Vivian Dive Centre has changed hands!
Previous owner Will Stratford had headed off to sunnier climes in Cyprus, and the quarry is now being run by Duttons Divers.
Duttons Divers came into being two and a half years ago after owner Clare Dutton initially fell in love with diving following a Discover Scuba Dive in Cuba, and subsequently progressed through the ranks; she is now enroute to becoming a PADI Master Instructor. Settling into Vivian Dive Centre, Clare laughs when asked about the company name, saying: “Granted, I was not very original with the name. I knew that I wanted to start up a diving business, and when asked at the bank for an account trade name, I panicked and ‘Duttons Divers’ was born!”
Duttons Divers first taught courses throughout Cheshire, Manchester and Lancashire, but then ended up teaching divers from all over the UK. The team slowly built up and they now have five Divemasters and two Instructors, Will and Jean.
Clare said: “I had always loved Vivian Dive Centre, having taken a number of students on dive weekends, and when the opportunity arose to take the place on, I couldn't say no!”
Duttons Divers have big plans for Vivian Dive Centre. They are going to be offering a number of other services, including shore and boat diving packages along with accommodation, as well as kit sales and servicing. They will also continue to offer their worldwide trips.
Clare concluded: “I guess my aspirations for Vivian Dive Centre are pretty simple. I want to get more divers to visit Wales and see not just the most-picturesque dive quarry that I think you will ever find, but also get a taste of the Welsh coastline and see the spectacular marine life we have here. We will be offering a wider variety of dive packages, including our very-own Distinctive Speciality, the ‘Basking Shark Awareness Course’, that we have taught all over the UK, and my newest treat for divers, which will be the ‘Wrecks of Wales', aiming to teach divers about the long-lost artefacts in our Welsh waters.”
Open weekend at Vivian Dive Centre
To help launch their new endeavour, Duttons Divers has organised an open weekend at Vivian Dive Centre on 15-16 April.
Unlimited diving in Vivian Dive Centre will be just £5 per person, and there will be shore and boat diving spaces available for £45 per person, including transport from Llanberis.
A range of discounted specialty courses will be on offer, including Dive Propulsion Vehicle, Night Diver and Enriched Air, and there will be an emergency O2 workshop conducted by ‘blue light’ workers. How To Pack For A Dive Trip
There will be trydives in Vivian Dive Centre for those who have not dived before – so bring along any of those friends and relatives who have yet to take the plunge! – and several manufacturers, tour operators and distributors will be on hand to talk about their products.
Best of luck to Dutton’s divers.Vivian quarry is an excellent place to practice,test new gear and learn new skills with no adverse weather or currents to worry about.