Hails from Northern Ireland

[Andy_HFC]

You don't really need any specific gear for NI to be honest but i would advise a few things.

Cold water regulators. It's fine over the warmer months, but i have seen plenty of free flows over the winter.

Dry suit if you can afford it is a good start. I dived a wet suit for years and it's fine, but you are restricted to 40 min dives, otherwise it gets a bit chilly!

If you do go wet make sure you get a really good fitting suit, 7mm is a good start. A base rash vest layer is a good idea, along with neoprene socks.

If you are intending to dive regularly do everything to try and get a dry suit, a year diving wet every weekend and you'll find wetsuits restrict the diving you want to do, it's just too cold.

Get an awesome hood, no matter what suit you get. Waterproof or 4th element. Personally the WP 7mm H1 is a cracking hood. Get it as tight as is comfortable.

A big huge ass SMB. Quite a few sites have boat traffic. Also, if you go further North the swell can be unnerving; a big SMB is nice comfort.

Get a light of some description, a wee cheap back up is fine initially. NI waters can be dark below 10m. Personally i won't dive without a light of some description.


That's about it really, BCD's, fins, all that stuff is personal preference.



There's a full list of my gear on my blog and why i use it, may be of some help to you. It's only my personal reasoning though, not gospel. You can pm or mail me if you want more specifics.

Equipment ~ I Are Diver
Exposure Suit ~ I Are Diver
Undersuits ~ I Are Diver
What's In My Dive Bag? ~ I Are Diver

 

[ScubaBB]

Welcome aboard :cool2::cool2::cool2:

 

[hmacdiver]

Andy, any advice for what specialities for AOW in NI?

 

[Andy_HFC]

Andy, any advice for what specialities for AOW in NI?

Hey bud,

Em, we don't really have the sites over here to worry about cavern or wreck; certainly not within recreational limits.

I'm a bit out of touch with the PADI stuff now to be honest; i would suggest peak performance buoyancy - some of the Lough sites are crazy silty; plus it'll help you no matter where you go.

Go for a night diver thing (is that even a speciality? I dunno) - either way it can get very dark over here as the waters are murky, plus it's usually over cast. I got a lot from my night diving class in my AOW, how to care for a torch, how many to carry, the use of strobes for marking shore/shot/boat etc. Plus it's nicer to experience the pitch black in the care of an instructor.

I'd start there anyway.

Hope that helps a bit, let me know what you go for.

Andy
HFC

 

[Danielle's_Dives]

welcome. i can't imagine diving those chilly waters? what suit do you wear?

 

[Andy_HFC]

welcome. i can't imagine diving those chilly waters? what suit do you wear?

I'm in a membrane drysuit, just vary the under suits accordingly. I always wear a thin merino base layer; during the summer i'm in 4th Element Arctics, in the winter i add Xerotherms.

It's just do-able down to 6C for 60 mins. I'll be upgrading to the Santi 400 this winter though.

Always in dry gloves and a 7mm hood; that's where most of the comfort comes from.


what temps are you diving?

 

[hmacdiver]

Hey bud,

Em, we don't really have the sites over here to worry about cavern or wreck; certainly not within recreational limits.

I'm a bit out of touch with the PADI stuff now to be honest; i would suggest peak performance buoyancy - some of the Lough sites are crazy silty; plus it'll help you no matter where you go.

Go for a night diver thing (is that even a speciality? I dunno) - either way it can get very dark over here as the waters are murky, plus it's usually over cast. I got a lot from my night diving class in my AOW, how to care for a torch, how many to carry, the use of strobes for marking shore/shot/boat etc. Plus it's nicer to experience the pitch black in the care of an instructor.

I'd start there anyway.

Hope that helps a bit, let me know what you go for.

Andy
HFC

Cheers for that. I will give it a bit of thought and let you know. Hoping to do it within the next wee while.

Congrats on the Tech Pass Your blogs are always a good read.

 

[Andy_HFC]

Cheers for that. I will give it a bit of thought and let you know. Hoping to do it within the next wee while.

Congrats on the Tech Pass Your blogs are always a good read.

Good stuff.

Cheers, the class was brilliant fun; glad you're still enjoying the ramblngs!