Category: PADI

May 25, 2016

Hammond Diving Dry Suit - HDS Pro Elite

I obtained my PADI Dry Suit Diver Specialty quite soon after I qualified as an Open Water diver as I do a lot of diving in the UK and this type of suit is much more suitable for diving in colder waters. Dry suits feature seals and heavier insulating materials to keep the wearer dry in cold water conditions whereas wet suits let water in and are used in warmer water temperatures.

Until recently I’ve been used a rented dry suit which wasn’t always ideal since quite often the suit would leak and became more of a wet suit. Certainly some of this was down to my technique but quite often I felt the suit just didn’t fit me well. With this in mind and considering that I was planning to continue diving in the long term I decided to invest in a custom made dry suit. Having done a bit of research I eventually decided to get a suit from a company called Hammond, a locally run family business here in Kent. I liked the idea of supporting a British business and being local meant that the servicing and support for any problems would be easier.

The suit I decided to get was the HDS Pro Elite, pictured here. Hammonds web site states this is for the more experienced technical diver with a robust Cordura to Cordura fabric for a longer life and is fitted with a wealth of extras as standard. The extras/custom specifications I went for were: -

Neoprene socks and rock boots – I was told this would be better than fitted boots when it came to maintaining my buoyancy
Self Donning – to allow me to be more independent
Comfort zip

In addition to the dry suit I also bought a 4th Element Undersuit. Another nice extra supplied by Hammond was a suit bag.

I’m looking forward to using this suit in the future. I have a pool dive scheduled to test it out before I jump into a lake or the sea.

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February 2, 2016

PADI Deep and Wreck Diving Specialties at Stoney Cove

In October 2014 I passed my PADI Deep and Wreck Diving Specialties having completed the required dives at Stoney Cove near Leicester. I had previously attained my PADI Advanced Scuba Diver Certification which qualifies you to Dive to 30m but I was quite keen to have the possibility of diving deeper as the Deep certification allows you to Dive to 40m. Furthermore, I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to Dive wrecks in various locations around the world.

What you learn in the Deep Speciality Course

Your training starts by reviewing reasons for deep diving and how important it is to know your personal limits. During four deep dives with your instructor, you’ll go over:

Specialized deep diving equipment.
Deep dive planning, buddy contact procedures and buoyancy control.
Managing your gas supply, dealing with gas narcosis and safety considerations.

What you learn in the Wreck Specialty Course

There are many different types of wrecks, some of which are protected by laws that guard their historical and cultural significance. Your training starts by reviewing guidelines for researching and respecting wrecks. During four dives you’ll learn:

Safety considerations for navigating and exploring wrecks.
Surveying and mapping a wreck.
Using penetration lines and reels to guide exploration.
Techniques to avoid kicking up silt or disturbing the wreck and its inhabitants.

I really enjoyed doing these two specialties and I also got to do my dives on Nitrox having passed that specialty two weeks earlier. The Stoney Cove Dive Site has plenty of features and wrecks to explore as shown in the map below

Source: www.stoneycove.com

1 Viscount Aircraft Cockpit
2 Nautilus
3 Archways Beneath the Pub
4 The Wessex
5 The Bus
6 The Monster
7 The Galleon

8 Aircraft Wreck
9 Deep Hydrobox
10 Submerged Trees
11 Tower (pole)
12 Blow-Off Preventer (BOP)
13 4-metre Block House
14 Wooden Boat

15 Stanegarth
16 FV 432 APC
17 Landrover
18 Block House
19 The Winch
20 Work Frame
21 Small Hydrobox

22 MG Cars
23 Anchor and chain from Stanegarth
24 Tug Boat Defiant
25 Trawler MV Belinda
26 Gresham Ship c1570

For my wreck certification I explored an old Tug Boat called the Stanegarth.

As part of my Deep Certification I got to dive down to the deepest spot at this particular dive site and managed to get down to 35m. Here’s the dive profile provided by my Suunto D4i Dive Computer

Once you pass the PADI course you’ll obtain a card in the post which looks like this. Of course you can always have an electronic copy via the PADI App. I certainly recommend these two certifications if you want to take your diving to the next level.

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