beds to stunning wall dives with abundant marine life. We are very lucky to have all this right on our doorstep. We also dive smaller, lesser dived wrecks both in the Flow and elsewhere around the islands.
Tell us about your favourite sites
One of the best is the geo at Noup Head, at the western tip of Westray in the North Isles. Conditions mean we only make it up there once or maybe twice a year, and it is always something special. This high-energy site is a long, narrow gully, in places only a couple of metres wide, filled with beautiful clear water. It is covered in life. Crawfish have been seen on all our recent dives here, and the gannets and guillemots that nest in the cliffs above are often seen swimming around us chasing their lunch. With a maximum depth of 20 to 25 metres, it’ s accessible for many levels of diving qualification.
Another favourite site is Scabra Head, at the West of Rousay; a regular hotspot, particularly in summer. There are huge, flat, well-scoured rock faces – a very impressive sight – and boreholes nearly 10m deep fall away in the smooth rock surfaces. There are plenty of lobsters and brown crabs at the
Alastair Skene- our personal sea life expert
Diving Officer Jenni Kakkonen on the Underwater Surveyor course
Club Secretary Laura Baker on Nevi Skerry, Scapa Flow
Laura Baker at Scabra Head bottom ready to snap at a passing diver.
Our divers have discovered a sea cave section, which supports a large stone lintel stretching across the centre of the cave; a truly amazing feature. On summer evenings the light from the setting sun makes the stone arch shine. The more we dive this location the more caves and gullies we find.
And when you go wreck diving …
Kevin Heath of Lost in Waters Deep, a project to remember the First World War naval losses off mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland
lostinwatersdeep. co. uk, and winner of the BSAC Expeditions Trophy for 2022, is a member of our club and he has given us some exciting suggestions of sites to visit around Orkney to dive some lesser-known marine archaeology.
You sound like an adventurous bunch. Has the club been involved in any special projects?
We have been lucky to have been invited to collaborate on projects including Project Seagrass surveying and Ghost Fishing UK training; we also regularly conduct Seasearch dives. We were invited to get
Diving Officer Jenni Kakkonen and Duncan Johnston enjoying a surface interval break
Ghost Fishing UK training
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