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New sites proposed to boost Portland diving
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Diving businesses based around Portland and Weymouth in Dorset have proposed a set of new dive sites to attract new divers to the area, and improve diving for established visitors.
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| Diving on HMS Hood - now banned. New sites would balance this loss. Photo: John Liddiard |
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The proposals, put forward by the Weymouth and Portland Dive Charter Association, would provide new dive sites for a range of weather conditions and diving skill levels. They are:
a): A mile-long artificial reef in Weymouth Bay, perhaps 5m tall and 10m wide, made of concrete, plastic moulds or other specialist bedrock materials;
b): Another artificial reef in Weymouth Bay, based on acquiring and scuttling a decommissioned vessel;
c): A series of railway carriages sunk either side of Portland's north arm;
d): A trail of about 12 underwater sculptures, in stone or metal, sunk beside Portland Breakwater in about 18m of water.
The move comes in response to research which showed that 88% of diving businesses in the area were experiencing gradually declining numbers of diving visitors.
This has been put down to the new Plymouth attraction of HMS Scylla, the decommissioned naval frigate sunk last year; the banning of diving on Portland's HMS Hood; and the ever-increasing lure of holidays abroad.
'The expectations of divers have changed, and global and UK competition as well as the gradual deterioration of wrecks will soon reduce the area's appeal,' Liisa Wallace, Chair of the Weymouth and Portland Dive Charter Association, told Divernet.
Wallace's own business, Portland's Breakwater Diving, spreads its net across a broad range of diving interests, from inshore diving to deep offshore wreck exploration aboard its charter boat Goose.
'The inshore operators are the most affected by recent developments,' Wallace said. 'For offshore boats, business remains relatively unchanged.'
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