Welcome
Midway through February came the bad news that the National Diving and Activity Centre ( NDAC ), had shut down to the public . Inland sites are crucial to UK scuba training , and the Chepstow-based facility was one of the few with sufficient depth for technical training . There ’ s no official word on the quarry ’ s future , but the rumour mill is suggesting police or military use .
NDAC will be missed , not just by the technical divers who made the pilgrimage there , but also by the regional faithful . We all have our local training sites , and while some divers jokingly disparage the fresh water option , there ’ s little doubt that such facilities are central to our training culture . This magazine salutes the people who own and manage inland sites , and the dive professionals who work there .
Weirdly , just as one quarry closes , another is potentially opening up . Just mention the name ‘ Dorothea ’ to any group of seasoned divers and a chill will settle on the company . This remote quarry lake in North Wales reaches depths of 104.5m ( in a sump tunnel ) and was used as an unofficial training facility by the original wave of technical divers in the 1990s . Due to the cold water , remoteness and depth , a spate of incidents took place and the site acquired a dark reputation . Part of the problem has been that the lake was never officially open for diving ; access was a challenge not just for visiting divers , but also the emergency services .
Recently , however , BSAC members Dave Howson and Nigel Spier reached out to the quarry ’ s owners and struck a deal to permit access for suitably trained divers . To formalise this , they created a new BSAC club , NW Technical Divers , whose members will be granted access . To find out more , turn to page 16 of this issue , and check out the club ’ s website at nwtd . co . uk .
I ’ ve never been to ‘ Dotty ’ myself , but from their footage and photos it looks a beautiful place , above and below its dark waters . I ’ m sure you ’ ll all join me in wishing everyone who dives there a safe and enjoyable visit .
Simon Rogerson – Editor simon @ scubamagazine . co . uk
Cover photo : ‘ Best Buddies ’ by Dan Bolt , winner of the British Waters Macro category , Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021
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