Archive for the ‘Deluxe Wigwams’ Category
6 Month Post-Lockdown reopening plan for NDAC
Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
Update June 2021
The Atlantis Aqua Park is now open for bookings on selected dates.
We’re not currently selling Gift Vouchers for the Atlantis Aqua Park.
Following a review of the government guidance and consideration of how we can implement it throughout the National Diving & Activity Centre, we are excited to release our 6-month plan for reopening.
Easter Weekend Scuba Diving
We’re pleased to announce that we will now be able to open for limited Scuba Diving over the Easter holiday weekends (3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th April 2021).
We’ve established that providing we work to our Covid procedures, keep the Wigwams and changing rooms closed, and only provide takeaway food/drink, we will be able to open as originally planned.
We apologise for the changing dates and appreciate the frustration some have experienced as we react to the developing government advice. With the easing of lockdown restrictions and the release of our 6-month dates, we hope divers will be able to make firmer plans to visit.
Anyone who has booked scuba diving on Friday the 2nd or Monday 5th April is welcome to contact us to change their booking dates to the 3rd/4th or 10th/11th April. Alternatively, we can provide a 6-month voucher or a full refund.
Scuba diving bookings previously made for the 3rd & 4th April are still valid.
We have also released the dates we plan to open for Scuba Diving over the next six months. Anyone who had a previous Scuba Diving booking cancelled due to Covid will be offered a 6-month voucher to rebook.
We will be responding to customer emails in the next coming weeks to put all arrangements in place.
Activities
We are pleased to confirm that the Wire Zip Slide will be reopening in July and August. Our other activities (Giant 3G Swing, Atlantis Aqua Park and Cinema) will not be reopening for the remainder of 2021.
Anyone who has a Wire Zip Slide booking/voucher from November 2019 that has expired due to Covid19 will have their voucher automatically extended to use in July/August this year. Please use your existing voucher to make the booking.
For those with Giant 3G Swing, Atlantis Aqua Park and Cinema vouchers, you will be contacted in the next few weeks to offer a full refund or a Wire Zip Slide voucher as an alternative replacement.
Wigwam Accommodation
We are pleased to confirm that we are providing Wigwam accommodation on selected dates between 24th April and the end of August 2021.
Anyone who has a Wigwam booking/voucher that has expired due to Covid19 will have their voucher automatically extended to redeem and use by the end of August. Please use your existing voucher to make the booking.
All extended activity and accommodation vouchers must be redeemed and used by 31st August 2021. After this date the voucher will expire and will be invalid. No alternatives, further renewals, refunds or other form of compensation will be made.
Opening Dates
For our opening plan for the next 6 months and beyond, please visit our Opening Times Page. All dates are dependent on government/Covid restrictions allowing us to open.
Reopening the National Diving & Activity Centre For Scuba Divers
Sunday, November 29th, 2020
Last updated 30th November 2020
We are excited to announce that there will be an initial phased reopening of the National Diving & Activity Centre for Scuba Diving starting from Saturday 5th December.
Initially the centre will be open for Scuba Diving Only on Saturdays and Sundays. We will be carefully limiting the numbers on the site and will only be allowing visitors who have pre-booked their Scuba diving.
The View Cafe Bar, Gas Room and limited Wooden Wigwam accommodation will also be available for scuba diving visitors. The Wooden Wigwams will initially have a minimum of a 2 night stay in place starting from Friday 4th December. Please note that evening meals at the View Cafe Bar must be pre-booked in advance.
Other activities such as the Wire Zip Slide, Atlantis Aqua Park and Giant 3G Swing will remain closed at this stage, but will be reviewed after we’ve opened for scuba diving.
Scuba Diving entry can be booked NOW on our new Scuba booking system. It will not be possible to enter the site without a booking.
This phased opening and our control measures are under constant review and will follow Government guidelines as they develop.
Whilst the centre has been closed to the public we have been working hard to implement new procedures and measures throughout the site to protect our visitors and staff. For further questions, please visit the FAQ on our Covid-19 information page.
Online Bookings
All Scuba Diving, Activities, Events and Accommodation provided by the National Diving & Activity Centre are now using an online booking system. The new online booking system for Scuba Diving is now operational for selected dates.
At this stage we are only accepting visitors who have pre-booked online for Scuba Diving.
Paperless Registration Forms
We are pleased to announce that our Diving Declaration forms and Activity Registration forms can now be completed online as part of the booking process. Participants must complete the online form in full prior to any activity at the National Diving & Activity Centre. Without the completed online form you will not be able to take part in the activity.
Face Masks
We want you to stay safe and encourage you to bring and wear your own face covering while visiting us at the National Diving & Activity Centre. Our staff, where applicable, will also be wearing PPE.
On arrival
If you have any of the symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) we ask that you do not visit the National Diving & Activity Centre. If you develop any symptoms whilst at the site we request that you leave the site safely, return home and seek medical advice. Our staff may ask you about your health and any Covid19 symptoms on arrival.
Social Distancing
The National Diving & Activity Centre is a large outdoor venue with lots of open space and fresh air for you to enjoy and keep safe.
We will be following social distancing guidelines and request that all visitors stay 2 metres apart. We will also limit the amount of close proximity you will have with our staff where practicable to do so.
There will be lots of new signage in place and we’ll be operating one-way systems where possible to avoid cross-over and assist visitors maintaining social distancing. Some areas, such as toilets, will have limits to the number of people who can enter at any one time.
Increased Cleaning Activity
We already have comprehensive cleaning procedures and checks in place throughout the National Diving & Activity Centre. In addition to these, we will increase the cleaning schedules taking place.
Additional hand-wash, paper towels and sanitising stations are being installed throughout the site and in rest areas.
Shared equipment will be sanitised between each use where possible.
Cashless Site
Activity, Event and Accommodation payments are already taken via the website. We have also introduced an online booking system for Scuba Diving.
The rest of the National Diving & Activity Centre has also transitioned to contactless payments and staff will no longer be handling any cash. This will cover areas such as the View Cafe Bar, the Dive Shop, Service Shack and Gas Room.
The contactless payment machines will be cleaned between transactions if staff/visitors need to use the touchpad.
As well as the safety benefits, we believe this will be convenient for our visitors, speed up transactions and reduce queueing at the site.
Buses
For the Scuba Divers who use our buses to travel between the car park and lake, we have a number of procedures in place.
• Several buses will be made available
• Windows will be kept open for increased ventilation.
• Buses will be cleaned regularly throughout the day
• Hand sanitising stations for use prior to boarding the buses
• Face coverings will be required on the buses
• Reduced number of people on the buses
• People are welcome to walk if they feel able
We value your custom and thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we operate these new procedures and measures. These are under constant review as the Government guidelines are updated. For further questions, please visit the FAQ on our Covid-19 information page. If you have any specific questions or concerns please contact us.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Christmas Gift Vouchers for Activities & Accommodation
Tuesday, November 17th, 2020
Christmas Gift Vouchers are available now from Chepstow’s National Diving & Activity Centre.
Give your friends or family members a unique gift this Christmas with an adventurous experience at the National Diving & Activity Centre.
Phil Short at the Rebreather Reunion April 2019
Tuesday, February 12th, 2019
We are pleased to announce our first guest speaker at Rebreather Reunion 2019 will be Phil Short. He will present a 60min talk on J2 1000 hours under the earth. Using CCR in extreme places.
A combination of Dry Caving, Cave Diving and CCR as a lead exploration diver on the United States Deep Cave Diving team J2 cave project under the leadership of Bill Stone that saw Phil and Marcin Gala pass the 4th sump in the J2 cave to discover dry cave beyond at over 1 kilometre vertical and 12 kilometres horizontal from the entrance. The project utilised Poseidon MK 6 CCR and saw Phil spend 45 days underground during the 3 month project.
In 2015 Phil became a member of the Explorers Club, being sponsored by Bill Stone and Jill Heinerth.
Phil was awarded ‘Diver of The Conference’ award at the Tek Dive USA conference 2016.
Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
Over a 25 year professional dive industry career Phil has logged over 8000 dives and 3500 plus hours on CCR
The Rebreather Reunion is a two day social gathering for like minded divers from all backgrounds and levels of diving experience.
Join us for a weekend of diving and socialising as well as live talks & presentations from our guest speakers.
National Diving & Activity Centre awarded 2018 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor
Tuesday, June 26th, 2018
The National Diving & Activity Centre in Chepstow has been awarded a 2018 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.
Wigwam/Camper Van Accommodation During October’s FearFest-Evil
Saturday, September 30th, 2017During October’s FearFest-Evil Halloween Horror Event there is limited availability with our onsite accommodation.
On the dates that FearFest-Evil is operating, Wooden Wigwam Accommodation is only available as part of the event’s RIP ‘Rest-In-Peace’ package.
This will be on: 12-15th, 20-22nd, 27-31st October 2017. Midweek dates are still available.
We will also not be accepting Camper Vans on the site from the 12th October until the 31st October due to areas of the site being used for the horror event.
We apologise for any inconvenience and hope that you will join us for what will be a set of fantastic nights out.
For full details of the horror event, please visit the FearFest-Evil website »
NDAC Wigwams in the finals for 2017 Muddy Stiletto Awards
Wednesday, June 14th, 2017
We are really pleased to announce that we have made the finals of the Muddy Awards Best Glamping category!
The competition was stiff, but we’ve made it and it is all thanks to you!
The final round of voting has started. It’s live voting with each nominee appearing next to a cocktail glass on the page. As you vote, the glass will be filled, until midday on Fri 16 June when voting closes and there is a winner.
Now it’s all down to the public vote – and that’s where we’d love your help!
We would really appreciate your vote in the final. Just sign in here via Facebook or your email address and vote for the National Diving & Activity Centre in the Glamping category.
Voting is free and takes seconds via this link: https://glos.muddystilettos.co.uk/vote
Muddy Stilettos, ‘The Urban Guide to the Countryside’, is a series of fun and informative lifestyle blogazines written by journalists across 18 counties with reviews, what’s ons and more. Muddy Stilettos was a finalist in the UK Blog Awards 2017.
The ethos of Muddy is all about quality and curation and unearthing the cool independent businesses and events in each county. The Muddy Stilettos awards are entirely publicly voted, so to win a Muddy Stilettos Award is a real achievement.
Many thanks for your help
The National Diving & Activity Centre Team
NDAC Wigwams nominated for 2017 Muddy Stiletto Awards
Monday, May 15th, 2017
Update!
We are really pleased to announce that we have made the finals of the Muddy Awards Best Glamping category!
The competition was stiff, but we’ve made it, hurrah!
The final round of voting has started. It’s live voting with each nominee appearing next to a cocktail glass on the page. As you vote, the glass will be filled, until midday on Fri 16 June when voting closes and there is a winner.
We would really appreciate your vote in the final. Just sign in here via Facebook or your email address and vote for the National Diving & Activity Centre in the Glamping category.
Voting is free and takes seconds via this link: https://glos.muddystilettos.co.uk/vote
The Wooden Wigwam accommodation at the National Diving & Activity Centre has been nominated in the 2017 Muddy Stiletto Awards for ‘Best Glamping in Gloucestershire‘.
Following the nomination, it’s all down to the public vote – and that’s where we’d love your help!
If you’ve stayed with us and enjoyed your stay, your vote would be really appreciated.
Just sign in here via Facebook or your email address and vote for the National Diving & Activity Centre in the Glamping category.
Voting is free and takes seconds via this link: https://glos.muddystilettos.co.uk/vote
Muddy Stilettos, ‘The Urban Guide to the Countryside’, is a series of fun and informative lifestyle blogazines written by journalists across 18 counties with reviews, what’s ons and more. Muddy Stilettos was a finalist in the UK Blog Awards 2017.
The ethos of Muddy is all about quality and curation and unearthing the cool independent businesses and events in each county. The Muddy Stilettos awards are entirely publicly voted, so to win a Muddy Stilettos Award is a real achievement.
Many thanks for your help
The National Diving & Activity Centre Team
National Diving & Activity Centre awarded 2016 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor
Friday, September 2nd, 2016
The National Diving & Activity Centre in Chepstow has been awarded a 2016 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site.
TripAdvisor awards a Certificate of Excellence to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from visitors.
TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and is the largest travel community in the world, reaching 375 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 250 million reviews and opinions covering more than 5.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions.
Thanks to all our customers who have taken the time to write a review of the centre. If you would like to leave your own review, please visit the NDAC page on TripAdvisor.
Special Effects student builds model of NDAC Wooden Wigwam
Friday, September 4th, 2015We recently spotted the following tweet on the NDAC Twitter timeline by Emily Norris (@emilyanorris).
@NDAC_co_uk I made a wigwam ☺️ pic.twitter.com/8DqdsMI6kD
— Emily Norris (@emilyanorris) August 22, 2015
We were so impressed by the models she made of our Wooden Wigwams that we got in touch with Emily to find out the full story.
Emily is an artist studying Technical Arts and Special Effects at the University of the Arts, London. During a visit to the Wire Zip Slide Emily came up with the idea of a glamping trip to the NDAC as a fun present for her boyfriend’s birthday.
The gift was for my boyfriend’s birthday as a little fun getaway when we are both home from university.
We go to different universities so it is a great way for us to spend a bit of time together"
Rather than just telling her boyfriend about the gift with a card, Emily used her creative talents to create the model of our Wooden Wigwams.
Making him the model wigwam was the only fitting way to explain what I had bought him. I like to give gifts that the individual would never have thought of. On visiting the centre to have a go on The Wire, I realised the Wigwams were the perfect present"
More of Emily’s creative work can be seen online via her Facbook page.
