Trefor Pier still standing (but only just)

Trefor Pier is located on the Lleyn Pennisular in North Wales. For many divers and underwater photographers based in the north west, this site has been a regular haunt. However, in recent times, the pier has started to collapse, with large chunks of the wooden struts now lying on the sea bed. Many people have said that it is no longer the haven for marine life it once was, and that perhaps it is now too dangerous to dive. Nick and I, along with Tony Gilbert, went to have a look yesterday. The last time we dived this site, on a cold February day, the lack of marine life was noticeable. So it was with some trepidation that we returned.

We arrived to flat clam seas and amazing visibility. You could see all the pier structure and the grasses and seaweeds from the surface. Paddy was excited to get wet and so were we. It was too hot to leave the dog in the car while we dived, so we took it in turns to snorkel with him, while the others dived and then swapped round.

Sunbeams streamed through the structure of the pier. A halocline formed where fresh water, running down from the mountains, meets the sea. Paddy posed as always and so did a group of kayakers that were navigating the shoreline. So for wide angle, there was plenty to keep us busy. The concrete pier wall is full of crevices and these were packed with shannies peaking out, and even swimming towards the camera lens. Shrimps, crabs and tompot blennies also make great subjects. Tony also found an endangered fresh water eel and a tiny squid in the sand.

The site is shallow, with the maximum depth at around 8m. On a day like yesterday, it is a perfect site to relax and focus on taking photos. However, it can also look, and feel, a bit like the inside of a washing machine drum on a heavily soiled load! The weather needs to be kind, but when it is, this wonderful dive site still performs.

The kayakers did tell us, however, that a section of the pier had fallen over night. Not in a wild storm, but on a calm evening. You would not want to be diving when that happened - so the jury is still out on how safe it is to dive under the structure itself.

Three Shires Head

We recently attended a talk at the Northern Underwater Photography Group (NUPG) by Rob Cuss about photography in the top 1m of water. Rob had ear troubles and could not dive, but did not let that put him off getting some innovative shots in amazing UK locations. One of the shots he showed at the talk was from Three Shires Head, where Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire meet. So when our friend, Tony Gilbert, invited us, and John Spencer, to join him on a day trip, we jumped at the chance. This is how we ended up parked on a roadside, loaded down with drysuits, weightbelts, masks, snorkels and, of course, our underwater camera equipment, looking at the spectacular countryside asking "How far is it?"

The walk, through wonderful scenery, was about a mile! So after 20mins down a rocky path, we got our first glimpse of what we had come to shoot. The river Dane, here, comprises brown shallows, peaty waterfalls, and calm pools, topped by an ancient stone packhorse bridge. Our dog, Paddy, was in heaven. Repeatedly leaping up from the river bed through the ferns and swimming in the deeper pools.

The first shot Nick wanted to have a go at, was to use some remote strobes to light the inside of the small tunnel the river runs through. The picture below shows me setting up the lights for this shot:  Paddy is, of course, helping.

The water tumbles down the larger rocks, and so with your camera safe in its housing, you can try some shots of the fast flowing water. In this shot I like the mask, snorkel and neoprene cover left on the dry rocks below a tree, and the water rushing down the falls and splashing back up.

 

We had hoped for blue skies, but this will only give us a reason to go back on another brighter day.

Of course, Paddy thought that this was a fantastic day out! And it was. No need for tanks and scuba gear, which is just as well given the walk. Here is Paddy swimming in the deepest pool, showing the rolling Cheshire hills in the background

This location was something completely new for Nick and I. It just shows that there are some wonderful locations to visit right on our doorstep - you just have to think a little differently. Thanks to Rob Cuss and Tony Gilbert for getting us there. Where shall we try next?