Ello

[Helen F H]

Well its about bloody time i registered on here

I have been part of the internet diving scene for a wee while, and currently post on YD under the same name as here. I live and work in Orkney where myself and Hazel run the MV Valkyrie doing the Orkneys, Shetland and Faroes.

I have just decided to upgrade my camera from an Olympus mju 700 to an Olympus C7070 which i guess makes me a big proper grown up photographer

I would love to be able to take pictures of:

The Tabarka - a wreck in Burra Sound where you get a huge flow of water, consequently there is shedloads of life and outstanding vis. Its like diving inside a cathdral and is my favourite dive (but an absolute sod to drop divers onto!).

Nudibranches - i have a slug fetish.

So thats about it. I have taken a few pics on dry land but this will be my first real adventure into the wet world as the little camera is a point and shoot thing.

Expect lots of silly questions and having to explain things such as white balance to a 5 year old.

Dive safe

H

[TimIngmire]

Originally Posted by Helen F H

Well its about bloody time i registered on here

I should think so too young lady!

Welcome aboard Helen - glad you could finally make it.

Feel free to ask any questions you like - we don't get tired of answering them even if they may seem daft to you.

Cheers,

Tim

[Cussy]

Helen,
Welcome.

One thing I've always wondered is whether Scapa is worth a trip for the non-depth junckie. My fear of the place has always been getting on a boat with people that just want to do the deep wrecks. Many of the folk I know that have been up there have all said that some of the block ships are amongst the best photographic opportunities in the UK. I admire the stuff that Gloc has posted on here, but that's not my usual sort of thing. So enlighten the ignorant,
Rob

[Mark]

Hi Helen

I still haven't grown up into a proper photographer, still using the F10!!

Welcome............At last

[Helen F H]

Originally Posted by Cussy

Helen,
Welcome.

One thing I've always wondered is whether Scapa is worth a trip for the non-depth junckie. My fear of the place has always been getting on a boat with people that just want to do the deep wrecks. Many of the folk I know that have been up there have all said that some of the block ships are amongst the best photographic opportunities in the UK. I admire the stuff that Gloc has posted on here, but that's not my usual sort of thing. So enlighten the ignorant,
Rob

We run virgins weeks where we tend to do the shallower stuff around the flow. The cruisers all lie in the 27 - 36m range, the battleships are 38 -45m to the seabed so a bit deeper. However, the german fleet is not the only metal to lie on the seafloor up here There is the F2 and barge (my favourite place to take photos) which is in 18m.



I also discovered the UB116 - a wreck i hadnt done until last season. Utterly stunning vis, but not a lot of wreck. Crawling with life, wish i had the camera with me but was doing a training dive for the trimix course She sits in about 30m.

The jewels in the crown are the blockships. Very tide dependant, the Tabarka, Doyle and the Gorbenador Bories offer excellent diving with easy penetration and tens of thousands of subjects to photo. Linger too long however, and you will be in for an 'interesting' ascent!

The northern isles has generally shallower wrecks, but good vis. Shetland wrecks are similar depths to scapa - 0 - 45m in the recreational range, plus deeper stuff for the real rust heads. Life up there is stunning though - think similar to Norway.

Scapa can be a bit dark, especially when you get periods of bad vis, so if you have a long way to come, i would suggest a shallow northern isles or shetland trip

HTH

H

[Mike W]

Hi Helen,

Welcome here! Ask away, just be prepared for four answers from every three people who respond.

One day I WILL come back to Scapa - I dived there about fifteen years ago when I was still a baby diver - I did my fiftieth dive on Kronprinz Wilhelm and still vividly remember every detail. Also dived the 'wrong' side of the Koln, when my vastly-more-experienced buddy (53 dives) took us down the slope of the hull instead of the deck. As he was expedition chef - and a cook in real-life - it seemed rude to make too much of it, though.

[Helen F H]

Hey Mike,

If you want to come back up we have spaces for individuals/buddy pairs in some trips this year. Or wait until next year when we go to the Faroes...mmmmm diving heaven