Additional Notes

Bristol Channel Diving Services Ltd originally started in 1995 as an inland commercial diving contractor in the UK and abroad. Neil had spent his working life previously working offshore as a diver in the oil and salvage industry.

We noticed a growing trend amongst friends and customers that they were asking for recreational diving kit, air, and servicing. We were finding the cut-throat inland diving industry hard going, with ever increasing demands being put on us such as ISO 9001 etc and decided that the best way forward was to move into the recreational market. To do this we approached the importers of what we felt were the better brands, Scubapro, AP Valves, Mares, Apeks and Posiedon, and off we went!

We started, as most people do on a small scale but it soon became evident that there was a definite demand. We supplied air, nitrox and trimix from the outset as well as TDI and IANTD training It was in mid 2002 that we moved to the Timber Yard and put together a much more comprehensive diving facility bringing IDEST cylinder testing, suit and demand valve repairs all together under one roof . Many of the scuba manufacturers we had dealt with from the outset stuck with us and supported us in the move.

In early 2003 we were contracted by the then owners of Tidenham Quarry to put together a diving centre, when they moved on, and Darren and Kay took over we stayed on to “show them the ropes”. We decided to leave a now successful NDAC and return to our core business in Cardiff which was the training of technical divers, servicing dive kit, and retail sales.

As well as the testing centre the school expanded rapidly and we now have over 20 sets of full kit including Scubapro, AP Valves and, Cressi BCD's, Custom Divers wings and Scubapro, Apeks and Cressi Sub regulators as well as most accessories. All of our school kit is less than 12 months old. This led to a huge increase in our hire demand and we now hire out equipment from the basic mask, fins and snorkel through full scuba kit to rebreathers, trimix computers and scooters.