Monday 12 April 2010

Orkney Northern Isles Trimix week

Scubatoons have some spare places on a trimix trip to Orkney Northern Isles.

The trip is on Jean Elaine out of Stromness with Andy Cuthbertson. Dates will be 15/10/2010 – 23/10/2010 including a day for travelling either side of the trip.

We plan to dive the U102 and U92 on Sunday / Monday to catch the best tides. These Subs have only been dived 4 or 5 times previously and are bolt upright on the seabed. After the subs we'll dive a pick of some of the wrecks listed below.

We will be catching the ferry from Scrabster on the Friday night and staying in a B&B in Stromness.Then load boat at 9:00 sat morning whilst it is being cleaned. Shake down dive sat afternoon and steam out to northern isles after to do the subs this will give us an extra day on the subs if needed. We are only planning two days on the subs.

There are only 3 spare places.

The cost of the trip excluding travel, ferries and gas will be £400 a head, self-catering. We will be putting into port on Stronsay most nights and there is a B&B for £35 a head for those of you who don't want to stay on Jean Elaine. There are only 4 rooms sleeping 8 you can book early or take your chances when we are there. The PUB also does food for if we get fed up of self catering.
Gas is
He 2.3 per lt
O2 1.4 per lt
We have the flow as an absolute last resort if the weather goes bad but that would be highly unlikely. Although we can’t guarantee anything.

Other wrecks on the east side (for westerly winds)

Dagestan ( tanker ) 62m
Girilda ( freighter ) 60m
Duke of Albany ( armed merchant cruiser ) 71m
Nesus ( destroyer ) 70m
Sivinta ( freighter ) 58m
Express ( small Freighter ) as yet undived not sure of depth but it will be around the 70m mark I would think.
The subs 102 and 92 both in 80+m range
And I think by that time a 3rd sub as yet undived
There are a good few other wrecks as well as these but these are just a few for a taste!
Also you have all the wrecks out of Wick starting at 50m up to the 80ms

On the west side there are not so many as yet but they are building on it

Tosto 55m
Kingston Turquoise 62m
Pheasant 84m ( same class as Nesus but nowhere as good a dive )
Frideige 84m
U297 86m

And possibly some more further out yet to be researched

And we have all the Cape Wrath wrecks ranging from 65m to the 80ms
If some of these are a little deep there is plenty to dive in the 40 -50M range and loads a bit shallower.

Places are confirmed by deposit of £100. Final payment due by end of August 2010. Contact bookings@scubatoons.eu for more information or to book your place.
The plan is to get together for two weekends just before the trip to get dive fit and ready for the subs more on that later.