22 metres. There is also a sump and an inverted cone to investigate this is shallow. 4/5 metres. Site Access: To access the site requires walking in full kit through a 200 metre semi-flooded tunnel and then climbing down a scaffolding ladder and scambling across a slate to the enrty area. Do not attempt this unless you are physically up to it.NB - the track to the site from the road is a gravelled one but only suitable for cars with good ground clearance and the track does get muddy when it has been raining.Site Description: An old slate quarry - depth is roughly 27 metres, although this changes if there has been a rock fall. Land slips have blocked at least two of the cave entrances. Thus this is not a dive for the novice. The caves should only be attempted by those properly trained and equipped as fatalities have occurred. At around 24 meters a small tunnel entrance can be found. Ensure you are trainined with overhead environments and running thirds. The tunnels are quite narrow and although the visibility can be excellent as long as you dont kick up the silt on the way in. The main shaft is 126 meters long and has three chambers running off it , it is pitch black with no ambient light. There is one rope leading the full length of the central cavern straight to chamber three with subsidiary ropes of a different colour running of it into chamber 1 and 2 there is one way in and one way out the secondary entry/exit point has now fallen in if you want to go ahead.

Not for the faint hearted!Entry: £5 per carIssues:
There is poor phone reception - nearest landline in cottage

capernwray

Capernwray Quarry

Location : Junction 35 off the M6 North - head for the village of Over Kellett.
Capernwray Diving and Leisure Limited
Jackdaw QuarryCapernwray RoadOver KelletCarnforthLancashireLA6 1AD
Telephone: 01524 735132Fax: 01524 735520E-mail: info@dive-site.co.uk
Map
Altitude: Less than 150mWater Temp: 4-18 degreesVisibility: 1-15m Also gets kicked up alot by the trainees.Gas: Onsite - Air to 232 BAR & can supply all blends of Nitrox, Oxygen, Trimix and Argon for suit inflation by priori appointment onlyRequired Experience: Good site for the novice diver / trainees as has plently of training areas and attractions in the shallower areas. For the more experienced diver a max depth at 20m plus good site to brush up on navigation skills.Amenities:
Secure Car Park
Shop
Restaurant
Heated Chnaging rooms + toilets
Phone Site Safety: This site is a low - medium level risk area. Located in a well accessed quarry you are open to the elements. Emergency services can get to you via the road / motorway, air ambulance also has space to land. An O2 kit is always wise to bring along with you and surface cover is preferred. Mobile phone reception is goodSafety services:
RIB for in-water rescue.
Emergency telephone system direct from water’s edge to the shop.
Oxygen and full first-aid services on-site.
Rapid access via ambulance to chamber, if required.
Experienced staff, including RNLI helm Wildlife: Attractions:
All sorts of underwater attrations - boats / planes / helicopters/ cannons/ Horses
Max depth 20m approx Site Access:
All divers (including entry level student divers) diving at Capernwray must be registered. All divers visiting the site for the first time are asked to show their current diving qualifications and complete a registration form. This simply records details of the diver’s name and address, training agency, qualification level etc. Students on entry level courses only are charged £2.50 and issued with a pink card which is valid for 6 months. When the student has qualified they should upgrade to the full registration which will cost a further £5, but includes one free weekday entry to the site.
New members who are already qualified divers will register fully on their first visit and will be charged £7.50, but this also includes one free weekday entry.
All new members will complete the registration form where they will be asked to sign to accept the site condition and rules, a copy of which will be issued as part of the registration process.
DAILY FEES
£10 per day
Wednesday night Closes 9pm last dive 8pm (late night) entry is £8, this comes into effect after 4pm.
Season ticket of 10 visits for £80 for individuals only.
Monday Closed
Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm
Sat/ Sun 9 am - 5pm
Bank Hols 10am - 4pm Site Description: A Padi 5 Star SiteEntry:
Entry: see above
Air-Fills: £3 for 15l, £2.50 for 12l

vivian

Vivian Quarry

Location : Best avoid the mountains and approach Llanberis from the A55 or Bangor direction. Get on the A4086 which and follow it past the large lake on the left and past Llanberis. Take the last left turn before the end of the lake and follow the road round to the left and into the Park.
Pardarn Country Park, Llanberis, Gwynedd, North WalesTel: 01286 870889
info@divevivian.comhttp://www.divevivian.com
Altitude: This is an altitude diveWater Temp: 4-18 degreesVisibility: 1-10m Gas: Yes onsite Air to 300 BARRequired Experience: Min qualification Club Diver not a site for a novice..Amenities: Dive shop (small) Toilets, public phone and ample car parking (£2.00 for the day).Site Safety: This site is a low - medium risk site. Oxygen and first aid on site.Be aware Good surface cover is a must. Mobile phone reception is weakWildlife: Lots above and below the waterAttractions:
Training platform at 6m for basic skills practise.
2 submerged boats (one at 16m, one at 10m).
Small hut with a collection of garden gnomes on the roof!
Larger building at 17m (out of bounds to trainee divers).
Night diving available by prior arrangement.
Look around and you will see a separate spectator platform which is usually occupied by interested tourists and there is usually a few climbers clinging desperately to the cliff face. The dive itself is excellent, it is about 18m deep and the visibility is usually 10m +. There is a small blast house and a storehouse at the bottom, the latter is not very stable and entry is not recommended. The quarry is located on a beautiful country park with a few craft shops and a slate museum. It's a lovely dive in an equally lovely setting. You will find plenty to do in your surface interval.
Good site for training new divers
Site Access: Normally kitting up takes place in the car park and from here its a short and easy walk, through the tunnel to the quarry.(You may have to wait for the Snowdonia train to leave the station before you can cross the level crossing !) A new platform has been built with 2 ways of access ing the water a) A high step entry about 10 feet drop or b) descend the ladders to the low platform for a gentle step entry.Site Description: A small slate quarry last worked around 1958Plenty to see and do underwater with a good training platform at 6 metresEntry:
Entry: £8 per day and you need to become a member (Life membership £5).
Air-Fills: £3 for 15l, £2.50 for 12l (Vivian Dive Centre ).
Mon - Fri 10:00 - 17:00
Weekends 09:00 - 17:30
Last dive must be booked by 4pm
Night dives every wednesday till 22:00Issues: