England

United Kingdom

An interesting low rocky reef with abundant life. Look for crustaceans - hermit crabs & squat lobsters and many moluscs from netted dog whelks to large whelks. Many varieties of anenome and sessile holothurians. In the sandy/muddy areas look for heart sea urchins. There are some sea grass areas, so keep an eye out for sea horses.

A shallow reef, use GPS/Sounder to find it.

The Ridges



Breakwater beach can be accessed directly from Brixham Breakwater car park. This is a great training venue for first open water experience.
Good access from a the car park over a shingle beach.

Breakwater Beach

Access to the water is down some concrete steps with hand rail to sea front, followed by a small step down onto the rocks. A careful scramble foreword where you may find a large flat-top rock which is ideal to sit on for final kitting up before entry. A reasonably short surface swim to desired depth which is about 8 - 10m depending on tide of course. Once down the sea bed is clean shingle with rocky outcrops an reef. The shingle is great as this results in very little disturbance and low back scatter, which is great for photography. Various types of weed and kelp are home to a great deal of small sea life.

There is some current that flows west to east when the tide is on it's way out and east to west when coming in. This is not too strong and can actually allow for a drift dive if you are prepared to walk west towards Brixham breakwater, past the pool and again enter the water over the rocks, then gently drift back towards the Shoalstone car park.

This part of the bay was raped by scallop trawlers in 2008 leaving nothing left even just a stone throw from the shore line! Thankfully the life is returning : )

Ian Jakeway  _[:] )

A highly recommended shore dive without the crowds found at Brixham breakwater beach but a bit more challenging due to the scramble over rocks and difficult entry and exit during a swell.

Shoalstone Beach is also known as Shoalstone, Brixham.

Shoalstone Beach

A rock, not a wreck, despite the name! Lots of interesting life, can be a trifle silty. Easy to find 6m depth for early OW dives, CBL training etc.

Experienced divers can swim from shore, but novices should do this as a boat dive



Morris Rogue

A wide spread area of large rocks and broken shell seabed. A wide variety of sessile marine life, plus lots of crustaceans and fish.

Mudstone Ledges are marked on Admiralty charts. They are off Sharkham Point, Just South of Berry Head. Access from Torquay, Brixham or Dartmouth.

Do use an SMB with a U.K. 'A' flag, and have your boat cover closely, as this can be a busy area for traffic between Dartmouth and Torbay, and I'm afraid not all of the 'Weekend Sailors' understand the meaning of the 'A' flag.

Mudstone Ledges

Good site for first open water dives and sheltered water training.
More advanced divers can access the Morris Rogue from here, but it's a good swim!

USE A SURFACE MARKER BUOY! Close inshore is inside the 5kt limit for boat traffic during the summer, so good and safe, but if going further off shore, or out of season a good SMB is essential.

Good parking available and ramp access to the beach

Meadfoot Beach

Thatcher Rock has rocky ledges all round.
Good for crustaceans & molluscs.
Slack water approx 2 hours before HW & 4 hours after.
Advise use of a surface marker buoy.
Visibility varies from 6m on a good day to Zero after an easterly storm. Advise use of buddy line in low-viz if diving off slack.



Thatcher's Rock is also known as Thatcher Rock.

Thatcher's Rock

The Sunker catches currents at all states of the tide, but is sheltered from the worst excesses of the weather, so is a prime site for all sorts of marine filter feeders and the fauna that feeds on them. The shallower surfaces have kelp & Sea Lettuce (Ulva Lactuca) with Blue rayed limpets & a variety of bryophytes and the nudibranchs that feed on them. You will find many species of Hermit crab, Jewel anenomes, Daliah anenomes, Dead Mens fingers & Pink sea fans. Take your camera. Learn to use the manual white balance correction!

Sunker Rock is just off the South West corner of the Orestone. This rock comes to within 0.5m of the surface at a low spring tide.

Sunker Rock

The Orestone has a variety of rocky ledges all round, going down to 25m on the Eastern side.

A tunnel through the rock has a narrow tunnel (1.5m) on the South West side going through to a 4m wide cavern on the North West side. You can see through it at extreme low water springs, but the rest of the time it is completely submerged, making the max depth inside around 7m at High springs.



Orestone Rock

On the Eastern (seaward) side an underwater amphitheatre dropping to 20m. The constant currents in this area provide nutrients to support a large variety of life.
Use of an SMB and Buddy line are advised.

Access from Torquay, Brixham or Babbacombe.
The Leadstone is a 10m high rock found between Hopes Nose and the Orestone.

Leadstone is also known as Flat Rock.

Leadstone

nice pebble beach, pier full of fishermen, lovely spot, good pub and cafe, with small car park.

Steep hill down single road.

Babbacombe Beach is also known as Torquay.

The Ridges

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at The Ridges