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UK Inland Diving
Reader Reviews:
Dive Site: Capernwray Quarry
Location: Jackdaw Quarry, Capernwray Road
Over Kellet, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA6 1AD
Description: Inland quarry
Depth: 20 metres max (65 feet)
Visibility: 5 metres (15 feet)
Rating: ****
Although it does not have the depth of some of the more southern inland sites, it has excellent facilities. There is more to see than at Stoney Cove. The wreck of the former minesweeper, HMS Podsnap, was there long before Stoney sank the Stangarth. The topside facilities are excellent. Location map
John Green, BSAC Advanced Instructor
Capernwray Quarry is my local and most used dive site at present. It's too close to be ignored!! Visibility can vary from 1m (the 'sump' on a busy weekend) to 15m (midweek). Winter temps are in the region of 4-5°c and in summer can reach 17-19°c! The facilities are great (hot shower, hot food, hot coffee), a nicely stocked onsite dive shop (if a little expensive) and also gas fills (air, nitrox and trimix). I would recommend it to any diver, new and old.
Paul Shuttleworth
Rating: *****
Very good, I went in December doing my open water, since I have got my advancer open water. Good visibility and good wrecks to dive.
Adam Bayliss
Very good for beginners and more experienced divers, been there several times there's many things to see and excellent facilities including hot showers.
Hughesy
I dived this site in late July 2005 - my first dive after achieving my Advanced Open Water. My buddy and I shocked a couple of Geordies in drysuits as we stepped out of the water wearing only wetsuits! The water temperature was fine all the way to the bottom. Nice clear water due to the gravely bottom. There's plenty to see there. We'll definitely be returning to see the parts we missed after our two dives. Would definitely recommend this site.
Chris Taylor
Enjoyed my Open Water Diver course here in January 2006, despite the cold at 4°C. Loved sitting over the wing of the Cessna. Loved swimming with the rainbow trout and the facilities were great5. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Colin Rothwell
Just completed my open water dive here last weekend and enjoyed it very much.
Loads of fish at shallower depths and managed to get round Shergar, The African Queen and a few other interesting things, still to visit the gnomes though, looks like I’ll be back soon then. Visibility was good, around 5m and although the temperature was around 4 degrees I only really noticed it on the mask flood (ouch).
Facilities good, nothing better than wrapping your hands round a hot mug of coffee while you wait for a fill...!
Harlequin
My husband and I completed our Open Water Diver here, and have split our Advanced between here and Stoney Cove. Since Advanced, we have been coming here at least once a fortnight. Have dived Capernwray in various temperatures and visibilities. A great learning ground.
Angela Robson
Travelled from the midlands to dive this site and it was well worth the trip. Loads to see and visibility even on a busy Sunday was better than expected. Great facilities dry side too. I will be back soon.
Steve Wyke
I first dived Capernwray in 2000 when you used to change into your dry suit in the toilets. The facilities are 1000 times better now. It’s a great place for training and trying new gear if you can’t get to a pool.
Ian Higgins, PADI Assistant Instructor
Just the best inland site on the planet if you're teaching or just having a good weekend. This place has got everything, on top of that the staff/food and facilities are great too.
Tony Watson
Did my open water here weekend just gone. Brilliant time, a great place to go just for a quick brush up on your skills.
Liam Smith
I completed most of my elementary and open water training throughout the spring of 2007 at Capernwray and loved every minute of it. Great atmosphere and good facilities. Overall a great training environment that has been popular for our SAA club throughout the winter months when our Newcastle coastline isn't accessible.
Gary Wilson
I went to Capenwray last weekend, it was great.
Hannah Feeney
Love the trout, nothing like feeding them a bit of sweetcorn after a nice, relaxing dive and stroking their shiney scales as they swim by! They do bite though!
Louisa Townsend
Completed my open water here last weekend. Great site with good facilities. Visibility was good for the first day and second morning, but was terrible after lunch the second day (there were loads of divers at that point though).
Paul Cartmell
I dived at Caperwray in a semi dry and i was fine, the dive facilities are great. I loved the wrecks and the vis is great. The fish are very friendly too.
Lawrie Deville, Open Water
Dived here for the first time last weekend. I think the site is fantastic, well done. The trout tasted good too. Looking forward to the caviar! (Only joking)
Tony
Finished my open water here January 2008. Visibility was about 8 metres and the water was nice n cold. Looking forward to getting back soon for my advanced hopefully in March. Nice to be able to get a hot shower and a hot drink, great place to dive.
Daz
Dived this site mid Nov '08 whilst doing our final 4 dives for our PADI open water course. Got chilly but well worth it. The fish were very friendly. Going back to dive again in December. Top Tip: take a packed lunch, excellent facilities but pricy!
Michael Rose | 23/11/2008
We finished our open water courses here in January, great facilities and good visibility, looking forward to completing advanced and rescue diver courses. We'll be back.
Sue & Michael Lewis
As a diver from the Midlands, Stoney Cove is closer for me but I still prefer the longer trek up to Capernwray. The car park is close to the water and there's always space to park. The viz is much better than Stoney and the site is just small enough to be able to get your bearings. Dived it several times in winter with only a semi-dry and it was only the face and hands that got cold (hardcore BSAC diver, that's why!) Free showers, tasty food - perfect.
Matt Harrison, BSAC Sports Diver
Dived here for the first time March 2008 as an open water diver. Wow, amazing, coming again soon. Staff were really helpful.
Mick
What a dive site, I completed my open water here last year. I have been back the beginning of April 2008 and they have improved the facilities further with a new toilet and shower block. Excellent site, a must go dive site!!! Well done to the owners and staff for making it a great all round dive site.
Gary
I quailified as an open water diver here, it is great - loads of tame big fish, visibility great, just excellent!!!!
Helen
I went for the first time this weekend (18/05/08). Not as far as you think from South Yorkshire and what a place. The staff are great, the place is fantastic and the people are friendly (not like some other big sites!!). There is plently to look at under the water and topside the facilities are spot on. I would reccommend this to anyone looking for a change from their usual site. The layout is good and it doesn't feel crowded, the wrecks are plentiful and well spread out. I will be making the 240 mile round trip at least once a month. Well worth the visit and a credit to the team that run it. Well done and thank you.
Chris
Great dive site and facilities, have been here more times than anywhere else, the journey from Scotland is worth it. Staff are friendly and helpfull, gear hire easy and very well proced. My nephew and I find it a great place to practise skills and have dived here no problems all year round from wet to drysuit.
Nice hot food and drinks also.
John R
I did both my Ocean Diver and Sports Diver training dives here and thought it was excellent. Max depth is a bit limiting, and it is inland in the UK (i.e. cold, drysuit), but facilities and organisation was good.
John O
Capernwray is my local dive site and I've dived here from open water through to dive master. Staff, facilities and service are second to none. It's the best inland site I've been to so far, and I do as many pleasure dives as working dives. The fireworks last Wednesday night were excellent. Thanks Carol & co. Keep up the good work.
Christina | 07/11/08
I'm on my last open water dive and I absolutely love the place.
The facilities are excellent, the attractions are great to find and look around and the food is great. You need the soup on -1 days.
Stephen Bridgehouse | 01/02/09
I did my open water here with deepblue in November, excellent place to be, viz spot on and water not that cold. Will be back soon.
Ray Bell | 10/02/09
Best Inland dive site. Vis usually good, especially mid week. Can be busy at weekends. Well stocked with fish and a lot to see. Better still when they sink the passenger plane. Facilities are excellent. Warm this time of year at 16.5°C
Mathew Hayton, Adv Open Water | 23/07/09
Are there still any sturgeon in the quarry? May need to come over and photograph them soon.
Bob Whorton | 15/08/09
Dived here last night. Vis was good, loads to see and the fish are great. This is one of two local dive quarries for us so we'll be back soon, it's grreeeearttt.
Steve, PADI Open Water | 03/09/09
Being going here since I passed my Open Water, now advanced. Get the same enjoyment now as I did the dirst time I visited it, the staff are excellent, facilities second to none and the new underwater additions over the last year are very welcome.
Forrest Leishman | 25/03/2010
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