Scuba diving in the blue lagoon...

Words & Pictures - Mark Deane

A lot of people have similar preconceived ideas that diving in the Britain is dark, dangerous, cold and there is nothing worth seeing anyway. Quite the contrary. Here in Pembrokeshire we have a unique environment - this is the only coastal marine reserve in the UK. There is an abundance of varied and fascinating sea creatures, many small coves and reefs to explore, hundreds of shipwrecks (many still undiscovered) that in turn become home to more species. 

   

As for combating the temperature, it’s actually not as cold as one might think most of the time.  We use thicker suits than our tropical colleagues or dry suit systems in any case.

The visibility varies and depends on the location, prevailing winds and plankton blooms. Some of the best visibility to be had is offshore when the wind is low. Of course when the weather really gets bad that’s the time we stay off the sea and lovingly repair and service our treasured diving equipment. 

Some of the advantages of learning to dive in the UK are that legislation here is much stiffer than abroad, so instructors tend to be on the whole more diligent. They also want and expect customers to return to participate in further training and go on diving trips. Furthermore the conditions are challenging and therefore require a higher standard of training than in more temperate climes.

Divers that train and participate in diving projects in their home country keep up their pursuit, stay in practice, purchase their own kit and are generally much more responsible and safety conscious than fair weather counterparts. Having dived around the world I can honestly say that some of the most memorable diving I have experienced is here in the UK, especially West Wales, and that’s the main reason I opened Celtic Diving as an activity center in Pembrokeshire.
 
   

One of the most rewarding shore dives around here is the “Blue Lagoon” at Aberieddy. This is an old quarry, connected to the sea, but is actually confined water and not affected by the tide too much except on spring tides. The location is beautiful, the water a deep blue, great cliffs and, on this particular day, we had sunshine and a curious seal to share the lagoon with.

It’s a bit of a trek getting up the path with all the gear, but well worth it.  As we always say, diving is the sport you want to keep in shape for !

The visibility is usually about 5 meters, not brilliant but adequate. The sunlight dancing off the walls covered in; limpets, “Dead Man’s Fingers” (a soft coral) and anemones. We see spider crabs, blennies, edible crabs and some gorgeous golden brown swaying kelp.

On the far side of the quarry you can see some parts of the old structures of the quarry - kind of spooky in the half-light. It usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to circumnavigate the lagoon and this is plenty for a first timer to get an idea of what it’s like to scuba dive.

Some people make the mistake of not checking out what is on their doorstep, making excuses based on assumptions about what it's like to dive here and fail to explore the adventure that is to be had. Others though rise to the occasion, embrace the unknown and reap the rewards.