View the gallery The British Sub Aqua Club
Recognised as the UK's Most Successful Branch!
at The British Sub-Aqua Club's Branch of the Year 2009 Awards
 
Welcome to Mid Herts Divers!

Here you'll find information about the club, what we do and where we meet. You'll also find a repository of interesting and useful scuba-diving information.

We welcome both experienced divers from any affiliation as well as anyone interested in learning.

Training is performed by Nationally Qualified Instructors in a safe and structured manner. Theory lessons are conducted in a classroom environment, followed by pool sessions in our indoor swimming pool. Open water lessons are conducted at both inland lakes, and coastal locations including Arlesey Blue Lagoon, Gildenburgh Water and Stoney Cove.

Throughout the year, we run Ocean Diver, Sports Diver, Dive Leader and, Advanced Diver training courses alongside a packed schedule of Skills Development Courses (SDCs) including First Aid for Divers, Oxygen Administration, Practical Rescue Management (PRM), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Wreck Appreciation and Underwater Digital Photography.

We also pride ourselves in our intensive and very successful in-house Instructor Training Programme. With a perfect pass-rate (so far), we ensure all our branch instructors meet and exceed BS-AC's strict Instructor training standards.

Membership of the branch includes both use of branch-owned scuba kit during training and the indoor swimming pool.

We meet every Wednesday evening at Monks Walk School, Knightsfield, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. AL8 7NL between 7.30pm-9.30pm.

Mid Herts divers (also known as Mid Herts Sub-Aqua Club) are branch #1784 of the British Sub Aqua Club (BS-AC), the world's biggest diving club.
 
Latest events

 Latest articles

 
Swanage Pier, Wreck & Drift Diving - May 29th and 30th 2010
Submitted on 02-Feb-2010 21:45:21 by Steve Begg. Updated on 28-Feb-2010 22:09:26

May Swanage Dive Weekend Update:

19 divers have put there name down for the Swanage weekend - and the schedule for the Wreck Dives, Drift Dive and Pier Dives has been put together.

Apart from Pier diving, there will be 3 wreck dives and one drift dive (all off a hard boat - the Mary Jo) ...

Firth Fisher   -   37m (shuttle ~20 mins)
dept. Saturday at 11:10
£20.00 per diver

Fleur de Lys   -   13m (shuttle ~10 mins)
dept. Saturday at 15:20
£18.00 per diver

Drift Dive - max 18m (shuttle ~10 mins)
(The Old Mussel Beds)
dept. Sunday at 09:50
£20.00 per diver

S.S. Kyarra    -  22m to 30m (shuttle ~20 mins)
dept. Sunday at 11:50
£20.00 per diver

Note: Sunday PM are all Pier Dives

This is an ideal venue to finish off Sports Diver qualifying dives.
With the Fleur de Lys, and the pier dives, this is an ideal opportunity to finish off Ocean Diver qualifying dives.

 ____________________________________________________________________________

The Drift Dive will be on the Sunday morning Flood Tide ...

The Old Mussel Beds (avg 15m, dips to 17m)    - slower drift ideal for novice drift divers
£20.00 per diver
 

Click here for more details from Swanage Boat Charters

You WILL need a RED only SMB (the skipper dislikes Red/White)

____________________________________________________________________________

Dates:                    Sat 29th and Sun 30th May 2010

Places:                   Plenty for the Pier and Drift Dive, but now very limited for the Fleur de Lys and Kyarra    

Costs:                     Varies between £16 and £24 per dive

Deposit:                  £10 for ALL dives
                              
                              I will need to book by 2nd March to guarantee places
 

Minimum Quals:        Ocean Diver (for Fleur de Lys & drift dive)
                              Sports Diver (for the remainder)
                              - (all dives
will need approval from DO)

Minimum Gear:         Strongly recommend drysuit (sea temperature is around 12 degC in May)
                               - plus extra 2kg or 3kg of weights (as this is a salt water dive)

Contact:                  Steve Begg 

For more information please refer to information pack. Click here.

Steve Begg

 


 
Weekend trip to Vobster Quay and NDAC Chepstow
Submitted on 08-Feb-2010 09:37:52 by Daniel Hodkin. Updated on 27-Feb-2010 18:00:27

Weekend Trip to Vobster Quay and NDAC Chepstow

Unfortunately I have had to change my plans of going to Lundy, as after searching, have found out there will be poor Viz and more importantly NO SEALS in April!!

So the new plan is as follows: travel down early Saturday morning to be at NDAC for approx 09:30

Saturday 24th April- NDAC Chepstow

Open to Ocean Divers and above.

Opening Times-

08:00- 18:00

Prices-

Non-members- £15

Cylinder Fills-

12L- £3.40

15L- £3.50

Again this is a dive not to be missed, so many and I cant emphasis how many features there are in and around the 20m shelf, this includes some great swim through’s ideal for any experience.

Check out the website

http://www.ndac.co.uk/

Sunday 25th April- Vobster Quay Inland Dive Centre

This trip is open to all diver grades

Opening Times-

08:30 - 17:30

Price-

Non-members: £15

Cylinder Fills-

12L -  £3.25
15L -  £3.75

There are many features for all experience levels!! Check out the website for more details.

For Divers attending both days accommodation is recommended as Vobster Quay is only around an hour away from NDAC.

Accommodation: After searching the Internet for possible hotels, I have decided to use the Premier Inn at Frome, it is an hour drive from NDAC but will benefit us for the morning journey to Vobster as it is only 7 miles away! Price of a twin room for one night is £60. 

£30 each if you can find a buddy to share with.

There is a Pub/Resturant on the side of the Premier Inn (Frome Flyer) which we can use for our evening meal.   

 http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/FROBRE/frome      link for you to book your room!!

If anyone is interested in any of these dives then please get in contact with me!

Email-

hod_brum@hotmail.com

Mobile- 07875463630

Look forward to hearing from you

Dan Hodkin


 
What a mug!
Submitted on 24-Feb-2010 16:28:07 by Adrian Colegate. Updated on 24-Feb-2010 16:28:16

Are you sick of people nicking your mug at work?

Never quite sure which has your slobber on? (or more importantly which haven't been licked by other people?)

Well, now your problems could be over with a special limited edition Mid Herts Divers mug!

If you'd like one of these beauties to grace your desk at work, please let Clive know and we'll place an order.
Mid Herts Divers Mug

 
Ilfracome and N.Devon SAC 50th Birthday events at Dive Fest 2010
Submitted on 22-Feb-2010 13:16:18 by Adrian Colegate. Updated on 22-Feb-2010 13:17:08

Ilfracombe Sub-Aqua club are celebrating their 50th birthday this year and are running a number of dives to coincide with the activities and events at Dive Fest 2010.

Dives range from 15 to 40 metres and include a treasure hunt suitable for all qualified divers.

You can find out more about Ilfracombe Sub-Aqua Club and the dives they're running on their website.

 
Lochaline Diving
Submitted on 19-Feb-2010 00:36:27 by Rod Reeves. Updated on 22-Feb-2010 13:12:13 by Adrian Colegate

 

Welcome to Lochaline

 

www.lochalinedivecentre.co.uk

Situated in the small village of Lochaline, 44 miles west of FortWilliam on the West Coast of Scotland, our mainland position on the Sound of Mull offers a unique get-away-from-it-all location. Staying with us you will have easy access to the clear waters of the Sound, which boasts some of Britain's best-known wreck dives, in addition to an abundance of drift, shallow, scenic, and shore dive sites. The Centre also offers access to some of the most beautiful and tranquil scenery in Scotland, with an abundance of local wildlife. Wildlife trips, with an expert guide, are also available via the Centre.

There are two properties available for accommodation - the newly refurbished Dive Lodge, which can cater for groups of up to 24 persons, and the Old Post Office, which sleeps 10 and is ideal for smaller groups. Both properties have large communal areas, allowing groups to socialise and plan activities. All linen is inclusive.

New for 2009 is the Dive Centre's new charter vessel "Sound Diver", a spacious 12.5m Offshore 125 fitted out for diving with deep benches onboard, a compressor and a hydraulic diver lift at the stern.

The Centre can supply air (to 300 bar), nitrox and trimix (on request). Two other popular hard boats are also available for charter in the village.

The Centre offers catering for residents: cooked breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals, plus a new Café O2, where you can relax with a coffee or a snack. Self catering facilities are also available.

They are always happy to provide local knowledge or helpful advice - if you are not sure, just call.

Some dive sites in the Sound of Mull

Sound Diver , our new dive vessel allows us to offer extended dive trips around Mull.

Hispania

This Swedish merchant vessel (644 net tonnes) sank in 1954. The wreck remains fairly intact, and although she is gradually disintegrating with time, she remains one of Scotland's finest wreck dives. The amount of marine growth over the hull during the summer months is quite exceptional. A slack water dive.

 

Shuna

Wrecked in 1913 while carrying a cargo of coal, the steel steamship Shuna, built in Holland (880 net tonnes), was discovered in 1991, and lies intact and upright in 30 metres (16 metres to the deck). The wreck can be dived at all states of the tide.

Rondo

Wrecked in 1935, this tramp steamer (2363 gross tonnes and 80 metres in length) lies bow down in 54 metres on a steep slope with the stern in 9 metres. The ship is still reasonably intact and there is a route between the keel and the rock face at about 27 metres. A slack water dive.

Fuinary Rocks

An interesting scenic dive inside of the navigation marker amidst a series of reefs and gullies close to the shore. Plenty of life among the rocks and sandy bars, including sea lemon (photographed), and snakelocks anemone. Sea pens can be found beyond 20m depth. This shore dive is easily accessible from the car park immediately prior to the Wishing Stone on the Drimnin Road. Entry to the water is easiest at high tide.

Pennygown Quarry

Running out from the shore, the sand slopes down to 20 metres before hitting a sheer cliff face to 70 metres. Rock strata here run diagonally, forming lots of crevices for marine life.

The John Preston

The wreck of the Welsh schooner John Preston, built in 1855 in North Wales, lies on a ledge in 14-18 metres of water. This scattered wreck, and the steep wall nearby, make for an interesting dive at all states of the tide.

Lochaline West Pier

This is an excellent shore dive on a drop-off to over 90 metres. Sponges, anemones, soft corals and lots of fish make this a very enjoyable dive (for more about the sea life, see the link from the HotelBeach, below).

The site is well known as a deep dive training location. Please note that this is a working pier, and is also enjoyed by rod and line fishermen - beware of entanglement in old lines.

Lochaline Hotel Beach

The sandy beach in front of the hotel shelves gradually off onto a steep wall, offering contrasting environments and consequently a diverse range of life all in one dive. The shallow lagoon area, with its sandy bottom and interesting marine life, makes a good training site for inexperienced divers.

Avon Rock

A shallow reef inshore of the red navigation marker directly opposite Lochaline. Boulders, crevices, and a steep slope to 50 metres on the outer side provide an interesting scenic dive.

Ardtornish Bay

Often a productive scallop dive where gravel and mud lie on the flat gradual seabed gradients of the inner bay. For a good scenic dive, follow the boulder slope inshore from Ardtornish Point towards the bay. Be aware that strong currents can occur around the point and plan any dive here carefully.

The Evelyn Rose

The Grimsby trawler Evelyn Rose (130 net tonnes) was wrecked on Ardtornish Point in 1954 with the loss of all but two of her crew. This wreck lies in deep water, and was rediscovered by the Centre in 2004 as part of a series of side-scan sonar studies on wreck sites in the Sound

Scallastle Bay

Marked on old charts as an Admiralty Anchorage Area, this bay is littered with wreckage, including the cannon photographed left. Somewhere in the bay lie the remains of a wartime bomber (Lancaster or Shackleton) - there are still witnesses in Lochaline who remember her going down.

SS Buitenzorg

The structure of the SS Buitenzorg remains largely intact, lying upright on the seabed. The hull remains semi intact, with substantial raised forecastle and poop structures, four or five holds with associated winches, and intact masts, cranes or davits. The midships bridge and engine superstructure remain semi intact.

Lying between 80 and 90m in depth, the Buitenzorg has been dived a number of times by technical divers.

HMS Dartmouth

Fifth Rate Royal Naval frigate lost in 1690 and designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. This wreck can only be dived under licence from Historic Scotland. The Lochaline Dive Centre currently runs a visitor scheme enabling sport divers to dive on the wreck.

The Ballista

Lost in 1975, while salvaging coal from another ship lost nearby, her funnel is visible at low water making her easy to locate. A good shallow dive or wreck dive for novices, lying in a reasonably sheltered position.

The Thesis

Wreck of a Belfast steamer (151 net tonnes) lost in 1889. Lies at right angles to the shore, with her bow in 12 metres and her stern in 30-35 metres. Structurally intact and encrusted with marine life. Fantastic photographic dive.

The Duart Point site

This wreck of a small warship lost in 1653 lies against the rocks beneath DuartCastle and has recently been investigated by professional underwater archaeologists. After excavation the remainder of the site has been protected by a layer of sandbags, restoring the natural underwater topography, but a scatter of cannon are still visible on the surface.

The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 and can only be dived under licence from Historic Scotland. The Lochaline Dive Centre currently runs a visitor scheme enabling sport divers to dive on the wreck.

Facilities

Lochaline Dive Centre offers catered or self-catering accommodation at two premises:

The Dive Lodge

The Dive Centre Lodge sleeps up to 24, sleeping two to a room. Each room has been recently refurbished to provide underfloor heating and full ensuite facilities: wash-hand basin, toilet and shower. The lodge is available on a per room basis, but large communal cooking and dining facilities also make it an ideal venue for socialising with other divers and for larger groups to plan their activities. The Dive Lodge has wireless broadband internet access.

The Lodge has gear storage and washing facilities, loads of hot water for showers and an efficient drying room for undersuits.

Adjacent is the well-stocked Dive Centre shop and filling station (open between 0800 and 2000hrs). Air can be charged up to 300 bar. Nitrox and Trimix are available on provision of appropriate certification (please inform us in advance if you require Trimix). Cylinders, weight belts and torches are available for hire.

The Lodge has a café, and is two minutes' walk from the village shop, a great restaurant and the harbour area.

The Old Post Office

The Old Post Office offers shorefront accommodation for 10 persons with a comfortable lounge, kitchen and drying room. It is ideal for small groups of divers and the courses hosted by the Centre.

There are two bathrooms with electric showers, a drying room, loads of space for gear storage, and facilities for washing kit.

The Old Post Office is two minutes' walk from the Hotel beach & West Pier (offering a superb wall dives), and five minutes' walk from the Dive Centre Lodge, with its café shop and filling station.

Dive Charter Vessel

New for 2009 is the Centre's 12.5m dive charter vessel "Sound Diver". Available year round for charter, this spacious twin engined hard boat is over 5m in the beam and has purpose built deep seated dive benches. A hydraulic diver lift at the stern, and an onboard compressor & generator make this an ideal diving platform. In addition 3D visualisations of the wreck of the Hispania, using WreckSight software courtesy of ADUS, are available onboard to aid dive planning.

Sound Diver is available for charter at £400 a day for 12 divers. For smaller groups and individuals please contact LDC directly.

Please see details of our planned expedition in the Calendar 12th to 16th July 2010

Rod Reeves


 
News from DiverMagazine.co.uk

BSAC instructor wins award
An instructor at a BSAC centre in Malta has been a runner-up for best diving instructor at the Malta Tourism Authority Star Awards.

Prizes announced for BUIF
Thousands of pounds worth of prizes are announced for The British Underwater Image Festival

Plane to be sunk at Capernwray
A passenger aircraft is to be sunk at Capernwray, an inland dive site at the edge of the Lake District.

£500 funding for dive clubs
Dive clubs can apply for £500 to buy equipment, improve a clubhouse or pay for transport from the Mars Refuel Drink Fund.

Diving fraudster jailed
A diving instructor who defrauded the NHS of £250,000 by claiming false hyperbaric treatments has been jailed.

PhotoPro: How to win underwater photo competitions
With the deadline for the British Underwater Image Festival (BUIF) approaching, judge Alex Mustard offers his top ten tips for succeeding in underwater photography competitions

Cruise liner smashes into Sharm harbour
A cruise liner has crashed into a pier in Sharm El Sheikh harbour in Egypt killing three crewmembers.

Orca kills trainer
Wildlife charities have condemned keeping dolphins and whales in captivity after a killer whale killed its trainer at Sea World in Orlando, Florida.

Fin whale stranded in Cornwall
A dead fin whale has washed up on a beach in Cornwall.

WWF calls for crackdown on whale shark poachers
The WWF has called for a crackdown on poachers after a 6-metre whale shark that had been finned was found still alive near the town of Tingloy, in Batangas, in the Philippines.

 News from ScubaHerald.com

Exotic Diving? You bet
We are always trying to find really new amazing destinations: and for sure, the Philippines comes in mind… so what about an exotic destination once you arrive to the Philippines… well think Malapascua Scuba Herald had a chat with Zoe from Exotic Dive Resort Question: Zoe, Thanks for your time ,and to start… tell us a bit [...]

Dive Asia Safari: inspirational dive adventures.
In life we need dreams… and if you are a diver, you need to DREAM with new adventures, new trips… new ways of discover the underwater world. Well, meet Dive Asia Safari: Not the same same… instead… something different, and amazing. t’s not unusual for disillusioned graduates to pack a bag and hit the road, but [...]

Suba Operator Finds Wreck in Hawaii
Finding a new wreck… that is easily one of the top dreams of any serious diver. Well, now a very lucky die center in Hawaii (Brad Varney), it seems his dream is now a reality. Brad Varney from B&B Scuba Maui, claimes that he found a wreck of a World War II-era U.S. Navy [...]

Another Scuba Diving Record…
It seems that we can’t get enough of Scuba diving records. I wonder was it the point…? Do you guys know what is the point of idiotic scuba records? Are you trying to push the limits of stupidity? or are we breaking records trying to bring awareness to a good cause. No idea.. well today [...]

Ang Lee becomes certified scuba diver
Is pretty cool when we see celebrities learning to Dive. Last time was Paris Hilton lol … one of the latest Scuba celebrities , but now the turn is for someone that is actually a real star: Filmmaker, producer and Oscar’s favorite: Ang Lee. Acclaimed contemporary filmmaker, Ang Lee arrived in Ambergris Caye, Belize [...]

Horrible Scuba Diving Accident in Pattaya
We all love to dive in Thailand, and for sure Scuba Diving in Thailand is a must if you are seriously into diving.. but if you have ever been in Thailand, you may well know that THAI boat Drivers are bloody insane… and well, today, I’m afraid we have another horrible accident, thanks to [...]

Scubacraft the convertible Scuba Vehicle
There are 2 type of people that will buy the scubacraft… divers with a lot of money …. and divers with a sick amount of money…. . Regardless on which group are, this could be the most difficult “scuba product” to justify as a “must”, but hey! it Looks pretty amazing, don’t you think? The Scubacraft [...]

Scuba Swat dies after 3meter dive… in Israel.
Israel Navy commander Adm. Eliezer Marom has convened a panel to investigate how a soldier in the advanced stages of training as a naval commando drowned early yesterday in a routine three-meter training dive at Ashdod Port. Sgt. Gal Azoulay, 19, of Zichron Yaakov, was diving at the time with the rest of his team [...]

A Line in the Sand as a Call to Action
Among divers and conservationists, it’s hardly controversial to speak up against the killing of sharks for shark fin soup. Inspiring people like Rob Stewart and the team associated with his acclaimed documentary are among the most visible. New groups like the Shark Safe Network from Florida and others are also making themselves heard, and the [...]

Ex-HMAS Canberra: Ready for Australian Divers
So after more than 3 years in the planning the Ex-HMAS Canberra becomes the new Wreck for Divers in Australia. Not only this wreck becomes a new playground for Aussie divers, but it is a well needed injection to the local diving economy. The Wreck was giving the final OK and Green Light by Parks Victoria [...]

 News from ScubaTravel.co.uk

Update: Diving Pakistan
SCUBA Travel guide now includes Charna Island, Pakistan. Diving window is end of September until March.

Issue 118 of SCUBA News now On-Line
The latest issue of SCUBA News is now available at http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews118.html. This month: best dive spots in 97 countries, diving Mozambique, wreck photo gallery, 10 tips for underwater photographers and all the diving news from around the world.

Barnacle Dinner in the Galapagos
The barnacle, a key thread in the marine food web, was thought to be missing along rocky coasts dominated by upwellings. Now a research team headed by Brown University marine ecologist Jon Witman has found the opposite to be true: Barnacle populations thrive in vertical upwelling zones in moderately deep waters in the Galapagos Islands.

Massive Iceberg Threatens Ocean Currents
The calving of a massive iceberg off east Antarctica last week has prompted fears that the event could alter the salinity of the surrounding ocean, with damaging effects on marine life and global ocean currents.

Census discovers 5000 marine species
A preview of the Census of Marine Life has revealed that the project has discovered over 5,000 new species. The final report from the decade-long census will be released in October 2010. A major aim of the census is to provide the scientific support for the establishment of a global network of marine protected areas to prevent damage from fishing and other human activity. Dr Jason Hall-Spencer, a marine biologist from the UK's University of Plymouth, said that delicate coral reefs were under threat from deep-sea trawling.

Update: Diving Borneo
Read rave reviews of the diving around Sipadan and Sabah at the SCUBA Travel Malaysia directory.

Free Guide to Underwater Photography
Underwater photography is the most challenging type of photography one can undertake. It is also one of the fastest growing segments, due to the rapid drop in the price of underwater camera housings over the last 10 years. UWPhotographyGuide.com is the first free comprehensive online guide to underwater photography to assist divers and photographers in learning this difficult art.

Sea of Cortez Marine Life Declines Dramatically
In just ten years life in the Sea of Cortez (Mexico) has declined at a shocking rate. The cause is highly destructive new fishing methods. Traditional hook-and-line fisherman have been put out of business by vastly more damaging gill net fishing and hookah diving. Hookah fishermen use surface-supplied air through piping that allows them to walk along the seafloor for long periods of time.

Warmer seas may rob corals and rainforests of clouds
Rising ocean temperatures might leave coral reefs in seriously hot water - without clouds for protection. Five years ago Graham Jones and his team at Southern Cross University in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, demonstrated that algae living in coral tissue produce a gas called dimethyl sulphide (DMS). When released into the atmosphere, DMS helps clouds form over coral reefs. Jones says that the clouds block sunlight and cool the sea. His team have now discovered that a rise in ocean temperature of only 2 degrees C causes some algae to stop producing DMS. As a result, fewer clouds will form over the coral, thinks Jones, allowing more sunlight to shine on the water, warming it still more.

Update: Underwater wreck photos
SCUBA Travel have added many new images to their wreck diving photo gallery, including those of the Carnatic in the Red Sea.