Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in England

The Farne Islands is a 5.0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in United Kingdom, Europe which is accessible from shore based on 1 ratings.

Slack is 1 hour before high water. Contact the Long Room beforehand to check no shipping movements and OK to dive You jump off a small jetty which is to the north west of the car park. From here swim north (inland) following the contour of the shore. You can get down to 40m where there are standing stones. Come up and you get to the underwater stone wall of the Royal William Yard, around 5-10m, follow this south till you get back to the entry point, there are stone steps and a handrail to get out of the water. If you time it right the outgoing tide drifts you back. Lots of lobsters, conger, dead men's fingers etc. Use multimap.com, search for Admiralty Road, Plymouth PL1. car Park at the end of Admiralty Road, from there a short walk to the drop off.

The dive site is open lake with a few cargo containers and a subway tube sunk for the deep section along with training platforms and the usual cars and boats as well, apparently a helicopter? Dive site located close to the M25 and is quite easy to find from local roads good parking close to dive site

Great for spotting seals! also an old bicycle down there which is a bit of fun. Really easy to enter the water, you can walk down the old life boat ramp. Best go when the swell isn't too rough.

A new dive site in easy reach of M20/M25. Vis is usually good for a UK lake. Small friendly team running site with free tea/coffee included in entry fee. a few attractions at the time of writing but I believe more are on the way. Update June 2010 - underwater attractions include, 4 training platforms, large digger tyres for buoyancy practice, large boat with swim through suitable for wreck course, several smaller boats, statues, mopeds and more... They have male and female changing rooms and toilets on the lake edge. Entry to the lake is via a slipway or a floating jetty for deep water entry. Diving at this site is always enjoyable and the staff make you feel really welcome. Access to the lake is just off the A228, behind the Jet petrol station (and wimpy). You need to travel through the construction site but the road is tarmac and there is parking on the waters edge. If you get lost phone the dive centre on 0750 762 4911 and they will direct you. During the week there is usually a security guard on the gate and you will need to sign in, if the gates are shut call the dive centre and they will open up for you.

A flooded quarry with a selection of training platforms. Attractions include a Howitzer Field Gun, Sabre Light Tank and a Hunter Plane. Womersley, Nr Pontefract Blue Lagoon is also known as Spring Lodge Lake.

Good viz mid-week, poor at weekends due to large numbers of divers. Training platforms, lots of small wrecks and friendly fish. Artificial "caves" made from shipping containers and a diving bell or two. Near Carnforth

7.176 ton US Liberty ship, built 1944. 441ftx57ft. 2500hp triple-expansion engines. Armed: Bow and stern guns, plus 5 AA. 4.500 tons war supplies, tank parts, lorries, jeeps, railway rolling stock, US Army engineers' stores, New York for Ghent, via Barry. Sunk: 21 March, 1945, after hit in starboard side by torpedo from U-1195. Beached after being towed by Admiralty tugs into Whitsand Bay. Source: www.wrecksite.eu Whitsand Bay, Plymouth James Egan Layne Wreck is also known as James Eagan Layne SS.

Old quary now flooded with wrecks of boats, planes, old mine buildings. Damn cold ~ 9 deg C on surface! Vobster Quay is situated in the heart of the Somerset countryside approximately 5 miles from the market town of Frome and 4 miles from Radstock.

Salt water inland dive site West Bund Road, Port Solent, Cosham, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 4TT (Adress from the quary website!)

An old quarry, which is floded by a fresh water spring, giving the perfekt place to try out new kit. Plenty of strange wrecks have been sunk there, including boats, airplanes, helicopters, buses, cars, etc... There are also some fishes and crayfish in the cove. A nice day out at an easily dived dive site. Address: Stoney Cove, Sapcote Rd, Stoney Stanton, Leicester LE9, UK Park the car, kit up and jump in... There are ladders for getting up.

Basic facilities, 24m of depth with 3m, 6m and 20m scaffold shelfs near jump in. Objects include several vans, cruiser, hydroplane, several barges, caravan, blockhouse, and a few cars. Swimming back shallow (6m) on west side usually guarantees an encounter with large pike in clear visibility. Viz can be poor on entry area but the south end and sides have good viz 6-10m generally. Can be used for rescue training although the slipway is a series of scaffolded steps and not too easy to navigate (slippy). Best dived on Thurs or Friday at about 5pm. South of Tamworth city, near Birmingham Dosthill Quarry is also known as Dozzi.

Can't fault the site facilities, but Vis is usually poor and there isn't much to see. You could see all the attractions in a day. Halfpenny Lane, Eccleston, Nr Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 5PR Eccleston Delph Quarry is also known as The Delph.

HMS Scylla (F71) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN). She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard and was the last RN frigate to be built at the Dockyard so far. Scylla was launched in August 1968 and commissioned in 1970. It was the start of a long and eventful career that ended with her sinking as an artificial reef 27th March 2004. Off Whitsand Bay, Cornwall HMS Scylla is also known as F71.

3 sunken wrecks. Whitley Bay near Newcastle.

Typical quarry with pretty poor vis. Dive site owner very amenable and helpful. From the M62 dirt track off Mires Lane. Eight Acres is also known as Eight Acres Quarry.

Selsey Bill, Sussex

Good access with beach car park or boat launch from Newhaven marina.

A very useful dive site for everyone but especially new divers wanting to learn in a safe environment. Quite warm in the summer months. Gildenburgh inland dive site near Peterborough, great for training and recreation dives. Gildenburgh is also known as Gildy.

this is a good first time and training dive site Good wall spit out from shore very good night dive Park in Baliff wood car park and enter the water by crossing road and you are at the Lake side Bailif wood is also known as Coniston water.

The seaward side of Drawna Rock contains the deepest part of the site, reaching to 18 metres at high tide. A kelp reef with good walls and cracks to explore in the rocks. When the current is strong, you can drift between the two rocks and swim back on the seaward side. Lots of life including wrasse and starfish. Enter by the beach or from a boat for a second dive. Charges per diver apply to use the beach. Air can be filled on site. Drawna Rock is also known as Porthkerris.

British steamer (690 tons) built in 1928, 45m x 7m. Deliberately sunk in 1970.

Wastwater is 3 miles long and half a mile wide. There are plently of places for entry. A good place for training with lots of different depths. Wastwater is easy to find on all maps of the Lake District. Off the A595, east of Seascale.

British coaster (637 tons) built in 1962, 61m x 8m. Sunk 21/11/1984.

WW2 Wreck of a Mulberry Harbour unit. Nice site with lots of fish life. Built in 1943 and sunk in 1944. The Far Mulberry is also known as Mulberry.

Enter the site from the rocky beach and follow the reef wall on your right out to the point and back. Theres plenty of wildlife and a kelp forest to explore. The site is shallow to start with and gradually gets deeper. Good for training near the beach. There is also a nearby fill station, See Farne Diving Services website for info. A cafe in the village down the road from the fill station, and a burger van in the car park for the harbour. Car park here is also used for boat launching for the Farne Islands and Somali. Straight in from the road. Park up somewhere without obstructing traffic and its a short walk of 10 - 15 meters down a pebbly beach into Knacker Hole.

The bay between Knackers Hole and Beadnall Point contains a reef on either side and a sandy area in the middle. Entry from the beach leads on to a rocky area which gradually becomes a sandy base. Bottom slopes gradually out till 10 metres deep, were it drops by another few metres in depth. Lots of growth and kelp around the reef area. A selection of fish, as well as Lobsters and Scallops can be seen around the site. There is also a nearby fill station, See Farne Diving Services website for info. Park on Habour Road next to Knackers Hole and head south past the lighthouse. At busy times, kit may have to be dropped off and car left in the car park at the end of the road. You can gain access to the beach directly by climbing down a small hill, or take a path a little further south.

Dive site is a former river bed. Above the river banks is thought to be the site of a Roman fortress, which had a catapult. In river bed are large stones thought to be shot from the catapult. Dive is a nice drift dive, but beware currents can be strong, sometimes pushing you deeper. 1 mile out Selsey Bill

Wreck of 530 ton Tree class armed trawler. Badly damaged in an attack by E-boats on 31 January 1944, whilst escorting a convoy 10 miles south east of Beachy Head. For some unknown reason ship was towed towards Portsmouth instead of Newhaven. Ship was too badly damaged and sank six miles from Selsey Bill. Broken up and scattered wreck. HMS Pine is also known as Pine.

Small section of a larger lake great for training and try dives. Silty bottom gets very stirred up when busy so vis is at times almost non existent. A couple of interesting surprises in the water.

Lulworth Cove is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in UK, England, South West which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Barn Pool is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in UK, England, South West which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Plymouth Sound

Shag Rock is also known as Shagstone, Shag Stone.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

14,000 ton Battleship, lost 29th May 1906 in Fog. Much scattered & broken up, but armour plate still to be found

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

The marine environment under the pier is great for novice dives as it is easy to navigate and has lots of interest for budding naturalists and for wannabe wreckies. It's not just for novices, though as there is a great deal to interest the experienced diver as well. It's a Pier - It's a big wood and iron structure - you can't miss it!

The site consists of a series of rocky gullies that stand 5m off the seabed and are 2 to 3m wide. Beautiful marine life, Echinoderms & Holothurians abound. Find Dogfish, Cuttlefish, Thornback Rays. Take a torch to look in the little crevices. Launch from Queen Annes Battery, Mountbatten or Fort Bovisand. The Mewstone is to the South East of Plymouth Breakwater.

British Navy Destroyer 'B'-class destroyer built in 1928 by Palmer & Co; and entered service in 1931. Brazen measured 323ft x 32ft with a 34,000 hp steam turbines giving a top speed of 35 knots; she was armed with four 4.7" and 2 anti-aircraft guns, eight 21" torpedo tubes and depth chargers. The destroyer Brazen was escorting convoy CW7 in the North Sea when she was attacked by German bombers on July 21st, 1940 as they traveled through the straits of Dover. She shot down three aircraft before she was hit and badly damaged. An attempt was made to tow her but this proved impossible and she was abandoned and sank some hours after the attack. The Brazen was commanded by Lt. Cdr. Sir Michael Culme-Seymour and carried a complement of 138, of whom one stoker petty-officer died of wounds (after he was taken off the ship) and four stokers were wounded. Diving: Until a few years ago she was standing 8m proud and reasonably intact but in two halves, about 100m apart, the seabed is sand and gravel. Recently she has become buried in the sand and less of the wreck can be seen, however, torpedo tubes, depth chargers and the guns are still present and together with the excellent visibility it's still worth a visit. From Dover HMS Brazen is also known as H80.

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.

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 Cita sank in September 1996, it was bound from Southampton to Belfast, but didn't turn right as it got past the Lizzard in Cornwall and piled up on St Marys in the Scillies. For a couple of weeks it was hung up on the rocks, but gradually slipped back and now the bows remain shallow, but the stern has settled back to 40m

The dive site is an easy access dive site used by Tai Diving located at the holiday park for training and underwater photography. Weather major factor as wind can cause the dive to be canceled as it blows straight into the bay causing strong rip and under currents. Marine life is good dog fish/shark cuttle fish crabs spider crabs and the usual fish. Dangers :- surfers and dive boats being launched Dive site is access from beach which has gradual gradient and has close by parking for easy access to the beach by steps or slip way

Lovely boulders covered in red algae, Lots of Sea Hares, not much kelp despite being shallow. A great second dive to bimble and enjoy the wildlife. Can be a bit of a swell. Out of Salcombe & Turn West

The East side of the rock has boulders & gullies with a wide variety of life. To the South is a drop-off that is almost a wall. As it is close to the mouth of the river Dart, it can be a little silty, so watch your buoyancy control. Visibility can be low after rain when the Dart carries a lot of suspended silt. Access by short boat ride from Dartmouth, or a slightly longer ride from Brixham or Torquay

Dive site situated on the River Lune. Diving is allowed between the two bridges at certain times of year. All divers must contact the local Tourist Information Office in advance. Preferred entry is the beach just past the second bridge which allows divers to drift under both bridges. Devil's Bridge is also known as Kirkby Lonsdale.

Open all year 7 days a week from 10.00am. Lots to see - Puma Helicopter, 5 boats of various sizes, large swim through pipe, body from a reconnaissance vehicle and training platforms. The water is being filtered so visibility can be very good. However, the bottom composition is silt so visibility can be severely reduced by poor buoyancy control. Even then it is a good training experience. PADI courses available from Discover Scuba to Instructor. Good sociable feel all welcome regardless of experience or affiliation. Access from Mires Lane, North Cave only. For sat nav enter Mires Lane, Everthorpe. This will take you to the top of the lane. Go straight to the bottom - do NOT turn right half way down.

A lovely dive for novices, and well sheltered from Easterly winds. The wreck used to stand clear at low water, but has now broken up more, There are still large recognisable sections of hull and the boilers are exposed and easy to find. Lots of fish life, and some of the largest conglomerations of Snakelocks anenomes I have ever seen are just N of the wreck. 200m swim from the beach to access this well broken wreck. The Golf club offers green field parking, and there is another car park further on. Louis Shield is also known as Thurlstone Beach.

The Oslofjord was a 5 Deck Trans-Atlantic liner. In 1940 she was retrofitted as a Troop Transport and order to Newcastle.At 8:20 on 1st December, she hit a mine 2 Nautical Miles from the harbour entrance. By 8:45 tugs had arrived but fearing the ship could block the entrance to the port, she was instead beached. The Oslofjord broke in two and capsized on the 21st January 1941. On 15 March 1943, the Greek steamer Eugenia Chandris collided with the wreckage and sank as well. The wreck originally rose out of the water but due to the tide and shallow depth is now around 3/4 meters from the sea bed. The Oslofjord is the biggest wreck on the East Coast and has a large amount of metalwok visible. The engines have survied but have collasped inward. There is some coral growth and lobsters and crabs are often seen on the wreck. Dive site needs to be accessed by boat, probably from North/South Shilds. Dive site is moored with 3 buoys.

Bread & Butter cove is a site to do when all else are blown out, but it certainly isn't second best. It teems with interesting sea life on the boulders scattered over the sandy seabed Access to the Scillies is the first challenge! By air (helicopter or light aircraft) means you are limited as to the kit you can take with you. By Sea, The Scillonian III will get you there. Once in the Scillies, there are a couple of commercial dive operations, or you could always take your own boat. Tides & cuuents here require a great deal of local knowledge!

Hard boat from Isles of Scilly Trenemene Reef is also known as Trenemene Wall Isles of Scilly.

Rugged granite bedrock with gullies, canyons and cliffs which are particularly well developed off the northern side of Jenny's Cove. Lundy Island

The seabed near to the shore off surf point is of rock outcrops in sand. The wreck of the 'Carmine Filomena' lies below surf point here and is mainly a pile of plates with some ribs and overhanging surfaces. Good for nudibranch spotting. Lundy Island

These are two pinnacles, the tops of which are exposed during low water. The pinnacles are covered with life, from the kelp canopy at the top down to the burrowing anemones on the silty bottom. Lundy Island

Dive at slack-water only. The Somali lies about 1800 metres offshore, due east of Beadnell village. The seabed is sand/shale with small reefs. The vessel is well broken, the engine and boilers being the biggest identifiable parts. These show up well on an echo-sounder, types with a wide-beam sensor make location easier. A 4 inch gun is still visible at the stern, - although now lying on its side among the debris on the west side of the wreckage; its partner seems to have disappeared or is now buried under plates, no doubt the result of salvage work on the cargo which occurs from time to time. The engine is home to large pollack and bib and stands about 35 metres away across piles of girders, pipes, gas cylinders, plates and what seems to be a cement bag reef (cargo). The areas east, and south of the engine are good for rummaging - producing assorted bottles (medicine?), cosmetics jars, film, cutlery, wine bottles and ceramic electrical fittings. Part of the cargo must have been vehicle batteries and tyres as there seems to be rather a lot of them around. Rumour has it that a microscope was found here some years ago. South & west of the engine are the five huge boilers - still intact, beyond these the wreckage is well scattered and less piled-up, it's easy to swim off the wreck and loose it in this area if the vis is poor so don't venture too far. The wreck is home to large pollack, cod, bib and shoals of saithe during the summer. As a result it's popular with anglers so beware of discarded line and hooks. Farne Isles. She is usually buoyed but this only surfaces at or close to slack water - often too late to get two waves of divers in. If you're (un)fortunate enough to be the first or only ones on site, the best tactic is to drop a buoyed shot at the GPS position and do a circular search with the 'sounder around this until you get a trace then drop anchor there. She lies approximately N-S, the stern being to the north. Somali Wreck is also known as The Somali.

The Robert sank in 1975 and now lies intact on its starboard side. It is best dived at low water slack, but this wreck is diveable on nearly all of the flood tide. There is a strong current on ebb tide, especially during spring tides. Depths of 22m to the bottom at low tide, 28m at high. A good sized wreck for one dive. Excellent dive worth making the effort, vis usually good. The quality of marine life on this wreck is outstanding. A torch is recommended for close inspection into the hull where you may see the odd lobster. Lundy Island. You will need an echo sounder and GPS to find the wreck as there are no surface markers.

A larger reef than other sites in Beadnell. The reef extends for around 150 metres. Diving is possible both on the north side and south side of the point. Diving on the north side is more popular due to a small amount of wreckage of the Yewglen. Site has plenty of growth and life. Park on Habour Road next to Knackers Hole and walk down to the site. A busy days, kit may need to be dropped off and cars left in the car park at the end of the road. This site has the longest walk from the parking so it is advisable to drop off heavy items of kit as close as possible.

Good shore dive, swim south from entry point for about 200 meters. Staying west of the extensive eel grass at approx 5 metres depth on low tide or about 9 metres on a high tide. When you come across an old iron ships bollard approx 60cm high. Wreck then 20 meters east from this point. Highlights include wrasse, cuttlefish, lightbulb sea squirts, spiny spidercrab, dragonnettes, spiny star fish, pollack, southern cup coral, devonshire cup coral, sponges, anemones, nudibranch egg casings. Access from the road through opening in fence, down step dirt track and rocks to the beach.

Around 3,000 seals live in this area. This makes for great diving as the seals can be very interactive. Other than wreck of Abyssinia, which is very nice with two large boilers and various wreckage, it is really only worth diving for the seals. Lots of kelp in the area. Depth can be kept shallow at 5-10M, possibly 15-20m if needed. Diving with the seals is an amazing experience. Dived by boat from Beadnell or Seahouses

Wreck of armed merchantman. She was 3753 tons and was carrying wheat before being torpedoed on 3 may 1917. She was 243ft long and had a beam of 47ft. The hull is relatively intact considering the age. She is broken in the middle, but the bow and stern can be seen. Stern has a large propeller. Sea bed is around 30m with wreck proud,stern is highest point at 24m. Nice wreck with good fish life. Wreck is dived from a boat and lies off Newhaven.

The wreck of the S.S. Maine is owned by Torbay BSAC, who salvaged the bronze propeller to help fund the purchase of a dive boat. Later, then spare steel propeller was recovered, and displayed in a shopping complex in Paignton. Unfortunately, the council redeveloped the site, and gave the propeller away. The Bell was recovered by Bracknell BSAC and handed over to Torbay, woh still display it in their compressor room on Torquay Harbour. The wreck is suffering from the ravages of the winter storms along the UK coast, but is still a very interesting dive. Launch from Salcombe Maine (SS) is also known as Sierra Blanca.

Dive about 50m offshore of Frenchmen's Landing (the north side) and continue east for cliffs and rock slopes (similar topography to the intertidal area).

A UB Type III boat built by Blomm & Voss, Hamburg. This is a WW1 Coastal attack sub commissioned in 1917 and sunk by a mine on 19th April 1918 losing all hands from a crew of 35. She now lies upright and intact on a sandy seabed at 28m she has a list of about 40 degrees to port, but the conning tower, gun and bow are all intact and the blown off stern is close by. There are torpedoes in her bow tubes, the outer hull is now breaking down to reveal the inner pressure hull she is still very intact and easily recognisable. This makes a fantastic night dive as all the brass shows up and both lobster and edible crab are plentiful. By boat from Dover marina or Folkestone.

The wreck of the St. Andre which sank in 1908 carrying a cargo of pig iron. Most dives start by descending down the wall and swimming along with the wall on your left. The wreckage can be found near the wall and girders and ribs lead out to the boilers. The wreck is mostly flattened so can be difficult to find in times of low vis. It is also possible to see seals here. By boat from Seahouses or Beadnell.

The Volnay sank in December 1917 after hitting and mine, but was able to move close to land before sinking completely. Two large boilers are located midship, with a smaller third boiler to the North. Some damage where the mine hit, but most of the ribs are still intact and useful for navigation. Several large fish, crabs and a conger eel can be found amongst the wreckage. The wreck is quite flat due to attempts to blow up it's cargo of anti personel shells, the shells still turn up but you have to dig for them. By boat from various launch sites including Porthkerris or Falmouth. The two large boilers can be used to place a shot line.

A separate dive used mostly for training on the flat stony bottom. Can be dived independently or on the way back to the beach from a dive at Drawna Rock. Kelp grows on the right of the site near the rocks. This area can be explored at the end of a training dive to look for starfish and sea urchins. Porthkerris. Easy entry via the stoney beach. Entrance to the site cost per diver.

A well broken up wreck lieing in around 20 metres of water. Known locally as the Collier Wreck. Boilers and Engine block are clearly visible but starting to break down. Soft corals have grown on the wreck and fish can be seen in passing. By boat from North or South Shields Ilios is also known as Collier Wreck.

Several gullies lie on the seaward side of Mullion Island, depths ranging from 10 to 18 metres. Lots of kelp and plant life, as well as a mixture of fish and smaller life. A cannon can apparently be found in one of the deeper gullies. By boat from one of the nearby launch sites. Closest access is Mullion harbour itself.

A shallow kelp forest around the rocks near Mullion harbour. Fast currents flow in the shallow areas between rocks, so best to dive on the seaward side of the largest rock, following its wall and the kelp as a rough guide. Starfish and crabs can be found on the bottom, as well as the occasional lobster in the cracks in the rock. Enter the water by the steps at Mullion harbour, then a short swim to the site. Best to stay on the surface near the harbour, due to fishing lines.

A shallow kelp forest starts just out from the concrete structure and carries on round the rocks to the north. Lots of seabed life including various species of starfish and spider crabs. DSMB's should be used due to boat traffic during the week. Easy entry from the stoney beach. Parking is allowed on the beach, so you can kit up very near the site. Keep to the north (left) side of the bay due to boat traffic.

Steamship, sank 1894, plates boiler & anchor, viz usually good, loads of fish, iron pyrite. Good shelter from East winds. Loads of life. Nudibranch heaven! By boat only. The Gertrude Wreck is also known as Hartlepool.

Use Porthkerris Divers boats to get you on this site. Best dived on an incoming tide, drift up the river mouth with the current, Dogfish, Thornback Rays, Sea Hares and loads of stuff everywhere. Brilliant!!!!!!!! Do not take any scallops, the Helford River is a private fishery, taking scallops is theft. Accessed by boats from Falmouth or Porthkerris.

Boring bimble over sand. Lots of crabs and some flat fish. Not legendary but OK for a training dive. Dorset county. Shore dive, some large pebbles to carry gear over to cross the beach and reach the sea. Car Park right at the edge of the beach.

Boring sandy bottom, some reef further out. Current rund parallel to the shore. Not much to see except flat fish and spider crabs. Pretty boring but OK for training purposes. Dorset county. Shore dive, easy walk down beach, more tricky on the upward slope on exit. Watch the wave heights and do not enter if above 3 ft as you will struggle to exit.

A popular site due to the proximity to one of the seal colonies. The dive consists of a wall with three gullies to explore. They lead into the island but are not enclosed at the surface. The seals here are very playful and its not uncommon to see them lieing on the sandy seabed. By boat from Seahouses or Beadnell

The site is named after the blue tone of the rocks above the surface. Divers circumnavigate the island travelling through a shallow gully on the way. Seal can be seen here, as well as impressive walls of Sea Urchins and Anemone. By boat from Beadnell or Seahouses

Park behind the gardens at Gyllyngvase Beach and make your way around to the south end of the beach. The Ponus wreck is on the southern reef about 70m from shore. You have to cross the reef or swim around it to get to the wreck. Gyllyngvase Beach is also known as Ponus wreck.

South reef slightly deeper with more life, north reef shallower but there is an open arch to swim through at high water. A very easy shore dive. Very easy access, park in the carpark for just £2 and get a free cup of tea! You can't miss the sea :)

The wreck can actually be seen in the Google maps image above, at low tide you can walk around it. A bit of a swim but very interesting once you're there. A 422 ton fishing trawler that came ashore in the 1970's. Maenporth beach is at the southern end of Falmouths beaches. Car park is on the beach. Enter on the north side and follow the reef. It is a long swim out to the wreck, in fairly shallow water but it is an easy dive. Maenporth Beach is also known as Ben Asdale.

The wreck of the SS Mohegan. A 7,000 ton steamship that sank on the 14th October 1898. After losing her rudder on the Vase Rock, she slammed into The Voices Rocks in the heart of the Manacles, with the loss of 107 lives. This dive is at a depth of between 15 and 29 metres and has visibility of about 5 metres. SS Mohegan is also known as The Mohegan.

The site is a shallower dive usually used as a second dive. It is also a sheltered site if the weather is bad. The dive starts at around 6 metres in an area of kelp and continues on to a deeper rocky bottom. Good site to see seals as there is a colony nearby. They will often swim near the boat during kitting up as well. By boat from Seahouses or Beadnell.

Good shelter from East winds. A steam-driven admiralty trawler wrecked in fog on rocks below the cliffs of Blacknor Fort in 1920. All crew were rescued and the ship sank during attempts to tow her off the rocks. Today, the stern remains intact and detached from the smashed forward end, and there is a boiler and engine towards mid ships. Good life, loads of Nudibranchs!! By boat only.

The wreck of the SS Abessinia, which hit the rocks around Knivestone and sank in 1921. She was a 5,700 ton German Steamer. The wreck is broken up in places but you can still see the engine, boilers and anchor. The wreck lies in a area covered in soft coral growth with excellent visibility due to the currents. As with all sites in the Farne Islands, you are very likely to see seals on the surface, as well as pups joining you while diving. The wreck lies between rocks which form a variety of gullies to explore after you have seen the wreck. SMB's are required to surface with, due to currents usually picking up at the end of a dive. A boat is required to reach the site. Hardboats and RIBs usually launch from either Seahouses or Beadnell. Best dived at slack water to avoid currents.

This Harbour provides access to various wrecks, drift dives for all levels. There are various boat operations with ribs tending to provide access to closer dive sites and hard boats for those further out. Inside the Harbour I dived the Countess of Earn. Vis was good and at 14m and inside the harbour makes a good first sea dive. Portland Harbour is also known as Portland.

The Loanda was a 2702-ton, 253hp triple-expansion engines steamer, measuring 328ft x 39ft, built in 1891. The ship was travelling from Hamburg to West Africa, for the Elder Dempster Line, when she collided with the Russian steamer Junona. The cargo was hundreds of cases of gin, rum, champagne and barrels of gunpowder. She was badly damaged on port side near engine room, an attempt was made to save her but she sank under tow on the 31 May, 1908. Diving: Upright and 5m proud at a depth of 17-23m, the top is generally at 18m and if you drop into the holds you will be at 20m or so. Slack can be early so get to the site in plenty of time, must be dived on slack tide. Sweeping and collision damage have exposed the engines. The bell has been recovered. Bottles everywhere, mainly gin and champagne but contents undrinkable. Lots of clay pipes/perfume bottles and trading beads. Prop intact. Tales of thousands of newly minted shillings being carried by the Loanda are not borne out by the manifest. Lots of Lobsters, Edible Crab and Conger's. Information from Canterbury Divers website which is extremely informative for wrecks in and around the Dover area.

The site of the Propeller of the Chris Christenson, which broke off when it hit the Longstone Reef. The wreck lies nearby in deeper water. The propeller stands around 3 metres off the seabed and still has part of the shaft connected to it. Divers can also explore the gullies and steep walls of Longstone island. The walls are covered in Dead Mans Fingers and some soft coral. Seals can also be seen on this dives. A boat is required to reach this site. RIBs and Hardboats normally launch from either Seahouses or Beadnell. Christenson Propeller is also known as Propeller of the Chris Christenson.

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.

Good site for practice and to look at the fishes there and also there a few objects to look at as well. Dive site is accessed through the Leybourne Dive shop because is Key entry to the site it is then a little ledge to gain entry

A large lake with a few sunken objects. 5m platform for training. Things to see include a yacht, fishing coble, speedboat, concrete pipes that you can swim through, Transit Van, caravan and several cars. Enter the Ellerton Park site and take the first left to get to the car park used by divers. Enter lake from small pier a few meters from car parking. Either giant stride into water or use steps. Ellerton is also known as Ellerton Park.

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.

The outermost point of 'the Manacles' rises from a sandy bottom 42 m below. The water is quite (by UK standards), and the scenarie + life is astounding. By far my best dive in the UK! Because the Manacles lie in the English Channel, the correct timing with the tide is essential. Don't try this dive without a delaid SMB!!! The temperature was 12 deg. C in April, so a drysuit is recommended! The Manacles, Cornwall. Launch a boat from Porthkerris Beach or by a dive package at a local dive shop. Raglan Reef is also known as The Manacles.

The easier of two dives possible off the island. Enter water off rocks which are mostly sheltered from the waves. Dive follows island round to the north east. Rocks start around 2 metres from the surface and have various cracks containing crabs etc. Smaller kelp grows on the rocks and grows bigger as you head east. After the rocks is a small kelp forest. Park in the car park to the west of the island at 50p per hour. Access to site is a long walk across the paved causeway and then across the rocks surrounding the island. The site is tidal and the causeway can only be crossed at lower tides. St Mary's Lighthouse is also known as St Mary's Island.

Wreck of 2266 ton British steamer laden with oranges and lemons. Sank after colliding with German cross-atlantic steamer Washington in fog on 1 March 1901. Nice shallow wreck, wreckage is spreadout, but fish life is pretty good for UK.

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A deeper wreck with some structure still standing including portholes to look through. Wreck is more broken up amidships, but this is a good place to look for fish and lobsters By boat only Motor Mine Sweeper 180 is also known as Sweeper Wreck.

If you don't fancy lugging your kit across the causeway and scrambling over the slippery rocks, why not enjoy St Mary's from a different perspective? This dive site is perfect for beginners with a nice easy beach entry. It's a very shallow site which slopes gently to a max depth of about 6m. But just because it's shallow doesn't mean it's not teeming with life! You'll see all types of crustaceans and juvenile fish. We've even seen monkfish right in the shallows! Plus, if you're really lucky a cheeky grey seal from the island might come to visit!

This is the wreck of the P+O liner built in 1888. ALthough currents a minor, watch for tidal effects Oceana is also known as The O.

The first gully contains the remains of a German WWI U-Boat, the UB97. There is not a lot left but it is noticeable by a large '3 pronged fork', most of the wreck is quite flat. The second gully has the remains of UB86. There is quite a lot left of this wreck and it stands 3m high at the highest point, it can be spotted in 2 of the photos on this page. Spend some time here looking under the kelp, it is quite big and full of life. The third gully has a narrow and very scenic route, it winds it way quite shallow before it stops about 6m into a tiny cave. Drive around Pendennis Point along Castle Drive. Go past the car park at the point about 400m and park in the layby. To the left of the layby there is a path, the path splits in two, take the right hand path down the Silver Steps. Entry is best at high tide, low water entry is tricky and not recommended. There are quite a few for the return journey, the handrail is not as strong as it used to be. Pendennis Point is also known as Silver Steps.