Conditions here in South Wales are going to be tough for Scuba Diving this weekend. We've got some big swell, particularly on Saturday, strong onshore winds, gusting up at 30mph and a big spring tide, with a low of 1.7m and a high of 9.2m! Conditions across the South Wales region have also been unsettled again this week, so adding all of those things together, your best bet really will be to head inland, somewhere like The National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) in Chepstow which will allow you to get your dive in whilst reducing the impact of the environmental conditions.
You may find some of South Wales' sheltered, easterly facing bays such as Oxwich Bay in Swansea provide enough protection to get a dive in but ensure you remember the rule of twelfths, diving on the incoming tide (with a big tide like we have this weekend, you don't want to be swimming against it!) and be aware of how the swell and wind could affect your entry and exit points.
With the conditions we've had over the past few days, swell, wind and tidal movement, visibility is also likely to be an issue to.
We're back to Hebron Hall in Cardiff this weekend. We'll be running the PADI Open Water Diver course for those students just starting on their Scuba Diving journey, we have a couple of qualified divers taking a PADI Refresher course having not dived for a while and we're also running the PADI Rescue Diver course for some of our Advanced Divers too. We're going to be busy!
CAUTIONS – As is always the case, throughout the year, in South Wales we'll still need to take precautions with regards to thermal protection (wetsuits, drysuits, hoods, gloves). If you are planning to dive off the coast in South Wales, ensure you are aware of the changing conditions, making sure you know the conditions for both the beginning and the end of the dive and make sure you are aware of the tidal movement and times so you can dive the incoming tide if you insist on costal diving.