Lough Ine - Shore Access

flyz

Hello and Happy New Year!

I'm hoping on going diving in Lough Ine (Skibb , Cork) in the next few weeks.
Haven't been diving since the end of Sept but I'm told the water won't be too cold!

Anyway I have the permit and will send that off when I do decide to go.
However I'm wondering if anyone can tell me a good spot to enter the lough?
I was there once before snorkelling and we went in at the pier but is there somewhere better?

cheers!

seadeuce

The pier on the west side allows access to 20m within easy reach.

Boat diving is better though, Whirlpool Cliffs being the prime site.

Might be diving there this Sunday yet, will know tomorrow night. What part of the country you from?

Seadeuce

flyz

Is that the pier at the end of the road if you go to the right when you come down the hill?
Sorry I've only been there once and am terrible for directions

Was talking to Baltimore before and they said they don't go in there cos their boats are too big.

I'm from Mid Cork area and have relatives living in Clon so it's not too long a journey.

Will the weather be ok for diving this weekend? Though then again that's the advantage of diving in a lake I suppose

Peace

I would imagine the rain has washed a load of much and particles into the lake... meaning the vis wouldn't be that great.

What would you usually expect in the lake... vis/life..?

flyz

Peace wrote:

I would imagine the rain has washed a load of much and particles into the lake... meaning the vis wouldn't be that great.

What would you usually expect in the lake... vis/life..?

The lake is a Saltwater lake and is a marine reserve. Which means the life there is abundant, or so I'm told
Also cos it's sheltered it's vis should be excellent. Though it'd be wishful thinking to be out there this weekend.

There's nothing worse to travel 2 hours to a dive site and then to look in and see nothing but murky water!

Miss Polaris

flyz wrote:

Will the weather be ok for diving this weekend?

Have a look on www.theyr.net and choose Ireland - very good weather forecasting

seadeuce

The pier at the end of the road to the right gives access to the south basin.

The one I mean is halfway along on the left of that road.

If you're there at eleven am tomorrow (Sun), take the road to your left at the lough, and you should see two RIBs ready to rock and roll!

Heck! We may even find room for you for a dive in the Whirlpool. Viz should be about 3-4m.

Stay Wet!

Seadeuce

flyz

seadeuce wrote:

The pier at the end of the road to the right gives access to the south basin.

The one I mean is halfway along on the left of that road.

If you're there at eleven am tomorrow (Sun), take the road to your left at the lough, and you should see two RIBs ready to rock and roll!

Heck! We may even find room for you for a dive in the Whirlpool. Viz should be about 3-4m.

Stay Wet!

Seadeuce

boo! only saw this posting now!

Wouldn't have been able to make it anyway. Weather was terrible out my direction, did ye make it out?

Would be up for it another weekend though...

Evil Phil

Slightly off topic but how long does it take to drive to Cork (city that is) from Dublin?

flyz

Evil Phil wrote:

Slightly off topic but how long does it take to drive to Cork (city that is) from Dublin?

Slightly?

About 4 hours I'd say. It's been a while since I've been on that road so I'm sure with the newest bypasses it's a bit shorter.

Peace

Evil_Phil banned for one week for dragging thread off topic.

4 hours is a good guess... all depends on what time of the day (5pm Friday v's 6am Saturday morning.)

5pm Friday, 5hours easy.

6am Saturday - 3hours easy.

Evil Phil

Who's this Evil_Phil you speak of, I'm Evil Phil

I'm not even going as far as Cork City so Saturday morning it is. Anyway, back on topic...

Lake diving is something I've been meaning to get into, both salt and freshwater. Do you do a lot of lake diving flyz?

Peace

Evil Phil wrote:

I'm not even going as far as Cork City so Saturday morning it is. Anyway, back on topic...

Booty call no doubt :eek:

Evil Phil wrote:

Lake diving is something I've been meaning to get into, both salt and freshwater. Do you do a lot of lake diving flyz?

I've read articles that lake/fresh water diving can be spectacular. I mean 50m+ vis... but if we had a site like that in Ireland i think we'd hear about it. it all depends on where the water has passed through to get to where it is..

One thing I'd like to get into would be becoming cave certified. I think i would have to travel to the UK ... anyone know anything about cave diving in ireland or should i be starting my own thread?

donny

I've dived in the corrib... and believe me it was more like 0.5m than 50m
Its not *that* bad but just not a lot to see and all brown and dark.

Kev if you ever do plan to get cave trained let me know.... its something I'd love to do as well but I think you've to get cavern training first before cave so it'll be more than 1 course you'll have to do.

Tim down in Bantry mentioned it was something that could be done easily enough. Not sure if it was in Ireland or not though. There are caves that can be dived in Clare anyway that I've heard of. Not sure if you enter these from the sea or whether they're in the Burren itself

Peace

Yeah there are a couple of course required before you get fully cave certified. There would also be a large investment of cash required.

flyz

Evil Phil wrote:

Lake diving is something I've been meaning to get into, both salt and freshwater. Do you do a lot of lake diving flyz?

Nope, this would be my first lake dive

Only diving a year but have the Advanced Open Water and all the gear too. Don't have much of a variety of dives done though. Roberts Cove, Kilkee and the Poor Knights (;)) would probably sum it up.

Need to get some decent dives done this year. Also need to find a decent club to join as well.

Evil Phil

I once heard tell of a submerged village somewhere in Ireland. Basically the valley was turned into a resevoir, now that would be an interesting dive.

Peace

Evil Phil wrote:

I once heard tell of a submerged village somewhere in Ireland. Basically the valley was turned into a resevoir, now that would be an interesting dive.

Blessington.

Apparently the village was submerged for theresevior and you can sometimes see the church spire when the resevior is running low.

I have heard people talking about diving it. Could indeed be interesting. As far as i know it can be shore dived but i'm open to correction as i have no hard facts.

seadeuce

Lovely dive last Sunday in L. Hyne.
Eleven divers, two boats, vis. about 2m at 20m depth, 4m above 12.
Weather was way better than expected.

Looking forward to the real sea once again!


Seadeuce

Evil Phil

Blessington, that's the one. I'll look into it.

Peace

Evil Phil wrote:

Blessington, that's the one. I'll look into it.

You thinking of going in?

I hear they had a killer chipper... no15 main street.

Evil Phil

Blessington is only 15 minutes from where I live. I'll have to buy some diving gear first though.

Peace

Well let me know dude... if its do-able i would head in with you...

Could be an interesting dive.

olympus

Anybody ever dived Portroe quarry in Limerick?

I dived there a couple of years back,the vis was excellent and if memory serves me correct there was a couple of cars and vans down there so it was kind of like wreck diving for Hi Ace van enthusiasts!

I heard there were probs getting permission these days, can anybody shine any light on the matter?

seadeuce

Believe you can drive around the gate to get there, but permission has been officially withdrawn, which means you would be trespassing.

But it's a nice site! Last time there I saw two large freshwater eels. Very tame they were too.


Seadeuce

dublinbay

[ne thing I'd like to get into would be becoming cave certified. I think i would have to travel to the UK ... anyone know anything about cave diving in ireland or should i be starting my own thread?[/QUOTE]

Matyn Farr runs courses in County Clare. www.farrworld.co.uk I think.... AFAIK there are NO cave instructors in Eire. Rich Stevenson in Plymouth is a Full Cave IANTD instructor, usually in France , Florida or Mexico. www.deepblu.co.uk . Then you have cave country in Florida. GUE, www.gue.com , are regarded as the best. And Peace is right, bring your wallet