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We will be heading down to Swanage for a bit of diving over the weekend of the 29th and 30th of August
Saturday the 29th will be mostly for newer divers and those who are PADI open water qualified as these will be easier, shallow dives. We will start off with a dive on the Valentine tanks, Click Here to see a video of a dive on the Valentines tanks so you can see what its like. (Ropes off 10:50) We will then have the chance to dive under the pier while the tide is still high but on the way out.
Sunday the 30th is for advanced divers only with a trip out to dive the Kyarra,( ropes off 11.35) the thumbnail for this post is on one of the Kyarra's boilers. The max depth is 30 metres. This is a large, old wreck which means it a bit flat in places but still a good dive and you might still be able to find perfume bottles and pottery on the wreck if you are lucky, I think all the gold watches have already been found though. There is also the option for a later wreck dive around 5 in the evening for those who wish to stay on.
This is a picture of the Boat we will be diving off and the place you will be loading on to the boat, you can also clearly see the dive lift on the back of the boat which makes diving in the UK so much easier.
Saturday the 29th will be mostly for newer divers and those who are PADI open water qualified as these will be easier, shallow dives. We will start off with a dive on the Valentine tanks, Click Here to see a video of a dive on the Valentines tanks so you can see what its like. (Ropes off 10:50) We will then have the chance to dive under the pier while the tide is still high but on the way out.
Sunday the 30th is for advanced divers only with a trip out to dive the Kyarra,( ropes off 11.35) the thumbnail for this post is on one of the Kyarra's boilers. The max depth is 30 metres. This is a large, old wreck which means it a bit flat in places but still a good dive and you might still be able to find perfume bottles and pottery on the wreck if you are lucky, I think all the gold watches have already been found though. There is also the option for a later wreck dive around 5 in the evening for those who wish to stay on.
This is a picture of the Boat we will be diving off and the place you will be loading on to the boat, you can also clearly see the dive lift on the back of the boat which makes diving in the UK so much easier.
Equipment Hire
If you need to hire any equipment from Underwater adventures please follow THIS LINK to our equipment rental page for prices. We can also hire out DSMBs and reels if you need as all buddy pairs should have at least one between them, if you would like some advice on getting your own DSMB and reel, please feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to talk you through the options.
Swanage facilities and parking.
The bast place to park is on the pier itself but there is limited parking on the pier so you will need to arrive before 07:30 and queue at the gates to have a chance to park on the pier, It is also a bit expensive at £17.50 per day although this does give you access to do as many dives under the per as you like. If you park elsewhere you will have to pay to dive under the pier during the day. There is a cheaper car park just up the road from the pier which you can use if you don't want to get to the pier early and you can see this in the picture below
On the pier you will find a dive shop and a air filling station where you can fill your tank between dives, its £8.50 for a 12 lt and £9.50 for a 15 lt, you have to go into the shop and pay for the fill before the tank will be filled for you and this normally takes around 30 minutes but obviously longer if its a busy day like the bank holiday will be but please take that mind when planning extra dives. The dive shop is basic but will help out if you have forgotten something, they also have a display of things brought up from the local wrecks, On the outside of the dive shop is a large map so you can see where most of the wreck in the area are.
There is a cafe on the pier but if you arrive early to get a parking space it won't be open but I have marked on the picture above the location of a local cafe which opens early and does a really good fry up to set you up for the day.
Booking and paying for the dive boat.
Both of the boat dives are £38 per person per trip, if you book on the trip you will be expected to pay for the trip unless there is a medical emergency, they do this to stop people booking and not showing up on the day and the boat losing out on their income. The boat fees can be paid to the captain on the boat so please bring cash. If you would like to pay by card I can arrange that but you will need to pay me for it and I will transfer the money over to them.
The boat dive.
There are tollies on the pier to help you move your dive equipment to and from the boat Ropes off for the valentines trip is 10:50 am and for the Kyarra it is 11.35 am. this is when the boat is leaving, not the time to arrive, please don't be late.
Once you are onboard the captain will give you a safety briefing. Please make sure you know who your buddy is and that you have at least one DSSMB and reel between the two of you.
The captain will ask you to start getting ready and put your kit on while you are on the way out to the wreck so that as soon as you arrive you can do a giant stride entry from the back of the boat on to the buoy marking the descent line make your way down the line, you can use it to pull your self down if you have air stuck in your wetsuit. please make sure you are waited properly as it is a pain the arse to have to get back on the boat to add weight, The dive club pool sessions on Sundays are prefect for checking that sort of thing.
When you decide its time to make your assent, you will send up your DSMB and make your assent on that so the boat captain know exactly where you are and will be ready to pick you up once you surface after your safety stop. The captain will talk you through how to use the dive lift but it pretty simple, put your feet on the platform, hands on the rails and nod at the captain when you are ready and he will lift you back into the boat, Trust me, once you have used a lift, you will never want to use a ladder again.
Once you are back on the boat the captain will ask you if you want a hot drink, my personal favourite is chicken soup and you can sit down to chat about all the really cool stuff you saw on the dive.