Scapa Flow,Scotland,dive-sites

Scapa Flow,Orkney Islands, Scotland

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SCAPA FLOW dive trip: 24-30 October 1999

All dive trip reports seem to start with the trials and tribulations of getting there - this one is no exception. Nine of us set off from Gloucestershire on the Friday night for Stromness in the Orkneys. An ominous start as it was midterm break and three of the party were held up in traffic travelling from Guildford. So there was nothing for it but to go to the pub for a quick one! The joy of mobile phones!

A late October sunset over Scapa Flow

And so we assembled. Nine divers, all of who knew one or two others. Our group ranged quite a bit in experience. We had at five instructor level (One a trimix instructor, another a regional coach) a Dive leader, a DM in training, myself as Rescue/Adv Nitrox and a AOW. Without sounding like I'm preaching. Scapa isn't really for novices. Myself and my two chums were the least experienced with just under 100 dives each but we had dived ourselves up for the trip with 50 this year in comparable conditions. The ink was literally wet on our Nitrox cards as we finished course two evening before the trip! So with a later than planned start we hit the M5 at about 2130 and the traffic was still unbelievable! We then endured a 600 mile journey up through England, Scotland to Scabster. To be honest, our minibus was not really man enough for the job and could barely manage. Our two nominated drivers done a sterling job in shifts through the night. As dawn broke across Scotland and the rain pelted us we started to realise that we might not make the ferry in time.


	Stromness: The view as you arrive in the harbour

Whats that old analogy about driving & diving? Two of the group had different Autoroute type print-outs of the mileage and some mental sums were being hastily done to calculate our ETA at the Scrabster ferry terminal. Just like two sets of deco tables, we were getting different results, one got us to Scrabster on time - the other didn't. No one spoke the unthinkable - missing the ferry. But everyone must have thought about it. Missing the 1200 Sat ferry to Stromness could of meant two days in Scabster as there is no Sunday ferry! But luck was on our side and we got to Scabster 30 minutes before the 1115 check-in time. The two hour crossing was uneventful with everyone quite tired after the 14 hours in the minibus! Those on the UKRS2000 Scapa trip that have been discussing transport, think it through! Next time I would pair/triple up in cars and share the driving, with maybe an overnight stop. There is a travel lodge place a mile from the ferry terminal with a sign offering lodges from 25UKP per night. We brought the minibus over on the ferry as we wanted transport over on the island for sightseeing etc. As we piled off the ferry gangplank we literally tripped over our boat for the week, the MV Sharon Rose.

MV Sharon RoseThe Sharon Rose is a 65ft ex-fishing boat, run by Scapa Charters, skippered by Bob Anderson. The outfit is run by Ben Wade and his partner Sara Turner with partners Andy & Zoe Cuthbertsone. They also run the Jean-Elaine which makes up two of the 15 dive boat charters that serve the diving community at Scapa running out of Stromness, Kirkwall and one of the other islands.

Interestingly, one of the operations is up for sale, 150,000UKP ONO gets you the boat and several houses. On the shopping list if the lottery numbers come up! Onto the diving. For those that wanted to check out their kit, buoyancy etc. This was a late afternoon shore dive off the original blockships that were sunk in the first world war to stop enemy shipping. Casting my eye over the Churchill barrier causeways, I recalled that it was through these very blockships that a U boat entered Scapa and struck one of the first blows of WWII. To be honest the Royal Navy were a bit over confident and thought that Scapa was impregnable. But on the night of the 14 October 1939, just a month into the war (and the 60th anniversary just 10 days before) a solitary U boat entered the Flow and torpedoed the 29,000 ton Royal Oak. Over 800 of her crew lost their lives that night. Poignantly, the last dozen or some survivors of the Royal Oak's company met up for a Remembrance service each year. Two of the U boat crew that sunk the Royal Oak became naturalised Brits (or Scots should I say) after the war and one of the them is annually invited to the service. When I watched a video later in the week at the Lyness museum, the pictures of the old'uns meeting up and sharing a 'wee dram' put a lump in my throat. As the week progressed I realised that you can slice the naval history in Scapa with a knife. Anyway onto the bit you really want to hear about - Scapa wreck diving!

Saturday 24 October 1999

Dive one - Churchill barriers No2 - Blockships
Max Depth 9.1m Time 35min

The actual dive was a bit of a funny one. Myself and my two regular cronnies, Helen("the wreck ferret") and Steve ("the boy") and I had agreed we would dive as a three through the week. We are of similar experience and dive regularly (if not mostly together and know each other very well).

Our Wreck ferret club! (Steve, H and myself)

I know some may wag their fingers at us for three-some diving - but we like it and have our system - One leads, two follow paired together - it works for us! Anyway H was having a bad-compass day and led us to the shore as the viz was pretty poor at 3m. We eventually came across some wreckage and bimbled about. Not at all an exciting dive but served its purpose. And thankfully we did. I had a pre-dive free-flowing octopus. Others had various minor kit problems, all, which were solvable but better on the shore than on the boat the next day. Ben, Bobs partner in crime at Scapa Scuba was able to sort out my octopus overnight and hire out a replacement drysuit for someone else. The operators appreciate the distance divers travel to Scapa and that kit problems can be common and you are there to dive. Although they can't work miracles, they really will do there utmost to help you out and offer overnight repairs and hire all sorts of kit. The charges aren't extortionate either considering that you are somewhat at their mercy. Typical prices were a fiver for my octopus re-cal, 10UKP for a days drysuit hire. The Diving Cellar in Stromness also does kit-hire and repairs - and a good line in the obligatory T-shirts!

The Scapa story continues...