West Wales is one of the best places in Britain for diving. Its clear green
waters are warmed by the Gulf Stream and there's a superb range of dive sites
from offshore islands to ship wrecks, not to mention one of only three Marine
Nature Reserves in Britain around Skomer Island.
Whether you're into scuba diving in general or wreck diving in particular, Wales
has a lot to offer.
There's a fantastic array of sea life both above and below the water including
seal colonies on Pembrokeshire's islands, passing dolphins and porpoise,
brightly coloured submarine species such as starfish and wrasse, and rare
northern coral species.
Pembrokeshire is a focal point for scuba diving lovers. The Dale and St. David's
peninsulas and the islands of Skomer, Stack Rocks and the Smalls Reef provide
unforgettable underwater action. But don't neglect the Gower Peninsula either -
check out sites like Oxwich Bay, where you can do some wreck diving off the
World War II 'Liberty' ship.
How & where
Both scuba diving and wreck diving requires expert tuition before you head under
the waves, and there are plenty of dive schools in Wales. Few people other than
committed divers will have any of the specialist gear, and it's vital that
you're taught by fully qualified professional coaches. Luckily Wales has some
fantastic scuba diving schools.
You can try short 'taster' scuba diving courses before committing yourself
fully, but whether you go for a day or a week you'll be provided with all your
equipment, dive boats and expert tuition that includes classroom and heated
swimming pool lessons before going out to sea. These skills will make sure you
fully enjoy your scuba diving holidays in West Wales.
Complete all this successfully and you'll get an internationally recognised
qualification to confirm your new found skills that can also be used to dive in
exotic foreign locations, although plenty of divers find West Wales' scuba and
wreck diving sites offer more than enough to challenge them.
A basic 'Try Dive' course costs around £55, and a two-day course in Wales including open water scuba diving starts from £199. Experienced divers can get an introduction to local waters with an escorted scuba or wreck dive from around £35 per person.
Top Tips
You don't necessarily need a boat to get out to good dive sites. Martin's Haven
in Pembrokeshire has reefs and corals within swimming distance of the shore.
You could even explore some of these with just a mask and snorkel.
Prime time for scuba diving in Wales is spring through to autumn when the sea is relatively warm and the lack of rough weather makes for clearer waters (which is also great for wreck diving).
More info
There are plenty of websites with info on scuba and wreck diving around Wales. Try:
The British Sub Aqua Club
The Sub Aqua Association
www.ukdiving.co.uk
www.divernet.com
www.ukdiveguide.co.uk