Scientific diving is an important tool for marine science in coastal areas, and the SAMS Diving Centre supports research all over the world, from ice-covered oceans to tropical coral reefs.

A well-equipped Diving Centre with a dedicated team of four provides scientific and technical diving support to SAMS and the wider UK marine science community. The NERC-funded National Facility for Scientific Diving is an integral component of the SAMS Diving Centre.

Our Diving Centre includes:

• a diving school accredited by the Health and Safety Executive
• a Royal Yachting Association accredited small boat school
• the NERC Scientific Diving equipment pool
• the NHS-registered Dunstaffnage Hyperbaric Unit for emergency treatment of diving-related illnesses 

All relevant SCUBA equipment for open-circuit air diving and open and semi-closed mixed gas diving is available including compressors and full face masks. The Centre's three small boats (2 RIBs, 1 Dory) can be launched from its own jetty just meters from its front door or moored at the SAMS pontoon some 300 m away in the Lynn of Lorn. Our divers also have access to a SAMS owned hard boat (Seol Mara).

Changing rooms with drying cabinets, lockers and showers are on site, as is a classroom with powerpoint and overhead projectors and DVD/VHS players.

In support of marine research the Diving Centre has high quality SLR digital and analogue cameras, broadcast-quality digital video and editing equipment, corers for benthic sampling and drills for coral coring.

Plans are well advanced for a new £3 million diving and recompression facility that is purpose-built to support teaching and scientific diving operations.

For more information on diving at SAMS, please contact the head of the unit, Dr Martin Sayer.