One of the places that everyone is advised to visit at least once in their diving career is Scapa Flow. Scapa Flow is a sheltered area of water within the Orkney Islands just off the North coast of Scotland. It was here that the First World War captured German naval fleet was scuttled at the end of the war. As a consequence it is one of the diving world’s Meccas, a must visit venue!

Scapa Flow is graveyard to a number of massive battleships and cruisers that it is impossible to do justice to in a single dive each. With visibility ranging from 3 metres to as much as 15 meters at certain times of the year it is impossible to take in the size of these ships, each hundreds of feet long. However, their immensity is apparent – and absorbing their mysterious presence is possible by swimming away from the wrecks and viewing their massive prows from a couple of metres away.

The wrecks are typically at depths of 35 to 40 metres and are not suitable for novices. To get the best out of the dives planning for at least a little decompression will give you a little more time to take in some of the detail revealed by a good bright torch at these gloomy depths. The scuba diving equipment used must of course be suitable for this.

I first visited Scapa fifteen years ago in July. The visibility was poor at that time of year, perhaps 3 or 4 metres at best. It was still a moving experience, to see these mighty ships at rest. The plan is to return next year in October when the visibility is hopefully at its best, the summer plankton blooms being over. It is hoped that the Scottish weather is not too inclement topside also!

A trip to Scapa Flow should be on your list – the journey up is a long one, depending on the area of the UK in which you live. Coming from farther afield means that you will definitely have to fly in. Flying means that you will be unable to bring your own scuba tanks within your scuba diving gear. However, most boats out of the local port Stromness have their own scuba tanks on board. Of course if your own diving gear includes more technical configurations the trip becomes harder, though it is possible to hire twin 12s and 10s from some operators. Other dive gear can also be hired from the local dive shop.