We should see low swell with acceptable wind strength across the weekend. However we're set to see some huge tides over the next few days, 9 - 10m creating some very challenging conditions. Certain areas of South Wales could be an option with the depth of the tide allowing you to keep within the protection of the bays in Swansea but you'll need time your dive to be within the 2 hours before high tide and will also need to be aware of the effect the tides will have on visibility before making any decision to dive.
In our opinion the best option is to head to one of the inland diving sites here in Wales to reduce the impact of the environment conditions.
This weekend sees us back at Hebron Hall in Cardiff taking our next group of PADI Open Water Diver students through their confined water dives and theory sessions. Upon successful completion of these they'll be able to complete their open water dives, either with ourselves at The National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow or with any PADI Dive Centre throughout the world.
CAUTIONS – As always with UK diving at this time of year, you need to ensure you have the correct thermal protection, including Hoods, Gloves, Dry, or Semi-Dry, suit and base layers. Be sure to check local tidal times and conditions before making any dive.
The sun is out and the sky is blue, the water is still a little chilly but the Scuba Diving is wonderful no matter what the conditions are, we have been back on the coast and our training sites over the last few days. The instructional team at Ocean Quest are avid divers and love what they do, so as soon as the conditions allow they are in the water, even if the conditions don't allow there in the water.
Recently we have been diving in the Gower in Swansea where the marine life and the flora and fauna is in abundance, the first site we have been surveying is Lime Slade Bay in Gower in Swansea Bay. The visabilty was not great but the marine life is abundant, pollack, bass, spider crabs, wrasse to name a few marine species. This is one of the sites we use to take people on the PADI Open Water Scuba Diving Course and the PADI Advanced Scuba Diver course.
We are blessed here in South Wales with some amazing dive sites in the Lime Slade Bay, Oxwich Bay, Port Eynon and then further up the coast of Wales into Pembrokeshire and especially the marine nature reserve of Skomer island.
We instruct people through the PADI Open Water System to be able to Dive in the beautiful areas and even to instruct and make this wonderful skill part of there career.