Diving "The Haven" At Port Skerra.


Buddy :- Nick Powell. Start Code :- A. Max Depth :- 17m.

This webpage is snowballing into a monster out of my control but then so what's new?. This my 2nd dive took place quite some time ago ,
9 years ago roughly.....Man was I ever that young? Anyway it sticks in my memory just as well as my first dive. Port Skerra is a natural harbour on the north coast of Scotland 35 miles west of John O'Groats.This area is quite remote and, weather permitting, very scenic.You have to drive down a rough dirt track,from Melvich,to get to this harbour but with care it isn't a problem but the parking at the bottom is a little restricted.However on the plus side there is a small slip where you might just manage to launch a RIB from if the tide is in and you are carefull.

On arrival at the harbour it was discovered that one of the novice diver's, on his 2nd open water dive, had left his bottle strap at the club hut.What a plonker! :) However one on the club members,"Maca" saved the day by lending me his STAB (Stabilizer Jacket). This favour made me decide to invest in a STAB all of my owen. At the time half the club were still using ABLJ's (Adjustable Buoyancy Life Jacket's) which if you have ever had to wear one is both uncomfortable to wear and restricts movement especially when finning on the surface.However myself and my buddy, Nick, eventually got kitted up and entered the water from the slip.I followed him on the surface untill we were clear of the kelp in the shallows and then we dived and attained a neutral buoyancy just above the kelp at a staggering 7 meters depth.:) As we swam further out into the harbour this increased slightly before leveling out.At this point Nick turned right and swam towards the harbour wall which is a natural outcroping of rock from the coast, providing substancial shelter from the rigors of the Pentland Firth's swell.

The reason for this change in direction soon became apparent as we reached a massive 10 meter drop off.One moment we were swimming a meter or two above the harbour floor and then it just dissapeared as we sailed of an underwater cliff.It seemed really high at the time..Or should I say deep? I kinda felt like I was a bird flying of a cliff.It kinda scared me a little as it was like getting the same kind of buzz/shock when you just do your first bunjee jump but before the bunjee part. :)Anyway we sank to the bottom of this cliff and just as I was getting over this thrill I realized ,to my amazement,that I was looking through the harbour wall to the sea on the otherside.The sunlight emphisized the underwater archway as the water was a luminesent green against the surrounding ,almost, black rock of the arch.

We drifted through the arch and turned left folloing the "harbour wall" towards the main enterance to the harbour.There are a few narrow underwater canyons or passages between large boulders in this area and a profusion of sealife at the time. I remember Nick caught hold of two dogfish by ther backs and mimed them shagging. I found this extreamly funny at the time, smiling as I chuckled.I promptly flooded my mask of course, as the seal broke around my face, but I just found this even funnier.Nick himself was chuckling by this time as well if I remember right..Christ to think about it now still makes me smile.Two blokes suspended weightless underwater trying ,unsucessfully, not to laugh. :) That made it all the funnier. We then entered the harbour again befor proceeding to the shore. The deepest we managed was around 17 meters directly under the arch .Due to the slow ascent as we followed the harbour floor back to the slip a decompression stop wasn't required.This proved to be a very enjoyable 2nd dive and I could easily appreciate why the club take novices there as it provides a sheltered,interesting,instructional and above all else a fun dive.the only thing left to do was get changed and see who could get to the pub first :)