Diving in Holland
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If your career takes you to Holland, don't despair! There's some excellent diving, good clubs and some great divers around, both Dutch and British. I can recommend the local BSAC branch, the Randstad Harings. Our 'local' dive shop is 'The Wave' in Hillegom (Sjon van Regteren). They're a very friendly and knowledgeable lot and dispense liberal coffee and advice. On the right, posing by the Stormvogel in 2000 at Oostvoornsemeer, are Viktor, Henni, Jan, John and Skippy. |
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With the Dutch fascination for gratuitous vowels, the challenge of diving in Holland is not the cold, but the pronunciation of the dive sites! There follow a few accounts:-
On 5th November 2005, not many of us made it to Oostvoornsemeer (OVM as this site is usually called), in fact, at 9 am, Anna and myself were the only people outside the Stormvogel, braving a southerly 6 under lowering clouds. Shortly afterwards, my Dutch dive buddy for the last seven years, Piet van Beusekom (aka Skippy) turned up and we started off with a 52 minute dive 'doing the circuit' that takes in a real VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) ship-wreck in 5 metres. In the balmy 11 C brackish waters, we put off descending to the canyon at 26 metres, both aware of the fierce thermocline. But today, there was no thermocline, just a gradual drop to 9 C. The visibility never dropped below 5 metres and, by Dutch standards we enjoyed a surprisingly warm dive.
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Anna pre-ordered the traditional chocomel met slagroom prior to the second dive further down the lake on the wreck of the Archimedes (1839). This wreck was the first ship to use a screw propeller. The Archimedes screw with which it was originally fitted was not a success and it was replaced by a fan-shaped device. The wreck-site is largely broken hull pieces, however, the fan-shaped propeller (at 15 m) and the engine crankcase and huge two-cylinder crankshaft (17 m) are still identifiable.
The report below from six months later has an uncanny sense of deja vu about it. Perhaps that says something about diving here! |
Archimedes (1839) showing engines, prop-shaft and propeller. |
On 25th May 2006, not many of us made it to OVM, in fact, at 9 am, Anna and myself were the only people outside the Stormvogel, braving a southerly 6 under lowering clouds. Shortly afterwards, Skippy turned up and we started off with a 57 minute dive 'doing the circuit'. In the balmy 12 C brackish waters, we descended down the canyon to 26 metres, however, our search for better vis., failed and the unusually poor, two metre murk never opened up. We found the only life form of the dive, a dead eel (Paling stiffus)although it looked quite normal when Skippy picked it up and waved it under my nose! At this point Skippy's torch expired so we retreated to the 17 metre plateau closer to daylight. By Dutch standards we enjoyed a surprisingly warm dive and had a good chat in the 'habitat', an air-filled cylinder moored on chains in 17 metres. Mandatory visits to the small wreck and the caravan were dutifully carried out.
This was a typical Dutch dive of 40 minutes, requiring good navigation. Unfortunately, other divers by this time had kicked up the silt and the vis. around the wreck was less than a metre. Oddly, the dives were as enjoyable as ever, and technically quite challenging. Compass work is obviously a real requirement and completion of the circuits very satisfying. Even experienced divers emerge from OVM at unlikely spots with that "how on earth did we get here?" look.
Sadly, Skippy's suit, in sympathy with his torch, expired at the end of the last dive. The neck seal tore, his boots leaked and the zip jammed. I had to cut him out amongst the ruins of what will require an expensive new purchase.
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On 31st December 2006 we were at it again! At 1pm precisely on New Year's Eve, I finished my diving for 2006. We would have stayed a bit longer on the wreck of the Archimedes, however, my buddy indicated that his dry-suit was filling with 6o C water and, quite reasonably, he wanted to get back to shore. Amazingly mild weather of 10o C was disguised by a southerly 6 and the warmest place was in the lake.
Above shows the lake conditions at 9 am (sunrise is at 8.50 am. Don't forget these important facts!) The wind was too strong to steady the camera. On the right, Skippy, my dive Dutch buddy for seven years, and I conducted a buddy check, a reasonable precaution considering the conditions. |
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So, if you do get posted to Holland, don't despair, well not about the diving anyway. Save your despair for the mind-numbing traffic jams that appear at any, and all times of the day and night.
