You've got two options for diving if you live in South Wales or are in the area. Either get on a plane and head to sunnier climes or head to one of our inland sites.
Seriously, the wind is huge and the swell could be over 10ft! So diving off the South Wales coast just isn't an option this weekend.
Chepstow or Vobster Quay will allow you to get a dive in without being too effected by the coastal conditions but you will still be contending with the strong winds and rain, meaning visibility could still be a little restricted.
There's no rest for our instructors. This weekend they've driven themselves and the kit up to Edinburgh to run a PADI Open Water Diver Referral course for a local school there. This will teach them the required skills to complete their open water dives when they go on their school trip and become fully qualified PADI Open Water divers.
Our next PADI Open Water Diver Referral course in Cardiff is on 1st July and there is space available, so if you fancy taking your first steps into the world of scuba diving, give us a call and we can discuss the options and process.
Conditions are going to be tough for Scuba Diving along the South Wales coast this weekend. The swell will be around the 5ft mark and they'll be a reasonably strong wind too. This is going to have a negative effect on the visibility as well as making entries and exits more challenging.
You may find more acceptable conditions looking into West Wales if you want to get out into the ocean. Keep in mind there is the Champions League final this weekend in Cardiff, so traffic is likely to be heavy. Take this into account in any of your plans as you don't want to miss the tide being caught up in this.
If you want to remove the coastal elements then our advice for those in Cardiff, Swansea and South Wales would be to head to Chepstow, the UKs deepest inland diving site. This will ensure you can get a decent dive in and has a good degree of protection from the elements so visibility is less likely to be affected by the wind. Water temperatures are starting to get that little bit warmer but you still need good thermal protection whenever you dive in the UK. Semi Dry (7mm or 5mm + 5mm) or dry suits will be required. You should also consider whether you need a hood and gloves, particularly the hood with so much heat being lost through your head.
It's a really busy weekend in Cardiff for us with 3 training course running. We've got Wellington School on the PADI Open Water Diver Referral course, some refresher dives and 4 students from Cardiff University taking their PADI Rescue diver course before their summer project diving out in Spain.
Our PADI Open Water Diver Referral courses run on the first Saturday of every month and it's not too late to book yours in before any planned summer holidays so you can spend more time diving and less time on the course once you are out there. Give us a call today and we can talk you through the options you have.
Lastly, massive congratulations to Dan, one of our instructors, and Kelly who got married this week!
We could see some acceptable conditions for diving along the South Wales coast this weekend. Sunday in particular could see the best of the conditions as the wind and swell will both be low. We'll have some fairly big tides, but that is normal for the Bristol Channel and that can actually help with the dive if you know how to dive them. There has been a bit of swell over the last few days, which will have had an effect on visibility, but the calm conditions will help with that and a good dive plan with somebody who knows the site will also reduce the impact of that.
Water temperatures are starting to rise slowly, but they'll still be cold and good thermal protection is going to be essential still. Semi Dry or Dry suits, hoods, gloves will all be required. Also ensure you have the correct protection for before and after the dive.
We're lucky to have some really good inland dive sites in or close to South Wales, so if the conditions do turn you could always head to one of those but if conditions hold out as expected, it would be crazy not to take advantage and head to the coast.
Our usual PADI Open Water Diver Referral course in Cardiff has been postponed this month as we're heading to a school to run the course for their pupils before they head off for and exciting dive trip. These course are always good fun and the pupils always have a really good time.
We'll be back running the PADI Open Water Diver Open Water dives down in Chepstow soon and the Referral courses will be back to normal in June, so if you want to get a head start before a summer holiday, get in touch and we can talk you through the process and options that are available.
We look to be set for some lovely conditions along the South Wales coast for Scuba Diving this weekend. The water should be virtually flat and the wind will be a very gentle 4 - 6 knots, so visibility should be acceptable too.
High tide is set for mid - late afternoon, so be sure to remember the rule of twelfths when planning your dive and keep in mind although temperatures will be fairly mild the water temperature will still be quite low so you'll need to ensure you have adequate thermal protection, including dry or semi dry suits, hoods & gloves.
You could of course head to one of the inland sites in or around South Wales but with Scuba Diving conditions like we're expecting this weekend, you really want to be getting out into the big wide ocean and seeing nature at it's finest.
We've not got any training courses running this weekend in Cardiff as we're off to train some students about to embark on Scuba Diving trip and send them out there with there PADI Open Water Diver Referral so they can move straight onto their Open Water dives and get fully qualified to dive anywhere in the world.
We're running our PADI Open Water Diver and PADI Advanced Open Water courses throughout the spring and summer, so if you want to get a head start on a summer diving experience then get in touch and we can talk you through what's involved and the available dates.
Last weekend we were in the pool at Hebron Hall, Cardiff with our latest batch of students, all of who were absolutely fantastic. This weekend our instructors are taking a break from courses but will no doubt be looking to take advantage of the favourable conditions and heading out for a dive along the South Wales coast.
Our PADI Open Water Diver Referral run on the first Saturday of every month, so if you're thinking of getting started on your diving adventure, give us a call and we can talk you through the various options. With the weather starting to pick you, we'll also be running the Open Water part of the PADI Open Water Diver course soon in Chepstow, so hopefully we'll be signing off a number of students to begin their underwater experience!
The scuba diving gods are looking down on South Wales this weekend.
We've got low swell along the coast, light winds throughout and some good tidal sizes too. On top of that, we're expecting some nice sunshine too!
Swell is going to be around the 2ft - 3ft size and the wind speed is low too. This means visibility should also be acceptable along the coast so get your kit together, make your plan and get out there. Water temperatures will still be low at this time of year, so good thermal protection will be required. Dry or semi dry suits, hoods, gloves, etc will all be required and you also need to think about your thermal protection for before and after any dive.
There is as always the option to head to one of the inland sites in or around South Wales, but unless you are training or have a particular type of activity you want to complete, why wouldn't you take advantages of the conditions this weekend. The high tide this weekend is late afternoon to early evening so plan your dive accordingly, remembering the rule of twelfths.
Last weekend we were in the pool at Hebron Hall, Cardiff with our latest batch of students, all of who were absolutely fantastic. This weekend our instructors are taking a break from courses but will no doubt be looking to take advantage of the favourable conditions and heading out for a dive along the South Wales coast.
Our PADI Open Water Diver Referral run on the first Saturday of every month, so if you're thinking of getting started on your diving adventure, give us a call and we can talk you through the various options. With the weather starting to pick you, we'll also be running the Open Water part of the PADI Open Water Diver course soon in Chepstow, so hopefully we'll be signing off a number of students to begin their underwater experience!
If you're going to get a dive in this weekend then Sunday looks as if it will be your best bet, with the swell dropping down to 3ft - 5ft. With the larger swell in the previous days, you could find the visibility is affected but that doesn't have to stop you from diving. You'll need a good dive plan and make sure you are diving with somebody who knows the area well.
Water temperatures are still cold, so good thermal protection is vital for any dive, whether that's inland or coastal; dry suits, hoods, gloves and think about your protection and clothing for after the dives too.
If you want a bit more certainty on the visibility side of things, you'll want to head to one of the inland dive sites around South Wales, such as Vobster Quay - just over the border in Sommerset or Chepstow.
We're back in Hebron Hall, Cardiff this weekend running our PADI Open Water Diver Referral course. We've got some students from Bishop of Llandaff school joining us too this weekend, so it's going to be a good, full course. We always enjoy these courses and seeing our students go from having never taken a breath underwater to being ready for their open water dives is great.
Congratulations must also go to our students from Cardiff Uni who completed their PADI Rescue diver qualification recently. This is a really tough course that requires students to learn a number of new skills but it really does improve their abilities as a diver.
Massive Swell, bigger winds, this weekend is not the weekend for Scuba Diving on the South Wales coast. Don't get too upset though. Those of us not lucky enough to be able to hop on a plane and head out to some warmer climates for some Scuba Diving, which let's be honest is probably most of us, can always head to one of the inland dive sites in our around South Wales.
Chepstow and Vobster Quay are both options this weekend, you just need to be aware of the water temperatures and plan your dive and equipment accordingly. With the strong winds and rain that are forecast you'll also need to think about your clothing before and after the dive so you don't get too cold out of the water either.
This weekend sees us heading outside of South Wales to run the PADI Open Water Diver Referral course for a school who are putting on a diving trip for some of their students. These are always fun and challenging courses and our instructors and divemasters always enjoys themselves.
Later on in the week we're completing the PADI Rescue diver course with some students from Cardiff University. We partner with the Marine Biology dept and Cardiff Uni and work with the students on the skills they require for their research projects.
Our PADI Open Water Diver courses and PADI Advanced Open Water courses are starting to fill up as people prepare for their upcoming holidays but we've still got space throughout the Spring and Summer, so if diving is something you've thought about, give us a call and we can talk you through the process and get you booked up.
The only word for diving on the South Wales coast this weekend is NO! We've got some huge swell coming in, possibly reaching 11ft. Add to that some strong Southerlies and Westerlies (gusting over 40 knots) and the sea is not the place to be.
All is not lost however. The beauty of South Wales for diving is it's access to inland dive sites which will give you the opportunity to dive even when mother nature doesn't want you to. Our advice for this weekend if you want to get a dive in is to head to Chepstow in South Wales or Vobster Quay just across the border in Sommerset. Temperatures, although mild for this time of year, will be low so your thermal protection is going to be absolutely vital.
We're back in the pool in Cardiff this weekend and it's going to be a busy time. We've got a number of pupils from a local school coming down for the first part of their PADI Open Water Diver qualification. They'll be completing the referral part of the qualification before heading off on a dive trip to complete their open water dives - in my day we were lucky if we got to visit a museum!
We've also got some other students who'll be taking the PADI Refresher course. This course is for those who have previously completed their PADI training but haven't dived in the last 6+ months and allows them to reacquaint themselves with the equipment and procedures in the pool environment.
The swell returns to the South Wales coast this weekend, reaching up to 7ft potentially on Sunday. Wind is generally fairly gentle although you could experience some gusts up to 13knots - 15knots and will be a moving between a Southerly and West South West over the course of the weekend. The conditions are relatively calm in the lead up to the weekend, so if you can plan your dive around the swell you could find some acceptable diving conditions along parts of the South Wales coast, particularly in more sheltered bays, such as Caswell Bay or Oxwich Bay in Swansea.
Thermal protection is still vital, even if the weather is particularly mild for this time of year, it will have made very little difference to water temperatures, so you'll need decent thermal protection for any dive, dry suits, hoods, gloves will all be required. The correct, properly serviced equipment is always vital so, if you're thinking of heading out with your lightweight travel BCD and regulator, think again! Perhaps sign yourself up to the PADI Advanced Open Water or PADI Rescue Diver course so you can understand why you shouldn't be doing that.
We don't have any courses this weekend, however we're out and about scouting locations for some new courses we're hoping to announce soon. These new courses will complement our current offerings of PADI courses and we're really excited about them.
We're also starting to plan some more Dive Trips for the summer months and working with Cardiff University students who will be undertaking some marine research projects later in the year too.