Top 10 Scuba Diving Sites in France

James    scubadivingholidays     diving, Diving Holidays, diving in France, Scuba Diving, scuba diving holidays, scuba diving in France

Last week I sent a friend a text for some tips on fine French diving. He misread it and gave me the address of a Bistro on the Rue de Rivali. Let’s be honest, our Gallic cousins are best known for their gastronomy, but the country boasts almost as many great places to dive as to dine.

Scuba diving in France Image: © ATOUT FRANCE/Palomba Robert

So if you like your moules to be found clinging to the side of wrecks and prefer your fish swimming off the Cote D’Azur rather than swimming in garlic, check out our “menu touristique” of the top 10 scuba diving sites in France.

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Scuba Diving Holidays : Don’t Drink and Dive!

James    scubadivingholidays     diving, PADI, Scuba, Scuba Diving, scuba diving holidays, Scuba diving in Egypt, Scuba Diving Tips

If your going to have a drink then don’t get behind the wheel. Equally important should be the message to everyone with a PADI qualification off on scuba diving holidays to lay of the juice before they head below the waves: An obvious message but one that sometimes is not taken seriously.

Diving in Egypt leave the booze till later. Image Flickr/Derek Keats

For many, the whole concept of a holiday is to go somewhere hot on the coast and pass the time either in the water or at the bar – looking out the window onto a drizzly, cold, grey European winter, who came blame them.

However, if part of your holiday by the sea involves scuba diving then you have to take responsibility over your condition before you go swimming with the fishes, or you may find yourself down there for good…

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A scuba virgin diving in Australia

Robert Ince    scubadivingholidays     australia, diving, great barrier reef, Scuba, Scuba Diving, shark diving

I think I’ve been forgotten. I’m sitting at the back of the boat, wetsuit-clad legs dangling into the Pacific, and attempting to look back with a heavy oxygen tank on my back to see if I’m going to get a partner for the dive or not; my first scuba dive, and I’m diving in Australia. You see, one must go down in a pair, but due to travelling alone the odd numbers in the group means I’m waiting for someone to accompany me. The rest have already gone ahead.

Scuba: More fun and safer in a group. Image; Flickr/ Daquella manera

My nervousness is palpable, but I’m also possessed with a sense of excitement and anxious anticipation. Scuba has its dangers, as does the Pacific… The laid-back tour guide eventually, and somewhat reluctantly, offers to join me and we’re soon off into the deep blue below.

This is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the wonders of the world, it’s a few kilometers off the coast of tropical North Queensland in Australia, and I’ve come on a day trip from Cairns to the Outer Barrier Reef – ideal for the traveller short on time and perfect for anyone new to scuba diving. Many day trips will focus on the Inter Reef Gardens, and reefs close to places such as Michaelmas Cay, Fitzroy Island and Green Island. In short, diving paradise.

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The North Highland Way: 10 Adventures in Scotland

Tina Irving    ash, trekkingholidays     coasteering, diving, Sailing, scotland, Surfing, trekking, Windsurfing

The north coast of Scotland is a great playground for extreme sports.  The background of the turbulent Pentland Firth and the magnificent coastline offers great facilities and opportunities for getting out and about.

Crossing to Orkney is an experience in itself when the seas are rough!  I have lived at Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the UK mainland, for 11 years. And I am currently logging the walking route between John O Groats and Thurso with a GPS and a camera – it’s the first part of my trek across the north coast to Fort William!  Below are some other activities which can be enjoyed in this area

Dunnet Head from the air

Rib rides at John O Groats

For the real thrill seekers, take a trip in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) ride at John O Groats – explore some of the great sea caves on Stroma and along the coast.  The sea conditions can be very exciting with swells and high water most of the year!   The swirling currents of the Merry Men of Mey make the rib ride even more thrilling and even the  ferry to Orkney must take care in the  dangerous conditions.  You will be in good hands though, as all the boat handlers are experienced seamen with years of knowledge of local conditions.

Coasteering at Dunnet  Head

The area around Dunnet Head is perfect for coasteering, which has become very popular over the last few years.  Rocky outcrops and geos provide the perfect conditions for a combination of swimming, climbing and trekking along the coast to Dunnet Bay.  Wetsuits are recommended!

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Scuba diving or skydiving: can you take the pressure?

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     diving, freefall, mountain climbing, mountaineering, parachuting, Scuba, Scuba Diving, trekking

Other than both featuring the word diving, these two sports seem largely unrelated. After all, throwing yourself out of an aircraft and swimming underwater couldn’t be more different.  However, scuba diving and skydiving share one significant challenge: pressure.

Yes, height above or below sea level affects the body – something any mountaineer or climber will tell you. When climbing to elevation the air thins, making it harder to breathe.

Trekking in Nepal, or sat in a plane climbing into the clouds, you may begin to notice altitude sickness when you pass 8,000 ft – as your elevation increases, the air pressure decreases, reducing the amount of available oxygen. Deep sea diving or scuba diving also stresses the human body: the deeper you go, the greater the pressure on your lungs.

Oxygen breathed from a scuba tank is at a higher pressure, and when you return from a very deep dive you need to spend a little time at set depths adjusting to the changes. That’s why returning from the deep, divers need to ‘decompress’ as their bodies move up into the ‘lighter’ water above them.

Briefly, the human body can be pushed to extremes, but when it comes to elevation above ground and depth below sea level, it really has its limits.

If you know about how the human body reacts to these challenges, drop us a comment – we’re always keen to hear from experts who can add their knowledge.

We’ve also got a new skydiving blog starting: 1,000… 2,000…3,000 Check Canopy!

The world’s top 3 dive sites

James    scubadivingholidays     diving, Diving Holidays, diving sites, Scuba Diving, shark diving, snorkelling

What makes a great dive site. Fish? Wrecks? Clear blue water? Here is my choice for the best three places in the world to rubber up and get wet.

3 – The Great Blue Hole – Caye Caulker – Belize

There are many Blue Holes around the world but this is the best. The reef at 14m is great but in the centre is the hole that drops 150m throughit. At 25m there is an overhang with stalactites and stalagmites as well as reef and hammerhead lemon sharks welcoming you into this strange subterranean world. With 60-metre visibility, water doesn’t get much clearer than this paradise for divers.

2 – The Thistlegorm – Ras Mohamed – Red Sea – Egypt

In 1941 a Scottish supply ship went down off the coast of the Sinai Peninsular. The Allied Forces loss was a wreck diver’s gain. This 131-metre long wreck contains all its original cargo including rifles, trucks and even full train carriages. It lies in only 20 metres of water, on a fish-covered reef in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. And there is over 30 metres of visibility. The currents can be strong around the wreck so it has some technical challenges too.

1 – Barracuda Point – Sipadan Island – Malaysia

Sipadan is a Mecca for divers. Limited numbers of permits ensures this tropical dive island remains an isolated paradise with 14 main dive sites, many of which could make a top ten list. Barracuda Point is alive with white tip sharks, clown fish, countless turtles, parrot fish and many more. An incredible diversity of fish inhabit this wall of reef that that drops off 2000ft into the abyss below. It gets its name from the swarms of Barracuda that hang like a silver living.

Welcome to our NEW Blog!

Tim B    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     diving, Scuba Diving

Welcome to the brand spanking new scubadivingholidays.net blog. Each week we will be posting articles from guest writers and our own inhouse team about the latest news & views from the scuba diving travel world.