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

Following a review of the activities on site, we have decided that we won’t be reinstating open water swimming at the National Diving and Activity Centre for the foreseeable future.

During the Winter of 2016 there were complaints about our policy of mandatory wetsuit swimming during the Winter months. This prompted us to begin a full review of Open Water Swimming at the site so that we can tailor it for the needs of our users whilst maintaining a safe environment.

This process is ongoing and our aim is to develop a new set of rules, regulations and risk assessments for open water swimming at the site.

Unfortunately this is taking longer than anticipated and we have made the difficult decision to discontinue open water swimming at the National Diving & Activity Centre for the rest of 2018 and the forseable future.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and would like to take this opportunity to thank our swimming visitors for their support.

When we have any further details they will be released on the NDAC website, Facebook and Twitter.

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!

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

Please be aware that the alarm on the pontoon will be temporarily out of action for a few weeks whilst we upgrade our systems.

Our minibus drivers will be on hand throughout the day should anyone need assistance.

We have been sent an interesting old document containing maps and photos of the National Diving & Activity site in it’s former life as ‘Dayhouse Quarry’ in Tidenham, Chepstow.

Here are some pictures that may be of interest! (Click on the photos for a larger version)

A view of the site from the Eastern Edge of Woodroft.

A view from South of the site looking North towards the original site access and plant area.
(Before Restoration)

(After Restoration)

Old Map of the site, prior to the quarry.

Old Map compared to a more recent view.

Internal view of the quarry, looking Northwards.
(Before Restoration)

(After Restoration)

We are really pleased to announce that the National Diving & Activity Centre (NDAC) has reached 10,000 Likes on it’s Facebook Page.

There has been a massive boost in popularity of the site with all the recent investment, and exciting events. In the last year we’ve had an extra 2,500 likes, a great achievement.

We created our new Facebook page in February 2011 and it has proved a very popular way of staying in touch with everyone.

We also have a very active Twitter feed with over 2,300 followers, and of course we have our news blog with all the latest from the site.

Please continue to share your stories, photos and videos with us as we love seeing them.

If you haven’t already liked us you can do so in the sidebar on the right, or by visiting the NDAC Facebook Page.

Thanks again!

There has been some confusion and comments recently about the experience level required to swim at the National Diving & Activity Centre, and our policy to only allow wetsuit diving during the Winter months.

This has prompted us to begin a full review of Open Water Swimming at the site so that we can tailor it for the needs of our users whilst maintaining a safe environment.

The safety of our swimmers is our priority and we are working with the Royal Life Saving Society to develop a new set of rules and regulations for open water swimming at the site. We expect to have this in place around April 2017.

Until these changes have been finalised we have made the difficult decision to temporarily discontinue open water swimming at the National Diving & Activity Centre for the next few months, effective from 13 December 2016.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to our regular Swimmers and hope that you will return in 2017.

Here are some photos of some of the latest infrastructure works taking place on site for the benefit of our divers and water users.

This new area has recently been concreted over with 15 tonnes of ready mix concrete to create a new walkway and vehicle turning circle.

This is part of the ongoing infrastructure works throughout the site, that include a new Children’s Play Area and improvements to the Car Park surface. Other improvements throughout the site are on their way.

We have recently opened a new Children’s play area on the site.

Most activities on the site are aimed at over 12 year olds, so this new facility is for the younger children visiting the centre or staying in the Wigwam Village.

We hope you like the recent improvements to the car park at the National Diving & Activity Centre.

At the start of October we had 400 tonnes of road chippings delivered, laid and rolled onto the car park surface using heavy machinery.

You’ll be pleased to hear that this has filled most of the holes!