Valentia Island

Photo: John Boulter

We usually have a week's holiday each year with the club. We've visited Plymouth, the Isle of Skye, and the Isles of Scilly, and last year we went to Ireland for the second time - we're going again this year, too. The diving operator we use is Valentia Island Sea Sports. The diving there is very laid back and there's so much to see. I prefer scenic to wreck diving and I really enjoy the corals and fish life at Valentia Island: you see lots of wrasse, cod, pollack, conger eels, lobster and crayfish.

The visibility is very good - it varies from 10m to 20m, depending on the weather. But, whatever the weather, Martin and Sandra (who run Valentia Island Sea Sports) always find somewhere to dive. It's all boat diving. They have one hardboat and a RIB, and use a friend's RIB when things get really busy. Our group, which varies from six to ten people, always stays at Sandra and Martin's bed and breakfast. In the evenings we eat at local restaurants and bars. We often go to the Boston at the top end of Valentia Island, which has good food.

You reach Valentia Island by ferry from Kerry. Our group goes in a minibus, taking the ferry from Swansea to Cork, then driving to Kerry and getting the ferry again. Taking the minibus on the ferry works out cheaper than taking several cars full of people, and we always fuel up in Ireland, as it's a lot cheaper there. Ireland is very relaxing, and the island's particularly good if you like walking. We usually go in July, and try to arrange our trip when there are neap tides - if you keep to those, you can't go far wrong. I've got a computer programme called Autotide that works it out for you. The diving's easy - Martin and Sandra always brief you, drop you on the right spot, and the boat's always there when you surface.

I've had some really good dives around Valentia Island. There's one wreck just outside the dive centre, called the Granite: it's very small, but has a lot of sea life, including every type of fish you'd expect to see there, as well as congers and lobsters. You can keep going round and round the wreck, and you'll find something new each time. Some of the conger eels are an amazing size, which I'd put down to the area not being overfished, and the numbers of crayfish and lobsters are partly because divers are not allowed to bring them up. The Cave Dive is also great - it's in an absolutely massive cave, where you have to be a bit cautious, but, nonetheless, it's a good dive. I love Ireland and have dived in other parts of the country, but I find Valentia Island more laid back, as well as more economical. We'll be back again this summer.