First Open Water Dives

We managed to find Vobster Quay, negotiating the signless and disorienting country roads, gradually homing in on it. I had overhead that Vobster is bit of a pain to get to, but also I had read somewhere that there are new signs to help people get there - yes there are some signs, right outside to congratulate you on finding it. Two dives with Dave McDonald. Drills on 9m training platform. Getting buoyancy under control. Felt floaty even with 14kg [was too heavy and overcompensating]. Saw lots trout, dinghy, and a wrecked car. Had to steady myself a lot on the platform and my flippers seemed to want to insert themselves into the gaps in the planks. Ears quite painful on ascents. On second dive (with Debbie Heaton's brother Stuart) AS and CBL. Swam through aircraft cockpit. It was a great day out and Yasmin had a nice time too watching everything going on and taking pictures. Vobster is a long drive, but worth it for training that would be difficult or impossible otherwise. There's a tea/burger van, water to swim in, and junk to swim round.

Holkham

Torn from Pembrokeshire I needed some sort of water-related fix, and got in the sea near Holkham, North Norfolk, at the end of the flats and the enormous beach, where there is a dune island [Gunhill] and a narrow stretch of water that gets cut off on the seaward side when the tide drops right down. Roger Deakin wrote about Holkham in his brilliant book 'Waterlog', and mentions that some of these channels are quite treacherous; but there are also warm lagoons that are very pleasant to swim in. The vis was really good for Norfolk [and better here than futher round the coast]. The tern colony here was a nice surprise - it's fenced off (good) to protect their ground level nests, and we enjoyed watching them fish and returning to the colony with food. I also saw a big pink bird and thought it was a giant duck or a flamingo, but it actually was some lady swimming along in a hat.

There was a steady trickle of people, making their way over to the island (often trying to short cut across unknowably deep tidal water with push-chairs small children and beach paraphanalia) as well as a few small boats and canoes and things.

Aberporth

Looking for something interesting, but more relaxing than my previous swim, and found it at Aberporth, a small seaside town in the county of Ceredigion. Aberporth's beach looked interesting from the aerial photographs I got from Local Live [similar to Google Earth]. We got there early, while it was still quiet, and parked up. Parking was reasonable - as it commonly is in Wales (you really get skinned in England).

Visibility was excellent [I think we were getting towards neaps] and though cool - not too cold. There was some sediment but it was nice and bitty and didn't make the water cloudy. LT was 10:40am (Fishguard).

First of all I swam west out of the bay along the coast toward MoD base. I was a bit windy around here as I had seen there is a danger/exclusion zone along the coast - so came back (there wasn't a great deal to see here anyway). I cut across the bay towards the rocks and caves the other side of the beach stopping at the submerged outcrops, and began to find lots more wildlife. There were juvenille ballan wrasse in schools around the rocks; striped gobies in schools, and SBF and SSF nearer the beach. Very many spider crabs, a few small to medium-sized edible crabs, some shore crabs, and velvet swimmer crabs below LW - the first I'd seen. All I'd heard about the velvet swimmer's feistiness was confirmed!! Most crabs will scurry away if they see you or you get too close - velvet swimmers (bless 'em) seem to want to have a fight with you. Around the outcrops I found blenny, hermit crabs, mussels, periwinkles, corals (a. digitatum), anenomes- dahlia, a pure white sort with a stalk, actina anemomes and strawberry ones with blue spots. On a swim down to take pictures of the anenomes I snapped a Tompot Blenny resting on a ledge. Lots of plants too: wracks - serrated etc, Irish Moss, UL, blobby fern-like plant [probably gut-weed] like I'd seen the other day, sea potato, kelp, sea belt, C. officinalis, and lots of that fine spindly brown weed. This was all great, but did see a fair number of heavy duty plastic bags embedded in sea floor etc. Removed one floating one (I often do this- scrunching them up and stuffing them in my suit). There were a few derelict lobster pots too.

The addition to my standard kit (FJ/vest/boots/X3s/3kg), was a pair of neoprene gloves with slits cut into the back joints of thumb and first two fingers. They are necessarily, very snug but perfect once in water I should have used them before. Swimming was hard work after all that I'd done over the holiday so tended to side stroke - thus my fins were fully in the water and I reckon I get better propulsion like this (more streamlined body too), and it was good for a rest and change.

This was a fantastic swim, and rounded off the trip perfectly - I saw lots of stuff I'd never seen before, like the velvet swimmer crabs and the tompot blenny. I could feel my dives were getting better - much more relaxed, and I had more time underwater for pictures. Something else I learned here was that (perhaps counter-intuitively) in gloomy conditions it is better to underexpose to avoid shake. The pictures are dark, but at least they are sharp; and it's better to be too dark than light and bleached out. The beach was nice and clean, and Aberporth had a friendly laid-back atmosphere; Yas had a nice time ambling about the place and taking pictures too.

Martin's Haven

Scrambled down cliff to the rocky bouldery beach to swim at Deadman's Cove, then back across to Rennets Slip. Anvil rock, past caves and arch. Managed to return same way, though tide overflowing outcropping rocks difficult to get past so climbed out to rest and decide what to do, which turned out to be a good shortcut. Getting out I did very carefully, as losing a fin would have been a big deal. Getting back in was exciting! I had to swim quickly, hugging rocks and use both fin and arm strokes. In hindsight it may have been easier to have continued round to Martin's Haven. Sore and scratched fingertips from scrambling. Saw two seals. Large wrasse (ballan), bass, ssf, compass jellyfish, cyanea lamarckii, comb jellies (x6 3-5cm). Lots of large kelp, wrack, thongweed.

LW 07.50, HW 13.50. Warm hazy sun. Visibility VG. Cold. Usual kit. If I ever go in here again for a snorkel I'll stick to Deadman's Cove/Rennets Slip (best underwater scenery here anyway). Neap/slack and v.settled conditions.

Barafundle Bay

On a long walk which took in the lily-pad/weed infested creeks of Stackpole Estate and the tremendous cliffs here, I went swimming at Barafundle Bay. This was a 'retro-swim' with the very basic kit I started out with - speedo FSM - though for some reason I swam without a snorkel. Water temperature close to the beach was very comfortable. Visibility was ok near the beach but not so good around the headland, when I went to look at the triple arch. It was close to high tide and I wasn't diving very deep so didn't see much except for a small school of bass. I was stung by jellyfish, but didn't even get to see it. It wasn't far at all to the arches, but the going seemed slow and missed the power of my scuba fins. There, underwater, I noticed a pool of light - but didn't feel like swimming through the hole to the other side. Nice clean sandy beach at Barafundle, like Broadhaven nearby, but very busy and somewhat noisy with people and boats. No dogs around. [Looking back at photographs - Stackpole Quay itself might be a better place to snorkel].

Nolton Haven

Another likely spot picked out using aerial photographs from Local Live. It was cool to start with and there was some hazy cloud, becoming hot later. Usual kit [FJ/Rash vest/boots/X3s/3kg] and borrowed Yas's mask because of the big panes- but soon found it fogged really easily. [Later toothpaste worked excellently to remove film and without affecting glass. Also good to use saliva on mask before getting wet].

Nolton's Haven had nice fine sand - but Yas said it was too fine and it got everywhere. For snorkelling there are good range of habitats to explore close by. I liked it here, though unfortunately, perhaps because the very big beach just to the north bans dogs, there were loads here. People we watched left shit behind - tied up in plastic bag; and continously dogs barked - the echoes reverbereating off the surrounding cliffs.

I had three swims here, the first was quite short because I had to come out to get my old Speedo mask. I had started going around the north side towards caves. There were lots of light sandy-coloured fish in small schools that were possibly gobies, and a big lobster (my first) making for crevice under large rock. The second swim took me a bit further in the same direction - but not much, as by now there were more people fishing and I didn't feel like long swim out and around them. It was around here I found a big barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma Octopus) swimming about; I watched and photographed for a while before it moved out into deeper water. Interesting beasts those jellyfish, I read somewhere that their guts can harbour a strange little crustacean (with big green eyes) that lives nowhere else. They're also a favourite food for turtles. Other things I saw around the caves (there was a arch about here somewhere too) included spider, shore, and edible crabs, several bass, sbf (wrasse), ssf. One bay I swam through felt particularly creepy - cold and deep, it also contained suspended fishing line.

My third S. side (toward arches) to cave/arch in headland. Didn't find arch - obscured, small, or map error - or collapsed. Crabs as above, ssf, more bass, flatfish (brill) on rocks (~20cm) had slightly nibbled fins. Hermit crabs on sandy bottom. Plants as yesterday + olive green ferny branched weeds. More kelps less UL. Legs tired on third swim and ankles sore. Used arms more in breaststroke - not textbook but helped.

Manorbier

According to Giraldus Cambrensis, aka Gerald of Wales etc "this is the most pleasentest spot in Wales". Yes, it is pretty nice, and has good sandy beach with rocky bits for swimming and snorkelling around.

It was another good hot day, it turned out we were there for first decent week of sunshine; usually in the UK we are lucky to get a couple of days, and have been rained out completely before. So, got there early and parked for free (again! free parking - I like this place). Had a couple of swims, and Yas went in too. Better for her without any extra buoyancy (she had tried wearing a buoyancy aid to see what would happen, if she'd feel steady or more comfortable or something), and she did some snorkelling around on front. Her mask was still very foggy [turns out to be a very persistent film - also trapped hair and poor fit]. Usual kit.

I swam out of the bay eastwards, past some deep rectangular fissures. Swimming down into these wasn't very nice as they were cold and gloomy, and there wasn't much to see anyway - a few dark fish lurking in the shadows. It was about HT and didn't see much other wildlife as I made my way back. Later on I explored he west side, swimming over the shallow rocky ridges, getting back at low tide. There were wrasse (ballan and corkwing) some of them quite big. Sand eels (also quite big), SSF, SBF, small blue jellyfish (whitish and manky), dead edible crabs, clusters of blennys, and a small comb jelly. There were the usual sort of plants, various types of wrack including some smaller delicate ones, Irish moss, coral weed, sea lettuce, kelps, oarweed etc. Swam quite a long way on the second swim; the dives themselves were getting slightly better and more relaxed. The red cliffs reminded me of home. Manorbier castle was very scenic and the people there very nice, even after I trod on their cat.

Aber Bach

I was pleased to find this beach, walking distance from our campsite. I'd seen it on aerial pictures, and on maps, but still wasn't quite sure it would be accessible with public access. I was particularly glad to find it as I really didn't feel like driving any further afield for a day or so. The weather was great, it was bright and sunny, though a bit cool with the sea breeze. It still wasn't long after spring tide but the visibility wasn't too bad around high tide, I expect it would be much better nearer neaps.

First I swam east, there are some very rugged and dramatic looking cliffs and island over this way; but it wasn't particularly enjoyable, with the water surging around the rocks and poor vis earlier in the day. I found some wreckage out here, but it wasn't very interesting just some stumpy girder thing. West out of the cove there are more caves and rocks - less intimidating, and the water became clearer and warmer. There were SBF, SSF, wrasse, and a blenny that when I stopped to look at actually approached the camera; also shore crabs and a small moon-jellyfish.

Pwilgwaelod, Dinas Head

Had just driven up to Wales and wanted to make the most of the weather - it was warm, bright and sunny, with a gentle breeze. We had looked at possible snorkel site further west (can't remember the name), but decided to press on to look at a more generally sheltered spot near Dinas Head. Parking at Pwilgwaelod was free - and we managed to find a spot. The vis wasn't fantastic but quite good for a spring tide. We had to count ourselves lucky as some people we spoke too said that the previous day had been really choppy (but they had seen - from their boat - a swarm of very large, dustbin-sized jellyfish). I think that at neap tide it would have been very good indeed.

I went out of bay along cliffs past a few caves to inlet and rock arch that goes onto small cove at low/mid tide. Sponges (orange). Aurelia aurita (15cm). Several comb jellies (3cm/5cm). Wrasse, small brown fish (SBF) and small silver fish (SSF). Few spider crabs amongst kelp, and very large periwinkles. Plants included various kelps, wracks, OC, laver, UL. I used my usual kit: FJ/Rash vest/boots/scuba fins/weights 3kg. Tried the little 'Aquapac' drybag I got for keys, money etc. Very good.

Anstey's Cove to Long Quarry Point

A really great swim, it was nice and quiet - no traffic, just a few people later on at the beach. Weather was really settled, dry and bright and the sea was calm. Visibility was excellent. It was neaps and LW was 9.00. I swam 9-11.00, from Anstey's Cove, past Redgate Beach to Long Quarry Point. Plenty to see: there were lots of small wrasse, blenny- dark grey brown and very light brown ones, coral (a. digitatum) on two large overhangs, breadcrumb sponges (green and orange), spider crabs, a moulted one hiding in the sand off Redgate Beach. There were also very many tiny mussels, and sea-mat on the kelps. As for plants there was a lot of kelp, some stringweed and about Anstey's, dark red-brown spindly fern type stuff.

Wore usual kit, and getting cold, mainly becuase of slow going and taking pictures, was very glad of rash vest. Good 2 hour swim. Felt too floaty at times, so considering more weight (4kg) if not swimming far. Deep scatches to little fingers from rocks [which went septic very quickly]. Saw lots of junk from fishing- line off Anstey rocks, weight and hooks in Redgate cove and fishing tripod near Long Quarry Point.

Watcombe

Fine and dry so decided to go for a short snorkel after work. In the water about 6pm? Neap tide. HT 3pm. Seemed to take ages getting in (I went down the hill to have a look first, and had forgot how long and steep it is). Visibility looked good. Hardly anybody about. Yas swam too, but didn't stay in very long: too buoyant and feet felt floaty. I used my usual kit FJ/Rash vest/boots/scuba fins/weights 3kg. Saw a nice big edible crab on the deep vertical rock face just out of the cove, as well as spider crabs, wrasse, large bass around cave entrance (very fast swimmer), cyanea lamarckii, orange sponges, lots tiny mussels. Kelps. It was just a little too dark and shadowy for underwater pictures. Some yukky litter floating about. Good scenery.

St Mary's Bay

Decided to go back to St Mary's bay, hoping for better visibility. Weather was ok. It was sunny, with just a few small clouds and a haze. Vis was alright in the morning (~8am) before high tide, but later as the tide ebbed it deteriorated - though in places there were a few clearer patches (~3pm). Had a short swim in the morning but don't remember seeing very much. The afternoon swim was longer and more interesting. First over to Mussel rock, around it, then across St Mary's Bay. On the way over to the other side got a glimpse of a shoal of bass bass. Lack of visibility, interest, and the swell made for tedious swim. This kind of distance or the exploration of rocks and on towards Berry Head would be better suited to a kayak dive. Didn't see much around the rocks when I got there. Lifeboat came over to investigate - checked all ok - then sped off again.

Best wildlife was around Mussel Rock at low tide; there were several spider crabs, wrasse, bass in a small shoal on the seaward side over the sandy bottom - which would appear and disappear, common dragonet, 2-spot gobys (tiny orange/semi-transparent fish - I really liked these), a candy-striped flatworm surrounded by lightbulb sea-squirts, netted dog-whelks. Same plants as before - very large japweed and kelps around the rock, wracks and coral weed on the rock. Lower shore red and brown algae more noticable; bushy red seaweeds, and Irish moss-like ones with purple irridescent edges, as well as a lot of sea-potato. Usual kit (FJ/vest/boots/X3s/3kg). New rash vest great, definately need 3kg if wearing it. Bag of stones anchor worked very well and liked having the float nearby. Decided to rig float with A flag and use if going anywhere away from beach [used 15mm plumbing conduit and end caps from B&Q]. Good practise swim, and despite patchy visibility some good wildlife at low tide in shallows - this last bit was most fun. Yas swam again using mask and snorkel on surface. She is still getting used to fins.

St Mary's Bay

Weather not too bad, hazy sun, slight southerly breeze, but the visibility was poor owing to the spring tide. Timing my swims for slack water (supposed to be 2hrs before, or 4hrs after high tide) didn't help much. Yas now has wetsuit, boots, and fins, and tried everything out on a short swim near the beach. But poor visibility and continual mask fogging problems, despite lots of spit and rubbing, made it less than fun for her [toothpaste didn't help but a switch to a different type/fit looks like it might].

Swam to Mussel Rock, in the southern part of the bay, not far from the shore; around here there were ballan wrasse, a bass, sprats and a few spider crabs. On a longer second swim over to the north side of the bay to explore the rocks there, found a good sized (and living) compass jellyfish (~10-15cm). Didn't see much else becuase of the poor vis. But underwater scenery might be good. Plants in the bay about Mussel rock included very large (~2.5m) S.multicum and kelps (esp. furbelows). Plenty of wracks, c. officinalis on Mussel Rock itself.

I wore usual stuff: FJ/boots/X3s/2kg and used a spearfishing sled-type plastic float as marker while swimming around Mussel Rock. I anchored it with grapnel anchor, which soon lodged fast under a rock; was able to swim down and sort ok. Next time I used a bag of stones, far better for rocky/overgrown places and can be filled at the beach. The float can't be paddled on but, it's easy to push or tow. Highly visible and handy for holding things [after second trip to St Mary's I sorted out A-flag for it].

Also tried out some neoprene gloves and hood - both wrong type [embarrassingly poor choices and hadn't checked mask fit with hood]. Free car park below Sharkham Point. Ought to go back on neap tide. Good sized beach unlikely to get very crowded.

Hope Cove

Another trip with Jon, this time to Hope Cove near Bolt Tail, Devon. Out of the water it was warm; sunny and light (>5mph) southerly winds. I had my usual kit and the cold getting in made me think again about getting a thermal rash vest and that actually a 5mm wetsuit, made out of real neoprene, would be a good idea. I think Jon wore two 3-mm wetsuits and was still cold. He didn't have a weight belt but I lent him mine here and there so he could do some dives. The times while I had the weight belt I was able to take some pictures. Without the belt I'd float back up very quickly; but it was excellent practice for doing a good duck dive.

Visibility was very good, but deteriorated slightly later on when the tide dropped. Saw some big wrasse around the rocks between inner/outer Hope; also some oranges sponges on the rocks about here. There were also some small bass, and blennies, spider crabs (some mating), a smallish edible crab. A spider crab Jon found had a snakelock anenome on top; this is actually quite common - the crab gets a bit of protection from the anenomes' tentacles - imagine having a hat with waving arms that flail about and sting people! - and the anenome gets free transport and bits of whatever the crab dislodges as it eats.

There were iridescent turqoise blue seaweeds among the rock gullies running out from the shore. Also wracks, string weed, kelps and mossy dark brown seaweads. My finning was a bit better, trying to use whole leg, Ankles sore again though - but thankfully not getting any worse.

Jon tried to get me to swim over the shallow submerged ledges between rocks in the way that he enjoyed doing; when we got out he discovered that his suit was all grazed and cut up!!!!

Anstey's Cove

A gloomy morning, and not really ideal, but it was the weekend and I really wanted to swim. It was overcast and there was a light southerly breeze - the stronger winds of the preceeding days dying away. Down at Anstey's it looked ok and I phoned Jon and he drove over. We had a short swim, exploring the sides of cove, but we didn't see very much; visibility was moderate and in places quite poor. It was still quite cold and Jon wore two 3mm suits - and getting ready he enjoyed telling me I'd freeze. I knew it would be uncomfortable with the cold water flushing through my the open neck of the FJ I wore, and it was. Jon had had enough after 30 minutes or so and got out. I later went past Redgate Beach and rocks; and the visibility improved slightly after high tide. Some animals here and there: a few spider crabs, glimpse of a small dogfish, orange fish - young wrasse I suppose and lots of A. Digitarum (Deadmen's fingers) on a south facing rock overhang on the way to Long Quarry Point. Wracks and slimy stringweed abundant, and some Irish moss. This was my first time using proper scuba fins (Mares X3), and I experimented with weights finally settling for 2kg. Ah yes,. I had to be careful to avoid cramp, and my ankles - achillies tendon - really hurt from being stretched.

Durdle Door / Man-o-War Rock

Jon came with us to Durdle Door. Visibility was very good. Water was very cold. First swim was around Man-o-War Rock and the north side of Durdle Door. Saw some spearfishers around later. Got out, warmed up, had a sandwich, Jon felt the cold very badly (shivering uncontrollably it was highly amusing watching him trying to eat a sandwich) then walked to Bat Hole Cave for a swim around there. I swam back because my feet were so sore from the shingle [I still had full-foot fins]. Around Man-o-War rock there were spider crabs, ballan wrasse, and some orange sponges. Plants - especially sargassam multiculum. Near Bat Hole there was a lot of slimy string weed (which can trap swimmers, and the slime itself is an irritant). Also thongweed, with its bright green, mushroom-shaped holdfast/base and many others. Various types of kelp and lots of c. officinalis. The beaches got very busy about midday. As I was swimming round the end of Durdle Door for a RIB suddenly appeared with a group of lads for tombstoning; so I made my way past and headed in. Jon had gone ahead again, and I was getting tired.