County Wexford

Ireland

A nice leisurely dive with plenty of species to see. There is a conger down there as well. Handy parking and you can watch dolphins and purposes further out. Be careful on entry and exit as it is very tidal.

From car park at lighthouse walk straight down onto rock plateau. Enter when tide is just on the turn keep left and follow underwater channel.

Churchtown

Hook head

SM UC-42 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 21 September 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 18 November 1916 as SM UC-42.

UC-42 sailed on her last patrol on 1 September 1917.
On 31 October 1917 Torpedo Boat TB 055 was accompanying minesweepers operating at the entrance to Cork harbour. At 1500 hours an oil track was seen floating on the surface of the water. Following it to its source, TB 055 used its hydrophone to see if the oil was coming from a submarine. Loud mechanical sounds, of "hammering" and "turbine-like noises" were reported and, believing this to be a U-boat, a marker buoy was dropped, followed shortly after by a depth charge. Following detonation of the charge, TB 055 returned to the area and found that the volume of floating oil had increased, and there were bubbles rising to the surface.

TB 055 signalled the nearby armed minesweeper HMT Sarba for assistance. Sarba used her hydrophone but detected no sounds from the presumed submarine. A second depth charge was dropped and Sarba remained on station overnight. The following morning HMD Sunshine and TB 058 swept around the spot, to confirm that the incident had not been a false alarm caused by old wreckage. On 2 November oil was still coming to the surface and dockyard drivers arrived to inspect the assumed wreck. The divers reported a German U-boat lying on the seabed with her stern blown off, and a brass plate on her conning tower reading "C42, 1916" identified her as UC-42. No survivors were ever reported even though some of the hatches were found to have been opened. It was thought likely that the submarine had been sunk by one of her own mines detonating under her stern while minelaying.
When the sinking and identification of the submarine was reported, the British Admiralty requested an identifiable item from the vessel for verification purposes, and in December 1917 divers recovered the telephone buoy from the conning tower. The Royal Navy's Naval Intelligence Department were aware of submarine's 1 September departure date from Belgium and were sceptical about the hammering and engine noises reported by TB 055. The Admiralty reported that "The longest known cruise of a UC boat in home waters is 24 days, so UC42 must have been dead long before TB 055 and Sarba dropped the depth charges"

The wreck was relocated on 6 November 2010 in 27 metres (89 ft) of water, just off Roche's Point, by a group of Irish, amateur divers. It was found with "little obvious explosive damage". A serial number stamped on its propeller allowed positive identification of the wreck.

A plaque was placed by the boats stern and under International Maritime Law she is now a War Grave, untouchable and the responsibility of the Deutsche Marine. Source: wikipedia.org

Out of Cork Harbour via Cork or Crosshaven.

UC-42

On Great Castle Head, cable layer went down during the war - really good wreck in good viz. Runs a bit at times though lots of fish life, some good swim throughs, lies in 19 metres. 

By boat, use GPS to locate, no surface markers.

The Behar

Probably the most popular dive sites around Skomer Island. The wall full of gorgonians starts at 6m deep just after the kelp-covered rocks.

Best is two hours after slack tide. 

North side of Skomer Island. Approx 3 nautical miles from Martin's Haven.

North Wall is also known as North Wall Skomer.

North Wall

The Lucy was a coaster; she sank in 1967 and now sits upright at 42m deep.

Off North Haven Bay, Skomer Island (Skomer Marine Reserve ). Approx 1.5 nautical miles from Martin's Haven.

The Lucy Wreck

Two small walls, one on the left and another one on the right. Martins Haven is really a cool place, both for shore divig and picnic with familly & kids.

Take the B4327 from Haverfordwest towards Dale. Turn off for Marloes and go through the village. Turn left for Martin's Haven.

Use the car park 200m before the beach.

Martins Haven

The bottom of the sea are lined with very large boulders, which give home to the Lobsters. Depths are around 15 m and care must be taken with fishing line, as the fishermen use this area often. In 1996 a 14lb Lobster was seen by the Fishguard Diving Club. It was 5 feet long.

A nice area to explore, tides are weak under the cliffs. The second small bay around from Martins Haven, heading east, there are some interesting gullies and small caves under the kelp at 8 meters. The area drops down to 20m, with a ridge running down from the bay seaward. The area of sand has a small Scallop bed.

The area is protected, as it is in the Skomer reserve, and must not be touched. We have seen Sun Fish swimming along this point, and while I was watching them swim past the boat, they spotted the divers bubbles, diverted their path to decent down the bubbles! When the divers came up they said they saw two fins swim past them!! Here you will also get the chance of seeing octopus at about 15 metres. 

St Brides Bay. By boat. Use GPS to find High Point then dive the wall.

High Point North is also known as St Brides Bay.

High Point North

Very nice little dive site. Full of marine life.

About 2 miles west of Little haven. Drop in on the eastern side of the rocks near the cliff's.

Hen & Chicks

Kelp & sandy floor. Very nice beginer dive.

St Brides Bay! Just west of Little Haven.

St Brides Bay





Dale Pembrokeshire is also known as The Smalls.

Dale Pembrokeshire

The Greek was a 4,737 ton steamer and sank in 1940 after colliding with St Anne's Head rocks.

This wreckage may be an interresting second dive.

St Anne's Head, Pembrokeshire. 2.5 nautical miles from Dale.

The Greek is also known as Adamantios J Pithis Wreck.

Hook head

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Hook head