It's another weekend where you'll want to be packing your bags and looking for some flights or heading to an inland site if you want to get some diving in. The South Wales coast is seeing some huge swell over the next few days, and big winds too, possibly gusting at over 40mph! Although the swell is looking to calm down a little into the weekend, the previous days conditions will have made visibility a real issue. Sunday we're set to see the winds picking up again too, which will only add to visibility issues.
Luckily, in South Wales we're lucky enough to have a few inland diving sites within easy reach, so you can still get a dive in, despite the coastal conditions. Head over to Chepstow of Vobster key and you won't have to worry about swell, tides or wind too much. Your only concern is going to be the cold, so ensure you have decent thermal protection, dry suits or a 5mm semi dry + 5mm shorty, gloves & hoods. Think about how you will get and keep warm on any surface interval - warm drinks, wind proof jackets, lots of layers, etc.
This weekend we're running the PADI Advanced Open Water course up at Chepstow with 4 of our previous PADI Open Water Diver students. The course is run over 2 days and will see the students complete 5 dives, including Peak Performance Buoyancy, Deep Dive and a Wreck Dive. It will allow the students to become better divers, working on the key skill of buoyancy and getting a better understanding of the underwater world.
Once they have completed the course, they'll be qualified to dive up to 30m anywhere in the world.
CAUTIONS – Water & air temperatures significantly over the last week or two. Plan you thermal protection for the dive and during any surface interval so you'll be as comfortable as possible. Dry suits, 5mm semi-dry + 5mm shorty, gloves, hoods, lots of layers for when you're not diving, etc. Warm liquids will help you warm up quicker.