BACK AT EASTWOOD SWIMMING POOL! 7.30pm FRIDAYS.

What makes people take up diving as a sport? Perhaps for many of us it is the thought that we might just be missing out on something interesting under the waves! There are in fact more reasons to go diving than most people can possible imagine. 

The fact is that the underwater world is spell binding, Cousteau called it ‘the silent world’ and indeed the only sound is usually that of your own bubbles rising to the surface. Although on the surface, divers are heavily laden with kit, underwater you achieve a state of weightlessness, where you can hover above reefs or glide effortlessly through the water. 

Warm, clear waters are obviously appealing, and in many places abroad there are many exciting things on offer- reefs, caves, canyons and walls, all festooned with corals and sponges, abounding with a myriad of fish and other marine life, in a huge variety of colours, and sizes. There are many places of breathtaking beauty such as the Red Sea, and the Great Barrier Reef… the list goes on. 

Though divers flock each year to these and other areas, there is a lasting enthusiasm for diving in United Kingdom, because most of the reasons for diving abroad are relevant to diving in the U.K. O.k. so we don’t have clear blue tropical waters, but the waters around Great Britain can offer a divers paradise all the same. 

There are wrecks to be discovered and explored. Some of them are veritable time capsules, containing important historical artefacts, or treasures of days gone by. With the advances in diving technology it is now possible to dive to greater depths than ever before, and this offers the possibility of diving wrecks such as the Lusitania and the wreck divers paradise - Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. But wrecks are not the only reason to dive here. 

Of all the U.K. waters, the seas around Scotland offer the ultimate diving in Britain, with scores of divers visiting locations such as the Sound of Mull, the Summer Isles, and St. Kilda. Many find the shallower depths much more attractive and appealing because this is where the light reaches, and marine life is more abundant. For this reason shallower waters are generally the favoured domains of underwater photographers. 

However, the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club does not recommend that you dive to more than 40m without special permission, and places an absolute limit of 50m on its members. Be that as it may, there are vast areas open to all divers that have yet to be explored; not for nothing has the sea been called ‘the last wilderness’, and this is part of its appeal. 

Diving presents other opportunities, such as the study of the extraordinary marine life that exists underwater. A dive at one spot during the day presents a vastly different scene at night, when reef life changes dramatically. Many divers are exited by the prospect of finding treasure, or exploring underwater archaeology. Others become involved in marine conservation projects. For the majority though there is the sheer joy of entering what is largely an unknown world, where life has survived, relatively unchanged for millions of years. Also the opportunity to briefly share an environment with creatures such as seals, turtles, manta rays, dolphins, whales, or even sharks! 

Within the pages on this site you can find more information about the club, learning to dive and a host of other useful diving related information using the menu at the top of the page - then select the catagories on the right hand side! Enjoy!