Anglesey 4 - 7 May 2012

We're off to Anglesey for our first UK sea dive of the season. This is a three day trip over the May Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Monday 7 May 2012. I've chartered Protector, a 38' halmatic rib skippered by Scott Waterman of Quest Diving http://www.questdiving.co.uk/. Protector has all the diver comforts you would expect to find on a hard boat, including an hydraulic diver lift and enclosed heated cabin. If you'd like to know more about Scott, his boat and diving Anglesey, click on the link below to review an artical published in the June 2011 issue of Diver Magazine called 'North Welsh Wonders'. The other link is a review of the book 'Anglesey Wrecks & Reefs' written by Andy Shears and Scott Waterman - with over 1800 dives in the Irish Sea, Scott knows a thing or two about what's down there.

http://www.divernet.com/UK_Diving/uk_dive_sites/908608/north_welsh_wonders.html

http://www.divernet.com/other_diving_topics/160250/anglesey_wrecks_amp_reefs_by_andy_shears_amp_scott_waterman.html

Protector is moored at the end of St George's Pier near the Menai Bridge, providing easy access to the fabulous dive sites around Anglesey and further out into the Irish Sea. This is a recreational wreck & reef trip for 10 divers to a maximum depth of 40M. The May Bank Holiday weekend is spring tides, so the first dive each day is likely to be a deep wreck in the 30M to 40M range, so you'll need to be well dived up. With this in mind, I've organised two inland check out dive weekends to Stoney Cove in February and Chepstow in March. The second dive each day is likely to be a swallow inshore dive in the 8M to 15M range, this could be a wreck, reef or drift. I can't confirm what we'll be diving at this stage and much will depend on where the best visability can be found. Anglesey wrecks include the Derbent, Albanian, Delfina, Kincorth, Dakota, Liverpool and Minerva, to name a few. I organised a late season trip in November, we dived the Derbent and Kincorth, the Dakota was the second dive on both days - all great dives.

http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/wreck_tours/717242/wrecktour145_the_kincorth.html http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/wreck_tours/159400/wreck_tour_78_the_liverpool.html http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/100_best_uk_wreck_dives/159577/the_dakota_40.html

Accommodation, I've booked bed & breakfast at the Auckland Arms Hotel, a small family-run B&B and bar in the centre of the historic town of Menai Bridge on Friday 4, Saturday 5, Sunday 6 May 2012 http://www.anglesey-hotel.co.uk/. All rooms are generously sized with en-suite bathrooms, they include tea and coffee facilities and a TV - a number of rooms have DVD players and Freeview channels, it's £30 per person, per night. There is a Coach House option which sleeps five in a double room, a twin room and a single room for £20 per person, per night with a shared bathroom room with shower, Coach House guests can also use bathrooms in the hotel. The Auckland Arms is a couple of minutes walk from St George's Pier and there's plenty of nearby places to eat in the evenings like the Anglesey Arms, very popular with the locals (so I'm told), take a look at their menu http://www.jwlees.co.uk/angleseyarms/menu.pdf.

This trip costs £285 for club members and £305 for non club members, it includes three days diving with two dives per day and three nights accommodation on Friday 4, Saturday 5, Sunday 6 May 2012, including a fine Walsh cooked breakfast. If you want the Coach House accommodation option, it's £30 less, so £255 for club members or £275 for non club members - subject to availability. It excludes the cost of getting there (it's 280 miles from SW19, South West London - we'll sort out car sharing arrangements nearer the time), gas fills, other meals, drinks and general spending money. Air and Nitrox fills are available from Scott at Quest Diving.

Gas prices:
12ltr air fills - £3.50 each.
12ltr 32% Nitrox fills - £7 each.
15ltr air fills - £4 each.
15ltr 32% Nitrox fills - £8 each.
12ltr manifold twin-set air fills - £7 each.
12ltr manifold twin-set Nitrox fills - £14 each.

Diver certification, dive kit and previous experience. All diving will be planned within recreational limits down to 40 metres, and subject to prevailing weather and sea conditions each day. Minimum diver qualification is PADI Advanced Open Water and Deep Diver Speciality or equivalents, the ability to deploy a DSMB is essential, some boat diving experience would be useful. Having further PADI certifications in Enriched Air Diving and Wreck Diving or equivalents will help you to get the most out of this trip. Full scuba diving kit, including an appropriate exposure suit, DSMB, reel and a good torch - having a back up mask, DSMB and torch is a good idea. If you plan to use a single cylinder, carrying a redundant air supply such as a Pony cylinder is highly recommended on the deep dives. Divers must be over 21 years of age and logged 50 dives. If this is your first trip with the organiser, you will be asked to provide evidence of your certification and experience, remember to bring your logbook and certification cards with you.

To book a place on this trip, a £90 deposit is required, the balance is payable 6 weeks (42 days) before the trip, that's Monday, 13 March 2012.

Cancellation policy. Deposit refunds for cancellations made in advance of the balance due date can only be given once the trip is full and another diver has taken your place. For cancellations made after the balance has been paid, no refund can be given until your place is sold to another diver. If we are successfull, you will receive a full refund, minus any reduction agreed between you and the buyer of your place. In the event of adverse weather conditions or "force majeur" causing cancellation of the arrangements, your payment for that part of the booking will be refunded after the trip. This only applies to day boat charter fees, it excludes accommodation, admission fees and liveaboards, unless specifically stated in the trip details.

Health and saftey on the trip. It is important you listen carefully to all safety briefings while you are on this trip and follow the instructions you are given at all times, both in and out of the water. Make sure you dive within the limits of your dive certification, experience and comfort level. If you experience a dive related problem, make others aware of it immediately. Familiarise yourself with each dive site where possible and agree a dive plan with your buddy. In an emergency, you are reminded you have responsibility for the first actions to effect a successful rescue, without endangering yourself.

Please note. Care has been taken to ensure the information about this trip is both a fair and accurate representation of what you will receive and the magnitude of cost you will incur. Neither Dive Wimbledon or the trip organiser accept any responsibility for errors, omissions or changes which may result in an increase in cost and/or changes to the itinerary. By booking a place/s on this trip, you accept that Dive Wimbledon and the trip organiser have no duty of care to you or others on the trip and understand we are merely facilitating the hire of the boat and accommodation.

For more information, diver training courses and to hire dive gear at competitive rates:

Contact Roger and the team at Dive Wimbledon on 020 8540 6874