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| UK Coastal Waters | Lakes, Reservoirs & Rivers | Quarries |
The Chippenham Dive Club undertakes most of its diving in the UK, with occassional expeditions abroad. This page is dedicated to the sights and experiences of our own seas, lakes, reservoirs, quarries, rivers, etc. Anywhere that can be dived will be dived and has been dived. We consider ourselves reasonably adventurous and have undertaken many various diving locations.
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A lot of our diving, as with most UK-based BSAC clubs, is done in the coastal waters around the UK. Fortunately for the club the south coast is pretty close and Devon and Dorset are dived fairly regularly by the club. The clubs most used haunts are around Weymouth, Torquay (eg Babbacombe and Paignton) or further south down to Hope Cove and around the Salcombe area. |
 Click the above image to see the area in more detail. |
There are many, many wrecks scattered around here and just as many nice reefs, drop-offs and pinnacles.
Regularly dived wrecks:
- The Maine, sank in 1917, now lying fairly intact in approx 36m.
- The Persier, torpedoed in 1945, now lying fairly intact in approx 30m.
- The Bretagne, sank in a collision in 1918, now lying fairly intact in approx 35m.
- The Aeolean Sky, sank in 1979, now lying, again, fairly intact in approx 36m.
Regularly dived reefs:
- We're not giving away our reef locations - join the club and find out where the best UK reefs are...
- Lakes are reasonably safe, reservoirs are not. If you are considering diving either of these please ensure that you have contacted the appropriate authorities, be it the National Water Authorities, or the private owner. Local boating lakes, water hazards on the local golf course and even cesspits are not beyond consideration... be prepared to dive anywhere - just make sure it's SAFE and SANCTIONED.
- As the club is virtually on top of the River Avon it's a dive opportunity that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, the most depth we've been able to get is just a few metres but the enjoyment is not purely in the diving - stumbling across supermarket trolleys, old bicycles or the occasional handbag - but in recounting the funny incidents that generally occur.
The usual 'converted' quarries scattered around the UK have been dived - some better than others. These sites generally offer reasonably good areas for training in 'safe' water, or working up depth training, but are neither challenging or of great interest. The sunken car here and the bus there are OK for bimbling around to get back into the new diving season but soon become uninteresting after a few visits (yet serve a valuable purpose).
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