Site research in the West of England

This information is intended to assist club dive marshalls with planning expeditions to the West of England. It assumes that the dive marshall has an understanding of site selection, charts, tides, etc, and attempts to identify sources of information that may aid this process. It cannot substitute for good local information and if you are visiting an area for the first time it is strongly recommended that you make contact with a local dive club or shop for advice, particularly with regard to tidal flows which can vary considerably from published data near headlands or other geographical features.

Details of local clubs can be found via the BSAC and SAA websites:

BSAC - www.bsac.com/page.asp?section=2168

SAA - www.saa.org.uk/clubs.php?action=search

There are many books and guides dedicated to diving in the West Country and some of these are listed below for convenience. The BSAC Wreck Register is also a good, if dated, source on diving marks and information, if you can find a copy.

There are also lots of good books on shipwrecks in general, which can give background information on the ships you may be intending to dive. Once again, a far from comprehensive list follows.

If you have identified specific wrecks that you are interested in, then additional information, including GPS co-ordinates and depth can usually be obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office (for a fee). You can contact the Wrecks Office at the UKHO as follows:

Wrecks Office
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Way , TAUNTON, Somerset , TA1 2DN
Tel: 01823 337900 x 3308 / 3701
Fax: 01823 284077
Email: wrecks@ukho.gov.uk

Charts:

The main admiralty charts covering the South-west are:

General charts(1:75,000):

• 1156 - Trevose Head to Hartland Point
• 1149 - Pendeen to Trevose Head
• 777 - Land's End to Falmouth
• 1267 - Falmouth to Plymouth
• 1613 - Eddystone Rocks to Berry Head
• 3315 - Berry Head to Bill of Portland
• 2615 - Bill of Portland to the Needles

More detailed charts:

• 1168 - Harbours on the North Coast of Cornwall (various scales)
• 2345 - Plans in South-west Cornwall (includes Longships and Runnelstone) (various scales)
• 34 - Isles of Scilly (1:25,000)
• 31 - Harbours on the South Coast of Cornwall (various scales)
• 154 - Approaches to Falmouth (1:35,000)
• 148 - Dodman Point to Looe Bay (1:30,000)
• 26 - Harbours on the South Coast of Devon (various scales)
• 1900 - Whitsand Bay to Yealm Head, including Plymouth Sound (1:25,000)
• 30 - Plymouth Sound and Approaches (1:12,500)
• 1634 - Start Point to Brixham (1:25,000)
• 2610 - Bill of Portland to Anvil Head (1:40,000)

A recent innovation are leisure folios which consist of 10-12 A2 sized charts, printed on heavyweight chart paper and packaged in a plastic wallet . Whilst designed primarily for yachtsmen, they provide a convenient way of achieving a large area of coverage for a relatively small cost, and are a good introduction to an area. The following folios are available for the South-west:

• SC5603 - Falmouth to Padstow including the Isles of Scilly
• SC5602 - The West Country: Falmouth to Teignmouth
• SC5601 - East Devon and Dorset , Exemouth to Christchurch

Local tidal stream information:

Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlases:

• NP255 - Falmouth to Padstow, including the Isles of Scilly
• NP254 - The West Country, Falmouth to Teignmouth
• NP263 - Lyme Bay

Atlases compiled by Mike Fennessey (ex British Canoe Federation Coach):

• Tidal Stream Atlas of the South Cornwall Coast ( Penzance to Plymouth )
• Tidal Stream Atlas of the South Devon Coast ( Plymouth to Exemouth)

Useful websites:

There is a multitude of information available on the web, some more useful than others! A few websites that have been found useful are listed below, but the BSAC and SAA club sites mentioned above will also provide a good source of local information.

• Boatlaunching www.boatlaunch.co.uk
• Wreck database www.wrecksite.eu/
• Divernet wreck tours www.divernet.com/wrecks/wrecktours.shtml
• Diving in Cornwall www.silverquick.net/cornwall/waterside/INTRODUCTION.htm
• Diving the Lizard (W) www.divernet.com/wrecks/lizwrek.htm
• Diving the Lizard (E) www.divernet.com/wrecks/lizwrek2.htm
• Shipwrecks of Bigbury Bay www.divernet.com/wrecks/bigby996.htm
• Air filling stations (not totally accurate) www.subaqua.co.uk/air/england.html
• Charter boatshttp://www.divesearch.co.uk/

Emergency contact details:

It is always a good idea to contact the coastguard before you go diving and again on your return. The coastguard can be contacted on VHF Channel 16, or using the telephone numbers below.

• Portland Coastguard (E Devon & Dorset) 01395 760439
• Brixham Coastguard (SE Cornwall & S Devon) 01803 882704
• Falmouth Coastguard (N &SW Cornwall) 01326 317575
• Swansea Coastguard (N Devon) 01792 366534

In addition, if diving within the confines of Plymouth Sound, you need the permission of 'The Longroom' which controls shipping movements within the Sound. They may be contacted on VHF Channel 14, or on 01752 552411.

Finally, if things do go wrong, contact the coastguard if at sea, or, if a decompression incident is suspected once back on shore, then dial 999 in the usual way. However, with less life threatening symptoms, the following contact numbers may be of assistance:

• Portsmouth Royal Haslar Hospital (ask for the Duty Compression Chamber Doctor) - 07831 151523
• Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC) - 01752 209999 (daytime); 261910 (after hours emergency)

Allen Murray