This is an old revision of this page, as edited by AlasdairW(talk | contribs) at 22:05, 10 May 2022 (→Marine dive sites: St Abbs now covered by Eyemouth page).
Diving in the UK is often a cold and challenging affair. There are interesting wrecks and marine environments all around its convoluted coast and many islands, the standout being the scuttled German Imperial Fleet in Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands.
General conditions
British diving is like Longfellow's Matilda: when it's good, it's very very good . . . and then there's the other 360 days of the year. Its main limitations are first, that it's often cold and dark, so you need a dry suit; second, it's organised around club diving, with groups organising their own boat and equipment, it lacks the kind of resort dive shacks where you show up with little more than a credit card and within the hour you're on the water. These two are linked because a dry suit has to fit just so, else the neck seal either garottes you or lets in gouts of cold water. It's not practical to hire one off the shelf, and you must have training in how to use it, with try-outs in the pool and at an inland site before going out to sea. You can get away with wearing a wet suit provided a) it's a chunky toasty affair, say a two-piece 7 mm semidry, and b) the water is relatively warm, ie summer and not particularly deep or extended dive time, and c) you only do the one dive then change and get warm. Coming up with blue lips from Dive One and shivering through a surface interval is not a good prelude to Dive Two. It's worth noting that in British diving, it's not the water temperature that's the problem, but the surface conditions. In the south-west, water temps tend to range from 16c in late summer to 9c in late winter/early spring. However, surface conditions are invariably chilling, with strong winds and temperatures in single digits in winter, and rarely exceeding the low-mid 20s, even in summer, while British dive boats rarely offer much, if any, shelter. Diving is often from rigid hull inflatable boats, or small fibreglass affairs with little except a small cabin for the coxswain and maybe an electric jug for making hot drinks. The fact thats operators will typically proudly advertise the fact they have a head (toilet) on board, if they do, says a lot. That said, a day with two summer shore dives in Cornwall, with 40-45min runtimes in <20m can be achieved in comfort with a high quality semi-dry suit, especially if one comes prepared with a windproof and a thermos.If temperate rocky reefs and wrecks are your thing, you will be richly rewarded.... provided the weather holds out.
British waters have a big tidal range: 5 m is not unusual. This generates stiff currents, so dive plans are intricately planned to hit slack water, or planned as drifts. Boats ramps, piers and shore-diving locations dry out at low tide, and depth computations also need to factor in the height of the tide. The Gulf Stream means that, while places on the same latitude are ice-bound, British waters are diveable in winter in calm periods, with winter waters in the south-west generally in the 9c range, while Scotland tends to be a few degrees colder, around 6 to 7c. Nowhere in the UK has sea-ice in the winter, though inland freshwater sites may get a layer of ice during colder winters. The predominant weather system is from the Atlantic: southwesterly, mild and wet, often with depressions generating gales; spells of nor'easterly weather can also blow you out. They tend to bring cold, dry weather.
Much diving in the UK is onto wrecks, the legacy of a country that traded worldwide by sea, and the many casualties of war. There is protective legislation for many, especially of wartime wrecks that still hold the remains of those who lost their lives. Lifting of any artifact from the sea-bed, when allowed at all, must be declared to the "Receiver of Wreck" who will determine its disposition. By and large, the best diving in found in Cornwall, the south-west coast of England, Pembrokeshire in Wales, and the west coast of Scotland, all of which features extensive temperate rocky reefs with a wide variety of life. Visbility on these coasts is variable, and within days can go from "excellent" to "atrocious" if the winds change. The east coast is generally dominated by sand and mud, with low visibility, colder temperatures (being blocked from the full force of the gulf-stream) and a lack of a rocky reef systems to harbour life, though a few sites, such as the Farne Islands, do break the trend. There are many inland sites in lakes, quarries and gravel lagoons, and cave diving in limestone regions.
The main training agency in UK is BSAC, though PADI certification is widely available. If you're here for an extended period, eg at university, by all means get involved with your college dive club and get trained. This will take several weeks and you'll probably do your first few open-water dives in a chilly quarry. But nowadays most Brits train in warm climates then decide whether they want to brave their cold home seas (and mostly decide against). You'd be mad to travel to Britain for the purpose of initial training. The Bible New Testament describes how a madman was cured by driving out his demons to enter a herd of pigs, who plunged over a cliff into the Sea of Galilee (Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39). If those pigs had instead done the traditional British diver training course, they'd be just about qualified by now.
Dive sites: overview
Starting at the northern tip of the country, because Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands is probably the only dive area for which you'd make a special trip to the UK. When Germany surrendered at the end of World War One, its fleet was disarmed and brought to this enclosed reach of sea. Peace negotiations dragged on and Admiral Reuter believed the British would seize the fleet for their own purposes, so he had them all scuttled. Many were later salvaged, but seven big ships remain (in about 30 m depth) and are regularly dived. They've been there for a century and are fragile but still impressive. Orkney also has shallower wrecks and reefs, eg along the "Churchill barrier", the causeway that links several islands.
Continuing clockwise, the northeast coast is scenic, rocky and often suitable for shore diving, especially around the Scottish / English border. Areas include the villages of Dunbar and St Abbs, and further out lie the Farne Islands of Northumberland. To the south, coastal conditions aren't so good, and you have to venture some miles offshore, eg to the wreck of the Polish liner Piłsudski off the Humber estuary. Much of the east coast is dominated by sand and muddy shallow seabed, with few features to provide havens for life, and low visibility, as a number of major rivers drain into the North Sea, including the Thames and Humber.
The English Channel is littered with wrecks. Sites (east to west) include: Chesil Cove and Portland Bill in Dorset, Swanage Pier in Dorset, Fort Bovisand in Devon, the Eddystone Rocks off Plymouth in Cornwall, The Manacles rocks off the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall, and the archipelago of the Isles of Scilly. The further west along the coast one goes, the better conditions become. From Swanage westwards, the toopgrahy of the seabed becoems increasingly dominated by rocky reefs, and visbility and variety of life improves. Around Cornwall, basking sharks, blue sharks and seals can be found, as well as ocassional exotic visitors such as Mola-Mola (Sunfish). Key sites here are Swanage Pier (a simple shore dive that's very popular with macro photographers), Brixham, Falmouth, and the Lizard.
The Bristol Channel lies between Cornwall and Wales, its premier site being the protected island of Lundy. Much of South Wales is industrial, till you reach the attractive peninsula of Pembrokeshire, eg Martin's Haven. There's another area around the islands of Anglesey and Holy Island.
Further north, there's a lot of river run-off (eg from the Mersey) and the west coast sites are exposed to the weather. There's not much until you get into the Firth of Clyde, with many wrecks, and on Arran the protected area of Lamlash Bay. The seas around the Hebrides are clear of run-off and, whilst often wild, there may be shelter between the islands; the Sound of Mull being a popular example. You will be very lucky if conditions allow a trip out to lonely St Kilda, 40 miles out in the Atlantic, though visibility here can be spectacular.
Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man have diving similar to the Hebrides.
UK inland dive sites are in flooded quarries and lakes. They're generally only dived for training / refreshers, testing kit, or if bad weather has blown out a sea trip. Most dive clubs are within 30 mins drive of their local "muddy puddle". Some bigger centres worth a longer drive include Stoney Cove between Leicester and Coventry, the National Diving and Activity Centre at Chepstow, and Capernwray near Carnforth.
Cave diving (including in old mine workings) in Britain is considered a technique of caving, not a specialty within diving, so it's not covered here. Enough to say that you need to be very good indeed at what you're doing; several of the divers in the Tham Luang cave rescue of 2018 were British.
The UK has a large number of dive sites, both inland and coastal, and many of these are wreck dives. The inland dives include a number of lakes, quarries and caves.
Marine dive sites
This section covers natural marine sites, and also built structures such as piers. Any wrecks there are described in a later section.
Chesil Cove from West CliffChesil Cove is a shoreline dive sitein Dorset, England. Location: The most southerly part of the 18-mile (29 km) long Chesil Beach Access: Shore dive Most dives will not exceed 10 to 15m. Topography: Beach shoreline Ecology: South coast marine life, including nudibranch, dogfish, spider crabs, lobster, cuttle fish, pipefish and John Dory. Features: Although there have been several shipwrecks in the cove, there is not much diveable wreckage near the shore Special skills required: No special skills recommended, the site is popular for diver training.
The Eddystone, with current lighthouse and stub of previous towerThe Eddystone, (also known as Eddystone Rocks) is an offshore rocky reef dive sitein Cornwall Location: A seaswept group of rocks some 9 miles (14 kilometres) south west of Rame Head Access: Day boat. Topography: Gneissic outcrop of the Cornubian batholith supporting one of the world's iconic lighthouses. Hazards: Can get very rough.
Inner Farne and its lighthouse.The Farne Islands is an offshore dive sitein a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England Topography: There are between 15 and 20 islands and several tidal rocks from 2.5 to 7.5km from the mainland, The main islands in the Inner Group are Inner Farne, Knoxes Reef and the East and West Wideopens, which are all connected at very low tide, and the Megstone a bit further away. The Outer Group, beyond Staple Sound, comprises Staple Island, the Brownsman, North and South Wamses, Big Harcar and the Longstone. The Farnes are Dolerite outcrops, which forms resistant columns, giving the islands their steep cliffs, and the stacks scattered around the sea around the islands. Many of the small islands are bare rock, but the larger islands have a layer of soil supporting vegetation. The strata slope slightly down to the north, so the highest cliffs are to the south and some beaches to the north. Ecology: Birds and seals. Some sites may provide an opportunity to combine diving and bird watching — at the Pinnacles, Guillemots may be seen fishing at safety stop depth. Features: Wrecks: Wreck of the Danish steamer Chris Christenson, close to the reef off the south tip of Longstone, Outer Farnes in about 30-35m at N55°38.397' W001°36.182' Wreck of the German SS Abessinia, at Knifestone, Outer Farnes, at N55°38.9' W001°36.12', in 9-20m of water. Wreck of the British cargo and passenger steamer Brittania, on the Callers, Outer Farnes. Wreck of the French steamship St Andre at Staple island. Special skills required: There are sites suitable for all levels of diver. It is usually possible to dive at the Farnes regardless of wind direction, as there is always shelter somewhere.
Fort Bovisand from the southFort Bovisand is a shoreline dive sitein Bovisand harbour in Devon Location: A fort built at to defend the entrance of Plymouth Sound, at the narrows opposite the east end of Plymouth Breakwater. Since mid 2008, Fort Bovisand has been the base of Discovery Divers
Hand Deeps is an offshore dive sitein Cornwall Location: an area of the English Channel 8nm south-west of Rame Head Access: Boat dive only Directions: 3.5nm north-west of the Eddystone. Maximum depth at the site is 55m and minimum depth is Top of pinnacles between 7 and 19m. Visibility is likely to be Frequent good visibility Topography: The pinnacles are within a rectangle about 1nm north-south and 0.5nm west-east, and are shown on Admiralty Chart 1613. The central pinnacle rises from more than 40m to 7m. Ecology: Anemone-covered walls make it a popular dive site. It is named for a group of 5 pinnacles which rise from the seabed to between 7 and 19m from the surface.
Hillsea Point Rock is a dive site Location: a group of seven or eight pinnacles in the English Channel 0.5nm south-east of Hillsea Point, Devon. see Admiralty Chart 1613 Access: Boat dive only Maximum depth at the site is 25m on the sea bed and minimum depth is 2m depth at the top. Topography: One of the pinnacles is split from top to bottom from north to south. The gap is narrow at the top, increasing to a 15m long swim-through about 1m wide at 23m depth.
Holy Island is a dive sitein an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, North Wales
The Manacles (Carn-dhu and Maen Voes) looking south west towards CoverackThe Manacles is an offshore rocky reef dive sitein A group of rocks off The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall close to Porthoustock Location: Directions: The rocks extend about 1nm east and south east of Manacle Point Topography: There are many submerged rocks and several groups of rocks that break the surface, although some are tidal. The Middle Manacles in the north consist of Maen Chynoweth or Morah, Chyronos, Maen Gerrick and the Gwinges, the eastern group has Vase Rock and Pen Vin, the large group in the centre include the Minstrel Rock, Carn-dhu, Maen Voes (the Voices) and the Quants and Maen Land is in the south-west. Features: Many of the well-known wrecks are in the central group where depths are less than 6 metres over an area of about 300m by 200m. These wrecks include: HMS Primrose, an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop. SS Mohegan Greek steamer Spyridon Vagliano The John, sank on the Maen Land. A popular spot for diving due to the shipwrecks around them. The name is derived from the Cornish meyn eglos (church stones).
Martin's Haven is a dive sitein A small bay in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the Dale Peninsula. Location: Ecology: Grey Seals can be seen basking on the rocks. Martin's Haven is in the Skomer Marine Nature Reserve and is popular for scuba diving.
Map of the scuttled German ships at Scapa FlowScapa Flow is a dive sitein a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Location: Access: As of 2010, at least twelve "live aboard" boats—mostly converted trawlers with bunk rooms in their former holds—take recreational divers out to the main sites, primarily from the main harbour at Stromness. Maximum depth at the site is The wrecks are mostly at bottom depths of 35 to 50m.. Visibility is likely to be very variable, from 2 to 20m, and water temperature The water is cold Topography: Scapa flow has an area of about 312km2. It has a sand bottom with maximum depth of about 60m, but mostly about 30m, and is one of the great natural harbours of the world. Features: There are very few sites which can offer such an abundance of large, historic wrecks lying in close proximity and shallow, relatively benign diving conditions. The wreckage of the remaining seven ships of the German fleet and some other sites such as the blockships is regularly listed in dive magazines and internet forums among the top dive sites in the UK, Europe, and even the world. The wrecks include: The three sister battleships of the König class, the SMS König, SMS Kronprinz and SMS Markgraf lie upside down with around 25m of water over them. They are impressive dives, because of their large size. The four light cruisers SMS Dresden, SMS Karlsruhe, SMS Brummer, and SMS Cöln lie on their sides with around 16–20 metres of water over them. With the exception of the shallower Karlsruhe, they have been less heavily salvaged than the battleships and are much more accessible for divers. Additional sites of interest include the destroyer V 83, which was raised and used as a working boat during salvage operations, and later abandoned; the Churchill blockships, such as the Tabarka, the Gobernador Bories, and the Doyle in Burra Sound; the U-boat UB 116; and the trawler James Barrie. Hazards: It is possible to enter a wreck inadvertently in poor visibility and light. This could be disastrous if you can't find your way out again. Recommended equipment: A surface marker buoy will provide a guideline to the surface in conditions of poor visibility, which mitigates the risk of getting lost inside a wreck after unintentionally entering in the dark. Permits: Divers must first obtain a permit from the Island Harbour Authorities, which is available through diving shops and centres. Divers are permitted to enter the wrecks, but not to retrieve artefacts located within 100 metres of any wreck. However, broken pieces of ships' pottery and glass bottles have been washed into shallow waters and onto beaches. The wrecks of HMS Royal Oak and the dreadnought HMS Vanguard, which exploded at anchor during the First World War, are war graves protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. Only divers of the British armed forces are permitted to visit them.Scapa Flow was the United Kingdom's main naval base during World War I and World War II, but was closed in 1956.
Looking across Tresco, one of the 5 inhabited islands of the Isles of ScillyThe Isles of Scilly is a dive sitein an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula Location: Directions: about 45km off Land's End. Topography: The archipelago consists of five inhabited islands and about 140 small rocky islets. They are all early Permian granite of the Cornubian batholith.
St. Abbs, (also known as historically known as Coldingham Shore) is a dive sitein a small fishing village located on the south east coast of Scotland, in the Berwickshire area of Scottish Borders Location: Access: Shore diving to a depth of about 15 metres is possible from the rocks on the outside of the harbour wall. Visibility is likely to be The sea around the village is unusually clear, in contrast to the more silt-laden coastal waters further to the north or south. Features: The double archway at "Cathedral Rock" is just 50 metres from the shore. Special skills required: This is a popular site for trainees to do initial sea dives. These clear waters and the spectacular underwater scenery resulted in Britain's first Voluntary Marine Reserve being established at St. Abbs. Several small, nearby rocky islands, such as "Big Green Carr", "Broad Craig" and "Little Carr" are near to the harbour and easily can be circumnavigated underwater.
Swanage Pier at duskSwanage Pier is a dive sitein at the southern end of Swanage Bay near Swanage, a small town in the south east of Dorset, England. Location: Access: Shore dive with easy access from adjacent car parks Maximum depth at the site is About 5m. Ecology: Used for marine identification and underwater photography courses due to the wide range of marine life found under the pier. Features: The Victorian pier is over 100 years old. Special skills required: No special skills recommended. The pier is a popular training site for new and qualified divers. One of the few sheltered sea diving sites on the south coast
Wreck sites
Wreck sites are plentiful and popular and include:
HMS A1 is a wreck dive site Location: at Bracklesham Bay Features: Wreck of A-class submarine
HMS A3 is a wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: near Portland Bill Features: Wreck of A-class submarine
SS Abessinia is a wreck dive sitein the Farne Islands Location: the Knivestone Rock in Farne Islands Maximum depth at the site is 17m. Topography: The wreckage lies with a boiler clear of a jumble of wreckage
MV Aeolian Sky is a wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: 12 miles from Portland Access: By boat from Swanage, Weymouth and Isle of Portland. Directions: 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head Most dives will not exceed 18 to 30m. Topography: The wreck lies on its port side in 30 metres of water with its bows facing south. The bows were blown off during salvage work, and are separate from the rest of the vesel. Diver Magazine has produced a tour of the wreck.
Albert C. Field is a wreck dive site Location: off St. Catherine's Point Most dives will not exceed 30 to 34m. Topography: Gravel bottom. Features: The wreck is broken up: The machinery is aft, with the boilers the highest point at 30m depth, and the bridge forward with cargo space between.
HMS Boadicea (H65) is an offshore wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: 16nm (26km) south west of the Isle of Portland Access: Boat dive. Maximum depth at the site is 53m. Features: The bows of the ship were blown off forward of the engine rooms. The stern section is upright and reasonably intact. The wreck site is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986HMS Boadicea was a Royal Navy destroyer that was sunk on 13 June 1944 while supporting the invasion of Normandy.
SS Breda is a wreck dive sitein Oban Location: at the mouth of Loch Etive, just north of Oban. Directions: The position is marked with buoys. Most dives will not exceed about 26m. Dutch cargo-passenger ship sunk during World War II
SMS Dresden in Scapa FlowSMS Dresden is a wreck dive sitein Scapa Flow Location: to the south east of the island of Cava Most dives will not exceed 27 to 38m. Features: Wreck of a Cöln class German light cruiser of World War II
SS Eastfield is a wreck dive sitein Cornwall Location: off Mevagissey Maximum depth at the site is 50m. Features: The wreckage of a substantially intact 2,150 ton armed steamship, and the cargo of coal, which is scattered around the bottom nearby. Recommended equipment: Equipment and breathing gas suitable for the depth. Special skills required: Skills appropriate to the depth are required
HMS Elk is a wreck dive sitein Devon Location: off Plymouth Most dives will not exceed 30m (98 ft) of water with a drop-off in excess of 40m (130 ft). Topography: The wreck lies upright on a sandy bottom. Features: Wreck of a 181 ton fishing trawler
HMS Falmouth is a wreck dive site Location: Most dives will not exceed 15m. Features: Wreck of a Town class light cruiser
HMS Ghurka is a wreck dive sitein Kent Location: off Dungeness Most dives will not exceed 30m. Features: Wreck of a Tribal class destroyer designated as a "protected place" under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Glen Strathallen is a wreck dive sitein Devon Location: south of the Plymouth break water Topography: Broken up, but the boilers are still largely intact, and are a home for conger eels
Wreck of the Herzogin CecilieBarque Herzogin Cecilie is a wreck dive sitein south Devon Location: at Starhole (Starehole) Bay at the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary near Salcombe
SS Hispania is a wreck dive sitein the northern part of the Sound of Mull Location: facing the shore and close to a red channel buoy near Oban Access: day boat Most dives will not exceed 25m. Visibility is likely to be Water can be clear., and water temperature from 14°C in summer to as low as 5°C in winter Topography: The wreck is substantially intact and upright. In 1999 a scallop dredger pulled down one of the masts and caused minor scrape damage. A scour pit on one side of the ship is causing the ship to slowly list into the depression. Features: Wreck of 72m Swedish steamer built in 1912 and sunk in 1954 Hazards: Strong tidal currents. The wreck can only be dived during slack water, about 1 to 2 hours before high or low water. In the summer the tentacles of migrating stinging jellyfish that pass over the wreck often get caught on the shot line and are dangerous to divers. In November 2002 the wreck of the Hispania was purchased by the Puffin Dive Centre, Oban
HMS Hood in the 1890sHMS Hood is a wreck dive sitein Portland harbour Location: scuttled in Portland harbour to block the Southern Ship Channel, a potential access route for U-boats or for torpedoes fired from outside of the harbour. The wreck is known as "Old Hole in the Wall" Features: Wreck of a Royal Sovereign-class battleship
SS James Eagan Layne is a wreck dive sitein Cornwall Location: off Whitsand Bay, 540m east of the wreck of HMS Scylla Maximum depth at the site is 22m. Features: Wreck of a World War II Liberty ship
SMS König is a wreck dive sitein Scapa Flow Location: The König is said to be between the Markgraf and Dresden and not where it is shown on the map. Access: boat dive Maximum depth at the site is 37m and minimum depth is 30m. Topography: lying on port side, partly broken up. Features: Wreck of a König class battleship of the German Imperial Navy
SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm in Scapa Flow 1919SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm is a wreck dive sitein Scapa Flow Location: Topography: Kronprinz Wilhelm was never raised for scrapping, unlike most of the other capital ships that were scuttled. The Kronprinz Wilhelm and two of her sisters ships sank in deeper water than the other capital ships, which made salvage more difficult. Features: Wreck of a König class battleship of the German Imperial Navy The vessels on the bottom of Scapa Flow are a popular dive site, and are protected by a policy barring divers from recovering items from the wrecks.
Kyarra is a wreck dive sitein Swanage Location: 1 mile off Anvil Point Access: boat dive only Maximum depth at the site is 31m and minimum depth is 25. Ecology: Mussel beds adjacent to wreck Hazards: Strong tidal currents, particularly at springs Recommended equipment: DSMB recommended in case you can't ascend on the shotline Special skills required: Ability to dive in a fairly strong current and to find your way back to the shotline recommended, Also ability to deploy and ascend on a DSMB. Dive at slack tide (neaps best) as currents up to 3-4 knots. Can also be drift dived. Visibility variable from 15m to less than 2m. This wreck was discovered in the late 1960s by a member of the Kingston and Elmbridge British Sub-Aqua Club, and was later bought by the group.
HMS Laforey is a wreck dive site Location:
SS Louis Shead is a wreck dive sitein Devon Location: off Leas Foot beach, Thurlestone Access: Shore or boat dive Maximum depth at the site is 8m. Features: wreckage of 6,057 ton Belgian steamer
USS LST-507 is a wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: near Lyme Bay Maximum depth at the site is 50m. Features: Wreck of a LST-491-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy
HMS M2 retrieving her seaplaneHMS M2 is a wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: in Lyme Bay Maximum depth at the site is 30 m and minimum depth is 20m. Most dives will not exceed The keel is about 30 m below the surface at low tide, and the top of the conning tower is at about 20 m.. Topography: The wreck lies upright on the sea bed Features: Wreck of a Royal Navy aircraft-carrying submarine The wreck is designated as a "protected place" under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
SS Maine is a wreck dive sitein Devon Location: about 10 miles off Dartmouth Maximum depth at the site is 36 m. Topography: The wreck is upright and on an even keel on a shingle bottom Features: Wreck of a British cargo steamer torpedoed in World War I
Marguerite, (also known as also known locally as Benny's Wreck) is a wreck dive sitein Dorset Location: in Lyme Bay Maximum depth at the site is 24m and minimum depth is about 7.5m off the sea bed (about 16m). Visibility is likely to be bad. Topography: The wreck is now a twisted pile of metal lying on soft silt. Two boilers are visible, and the engine lies on its side. Most of the wreck is broken plate and frames standing up to a metre and a half off the bottom. Ecology: lots of fish Features: Wreck of a French cargo ship sunk in World War I Hazards: Local boats regularly fish in the area, look out for net and line snags.
SS MendiSS Mendi is a wreck dive sitein off the Isle of Wight Location: 11.3nm from Saint Catherine's Light Visibility is likely to be poor Topography: The ship lies upright on the seabed, but has started to break up, exposing the boilers and engine. Parts of the bow and stern are quite well preserved but the hull is broken open in the middle. Features: Wreck of a passenger ship
SS MoheganSS Mohegan is a wreck dive sitein Cornwall Location: The Manacles, off the coast of the Lizard Peninsula Access: boat dive Features: Wreck of passenger steamship
RMS Moldavia is a wreck dive sitein the English Channel Location: off Beachy Head Features: Wreck of a passenger steamer
HMS Montagu with many fittings removed during salvage attempts in the summer of 1906HMS Montagu is a wreck dive sitein Devon Location: Lundy Island Topography: all that remains is armor plate and a few unexploded 12-inch shells on the sea bed Features: wreckage of a "Duncan" class pre-Dreadnaught battleship
RMS Mulheim is a wreck dive sitein Cornwall Location: Land's End Features: Wreckage of large container ship.
MS OslofjordMS Oslofjord is a wreck dive site Location: Maximum depth at the site is 15m. Features: wreckage of a passenger liner
SS Persier is a wreck dive site Location:
MS Piłsudski is a wreck dive sitein Yorkshire Location: off the River Humber
HMS Port Napier is a wreck dive sitein the Kyle of Loch Alsh
Preussen is a wreck dive site Location: Crab Bay
Radaas is a wreck dive site Location: west of Portland Bill
Rondo is a wreck dive sitein the Sound of Mull off the west coast of Scotland
Rosehill is a wreck dive site Location: in Whitsand Bay
Royal Adelaide is a wreck dive site Location: at Chesil Beach
Royal Charter is a wreck dive sitein Anglesey Location: off the beach of Porth Alerth in Dulas Bay on the north-east coast of Anglesey
HMS Safari is a wreck dive site
HMS Scylla is a wreck dive sitein Cornwall Location: off Whitsand Bay scuttled
HMS Sidon is a wreck dive site
SS Stanwood is a wreck dive site
Stanegarth is a wreck dive site Location: scuttled at Stoney Cove
SS Stella is a wreck dive site Location: south of the Casquets, a group of rocks 13 km northwest of Alderney SS Stella on Wikipedia
SS Thesis is a wreck dive sitein Scotland Location: in the Sound of Mull
Torrey Canyon is a wreck dive sitein the western coast of Cornwall
U-40 is a wreck dive site
U-1195 is a wreck dive site Location: to the south east of the Isle of Wight
SS Varvassi is a wreck dive sitein Isle of Wight Location: just off the Needles lighthouse
SS Walter L M Russ is a wreck dive sitein the Bristol Channel Location: at Grassholm
Inland sites
Inland sites include disused quarries (eg Stony Cove) which may be deep, ponds and lagoons (usually shallow), and lakes. Some rivers can be dived (eg Devil's Bridge on the Lune) but are shallow and conditions seldom allow.
Dorothea quarry is a quarry dive sitein Gwynedd, north Wales Location: Nantlle Valley
View along length of Eccleston quarry from the car parkEccleston Quarry, (also known as Eccleston Delph and Eccy Delph) is a quarry dive sitein Lancashire Location: a mile south of Eccleston Access: Shore dive. There are several entry and exit points including concrete slipways and sturdy steel deep water entry points with fin friendly steps. Most have railings with chain linkages. Maximum depth at the site is slightly more than 20m. Visibility is likely to be generally very poor Topography: Flooded stone quarry, prepared for diving by removing garbage and sinking a number of items of interest for divers Ecology: There are several kinds of fish, including Koi carp, roach, rudd, sturgeon and trout Features: Items sunk to provide interest for divers include speedboats, a Jet Provost aircraft, armoured personnel carriers, a light tank, containers, a concrete tube, garden gnomes and a playground. There are also training platforms at various depths from 3m to 9m. These objects are marked by permanent buoys, and guidelines have been laid between the underwater feature to aid navigationin low visibility. Hazards: No site specific hazards reported Recommended equipment: No special equipment recommended Special skills required: No special skills recommended, the site is used for entry level training. Delph watersports centre, Parking, cafe, dive shop, changing facilities with hot showers, swimming pool, training room, equipment hire and 300 bar double filtered air filling station.
National Diving and Activity Centre is a quarry dive sitein Gloucestershire, England, near to the border with Wales at Chepstow Location: at Tidenham Access: Shore dive. several entry points, including a ramp and pontoon jetty. Maximum depth at the site is about 80m maximum depth. Topography: Large flooded limestone quarry Features: There are several objects to entertain divers in depths ranging from 6m to 76m. These include motor vehicles, aircraft, platforms, large bore pipes, shotlines, decompression trapezes, an old diving bell, and garden gnomes. Hazards: No site specific hazards reported Recommended equipment: No special equipment recommended. Equipment should be appropriate to the dive plan. Special skills required: No special skills recommended the site is used for diver training from entry level. Skills should be appropriate to the dive plan. National Diving and Activity Centre, accommodation, parking, dive school, dive shop, equipment rental, air, nitrox and trimix fills, equipment rental, licenced cafe bar.
Slickstones Quarry is a quarry dive sitein South Gloucestershire Location: near the village of Cromhall Access: Shore entry from old road at beach or pontoon jetty Directions: 1.5 miles from J14 of the M5 Maximum depth at the site is 17 m. Visibility is likely to be about 5 to 6m, but may be better in summer, and water temperature 4 to 12°C, varying seasonally Topography: Flooded fossiliferous limestone quarry with slightly undulating rock bottom which slopes up to the former road entry Ecology: Great Crested Newts Features: Water features include two shipping containers for use as training platforms with the tops in approximately 7 and 10 metres of water, an aircraft cockpit, a racing catamaran powerboat, several cabin cruisers, a mine, a torpedo, two telephone boxes and the "buoyancy gym" Hazards: No site specific hazards reported Recommended equipment: No special equipment recommended. Special skills required: No special skills recommended, the site is suitable for entry level training. Cromhall diving centre, double filtered Air is available to 232 bar, continuous blend Nitrox, Trimix & 100% O2. Tea, coffee, and snacks at the Dive Centre
Diving at Stoney CoveStoney Cove is a quarry dive sitein Leicestershire Location: between Stoney Stanton and Sapcote Access: Shore dive Maximum depth at the site is around 36 metres. Topography: Large flooded granite quarry Features: Several objects have been provided to entertain divers, including a Viscount aircraft cockpit, "Nautilus" submarine, archways beneath the pub, a Wessex helicopter, a bus, the "monster", the "galleon", a small aircraft wreck,, a deep hydrobox, submerged trees, a tower, a blow-off preventer, a 4-metre block house, a wooden boat, the wreck of the Stanegarth (the largest inland wreck in the UK) and an armoured personnel carrier. Hazards: No site specific hazards reported Recommended equipment: No special equipment recommended Special skills required: No special skills recommended, the site is used for recreational and training dives. Stoney cove dive centre, dive shop, gas filling station and scuba diving school. Nemo's pub and a function room for private events.
Wast Water seen from the summit of Great Gable, 4.5 km to the NE.Wast Water, (also known as Wastwater) is a lake dive site Location: in Wasdale valley in the western part of the Lake District National Park Maximum depth at the site is 79 metres (258 feet). Visibility is likely to be quite clear at the bottom, but there's nothing much to see. Topography: The lake is approximately 4.6 kilometres long and 600 metres wide and is the deepest lake in England. It is a glacially 'over-deepened' valley. The surface of the lake is about 60m above sea level, while its bottom is over 15m below sea level. Features: A "gnome garden" complete with picket fence was placed in the lake at 48m as a point of interest for divers to explore. It was removed from the bottom of Wastwater by police divers after three divers died in the late 1990s, but it is rumoured that the garden has been replaced at a depth greater than 50m, which is the limit beyond which the police are not allowed to dive Hazards: No site specific hazards reported Recommended equipment: equipment appropriate to the dive plan. Special skills required: skills appropriate to the planned depth of dive and equipment to be used. Owned by the National Trust.
Respect
Several wrecks are archaeological sites or war graves - if diving is permitted at all, it's "look but don't touch".
Artifacts taken from the seabed must be promptly declared to the "Receiver of Wreck" - yes, this is nowadays online, with no tricorn hats involved.
Don't pilfer crabs or lobsters from fishermen's pots, or raise suspicion that your legitimate catch came from there. It's a sure way to get the harbour barred to divers.
Get help
Your first urgent call at sea should be to the Coastguard on VHF channel 16, 156.800 MHz. They're also reached by 999 by landline or mobile. They can coordinate response by other vessels (not just the lifeboat), by helicopter and landside. This includes pan-pan-pan incidents: the tanker as yet invisible over the murky horizon can just about miss your drifting RIB if it starts altering course immediately.
Medical assistance should be sought through the standard NHS: "treat the patient, not the bend". Especially around popular diving areas, responders are used to incidents and have a nose for what's likely to be decompression sickness or sea-sickness or heart attack or whatever. If they seem obtuse, you could call +44 1224 681818 in Scotland or +44 7831 151523 in the rest of the UK, or the DAN international number +1 919 684 9111. There are four categories of receiving centres for UK diving casualties and it helps to land first time in the correct one, so never go haring away towards a hyperbaric facility without a prior conversation with a specialist.
Get service
First ask a local diver: it's astonishing what spares and tools they routinely carry. You could probably construct a large artificial shipwreck with what's in the car trunks near a popular site.
But one reason they do so is the limited back-up. Centres live or die by how much new stuff they can sell; they may have limited in-shop repair capacity, sending stuff away for repair or ordering parts as required. A dive shop in Glasgow, closed Sunday, is little help when you've ripped your arm cuff in Ullapool. Centres may put on excursions and training courses but aren't in the business of organising dives for passers-by. And where can you get an air fill - and on Saturday evening? So you need to look ahead, a standard online search will do, though again the local divers and skippers will know what's possible.
And as noted at the outset, the UK is not a diving scene where you just saunter up with log book and credit card, hire equipment, and get on the boat. Shops sell not rent. There are free-standing boat operators but they may be booked out to clubs with no room for extras. Always plan ahead; if only you could do so with the British weather.
Get around
Many ferries and road tunnels (eg A19 Tyne tunnel) ban "hazardous materials". This really should not include divers' tanks - breathing gas pressurised up to 230 bars is specifically exempt from HSE regulations - but companies are idiosyncratic. Having to empty all your air tanks is not a good start to a dive trip, especially as you watch all the RVs with campergas and spare fuel being waved aboard. So check ahead on the company website.
Stay safe
UK diving conditions require a relatively high level of competence and fitness compared to the tropical scuba destinations.
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