Front Gate at Scuba Dive West - Galway County, Ireland

This is the front gate of Scuba Dive West in County Galway, Ireland. Note the sign that reads “Keep gate closed. Beware of Bull.” They weren’t kidding. The local cows seemed to like socializing in the area between the dive shop and the dock. It wasn’t so much the cows that you have to watch out for - it's the mess that they left behind.

The diving here is cold water diving, though not as cold as New Jersey or the Pennsylvania Quarries where I cut my teeth. The visibility is fair. I had about 20 feet of horizontal view on my dives. But the floor of the Atlantic here is what made it worth taking the trip out on the “Brazen Hussey”.

The bottom was absolutely crawling with brittlestars. There were huge conger eels and nice sized cod fish all about. The net effect of the dive was a very cozy experience where I felt the warmth and closeness of the ocean around me. The ocean had a different feel than my home oceans in the Americas; still it was very inviting and pleasant. Dives like these can remind me that you can enjoy ‘Spirit Diving’ anywhere, not just in exotic warm water locals.

Scuba West is run by the Gray family and is one of the friendliest and accommodating dive shops that I have ever visited. Their staff and facility is knowledgeable and top notch. If you are visiting Ireland, put aside a few days to experience the Atlantic from the east side.

http://www.scubadivewest.com/index.htm