padi the way the world learns to scuba dive
We have 100s of happy customers and we are 5 star rated on Google
PADi scuba diving courses in bedfordshire, hertfordshire and cambridge

PADI Dive courses and trips

Underwater Adventures is a scuba diving club offering scuba diving trips in the UK and abroad and PADI Dive school with meetings in Bedford and Cambridge. We have meetings at the Park Pub in Bedford, and the Red Bull Pub in Cambridge, plus pool sessions at the Polam swimming pool in Bedford and the Abbey Leisure Complex in Cambridge. Offering PADI scuba diving courses for all levels from beginner to instructor, UK scuba diving trips all year round plus many foreign dive trips. We offer full equipment servicing and compressed air or nitrox fills delivered right to your door as well as scuba diving equipment rental and servicing plus discounts on courses and dive trips for club members.
Contact us for more info
Scuba diving training Bedfordshire

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

Humongous thanks to the most tolerant and supportive instructor I could ever have wished for! Today's dive in the Lake was awesome and I loved every minute! Next dive - Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka in 3 weeks!!!
Underwater Adventures have blessed me with a whole new world. Please ensure you contact them for all your scuba inquiries! Stephen is an exceptional instructor and the other
divemasters involved really have been outstanding throughout my 6 months of training and preparation... it has been a long road but I am over the moon. I am now a PADI open water scuba diver and immensely proud of myself!

Aiden Lunnon, Hertfordshire 5 out of 5 stars
padi scuba diving courses in hertfordshire bedfordshire and cambridge
PADI Scuba diving training Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridge

LATEST EVENTS

08thMay
At the end of August, we will be running a trip to Swanage to dive some really interesting and rarely dived wrecks: the Netley Abbey and Azemmour on the 30th of August and the Aeolian Sky on Sunday the 31st of August.


Netley Abbey





The wreck of the large iron steamship lies four miles south-southwest of St Alban's Head on the Dorset coast; the wreck site is well known but not regularly visited. Those who have been there may know it by various names and popular dive guides refer to it as Start or Hartburn. Subsequent research has disproved these theories now as these two wrecks have since been identified. Using information gathered from both the current day wreck site and referring back to original documentation, numerous other possible candidates have been identified and eliminated. This leads to the conclusion that the identity for this shipwreck is Netley Abbey sunk by collision with HMS Surprise in 1899.
The Netley Abbey was a single screw, iron steam collier listed in Lloyds Register at 1620 gross tons, 1,012 net tons. At the time of her demise she was 21 years old.
This wreck has a maximum depth of 38 metres at the sea floor but the boilers, engine , and masts rise 3 to 4 metres off the sea floor.


SS Azemmour




The SS Azemmour was a steel freighter built in 1909 by the Short Brothers in Sunderland. It was powered by a triple expansion steam engine with two single ended boilers and a screw propeller. The vessel was 62.56m in length and 10.05m in width, and was capable of an average speed of 10 knots.
On 18th March 1918, the Azemmour departed London for Nantes with over 1200 tonnes of cargo; 716 tons of general cargo and 500 tons of steel. There were 28 crew aboard, including Captain Jean Guillaume. On 20th March, the vessel was south of the Needles when the German U-boat UB-59 moved in to attack. At 4.44 am, the crew felt a shudder as if the ship had been struck by something. Some minutes later, the periscope of a submarine was seen, and the captain ordered the ship to head away from it in a vain attempt to escape. Less than a minute later a torpedo slammed into the ship’s port quarter.

The commander of UB-59, Fritz Wassner, noted in his war diary that the first torpedo launched against the Azemmour failed, but the UB-59 pursued the ship and hit it with and with a second torpedo. The damage was extremely severe and the captain ordered the crew to the lifeboats. They had no time to use the ship’s 90mm stern gun to return fire, as the vessel slipped beneath the waves in four minutes. Some of the crew saw the surfaced submarine before they were picked up about 30 minutes later by the Admiralty Yacht Maid of Honour. Five of the 28 crew were recorded as missing.

The wreck of the Azemmour lies approximately 15 miles to the southwest of St. Catherine’s Point at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight. The wreck is at a depth of 40m and lies upright, rising six metres above a flat seabed. It is reasonably intact forward of the engine, though the area around the bow leans out towards the seabed. The engine is the highest part of the wreck, and aft of this, the wreck site is more disparate,e with the remains becoming level with the seabed


MV Aeolian Sky




The Aeolian Sky was a Greek-run freighter built in 1978, which collided with another ship near the Channel Islands and, after a failed attempt at salvage, sank off the coast of Dorset, England, in a storm in late 1979.

In late 1979, the Aeolian Sky sailed from Hull, via Rotterdam, to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Africa. On 3 November 1979, while travelling 20 miles off the coast of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, she collided with the German coaster Anna Knueppell in fog, during a storm at 4.30 a.m. A French tug based at Cherbourg, the Abeille Languedoc, went to the scene and managed to get a line aboard. Plans were initially laid to tow her back to the French port; only lightly damaged, the Anna Knuepell stood by to render assistance if needed.

At 9.30 in the morning a Royal Navy helicopter arrived and evacuated most of the crew; it then had to withdraw to its base at Lee-on-Solent with engine problems, leaving a handful of crew aboard the now sinking vessel. By this time the ship had drifted some distance and was sinking at the bows, so the initial plan was abandoned and the tug headed for The Solent.

However, the port authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, concerned that the ship would sink, fouling their busy waterways, declined permission for her to enter either port. With the weather at gale force, the tug started to tow the Aeolian Sky into the storm to try to make the shelter of Portland Harbour. However, at 3.45 a.m. on 4 November 1979, she took on too much water and sank 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, still 12 miles from the safety of Portland. She settled on her port side in 30 metres of water with her bows facing south

Since her sinking, the wreck has become a popular dive site[3] as she is accessible from Swanage, Weymouth and Isle of Portland-based diving trips. At the time of sinking,g she lay 9 metres below the surface, but salvage work, and explosives used to reduce the risk of her becoming a hazard to navigation, have lowered this to 18 metres. Her bows were blown off during this activity and lie separate from the main body of the wreck.

To join this trip, the 3 boat dives are £145, and I will need a £30 deposit to hold your space. You will need UK sea diving experience and deep diver and wreck diver certifications. The spaces are limited, so please don’t hesitate to book your space as we don’t run this sort of trip that often and the chances of us being able to do these 3 wrecks over the same weekend again are very low.
To Book on the course, you can contact us by CLICKING HERE
 
20thApril
Dive Right In: Your Scuba Adventure Starts in Cambridge!

Ever gaze at those breathtaking underwater documentaries and feel a tug of curiosity? Do vibrant coral reefs and the silent glide of marine life spark a sense of wonder within you? Well, fantastic news, aspiring aquanaut! Your dream of exploring the underwater world can absolutely become a reality, and it might be closer than you think – right here
with Underwater Adventures at the Abbey Leisure Complex, Whitehill Rd, Cambridge.




 
For those just dipping their toes into the idea of scuba diving, the Abbey Leisure Complex offers a fantastic starting point: the exhilarating "PADI Discover Scuba Diving." Try dive. Think of it as a sneak peek into a whole new dimension. In a safe and controlled pool environment, under the watchful eyes of experienced and friendly instructors, you'll get your first taste of breathing underwater. It's an exciting opportunity to feel the weightlessness, learn some basic skills, and simply experience the magic of being submerged. The instructors are brilliant at ensuring you feel comfortable and at ease every step of the way, answering all your questions and guiding you gently through the initial experience.
 
Click here to book your Try dive with Underwater Adventures




 
Perhaps the "try dive" has ignited a passion within you, and you're ready to take the plunge (pun intended!). Underwater Adventures also provides comprehensive PADI Open Water courses. This internationally recognised certification is your passport to exploring dive sites around the globe. The course equips you with the essential knowledge and practical skills needed to dive safely and confidently in a variety of underwater environments. From understanding dive theory and equipment to mastering crucial in-water techniques, you'll be guided by expert instructors who are passionate about sharing their love for the underwater world.

Click here to book your PADI open water course with Underwater Adventures
 
What makes learning to scuba dive with Underwater Adventures so appealing? It's more than just a course. You'll benefit from:
 
Quality Training: Experienced and certified instructors dedicated to your safety and learning.

Modern Equipment: Access to well-maintained and reliable scuba gear.

A Welcoming Community: Connect with fellow diving enthusiasts and share your underwater adventures with the Underwater Adventures dive club



Whether you're a Cambridge local or live in the surrounding area, Underwater Adventures at the Abbey Leisure Complex offers a convenient and supportive environment to embark on your scuba diving journey. It's a chance to discover a thrilling new hobby, challenge yourself, and unlock access to the incredible beauty that lies beneath the surface of our oceans, lakes, and quarries.
 
So, are you ready to trade the familiar sights of Cambridge for the mesmerising world beneath the waves? Your adventure starts here. Learn to scuba dive at the Abbey Leisure Complex with Underwater Adventures and prepare to be amazed!


Click here to contact us for more information 




 
16thMarch

At the end of October, we will be running a dive trip to the northeastern part of Sardinia, a location we have never been to before but one that is highly recommended as having some of the best diving in the Mediterranean due to its location and the well established marine park.







With warm, crystal-clear water, this is the perfect winter dive destination. The marine life is abundant and along with the normal life you would expect to see in the Mediterranean you have the chance to see dolphins, turtles and Mediterranean bamboo sharks, and for all you lovers of small things, there is a wide range of Nudibranch to be found on the reefs and in the wide seagrass meadows.

If wreck diving is your thing you are in for a treat with some of the best wreck diving in the Mediterranean just offshore from where we are staying with the likes of the Chrisso wreck and Relitto di Molara to explore, this dive trip has something for everyone.






We plan to fly out on the 25th of October with a stopover in Germany to catch our connecting flight to Sardinia. We will have prebooked taxis waiting to take us to our accommodation which are a set of apartments. The apartments have two bedrooms with beds which can be doubles or singles and the price is based on 4 people sharing each apartment. Every apartment comes with all the basics included such as air-conditioning and a fully equipped kitchenette.

We will be diving with Tavolara Diving ( www.tavolaradiving.it ) which is just a short walk down the road from the apartments and is a fully equipment dive centre with 2 dive boats, a 9.5-meter hard boat and a 7.5-meter zodiac, so we can take a maximum of 16 divers for this trip. Tanks and weights are included in the price, and Nitrox diving is offered for just 6 euros per tank. You can also hire full equipment for 110 euros for the week, or you can take your own equipment with hold luggage on the flights at around the £44 mark. You can also hire equipment from underwater adventures with a week's hire for £50 so it does work out cheaper if you don’t mind taking a suitcase.






The village we will be staying in has its own port and two lovely beaches plus a good bus service for exploring the rest of the Island so if you have a non-diver who would like to travel with you there is plenty for them to do while we are out diving.

The flights are with Jet2 and leave Stansted at 08:05 on the 25th of October and the return flight is the Jet2 flight leaving Sardinia on teh 1st of November at 12:30 and landing back at Stansted at 14:05.The price of these flights are £352 and you will need to book your flights yourself. These flights might change depending on price changes when we book and we will book once I know I have enough people to run the trip so this is more of a guide at teh moment to give you an idea of the price but we will go with the cheapest and most convenient flights we can when we book.

The cost of the holiday is £799 for divers and £375 for non-divers. The cost covers everything apart from the tourist tax which must be paid there and is 2 Euros per person per day. The deposit required at the time of confirmation is 30%, a second deposit of 30% to be paid 40 days before arrival and the balance to be paid 10 days before arrival.

If you have any questions or would like to book on this trip please get in contact with us here at Underwater Adventures.