Frequently Asked Questions: Your Diving Queries Answered
Have questions about diving with us? Find answers to common queries regarding our services, safety measures, and more.
What is the price to dive with you?
All our prices are advertised in our dive listings. As at March 2026, prices for inshore dives are £60.00 and offshore up to £90.00 per person per dive. Please contact us for pricing for whole boat charters. It is important to note that unlike other UK operators, due to the tidal flows of the Dover Strait, we cannot offer drift dives as an add on or stay out all day. We will return to port after each dive.
Payments and Deposits
We ask for a 50% deposit to secure your space and the remaining 50% on the day. While we implement a more formal booking system, please ask for bank details when making your booking for your deposit. On the day, you can pay the remaining balance by cash or again, via bank transfer. Please note we cannot accept card payment on the day.
Cancellations and Refunds
Single Divers:
If you cancel, you remain obligated to pay the final payment. Just because your cat is sick, your dog has chewed your homework, you can’t start the car or you’re simply a whether wuss, please pay. It’s not fair that your space was not resold and we are at a loss. If you want to resell your space or send someone in your place, you are more than welcome. Never know, we may have someone who wants that place.
Whole Boat Charters:
This should not effect you. But again, if you have individual cancellations yourself, please let us know. We can shout out to our regular dives who may want to hop on.
Weather:
We embrace industry acceptable practices for poor weather. Unless it’s blowing a woolly, we can normally get a dive somewhere. We can typically find a wreck in the lee of wind or waves. You’ve come all this way, so we will try and get you in somewhere. This may not be the advertised wreck, and if so, any differential of price will be refunded. If we cannot get out, then single divers will have that dive credited to their account for future use. If a whole boat charter, we can chat. We will endeavour to give as much notice as possible, but as a minimum 24 hours.
Mechanical Issue or Sickness
It does not happen often as we have access to multiple skippers and boats. But if we have to cancel for mechanical reasons or staff sickness, we will provide a full refund and give as much notice as possible. No non-consequential costs, including accommodation or fuel, will be reimbursed.
How may dives a day can we expect?
That is totally dependent on the tides of the day. Slack water is calculated each side of high water. A lunchtime high water will easterly give one dive in the morning in winter, but it will be too dark for an afternoon dive. A winter morning high water will easily give one dive in the afternoon and ditto, an afternoon high water will easily give one dive in the morning. In the summer and with longer daylight hours, two dives a day are the norm and on the odd occasions, three!
Do I have to come up the shotline?
Off-shore Wrecks
The SS Cuvier and HMS Flirt by example are off-shore wrecks in the shipping lanes. These and some other wreck sites are within or close to the shipping lanes and cross channel ferries where diving operations are carried out within legislation and maritime guidance. All diving operations are reported to Coastguard when divers are in the water. Both Maverick and Renegade dive vessels maintain cover to divers in the water, liaising with Coastguard and any oncoming shipping if needed. In these instances, all divers are required to ascend the shotline as a flotilla of DSMBs cannot be covered. In poor visibility, divers are recommended to reel-out and/or deploy a strobe for easy navigation back to the shot. For longer technical dives, then a trapeze can be deployed – so back to the shot or trapeze please.
All divers are mandated to carry a DSMB and only in case of emergency should a DSMB be used when a shot/trapeze ascent is required.
In-shore Wrecks
A different story with out in-shore. Historically with our RHIB, we would require a shot ascent, but it is not the case these days with the hardboats of Maverick and Renegade. So long as it is agreed with the skipper how you intend to ascend, then use of the shot or DSMB is your choice. There are three points to note:
1. Whether ascending the shot or DSMB, the shot will remain in the wreck until all divers are back on board.
2. If ascending a DSMB, then this is one ‘blob’ per diver. Whether that is a reel and blob per diver, or a buddy pair shooting a second blob up the same line, you must send one blob to the surface per diver.
3. Think of the skipper. The brighter and taller the blob, the better. Orange or yellow, your choice – Just not black! Reels? Ratchet preferred over a spool.
Can an individual diver join and what about buddies?
Many of the divers tend to be self sufficient and are qualified as solo divers. But that does not mean that you can join us as an individual diver. If you are not suitable qualified, then join the Mutiny Divers Facebook Group and ask there. There’s also a Whats’App Dover Divers group run by some regular divers. Hop over there and ask.
Can I rent some kit?
We do not rent kit as a general rule, but if you want to dive with us, we maybe able to help out. It depends what you need and require. Please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
Where do we board and where do we park?
Kit Drop Off:
Since the summer of 2024, we are now berthed at the new marina. Here is the What3Words link (https://w3w.co/nourished.fans.blanked) to the visitors pontoon gate. This is a secure pontoon, secured by electronic key. Drop your kit off here, and we will open the gate. You can get your car close to the gates or off loading.
Parking:
Again, since 2024 car parking is at the Harbour House Car Park and here is the What3Words link (https://w3w.co/nuzzled.formation.trailing). Payment is via the Ringo app and there is a hidden code for charter customers and crew. Ask the skipper for the code and pay from your phone. Once you have off loaded kit, you can park your car.
Park Run:
On Saturday mornings, there is now a Park Run start and finish just outside the visitors pontoon gate. Cordons are in place between around 08:00 and 10:30. If we are loading between these time you have two options. Either go to the pontoon gate early to drop off your kit and park your car, or park your car and walk your kit the 150 or so metres.
What do I take on board?
As little as possible. We come back to port after each dive, so bring only what you need for the dive. Gear Gulpers are a “no-no” as they take too much space. If it’s a cold day, then you may wish to board with thermals and drysuit. If a warm day, then you can bring thermals and drysuite on board. Your cylinder and BCD or CCR will need to be tied securely to the vessel and all other accessories such as fins, mask, weight belt, reel and DSMB, torch should come on board in a net bag.
Refreshments
If the kettle is not on the blink, then we will always provide a hot drink after the dive. Hot Lumumbas are a firm favourite at the moment. If we’re lucky, then maybe a hot sausage roll. But as we rely on the weather gods as much as the Greggs gods, savoury delights may not always be on the menu. Therefore, please bring a cold drink and if you a likely to need muchies after a dive, bring some nibbles too.
I'm a Lady - Don't you know
While most gents will take the pee over the stern, there is a sea toilet on both Maverick and Renegade. Probably not enough room to change into and out of your drysuite in private, but ample room for ladies to have a squat. Our only request is that you tell us before, so we can remove the various jumble of junk that accumulates beforehand and ensure ample supplies of bog roll.
What gas mixes do you recommend?
We always publish the depth range of each dive to the seabed. With the high tidal range in the Dover Strait, the variance can be up to 7 metres on spring tide. Some wrecks sit upright and some flat. While HMS Flirt is quite flat, UB-55 sits upright with some 5 metre differential between the lights on the coning tower and last remaining prop. We cannot advise what gasses you should breathe for obvious reasons of liability.
That said, industry standard recommendation for recreational open circuit diving is based on a partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) of 1.4. You will have learned that in your Nitrox course. A mix of EAN30 is a good choice as it will give you a maximum operating depth (MOD) of 36.66 metres salt water (MSW) at a PO2 of 1.4 and a contingency depth of 43.33 MSW with a PO2 of 1.6.
For some of the inshore wrecks, EAN32 is a popular choice with our divers with a MOD of 33.75 MSW at PO2 1.4 and contingency to 40 MSW PO2 1.6.
The tidal range at the aforementioned HMS Flirt can indeed be 7 metres and normally advertised at 38 metres in depth. Our divers would normally opt for an EAN28 mix, delivering a MOD of 40 MSW at POS 1.4 and contingency 47.14 MSW at PO2 1.6.
The overall caveat here is that we can advise you of the depth ranges for your gas planning, but we cannot recommend or advise what gas divers should breathe.
Where do I get gas refills?
We recommend that divers arrive for their first dive with full cylinders. We do not have time to refill on the day. Under special circumstances, we may fill the night before, but never on the morning before a dive. As we come back to port between dives, we can top up or refill cylinders in the surface interval. Gas is available from our Whitfield workshop. We don’t fill before you go home.
What if I find something on a wreck, can I keep it?
There is strict legislation that surrounds the retrival of artefacts and finds from shipwrecks and the seabed. In short, recreational divers can retrieve items found on shipwrecks so long as they are recovered by hand – that is, not mechianical aid. All items and artefacts recovered must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck.
Where shall I stay?
Accommodation:
Most divers will stay at the local Premier Inn or Travelodge. For a little luxury, the Hilton Dover Marina Hotel & Spa is a good choice and on the other end of the spectrum, a shared dormitory at the Les Fleurs Accommodation is a cost effective accommodation option. During the summer, a number of divers stay at the near Coxhill Camping site, Kingsdown Camping or Hawthorn Farm for tents or touring caravans. There is also a Parkdean Resorts Holiday Park at St Margarets with static caravans or hotel. Single nights at the hotel are best booked via Booking.Com, while 3, 5 or 7 nights in a shared berth static caravan are best booked direct with Parkdean.
Overnight Parking:
There are no parking fees at Coxhill, Kingsdown or Parkdean. You will need to find a Ringo car park near to Les Fleurs, so this is an additional cost. Ditto, there is an overnight car park charge at the Premier Inn and the Hilton – Though with the Hilton, you could the same Ringo car park near the pontoon gate. There is free overnight parking at St James’ Retail Park between 18:00 and 09:00 all week and 00:00 to 24:00 on Sundays – Ideal for the Travelodge.
Further Afield:
It is worth noting like any coastal resort, prices do vary around Dover in line with seasonal trends. Prices fluctuate and vary throughout the year and some divers opt to stay a little further afield like Folkestone, Ramsgate and Canterbury – All an easy commute.
Local Hospitality
Evening:
You’ll find most of the Mutiny staff hanging around Cullins Yard after a dive. Good beer and a great selection of pub grub for any palate and dietary requirement. For a curry, we recommend Cinnamon Island, and Aspendos for a delicious Turkish splendour. The Lord Nelson Riverside Bar & Restaurant has good reviews, and on the other end of the spectrum is Wetherspoons Eight Bells in town. Greggs, Burger King, Nandos and M&S are on the St James’ Retail Park. There are plenty of Fish ‘n’ Chip shops in town.
Pre-Dive:
There is a Greggs and Budgens in the BP Service Station on the A20, just 200 metres from the pontoon gate. And next door, a Costa.
Toilets On The Day
There are nearby public toilets at the BP Service Station, Costa and the Marina office.
Is there a hotel or guest house that would offer a kit washing and drying area for visiting divers?
Most divers come down for a day or two and kit wash when they get home. There is fresh water in the marina and either do it yourself, or sometimes we can rinse kit left on the boat overnight when we wash down the vessels at the end of the day. You can rinse at the workshop, but most don’t. Regular divers who do not live local, will stay at one of the local hotels and from what I hear, none have found a hotel with kit washing facilities. Never done a B&B, so cannot help there. Some bring a litre of water to rinse second stages overnight if staying two or three days, but drysuits are fine as there is no real salt build up over a few days. A good rinse and zip lubrication is fine when you get back home.