Scuba Diving Conditions Report for South Wales, Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli region

Date – 05th July 2018

ACTIVITIES – Scuba Diving, Sub Aqua, Scuba, Free Diving, Snorkelling

LOCAL AREA – South Wales, Cardiff CF105BZ , Porthcawl CF365DH, Swansea SA20AY , Bridgend CF311BB, Southerndown CF320RN, Ogmore by Sea CF320PH, Llantwitt Major , Oxwich Bay SA31LS, Aberavon SA12 6QP, Stackpole Quay SA715DZ, Llanelli SA154SG,

SITE LOCATION – Sker Beach, Limeslade Bay, langland Bay, Oxwich Bay, Stackpole Quay

WEATHER – Warm and sunny again, patches of rain sometimes haevy in parts, generally dry and sunny. 13 – 21 Degrees (http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2648385?day=2) (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcjqmsw80)

WATER TEMPERATURE – 17 Degrees

WIND – Wind is light again picking up possibly on Tuesday ranging between 2 and 15 knots so nothing drastic and changing West to North to South. (https://magicseaweed.com/Southerndown-Surf-Report/4321/)

SEA STATE AND SWELL –  Small swell and light winds again means calm seas for the most part, the only exeption may be Tuesday with the higher winds forecast.  (https://magicseaweed.com/Southerndown-Surf-Report/4321/)

SWELL – 1ft -2ft Max

Visability – 1 – 5 meters

Conditions have remained quite good for the last few days, the only issue has been the slight swells and onshore winds in some regions across the South Wales area. The further west will have the better conditions especially from Stackpole Quay on to West Wales.

Conditions should be good for PADI Advanced Open water Divers who are experienced or have professional or competent guides with them. PADI Open Water Divers must stay to sheltered protected areas with full guidance for safety and protection.

Coastal areas must be evaluated especially for tides and weather conditions as always. We are also running the full PADI system of diver training throughout the year as we have been since 1998.

Scuba Diving Conditions Report for South Wales, Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli region

Date – 14th June 2018

ACTIVITIES – Scuba Diving, Sub Aqua, Scuba, Free Diving, Snorkelling

LOCAL AREA – South Wales, Cardiff CF10 , Porthcawl CF36 , SwanseaSA1 , Bridgend, Southerndown, Ogmore by Sea, Llantwitt Major, Aberavon SA12, Stackpole Quay, Llanelli,

SITE LOCATION – Sker Beach, Limeslade Bay, langland Bay, Oxwich Bay, Stackpole Quay

WEATHER –    Very changeable this week after a prolonged period of warm sunny weather the wind has picked up significantly especially on the South East coast, gale force winds on Thirsday and heavy rain on Saturday temperatures from 12-17 Degrees  (http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2648385?day=2) (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcjqmsw80)

WATER TEMPERATURE – 12 Degrees

WIND –   Changeable strong winds through the week, especially Thursday and Saturday mostly South and South Westerlies coming along the channel 15 – 34 knots (https://magicseaweed.com/Southerndown-Surf-Report/4321/)

SEA STATE AND SWELL –   Rough seas for the next few days with the strong southerly and Westerly winds especially along the Cardiff Cf1, Swansea SA1, Porthcawl CF36 and Southerndown regions of the coast (https://magicseaweed.com/Southerndown-Surf-Report/4321/)

SWELL – Small swell and low waves 1 – 3 foot at best

HIGH TIDE TODAY –

Visability – 0 – 1meters

Scuba Diving Conditions Report South Wales, Cardiff CF1, Porthcawl Cf36, Aberavon SA12, Swansea, Llanelli, Stackpole Quay

Over the past few weeks the weather and the wind has been amazing, beautiful sunny days and light offshore winds, unfortunately all that has changed today. High winds and big swells have blown out the Scuba Diving sites in Cardiff, Swansea, Porthcawl, Aberavon and up to Stackpole Quay. Visibility will be minimal and surf conditions will make entrances and exits treacherous.

We have recently completed the PADI Open Water Diver course and the PADI Open Water Advanced Diver course with students from Cardiff University. The students are now ready for their placements in the Nature reserve in the Medes Islands in Spain, a project we established 5 years ago and still going strong. So good look to all the students as they continue their Scuba diving careers.

Conditions Report for Scuba Diving in Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

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.

Scuba Diving Training in Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

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!

Conditions Report for Scuba Diving in Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

The weather and conditions have been far more settled this week and moving into the weekend it’s looking like we could see some acceptable conditions for Scuba Diving on the South Wales coast.

Swell is set to be low, at around 1ft – 3ft and whilst we are going to be getting Westerlies and Southerlies they should be fairly gentle, particularly on Sunday, with gusts hitting around 13knots.

You do need to be very careful with the tides however this weekend in South Wales as we’re coming off the back of a full moon, meaning spring tides. Saturday and Sunday are going to see massive movement from the tides, with low tide less than 1m and high tide 10m+ the rule of twelfths is going to be absolutely vital in any dive plan. You will also need to take into account how that volume of water movement could affect your visibility.

With these size tides you may find it difficult to plan in a dive for as long as you wanted, so you always have the option in South Wales if heading to some of the near by inland dive sites, such as Chepstow in Wales and Vobster Quay in Somerset, which won’t be affected by tidal conditions.

Scuba Diving Training in Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

Last weekend saw us back in Cardiff for the confined water section of the PADI Open Water Diver course as well as the theory. We also had a couple of people join us for a Scuba Diving Taster Session, so hopefully we’ll see them back soon on the PADI Open Water Diver.

Next week our Open Water students will be with us in Chepstow to complete the PADI Open Water Diver course and become qualified divers. This will allow them to Scuba Dive to 18m anywhere in the world and is also their passport to to further scuba diving courses, such as the PADI Advanced Open Water and various specialities.

CAUTIONS – Water temperatures are still mild for the UK, although they’ll be starting to fall from here. You’ll still need to take all precautions with regards to thermal protection (wetsuits, drysuits, hoods, gloves) as even the warmest UK sea temperatures are around the 12°C mark. We’re getting spring tides this weekend, meaning the volume of water movement from the tide is the highest we get in South Wales, remember the rule of twelfths.

Scuba Diving Conditions Report for Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

Swell is set to be low on the South Wales coast this weekend and the northerly wind should help to keep it low. The tidal range is also good this weekend, with a high of approx. 8m and a low of around 3m we should have acceptable conditions for diving, particularly in the sheltered bays, such as Stackpole Quay will see the better conditions. Remember the rule of twelfths and look to dive on the incoming tide, which this weekend will be around 11:00 – 13:00.

You’ll still need to keep an eye on the visibility, which could be poor due to the water movement and unsettled conditions we’ve had in South Wales this last week but generally we expect the water course to be settled and safe.

Swell size, wind strength and wind direction are all set to change for the worse into the early part of next week meaning conditions could very well become unsafe, so it’s vital you track the swell, tidal conditions and wind before making any decision to dive, ensuring you are aware of the expected conditions at both the beginning and end of your planned dive(s).

Scuba Diving Training in Cardiff, Swansea & South Wales

A break in training this weekend after last weekends PADI Open Water course at Hebron Hall in Cardiff. With the conditions we’re expecting this weekend perhaps we’ll just head out for a pleasure dive somewhere along the South Wales coastline instead.

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.

Scuba Diving near Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and across South and West Wales: The temperature is remaining at 8 degrees this week so diving at this time requires full thermal equipment. Dry suits are recommended to dive in currently as well as full hoods and gloves. The wind has picked up again to highs of 52mph and the swell is quite high reaching a predicted 13ft.

We are still running the PADI Open Water Qualification programme and will be using inland sites for the open water aspect of the examination, the theory and training will be conducted in a controlled pool environment. These areas will still be cold but will provide better visibility when diving. With the temperature starting to creep up it is the perfect time to learn to dive before the summer seasons. The PADI Open Water Qualification will allow you to dive anywhere in the world with a guide as it teaches you the fundamental skills required. This will allow you to make the most out of any trip abroad and see things that many people never see in their entire life.

The PADI Advanced Open Water Qualification programme is also available which will give you a more comprehensive knowledge of diving and will allow you to dive to grater depths. There is no theory or pool segment to this qualification, it is all done in the open water.

Christmas is slowly creeping up on us, and we are getting more and more individuals wishing to learn how to dive before they spend the festive season in a warm sunny country, exploring its deep waters. What a great gift it would be to give someone the ability to explore the ocean. It would be the perfect Christmas present for those struggling to think of something. We’re always looking for more, enthusiastic, individuals to teach our trade to.

The ability to dive will take you all across the world, from Sharm el-sheikh in Egypt, which has waters teaming with Wildlife, to the Grenadines in the Caribbean, or even right on your very doorstep in Britain at places like Fishguard. What would you do if you knew the skills required to dive? Would you dive wrecks, exploring the relics of the past? Or perhaps search for wildlife, trying to see as many species as possible? Or maybe you would just like to relax, hovering in the ocean and just enjoying the scenery?

Diving opens up a vast array of new things for one to experience and it is relatively easy to gain these skills. The PADI Open Water course consists of one day in the pool with a theory exam after and then just four open water dives. This certifies you to dive anywhere in the world, although it is advised to take a dive master wherever you go, just in case. The Open Water qualification is not all however, individuals that have a love of the ocean can also undertake the PADI Advanced Diver course to expand their array of skills and reach greater depths. All of these skills are taught in the South Wales area near Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. So for many it’s very close to home.

To many the prospect of diving is exiting and adventurous. It is the reason that many people learn to dive and use the skills that they learn their entire lives. However, many may fear going beyond the conventional depths of recreational diving (12-40 meters) and learn to deep sea dive (40m+). Even though more technical knowledge is required it is possible to safely reach these depths. One of the ways in which this is done is thought reducing the oxygen in the compressed air mixture from 21% to 10%. This is done to reduce the concentration of oxygen that enters the body at higher depths. As you descend in the ocean pressure increases at a rate of 1 atm (atmosphere) every 10 meters. Surface pressure is 1 atm so at a depth of 60 meters the pressure exerted on a diver would be 7 atm. Every time the pressure is increased by 1 atm the volume of the tank is effectively halved, however no gas is lost and thus the same amount of gas is taking up a smaller space due to pressure. So per breath more elements are entering your body. Returning the the 60 meter example, at this depth there is a pressure of 7 atm being exhibited and as such per breath 64x the amount of air will enter your body. Thus 64x the normal amount of oxygen would be taken in per breath, which is a harmful amount, so to reduce this effect and and keep you safe, the mixture is reduced to 10%. This allows you to reach these amazing depths and see the side of the ocean only few have ever seen. See what lives in the deepest depths of the planet. The PADI Open Water Course is the first step you must take, from there the PADI Advanced Diver and PADI Rescue Diver will set you up to become a Divemaster (after experience is gained) and the technical knowledge of this amazing, professional will be available to you.

The PADI courses are taught in Cardiff, Swansea and the South Wales area throughout the year, all equipment is provided and the Open Water course only requires one pool session, a theory exam which is done on the same day and 4 open water dives done over a weekend. Come and experience the most beautiful and rewarding aspect of our world.

When people learn to Scuba Dive they usually dream of diving in exotic places such as Egypt, South Africa, The Maldives, The Caribbean and indonesia. Fortunately we have managed to Scuba Dive all these places across the world over the past 20 years, are they are truly amazing.

We are also blessed to live on the South Wales coast next to the Atlantic Ocean and we are lucky enough to be able to dive in the sea’s around wales as much as possible. The coast extends from Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea all the way to pembrokeshire. It has an abundance of Sea life including porpoise, seals, dolphins, sharks, fish, soft coral, crabs, shellfish in fact you name it and we have it in the sea’s around wales.

We dive in Swansea on a regular basis in places such as limeslade bay, langland bay and Oxwich, the scenery is amazing, yes it can be cold and sometimes not the best visability but sometimes it can be spectacular with an abunance of Marine life and crystal clear and on our door step.

Conditions can sometimes be challenging so we do advise that people extend their levels from the PADI Open Water Diver qualification to the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Qualification or the equivalent from another system. We always say Scuba Diving is Quite Simple and any one can partake within reason, but our sea’s are challenging and therefore we must train to be prepared to Dive in our beautiful sea’s.

When starting out on the journey to learn to dive many people believe it will be stress full and very difficult to become an Open Water Diver wether certified with PADI International, British Sub Aqua Club, NAUI, CMAS, SSI, SSA, SDI or any other certifying body for Scuba Diving Instruction.

All the systems have one thing in common, they all teach people how to Scuba Dive and diving is pretty generic in its format, we put together our Scuba equipment, we put it on, we check it with our buddy, we get in the water, we float and check again, we descend under the water, we clear our ears and most importantly of all we obtain neutral buoyancy, this is the main concept of learning to scuba dive, neutral buoyancy is the art of stopping, controlling and levelling in the water to obtain the perfect position and depth for your dive. It is total weightlessness only felt by astronaughts flying through space.

Neutral Bouyancy initially is the main reason to dive, not the fish or the sea but the feeling of hanging and hovering with perfect neutral buoyancy is truly amazing, a feeling I still love to this day and I have been diving for 20 years. So really learning to dive and being an accomplished diver is about hanging, hoverering and chilling out underwater. Anyone can do this above the age of 10 years old, that is why diving is so amazing, it can be taken up at any time of life and will become the ultimate journey to follow.

Our next course of underwater astronaughts is being held in Hebron Hall in Cardiff on the 1st March, students will learn all the basis concepts of Scuba Diving befre going into the Open Water, but the main concept they will learn will be Neutral Buoyancy.