There is no doubt about it, I am a fair weather diver. There is however a big difference between this and being a holiday diver. I do like diving all year round and on a nice bright sunny day in the winter a visit to an inland quarry such as Capernwray can uplift your diving spirit and blow away some of the cobwebs that gather during the off season.
In fact I do advocate year round diving as there is nothing worse than the diver who puts his gear away in October and takes it out again for the club Easter outing the next year. This is when the accidents occur! Has all the scuba equipment been properly checked and serviced before taking it out of storage – was it even washed down and stored properly in the first place?
The diver who has not been diving for six months is not likely to be “dive fit”. Anything other than a shallow bimble around calm waters after such a break would be dangerous. This is why holiday divers are forced to pay for a boring “check out dive” before they can join in the fun.
There is so much you can do during the so called off season that it can seem that there is no break in the season whatsoever. Many people get involved in training, and visit their local pool every week. Dive instructing helps to improve safety skills and means that much of the scuba gear is being continually used.
Then there are the visits to the inland sites. They can be a little cold, but modern dry suits and efficient under suits, gloves and hoods can mean that you stay dry and warm. My buddy and I try to go at least once every month, and always look forward to the Christmas dive at Capernwray, though I do remember the year that the outside of my wet dry suit that was laying on the ground actually froze solid and stuck to the floor!
Most areas of the UK have an inland dive site near to them that they can use when the weather does not permit scuba diving in the sea. Some are better than others but there is always somewhere to visit within an hours drive away.