Explore the best places to dive in United Kingdom. 75 dive sites with real reviews and ratings from divers.
St Abbs, Scotland
Anemone Gardens is one of the signature dive sites of the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve, named for the dense carpets of jewel anemones and plumose anemones that drape the granite walls and gullies between roughly 12 and 18 metres. The site is on the eastern shoulder of the headland just south of St Abbs harbour and consists of vertical and stepped rock faces falling onto a sand and pebble bottom. Visibility in summer is regularly 8 to 15 metres, exceptional by North Sea standards, and water temperatures range from 7 to 14 degrees Celsius. The walls are covered with jewel anemones in dazzling pink, red, orange and white, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident species include wolffish, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, butterfish, lumpsuckers, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional Atlantic grey seal. Currents are weak inside the reserve and dives run from charter boats at St Abbs harbour.
Torquay, England
Babbacombe Beach near Torquay in south Devon is one of the most popular shore-diving sites on the South Devon coast and a fixture of UK club training. A sheltered limestone cove with a sloping pebble beach offers easy entry directly from the foreshore onto a mixed seabed of rock, kelp, sand and small reefs in 4 to 15 metres of water. The bay is well sheltered from prevailing south westerlies and is widely used for entry-level training, refresher dives and AOWD progression. The headlands flanking the beach drop into low rocky reefs cloaked in kelp forests, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, snakelocks anemones, sponges and pink coralline algae. Resident species include ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, tompot blennies, sand gobies, dragonets, hermit crabs, edible crabs, spider crabs, lobsters, cuttlefish in summer, the occasional small-spotted catshark and seahorse sightings have been reported in summer. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 18 degrees Celsius across the year. Currents are weak inside the bay.
Eastbourne, England
The waters off Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain on the East Sussex coast, contain numerous shipwrecks that have accumulated over centuries because of the strong tidal currents and busy English Channel shipping lanes. Sites in the area include the SS Alaunia 2, SS Oceana and various WWI and WWII steamers and trawlers, generally lying on a chalk and gravel bottom in 22 to 30 metres of water. The wrecks are typically broken but identifiable, with boilers, propeller shafts, anchors and structural plating clearly visible. The hulls are densely encrusted with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, and the area attracts strong filter-feeder communities because of the powerful tidal currents that channel through the eastern English Channel. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, edible crabs, spider crabs and lobsters. Visibility ranges from 4 to 10 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and dives are timed around slack water from Eastbourne and Newhaven charter boats.
Bembridge, England
Bembridge Ledge is a long limestone reef extending east from the Isle of Wight's eastern tip into the busy shipping lanes of the eastern English Channel. The ledge runs in a series of stepped reefs, gullies and small caverns at 5 to 15 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom and is one of the most accessible boat dives in the central English Channel. The reef has a long history of shipwrecks, with debris of multiple steel hull plates, propeller shafts and anchors scattered along its length. The structure is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests on the shallower margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, edible crabs, spider crabs and lobsters. Visibility ranges from 4 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents over the reef are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Bembridge charter boats.
Brixham, England
Berry Head is the dramatic limestone headland that forms the southern arm of Tor Bay in south Devon, and the surrounding underwater cliffs and reefs offer some of the best wall and pinnacle dives on the South Devon coast. The headland drops in vertical limestone walls and stepped ledges to 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom, with offshore pinnacles such as Mew Stone and the Cod Rock providing additional sites. The walls are densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones in patches, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs, with occasional sunfish in late summer. Berry Head is part of a Marine Conservation Zone designated for its rocky reef habitat. Visibility ranges from 6 to 12 metres in summer and water temperature varies between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate. Dives run from Brixham charter boats around slack water.
St Abbs, Scotland
Black Carrs is a tidal reef just outside St Abbs harbour, one of the most reliable boat dives of the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve. The site consists of a series of granite pinnacles and gullies rising from a sand and pebble bottom at around 20 metres to within 6 to 8 metres of the surface. The walls and overhangs are densely encrusted with plumose anemones, jewel anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, and kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea blanket the shallower margins. Visibility regularly reaches 8 to 15 metres in summer, exceptional for the North Sea, and water temperature varies between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, lumpsuckers, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, butterfish, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs and Atlantic grey seals. Currents off the reef are moderate, and dives are run from charter boats out of St Abbs harbour around slack water. The site is suitable for AOWD-level divers comfortable in cold water with drysuits.
Plymouth, England
Bovisand Bay is one of the most popular shore-diving training sites in southern England, located just outside Plymouth Sound's eastern entrance and home to a dive centre that has been running since the 1970s. A sheltered cove with a slipway provides safe entry over a bottom of sand and pebbles into a series of low rocky reefs that extend offshore in 6 to 12 metres of water. The site is heavily used for entry-level training, refreshers and BSAC progression dives because of its protected aspect, easy entry, gentle gradient and reliable conditions. Marine life includes ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, tompot blennies, sand gobies, hermit crabs, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish or small spider crab pile in late summer. Plumose anemones, dead man's fingers and snakelocks anemones grow on the reef edges, with kelp forests in the shallows. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperature varies from 9 to 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the bay.
Penzance, England
Bream Rocks lies on the granite backbone of Cornwall's Land's End peninsula, a boat-only reef exposed to open Atlantic swell at England's southwestern tip. The seabed is broken granite — gullies, boulders and low pinnacles — terrain typical of this stretch, where slack-water timing matters more than raw depth. In-season visibility runs to roughly 10m, dropping fast with any groundswell. Ballan and cuckoo wrasse work the cracks, small-spotted catshark shelter under ledges, spider and velvet swimming crabs pack the crevices, and jewel anemones carpet shaded faces. Basking sharks and harbour porpoises pass offshore May through September. Granite, current and boat-only entry make this an intermediate site — for divers comfortable planning around the tide, not a first open-water dive.
Tobermory, Scotland
Calve Island lies just off Tobermory in the Sound of Mull and is one of the most popular intermediate dive sites on the Scottish west coast. The southern shoulder of the island drops in a series of stepped rock walls and gullies onto a clean rock and silt bottom at 25 metres, with sheltered conditions inside the bay. The walls are densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, feather stars and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, lumpsuckers, lobsters and the occasional Atlantic grey seal. Visibility is reliable in the Sound, often 8 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures vary between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents inside the bay are weak. The site is dived from Tobermory charter boats and is often combined with a wreck dive on the Hispania or Shuna in the same day. Suitable for AOWD divers in drysuits.
Carnforth, England
Capernwray Diving Centre, near Carnforth in Lancashire, is a flooded former limestone quarry and one of northern England's leading inland dive training sites. Operating as a dedicated dive centre since 1980, the lake reaches 22 metres at its deepest point and offers an extensive collection of submerged attractions, including a Hawker Hunter T7 jet aircraft, a Wessex helicopter, the wreck of the Princess and several training platforms at staged depths. Marine life is freshwater and quite varied: rainbow trout, brown trout, perch, roach, ide, sticklebacks, freshwater crayfish and the occasional pike. Submerged statues, deliberately placed in shallow water, are a popular underwater photography subject. Visibility commonly reaches 5 to 12 metres on calm days and water temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius in winter to 18 degrees in late summer at the surface, with reliable thermoclines at 10 to 12 metres dropping to 6 to 8 degrees throughout the year. The site offers air and nitrox fills, classrooms, cafe, equipment hire and runs year-round, with strong PADI and BSAC training links.
St Abbs, Scotland
Cathedral Rock is the most famous dive site in the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve on the East Berwickshire coast. The site is named for a vaulted natural archway and tunnel cut through a granite outcrop, which divers can swim through at depths between 12 and 18 metres. Light shafts penetrating the arch and the dense covering of orange and white plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids inside the tunnel make this one of the most photographed dive sites in Britain. The reserve was the first community-led marine reserve in the United Kingdom and protects exceptional cold-water marine life, including wolffish, lumpsuckers, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels and large lobsters. Visibility is consistently good for the North Sea, often 8 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures vary between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius across the year. Currents are moderate and dives are run from charter boats out of St Abbs and Eyemouth harbours. Cathedral Rock is suitable for AOWD divers comfortable in cold water with drysuits.
New Quay, Wales
Cei Bach is a sheltered shore-dive site in Cardigan Bay near New Quay, on the west coast of Wales. The bay is part of the Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation, designated to protect one of the United Kingdom's two resident bottlenose dolphin populations and the only resident pod in Wales. The dive site itself is a gentle slope of sand, mud and seagrass beds extending into 6 to 12 metres of water, with low rocky reefs along the headlands. Marine life is shaped by the sheltered, sediment-rich environment: peacock worms, common starfish, sand gobies, dragonets, hermit crabs, small-spotted catsharks, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish in summer. Bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises and Atlantic grey seals are seen at the surface and on rare occasions encountered while diving. Visibility ranges from 2 to 6 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the bay. Cei Bach is suited to entry-level shore divers, snorkellers and macro-photography sessions.
Stromness, Scotland
The Doyle, also written Doyle, was an American coal hulk scuttled in Burra Sound on the western edge of Scapa Flow in 1940 as part of the early WWII blockship programme designed to seal off the secondary entrances of the Flow against German U-boats. The wreck has been thoroughly broken apart by the strong tidal currents that surge through the sound but the remains still form a recognisable hull line in 8 to 14 metres of water on a mixed shingle and rock bottom. The Doyle is dived only at slack water because the tidal stream regularly exceeds three knots. The structure is now covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids and supports a healthy population of edible crabs, lobsters, ballan wrasse, pollack and conger eels. Grey seals are commonly encountered. Because of the shallow depth and the tidally limited dive window the Doyle is usually combined with the Tabarka or Inverlane in a single boat schedule from Stromness, and is suited to advanced open water divers in drysuits.
Falmouth, England
The Drawna Rocks are a series of granite pinnacles and reefs off Porthkerris on the Lizard Peninsula's east coast, between the village and the offshore Manacles reef. The site rises from a 24-metre seabed to within 6 metres of the surface and offers dramatic walls, gullies and small overhangs without the strongest of the Manacles' tidal currents. The structure is densely covered with jewel anemones in vivid colour, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs, with the occasional sunfish in late summer. Drawna Rocks is run from Porthkerris and is widely used as an introduction to Lizard reef diving before progressing to the more demanding offshore Manacles sites. Visibility is typically 6 to 12 metres in summer, water temperature ranges from 9 to 17 degrees Celsius, and currents are moderate around the pinnacles.
Plymouth, England
Eddystone Reef is a notorious offshore rock outcrop about 9 nautical miles south south west of Plymouth, marked since 1698 by a succession of lighthouses. The reef has claimed countless ships and offers some of the best offshore diving in the English Channel. Pinnacles, walls and gullies rise from depths of 45 metres or more to within 10 metres of the surface around the active and disused lighthouse stumps. The vertical rock faces are densely covered in jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, and the area is a known feeding ground for basking sharks and ocean sunfish in late summer. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, bass, conger eels, lobsters and edible crabs. Visibility frequently reaches 12 to 20 metres in summer because of the offshore location, and water temperatures range from 10 to 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and dives must be timed around slack water. Charter boats run from Plymouth and the site is restricted to advanced divers comfortable with offshore tidal conditions.
Eyemouth, Scotland
The Eyemouth harbour wall is one of the most reliable shore-diving sites on the East Berwickshire coast and a regular base for visitors to the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve. Easy entry from the wall steps leads onto a mixed bottom of rocks, sand and small reefs in 4 to 15 metres of water, sheltered from prevailing weather. The site is heavily used for entry-level training, refreshers, equipment shake-downs and night dives. Marine life is rich for a harbour: plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, snakelocks anemones, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae cover the rocks, with kelp on the shallower margins. Resident species include wolffish, butterfish, sea scorpions, ballan wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lumpsuckers, edible crabs, spider crabs and lobsters. Visibility is generally 4 to 10 metres and water temperatures sit between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the harbour. The site connects to the wider reserve dive sites by short boat trips from Eyemouth.
Stromness, Scotland
The F2 is a German Type F escort vessel that sank in Scapa Flow during a storm in 1946 while awaiting disposal as a war prize. The wreck sits upright on a sandy bottom at around 18 metres in Gutter Sound, just off Lyness, with the deck around 12 metres. It is paired with the wreck of YC21, a salvage barge that capsized while working on the F2 and now lies adjacent at similar depth. Together they form one of the easier and most popular wrecks in Scapa, ideal for AOWD-level divers. Penetration is possible into the open holds of YC21 and into clearly defined sections of F2, where engine blocks, deck guns, gun mounts, and ammunition are still visible. Visibility typically reaches 8 to 12 metres in summer, and water temperatures range between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius. Thick plumose anemone colonies blanket the structure, and pollack, ballan wrasse, ling, conger eels and curious grey seals are commonly seen. Currents are weak and dives run year-round from Stromness or Houton charter boats.
Seahouses, England
The Farne Islands are a group of islets and rocks off the Northumberland coast and one of the most famous wildlife dive destinations in the United Kingdom. The site is best known for its resident colony of more than four thousand Atlantic grey seals, which routinely approach divers, nibble fins, gently bite snorkels and engage in playful interactions throughout the dive. The reefs around the islands offer dramatic underwater topography of rocky pinnacles, gullies and walls falling from the surface to about 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom. The structure is densely covered with dead man's fingers, plumose anemones, jewel anemones in patches, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lumpsuckers and butterfish. Visibility is typically 6 to 12 metres in summer and water temperatures range from 7 to 15 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate to strong and dives are timed around slack water from Seahouses charter boats.
Plymouth, England
HMS Coronation was a 90-gun second-rate Royal Navy ship-of-the-line that foundered in a storm off Penlee Point, Plymouth, in September 1691, breaking into two distinct wreck sites. The inshore site lies in shallow water of about 6 to 15 metres on a mixed reef and sand seabed close to the rocks at Penlee Point, scattered across a large area. The wreck is a Protected Wreck designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, so divers must obtain a licence to visit and may not remove any artefacts. The site preserves cannons, anchors, ballast piles, structural timbers and concretions. Visibility on a good day reaches 6 to 10 metres, and water temperatures vary between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius. Currents in the area are moderate and the site is dived from Plymouth charter boats around slack water. Marine life includes ballan wrasse, pollack, conger eels, edible crabs and lobsters, with abundant kelp and red algae on the surrounding reef. The Coronation is one of the most historically important dive sites in southern England.
Stromness, Scotland
HMS Pheasant was a Royal Navy M-class destroyer that struck a German mine on 1 March 1917 off Hoy in Scapa Flow approaches and sank with the loss of all 89 crew. The 81-metre wreck lies on its starboard side at around 70 metres on a sandy seabed, west of the Old Man of Hoy, and is considered an advanced or technical dive. Despite the depth the wreck remains in good condition, with the bow, bridge area, deck guns, torpedo tubes and stern all clearly identifiable. The hull is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids. Visibility frequently reaches 12 to 20 metres in summer because of the offshore location and constant tidal flushing, and water temperature stays between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling and the occasional ballan wrasse. Currents are moderate at depth. The site is dived from Stromness charter boats by mixed-gas technical teams or experienced trimix recreational divers, and is one of the deepest classic wreck dives in Britain.
Plymouth, England
HMS Scylla is a former Leander-class Royal Navy frigate that was deliberately sunk in March 2004 in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, becoming the United Kingdom's first purpose-built artificial reef. The 113-metre warship sits upright on a sandy seabed at around 24 metres, with the bridge and superstructure topping out at 12 to 15 metres. The hull was carefully prepared with cut access points to make it safe for divers, and the deck guns, helideck, exhaust funnels, bridge, mast and stern flight area are all easily explored. Visibility ranges from 5 to 10 metres and water temperatures vary between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius across the year, peaking in late summer. Marine colonisation has been remarkable: dense plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids cover most of the structure, and the wreck is patrolled by pollack, ballan wrasse, bib, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional cuttlefish. Currents are weak and the site is dived from charter boats out of Plymouth. Scylla is suitable for AOWD divers and is often paired with the nearby James Eagan Layne wreck.
Plymouth, England
The Hand Deeps is a series of rocky pinnacles rising from a 30-metre seabed to within 12 metres of the surface, located about 6 nautical miles south west of Plymouth. The site is one of the best reef dives in the English Channel, combining dramatic underwater topography with one of the richest concentrations of soft corals and anemones in southern England. The vertical faces and overhangs are blanketed with jewel anemones in vivid pinks, oranges, reds and whites, alongside plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and the occasional sunfish or basking shark in late summer. Visibility commonly ranges from 8 to 15 metres in summer and water temperature varies between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents over the pinnacles are moderate to strong, and dives are timed around slack water from charter boats out of Plymouth. The site is suitable for advanced divers and is a regular fixture for southern UK clubs.
Herm, Channel Islands
Herm is a small island in the Channel Islands just east of Guernsey, surrounded by reefs, sandbanks and rocky outcrops that offer excellent intermediate diving in some of the clearest temperate water in the British Isles. The waters around Herm benefit from strong tidal currents through the channel between the island and Guernsey, supporting unusually rich marine life for a temperate location. Sites include Mouettes, Tete de la Pointe and Crevichon, with vertical walls, gullies and reef shelves descending from the surface to 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom. The walls are densely covered with jewel anemones in pinks, oranges and reds, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, pink coralline algae and kelp forests on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs, cuttlefish in summer and Atlantic grey seals. Visibility commonly reaches 10 to 18 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 11 and 18 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate to strong, with slack water timing required.
Holyhead, Wales
The cliffs at the western edge of Holy Island, Anglesey, drop into some of the most dramatic underwater topography in North Wales. Vertical rock walls, gullies, caverns and pinnacles fall from the surface to over 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom, exposed to Irish Sea swell and strong tidal currents. Diving is concentrated around North Stack, South Stack and the cliffs that rise to the iconic South Stack lighthouse. The walls are densely encrusted with jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and kelp on the upper margins, with red and pink coralline algae carpeting horizontal surfaces. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters and edible crabs. Atlantic grey seals are commonly seen on the surface and occasionally underwater near the gullies. Currents are strong off the headlands and dives are timed around slack water from Holyhead charter boats. Visibility ranges from 5 to 12 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius. Suitable for advanced drift-experienced divers.
Stromness, Scotland
The Inverlane was a British tanker partially scuttled in Burra Sound, Scapa Flow, after being damaged by a mine during WWII. The bow section was deliberately sunk in 1944 as part of the blockship defences against U-boat incursion at the western entrance to the Flow. The remaining wreckage now lies broken across a shingle and rock bottom at 8 to 14 metres, with the keel and hull plating heavily collapsed but still recognisable. Like other Burra Sound wrecks, the Inverlane is dived only at slack water because the tidal flow rips through the sound at several knots. Visibility is typically 8 to 12 metres in summer thanks to the constant tidal flushing. The wreckage is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers and hydroids, and supports lobsters, edible crabs, pollack, ballan wrasse, conger eels and the occasional grey seal. The relatively shallow depth makes it suitable for AOWD divers with drysuit experience and is generally combined with the Tabarka in the same slack-water schedule. Boats run from Stromness.
Plymouth, England
The James Eagan Layne is a US Liberty ship torpedoed by U-1195 on 21 March 1945 in the western approaches to Plymouth and beached at Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, where it eventually broke up and settled on a sandy seabed at 24 metres. The 134-metre wreck is the most dived shipwreck in southern England and a rite of passage for British divers. The bow section remains the most intact, with the foremast, anchor, hawsepipes and forecastle clearly recognisable. Cargo holds are largely open after decades of decay, allowing easy and safe swim-throughs for trained divers. Visibility typically ranges from 4 to 10 metres, and water temperature varies between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius across the year. The wreck is densely encrusted with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, hydroids, sponges and small kelp, and supports populations of pollack, bib, ballan wrasse, conger eels, edible crabs and lobsters. Currents are usually weak. Charter boats run from Plymouth, and Layne is often paired with the nearby HMS Scylla.
Lochcarron, Scotland
Loch Carron is a sheltered sea loch on the western coast of the Scottish Highlands and is part of the Loch Carron Marine Protected Area, designated in 2017 to protect one of the United Kingdom's largest known beds of flame shells, the small but vividly orange-fringed bivalve Limaria hians, which build complex nest structures on the seabed. The MPA covers more than 50 square kilometres of the inner loch and the beds host extraordinary biodiversity. Diveable depths range from a few metres to 25 metres on a soft sediment seabed dotted with kelp-fringed rocky outcrops. Resident species include common skate, sea pens, brittle stars, common starfish, peacock worms, nudibranchs, squat lobsters, common octopus, sea scorpions, butterfish and ballan wrasse. Atlantic grey seals are seen near the entrance. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 7 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the loch. Carron is a year-round destination especially loved by photographers and biologists.
Arrochar, Scotland
Loch Long is a deep sea loch on the western Scottish coast, around an hour from Glasgow, and is the most accessible cold-water training ground for divers in central and southern Scotland. The most popular shore dive is at Conger Alley near A'Chruach, where a steep slope of mud and rubble drops from the surface to over 30 metres, hosting an exceptional variety of cold-water muck diving species. The site is famous for guaranteed encounters with conger eels in the rubble, alongside wolffish, sea scorpions, gobies, butterfish, common octopus, common starfish, brittle stars, sea pens, plumose anemones and sea urchins. Photographers come for the rich macro life, including nudibranchs, juvenile squat lobsters and crustaceans. Visibility is variable, often 3 to 8 metres, but the loch supports diving year-round and water temperatures range from 6 to 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are negligible. The shore entry is over rounded boulders and shallow pebbles. Loch Long is a major Scottish dive training and progression destination.
Strontian, Scotland
Loch Sunart is the longest sea loch on the western Scottish coast and one of the most biologically diverse marine inlets in the United Kingdom. It is part of the Loch Sunart Marine Protected Area, designated to protect its rare flame shell beds, native oyster populations, common skate aggregations and serpulid reefs. Diving in Sunart focuses on the inner basins around Salen and the islands of Carna, where shore and small-boat sites give access to a soft sediment seabed studded with flame shell colonies, sea pens, brittle stars, common starfish, nudibranchs, sea slugs, peacock worms, plumose anemones and dead man's fingers. The kelp-fringed rocky margins host ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, butterfish, lumpsuckers and the occasional common skate, one of Britain's most threatened cartilaginous fish. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 6 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the loch. Sunart is a year-round destination especially loved by underwater photographers and biologists.
Lochaline, Scotland
Lochaline Pier is one of the most popular shore-dive sites on the west coast of Scotland and the launch point for many of the boat dives in the Sound of Mull. The pier itself drops onto a mixed seabed of mud, sand and pebbles in 6 to 22 metres of water, with rocky outcrops and the legs of the structure offering a shallow-to-deep training profile that is sheltered from prevailing weather. The site is famous for resident wolffish, conger eels, sea scorpions, butterfish, gobies, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sea pens, nudibranchs, common starfish, brittle stars, lobsters and edible crabs. Common octopus are seen regularly in summer. Visibility is reliable for the west coast, often 5 to 12 metres, and water temperatures range from 7 to 14 degrees Celsius. Currents inside the loch entrance are weak, and the easy entry, gentle slope and abundance of life make Lochaline a year-round Scottish training and macro photography hotspot. Charter boats also operate from the pier to the Hispania, Shuna and Rondo wrecks.
Bideford, England
Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel is one of the United Kingdom's premier dive destinations and was home to England's first Marine Nature Reserve, designated in 1986 and upgraded to a Marine Conservation Zone in 2010 and a No Take Zone since 2003. The granite island offers an extraordinary diversity of dive sites along its three-mile length, with vertical walls, kelp forests, gullies, reefs and shipwrecks all within short boat journeys. The waters surrounding Lundy are a meeting point of warmer southern Atlantic and colder northern currents, supporting a uniquely diverse marine life: jewel anemones in dazzling colour, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, sunset cup corals, pink seafans, ross corals and rare branching sponges. Resident species include Atlantic grey seals that frequently approach divers, basking sharks in summer, lobsters, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and tompot blennies. Visibility commonly reaches 8 to 15 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 10 and 17 degrees Celsius. Boats run from Ilfracombe, Bideford and Clovelly.
St Keverne, England
The Manacles is a notorious reef system about a mile off the Lizard Peninsula's eastern coast in Cornwall, made up of jagged granite pinnacles rising from depths of 40 metres or more to within a few metres of the surface. The reef has claimed more than a hundred ships since the seventeenth century, including SS Mohegan and SS Volnay, and the seabed around the pinnacles is a mosaic of shipwreck debris, anchors and cannons. The Manacles is one of the most biologically rich dive areas in England, designated a Marine Conservation Zone, with vertical rock faces draped in jewel anemones in red, pink, orange and white, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and the occasional bass. Currents are strong and dives must be planned around slack water windows. Visibility frequently reaches 10 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Charter boats run from Falmouth and Porthkerris.
Plymouth, England
The Mewstone Ledges are a series of rocky reefs and gullies running south from the distinctive Mewstone islet at the mouth of the River Yealm, just east of Plymouth Sound. The site is a popular intermediate dive offering varied topography from boulder fields and kelp forests in the shallows to clean rock walls and sand-bottomed gullies down to 18 metres. The ledges are densely encrusted with jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink encrusting coralline algae, while kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea blanket the upper reef. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and tompot blennies. Lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish are common. Visibility ranges from 4 to 10 metres in summer and water temperatures vary from 9 to 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate, and the site is dived from Plymouth charter boats around slack water. The Mewstone is well suited to AOWD divers building experience in the English Channel.
Selsey, England
The Mulberry Harbour at Pagham, also known as the Pagham Mulberry, is a section of one of the prefabricated WWII portable harbours built for the D-Day landings, abandoned during a storm while being towed to Normandy in June 1944 and never recovered. The concrete and steel caisson, known as a Phoenix unit, lies upright on a sand and shingle bottom at about 12 metres just off Pagham Beach in West Sussex. The wreck is one of the most accessible WWII relics in the United Kingdom, suitable as a confined or shallow training dive in good conditions. The structure is colonised with plumose anemones, snakelocks anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and small kelp, and supports populations of ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, edible crabs and lobsters. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak. Charter boats run from Selsey and Bognor Regis. The site has historical significance as a tangible link to D-Day operations.
Chepstow, Wales
The National Diving and Activity Centre near Chepstow on the Welsh side of the River Wye is a flooded former limestone quarry and the deepest inland dive site in the United Kingdom, reaching 80 metres at its lowest point. The site is a major training facility for technical, recreational and rebreather divers, with multiple submerged platforms at 6, 12, 22, 30, 50 and 70 metres, and an extensive collection of attractions: a Wessex helicopter, a SeaCat catamaran, several boats, training platforms, a tank and decommissioned aircraft fuselage. Marine life is freshwater: rainbow trout, brown trout, perch, roach, signal crayfish and ducks. Visibility is consistently good, often 8 to 15 metres because of the limestone geology and limited surface flow, and water temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius in winter to 18 degrees in late summer at the surface. Pronounced thermoclines descend from 12 metres into colder water, with the deepest layers at 4 to 6 degrees year-round. The centre runs technical courses, rebreather training, accommodation, a cafe and air, nitrox and trimix fills.
Beaumaris, Wales
Penmon Point is at the eastern tip of Anglesey, where the Menai Strait meets the open Irish Sea. The site is best known to British divers for the rocky reefs and tidal gullies running off the lighthouse and Trwyn Du, where tidal currents accelerate to several knots at peak flow but feed an exceptional richness of filter-feeding life. Dives are run only at slack water and are typically drift profiles along the reef edge in 8 to 18 metres of water on rock and gravel substrate. Plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae cover the rocks, with kelp forests on the shallower margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs, with porpoises occasionally seen at the surface. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures sit between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius. The site is suitable for drift-experienced AOWD divers and is run from Beaumaris charter boats.
Padstow, England
Pentire Point is the dramatic headland north of Padstow on the north Cornwall coast, where high cliffs of slate and sandstone fall into clear Atlantic water on the western shoulder of the Camel Estuary. The underwater topography continues the dramatic nature of the cliffs above, with vertical rock walls, gullies and small caverns falling from the surface to 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom. The headland is exposed to Atlantic swell and is dived in settled summer conditions only. The walls are densely covered with jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs, with the occasional Atlantic grey seal. Visibility ranges from 6 to 12 metres in summer and water temperature varies between 10 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate, and dives run from Padstow and Port Quin charter boats around slack water.
Plymouth, England
The Plymouth Breakwater is the kilometre-long stone barrier built between 1812 and 1841 to protect Plymouth Sound, and the artificial fort built on its southern end provides one of the most distinctive boat dives in southern England. The base of the breakwater drops to about 18 metres on a mixed bottom of granite blocks, sand and pebbles. The structure has accumulated over a century and a half of marine colonisation: dense plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones in patches, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae cover the granite, with kelp forests on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels in the gaps between blocks, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish in summer. Visibility ranges from 4 to 10 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Plymouth charter boats. The site is suitable for AOWD divers in drysuits.
Swansea, Wales
Pwll Du Bay is a quiet pebble-and-sand cove on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula, the United Kingdom's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The bay is reached by a footpath from the cliffs above and offers protected shore-diving over a mixed bottom of rock, kelp, pebbles and sand in 4 to 12 metres of water. The headlands flanking the bay drop into rocky reefs cloaked in kelp forests, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, snakelocks anemones, sponges and pink coralline algae. Resident species include ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, tompot blennies, sand gobies, dragonets, hermit crabs, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish or small-spotted catshark. Atlantic grey seals are sometimes seen near the headlands. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Tidal currents are moderate off the headlands but weak inside the bay. The site is well suited to entry-level shore divers and snorkellers willing to walk in to a quieter location.
St Davids, Wales
Ramsey Sound is a north-south tidal channel between Ramsey Island and the St David's peninsula, 500-1600m wide, its central trench reaching 30-60m and flanked by shallower rock ramps to east and west. Sandy gravel sits over Precambrian-Cambrian bedrock, with 20-90m cliffs framing the passage. Tides run hard here, 6-7 knots through the main channel, spiking to 16-18 knots locally at The Bitches, where standing waves build to 2m. Entry is boat-only, timed around slack water, and reserved for advanced divers used to strong current and broken rock. Grey seals haul out and pup on Ramsey Island each autumn, and a resident harbour porpoise pod hunts the Sound daily, repositioning with the tide. Season runs April to October; drysuit recommended year-round.
Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
Rathlin Island lies off the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland and is one of the most rewarding dive destinations in the region, combining dramatic underwater topography with significant shipwrecks and exceptional water clarity. The waters around the island host more than 40 known wrecks, including HMS Drake, a Royal Navy armoured cruiser torpedoed by U-79 on 2 October 1917 and lying inverted at 19 metres in Church Bay, and SS Loch Garry sunk in 1937. Walls and pinnacles drop from the surface to 45 metres or more on rock and sand bottoms, densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones, sponges, hydroids, kelp and pink coralline algae. Atlantic grey seals are commonly encountered, with ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, ling, conger eels, lobsters and the occasional basking shark in late summer. Visibility frequently reaches 12 to 20 metres in summer because of the offshore tidal flushing, and water temperatures vary between 9 and 15 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and dives are timed around slack water from Ballycastle and Rathlin charter boats.
Stromness, Scotland
The Reginald is a British steel-hulled merchant ship scuttled in 1915 across the eastern end of Burra Sound as one of the first generation of WWI Scapa Flow blockships. After more than a century underwater the wreck has been heavily fragmented by storms and the relentless tidal currents that pour through the sound, but the bow section, frames and ribs are still clearly identifiable in 8 to 12 metres of water on a rock and shingle bottom. The Reginald can only be dived during the brief slack water windows that punctuate the tidal cycle and is consequently a popular companion dive to the Tabarka or Inverlane on Burra Sound charter days. Visibility is typically 8 to 12 metres thanks to constant tidal flushing. The exposed steelwork is colonised by plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, kelp at the shallowest extremities, hydroids and sponges. Lobsters, edible crabs, pollack, ballan wrasse, conger eels and grey seals are routinely encountered. Boats run from Stromness in tightly timed slack-water schedules.
Portrush, Northern Ireland
Roe Island is a small rocky island off Portrush on the north coast of Northern Ireland and one of the most popular dive sites in the region. The walls and gullies surrounding the island drop from the surface to 25 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom, with stepped ledges and small caverns offering dramatic underwater topography. The site is exposed to strong tidal currents that drive nutrient-rich water through the area, supporting dense filter-feeder communities: plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones in patches, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae carpet the structure, with kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the upper margins. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs and spider crabs, with the occasional Atlantic grey seal. Visibility ranges from 4 to 10 metres in summer and water temperatures vary between 9 and 15 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and dives are timed around slack water from Portrush charter boats. The site is suitable for advanced divers comfortable in cold water with drysuits.
Penzance, England
Runnel Stone is a granite pinnacle just off Gwennap Head, near Land's End in Cornwall, marked by a south cardinal buoy. The pinnacle rises from a seabed of about 30 metres to within a few metres of the surface and has claimed many ships, including SS City of Westminster in 1923, whose wreckage now lies scattered across the seabed around the rock. The site combines rich reef life with substantial wreckage, making it one of the most rewarding dives in west Cornwall. Vertical walls and gullies are cloaked in jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and the occasional sunfish in late summer. Visibility commonly reaches 10 to 15 metres on neap tides and water temperature varies between 10 and 17 degrees Celsius. Tidal currents over the pinnacle are strong and dives must be timed around slack water. Charter boats run from Penzance and Newlyn, and the site is suitable for advanced divers comfortable in tidal sites.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Brummer is a German light minelaying cruiser scuttled in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919, lying on its starboard side at depths between roughly 22 and 36 metres. The 140-metre wreck is one of the most photogenic and beginner-friendly of the Scapa Flow cruisers because of its relatively shallow keel, intact bow, and surviving 15cm guns still trained on imaginary horizons. Divers can swim along the open deck, explore the gun mounts, the bridge area where the rangefinder once stood, the davits, and follow the hull to the stern. Visibility is often 8 to 12 metres in summer, and water temperature ranges from 6 to 12 degrees Celsius year-round. Plumose anemones, dead man's fingers and hydroids carpet the structure, and the wreck supports populations of pollack, ballan wrasse, ling, conger eels and occasional cod. Currents inside the Flow are moderate, and dives are run from Stromness charter boats around slack water windows. Brummer is regarded as one of the classic introductory dives to the Scapa Flow High Seas Fleet experience.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Coln, sometimes spelled Cologne, is a German Cologne-class light cruiser scuttled with the High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. It is widely regarded as the most intact of the four surviving German cruisers, lying on its starboard side at depths from 20 to 36 metres. The 155-metre hull preserves the bow, the foredeck and bridge superstructure, port-side rangefinders, davits, multiple 15cm guns and a striking stern with surviving propellers and rudder. Holes in the hull allow guided penetration into mess decks and corridors for suitably trained divers. Visibility is generally 8 to 12 metres in summer and water temperatures sit between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius year-round. The wreck supports thick growths of plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, hydroids and sponges, and is home to wolffish, conger eels, ling, ballan wrasse and pollack. Currents are weak to moderate. Coln is consistently rated by Scapa veterans as the best of the German cruisers and is typically dived from Stromness-based hardboats around slack water.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Dresden is a German Cologne-class light cruiser scuttled in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919 with the rest of the interned High Seas Fleet. The 155-metre wreck lies on its port side at depths between roughly 22 and 38 metres, and is one of four cruisers commonly dived in the Flow. Highlights include the intact bow with anchor hawsepipes, the bridge superstructure, rangefinders, davits, several 15cm guns trained out from the casemates, and a heavily collapsed midships area where boilers and engines are visible. Visibility is typically 8 to 12 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius all year. The hull is densely colonised by plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, hydroids and sponges. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, ling, pollack, ballan wrasse and occasional grey seals. Currents are moderate and dives are run from Stromness charter boats during slack water. Dresden is suitable for advanced divers comfortable in cold water with drysuits and is typically paired with a Cologne or Karlsruhe dive on the same day.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Karlsruhe is a German Konigsberg-class light cruiser scuttled in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. Lying on its starboard side at depths from about 12 to 27 metres, it is the shallowest of the surviving High Seas Fleet cruisers and a popular introduction to Scapa wreck diving. The 151-metre hull retains a strikingly intact bow, the foredeck with anchor hawsepipes, davits, and several 15cm casemate guns. Salvage and natural collapse have opened sections of the hull, allowing experienced divers to identify boilers, condensers and machinery spaces on guided dives. Visibility frequently reaches 8 to 12 metres in summer and water temperature stays between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius. The wreck is colonised by plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, and supports ling, pollack, ballan wrasse, conger eels and occasional grey seals investigating divers. Currents are weak to moderate and dives are run from Stromness charter boats. Karlsruhe is suitable for AOWD and above with drysuit experience and is typically combined with a second dive on the Cologne or Dresden in a single day boat schedule.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Konig was a German Konig-class battleship scuttled with the rest of the High Seas Fleet on 21 June 1919 in Scapa Flow, Orkney. The wreck rests upside down at around 38-40 metres on a seabed of fine silt, with the keel reaching up to about 20 metres. As one of the three remaining battleships in Scapa (alongside Kronprinz Wilhelm and Markgraf), Konig is one of the largest and most historic dives in British waters. Divers can explore the massive 175-metre hull, the upturned 30.5cm gun turrets that have collapsed onto the seabed, the rudder and propeller shafts, and salvage cuts where parts of the ship were recovered in the twentieth century. Visibility is typically 5 to 10 metres, occasionally better in summer, and water temperatures range from 6 to 12 degrees Celsius year-round, requiring drysuits. Marine life is abundant for a temperate site: plumose anemones blanket the hull, while wolffish, ling, conger eels and pollack patrol the wreckage. Tidal currents in the Flow are moderate but predictable, and dives are usually planned around slack water from a hardboat with surface support.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm is one of the three surviving Konig-class battleships of the Imperial German Navy lying in Scapa Flow, Orkney, scuttled on 21 June 1919. The wreck sits upside down with the keel at around 12 metres and the seabed at roughly 38 metres, making it one of the more accessible of the great battleships for properly trained recreational and technical divers. Highlights include the massive bow, the upturned hull plating with intact armour belt, fallen 30.5cm main turrets, casemate guns, and the steering gear at the stern. Salvage operations during the 1930s and again later in the twentieth century cut into parts of the ship, exposing internal compartments. Visibility ranges from 5 to 12 metres in summer and water temperatures sit between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius. The wreck is colonised by dense plumose anemones, dead man's fingers and hydroids, and is patrolled by wolffish, conger eels, ling and pollack. All dives are run from charter boats out of Stromness or Houton, planned around slack water and predictable Pentland Firth tidal influences.
Stromness, Scotland
SMS Markgraf is the deepest and arguably most pristine of the three remaining Konig-class battleships of the German High Seas Fleet, scuttled in Scapa Flow on 21 June 1919. The wreck rests almost completely upside down on a seabed of around 45 metres, with the keel reaching up to about 24 metres. Of the three battleships, Markgraf has been the least disturbed by salvage, retaining most of its 30.5cm main turrets and casemate armament. Divers exploring the 175-metre hull encounter the rudder and twin propellers, intact armour plating, exposed boiler rooms where salvage cuts allow penetration for trained technical divers, and the upturned superstructure now resting on the silt. Water temperatures stay between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius, visibility ranges from 5 to 10 metres, and gentle to moderate currents are typical inside the Flow. Marine life includes plumose anemones, ballan wrasse, ling, conger eels, and the occasional seal. Markgraf is generally considered an advanced or technical-level dive and is run from charter boats based in Stromness.
Tobermory, Scotland
The SS Hispania is a Swedish merchant steamer that struck Sgeir Mor reef in the Sound of Mull on 18 December 1954 and sank with the loss of one life, after the captain remained aboard. The 73-metre wreck stands almost upright on the seabed at 22 to 30 metres, and is widely regarded as one of the best wreck dives in Scotland. The bridge, masts, davits, holds and stern with rudder and propeller are remarkably intact, although superstructure has progressively collapsed over the decades. The hull is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Visibility in the Sound is reliably 8 to 15 metres in summer because of the relatively sheltered, glacial-fed waters, and water temperature varies between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ballan wrasse, ling, cuckoo wrasse, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional grey seal. Currents in the Sound are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Tobermory or Lochaline charter boats.
Salcombe, England
The SS Maine was a British steam merchant ship torpedoed by U-boat UB-31 on 23 March 1917 about 9 nautical miles east of Bolt Head, off Salcombe in south Devon. The 122-metre wreck lies on the sandy seabed at 18 to 24 metres on its starboard side, with the bow notably intact and the stern cut open by torpedo damage. The wreck preserves the propeller shaft, deck winches, steam engine and parts of the bridge superstructure. The hull is densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Visibility on a good day reaches 6 to 12 metres in summer, and water temperatures vary between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels in the broken plates, edible crabs, spider crabs and lobsters. Currents are moderate, and the site is dived from Salcombe and Dartmouth charter boats around slack water. The Maine is a popular intermediate wreck dive on the South Devon coast.
St Keverne, England
The SS Mohegan was a British passenger liner that struck the Manacles reef off the Lizard Peninsula on 14 October 1898 with the loss of 106 lives, one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters of the era. The 146-metre wreck now lies on a rock and sand seabed at 18 to 24 metres on the southern side of the reef, broken into several large sections with the boilers, condensers, propeller shaft, anchors and structural plating clearly recognisable. The site is exposed and tidal, requiring careful planning around slack water; currents can be very strong. Visibility on a good day reaches 10 to 15 metres in summer and water temperatures range from 9 to 16 degrees Celsius. The wreck is colonised by jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, with conger eels in the broken plates, ballan wrasse, pollack, bib and lobsters. The Mohegan is a classic British wreck dive and one of the headline dives in Cornwall, run by charter boats from Falmouth and Porthkerris.
Oban, Scotland
The SS Rondo is a remarkable wreck in the Sound of Mull, lying with its bow vertical against the cliff face of Dearg Sgeir at about 9 metres and the stern descending almost vertically to 50 metres. The 73-metre Norwegian-built steamer ran aground on 25 January 1935 after dragging her anchors in a storm, slid down the underwater cliff and now hangs in this almost vertical orientation, making it one of the most unusual wreck dives in Britain. Divers can swim along the hull at any chosen depth between the rudder near the surface and the bow at 50 metres, exploring the propeller, deck winches, holds and engine room. The wreck is densely covered in plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Visibility in the Sound is reliably 8 to 15 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling, ballan wrasse and lobsters. Currents are weak against the cliff. Dives run from Oban, Tobermory and Lochaline charter boats.
Lochaline, Scotland
The SS Shuna is a 1909-built British steam coaster that sank in the Sound of Mull on 8 May 1913 after taking on water in heavy weather while loaded with coal. The 73-metre wreck stands almost upright on a silty bottom at 25 to 33 metres, with the bow particularly intact and the stern preserving rudder, propeller and engine room. Coal cargo still lies in the open holds. The Shuna is one of the deepest and most atmospheric wrecks in the Sound of Mull and a long-time favourite of Scottish technical divers. The hull is densely encrusted with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and feather stars. Visibility is typically 8 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures sit between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, lobsters and edible crabs. Currents are moderate. The site is dived from Lochaline or Tobermory charter boats around slack water and is suitable for advanced or technical divers in drysuits.
St Keverne, England
The SS Volnay was a British steam merchant ship struck by a German mine off the Lizard on 14 December 1917 during WWI, attempting to beach in Porthallow Bay before sinking. The 122-metre wreck now lies on a sand and shingle bottom at 14 to 18 metres just outside the bay, very broken up but spread across a large area in shallow, accessible water. Cargo of munitions, brass shell cases, fuses and tinned food has produced the colloquial nickname the 'wreck of the brass' and continues to attract divers despite a century of removal. The Volnay is one of the most diver-friendly wrecks of the Manacles area thanks to its shallow depth and weaker tidal influence than the offshore sites. Visibility ranges from 5 to 10 metres in summer, and water temperatures sit between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius. Plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids encrust the structure, with conger eels, ballan wrasse, pollack, edible crabs and lobsters as residents. Charter boats run from Falmouth and Porthkerris.
Salcombe, England
The Salcombe Estuary in south Devon is a sheltered ria offering some of the most accessible shore-diving in southern England. The estuary mouth and the inner bays around North Sands and South Sands give entry onto a mixed bottom of sand, eelgrass, small reefs and fine sediment in 3 to 12 metres of water. The site is famous as one of the few reliable UK locations for spotting cuttlefish during their late spring breeding season, when dozens gather in the seagrass beds to mate and lay eggs. Other resident species include sand gobies, dragonets, hermit crabs, common starfish, peacock worms, snake pipefish, broad-nosed pipefish and sea bass. The shallow rocky margins host plumose anemones, snakelocks anemones, dead man's fingers and small kelp. Visibility ranges from 2 to 6 metres and water temperatures vary between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius across the year. Tidal currents in the estuary mouth can be moderate and dives are best timed to the slack of low-water tidal phases. Suitable for entry-level shore divers and macro photographers.
Sark, Channel Islands
The waters around Sark in the Channel Islands offer some of the clearest and most diverse temperate diving in northern European waters, with a unique mix of cold and warm Atlantic species supported by strong tidal flushing through the Hurd Deep. The island is the world's first Dark Sky Island and the surrounding reefs, gullies, walls and pinnacles range from a few metres to over 30 metres on a clean rock and sand bottom. Notable sites include Goulet Sark, Brecqhou Cliff, Banquette Cave and the Pierre du Norman pinnacle. The walls are densely covered with jewel anemones in dazzling colour, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, pink coralline algae and the occasional pink seafan, normally a more southern species. Atlantic grey seals are common and curious. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs and the occasional cuttlefish. Visibility commonly reaches 12 to 20 metres in summer and water temperatures range from 11 to 18 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and dives are timed around slack water from Sark and Guernsey charter boats.
Saundersfoot, Wales
Saundersfoot is a popular shore and small-boat diving area on Carmarthen Bay, just north of Tenby on the south Pembrokeshire coast. The reefs running off Monkstone Point and the surrounding bay offer protected, beginner-friendly diving over mixed substrate of rock, kelp and sand in 5 to 15 metres of water. The relatively sheltered conditions, easy harbour-based access and consistent reef life make Saundersfoot one of the most reliable training and progression dives in south Wales. Marine life includes kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea on the shallow reef edges, snakelocks anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, tompot blennies, sand gobies, dragonets and the occasional small-spotted catshark or cuttlefish in summer. Edible crabs, spider crabs, hermit crabs and lobsters are common in the rocky gullies. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperature sits between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the bay. Charter boats run from Saundersfoot harbour.
Selsey, England
The Selsey lifeboat station shore-dive site, on the West Sussex coast just east of the Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve, is one of the most accessible shore dives in the central English Channel. Easy entry from the lifeboat slipway or the adjacent shingle beach leads onto a low rocky reef known as Mixon Hole and the surrounding gullies in 5 to 12 metres of water, with mixed bottom of chalk, sand, shingle and small reef structures. The Mixon Hole itself is a notable underwater chalk feature dropping more sharply to over 25 metres further out. Marine life includes plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, snakelocks anemones, sponges, hydroids and kelp on the shallow reef edges, with ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, tompot blennies, gobies, conger eels, edible crabs, spider crabs, lobsters and cuttlefish in summer. Visibility ranges from 3 to 6 metres because of the chalky sediment, and water temperatures vary between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inshore but stronger over the Mixon Hole. Suitable for entry-level shore divers and macro photographers.
Tobermory, Scotland
Sgeir Mor is the rocky reef in the Sound of Mull responsible for the sinking of SS Hispania in 1954 and is itself a fine intermediate dive in the Sound. The reef rises sharply from a 30-metre seabed to within a few metres of the surface, with stepped walls, gullies and a small pinnacle on the seaward side. The Hispania wreck lies just to the north and the two are often combined on a single boat trip. The walls are densely covered with plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, feather stars and pink coralline algae, and kelp forests blanket the upper margins. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, lumpsuckers, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional grey seal. Visibility is typically 8 to 15 metres in summer, with water temperatures between 8 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents around the reef are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Tobermory or Lochaline charter boats.
Dartmouth, England
Skerries Bank is a 6.5km sand-and-shell ridge off Start Point, south Devon, inside the 250km² Skerries Bank and Surrounds MCZ, protecting pink sea fan, spiny lobster and a documented flatfish nursery. Depths run 10-20m over shifting sand, coarse sediment and patches of circalittoral rock, with moderate tidal streams rewarding slack-water timing. Visibility averages 8m. Spring is the draw: common cuttlefish gather in adjacent Start Bay each April-May to mate and lay eggs, though the Maywater plankton bloom can dim viz through the peak. Undulate ray, catshark, hermit crabs, dab and sole work the sand; basking sharks pass offshore in late spring/summer. Boat-only access, best for intermediate divers comfortable with current and shifting viz over a bank built for life, not scenery.
Marloes, Wales
The Skomer Marine Conservation Zone surrounds Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire coast and was designated in 1990 as the first statutory Marine Nature Reserve in Wales. Its rocky reefs, kelp forests, vertical walls and gullies offer some of the richest temperate marine life in the United Kingdom. Diveable depths range from the surface to about 25 metres on the surrounding reefs, with notable sites including the Garland Stone, the Mew Stone, North Wall and Rye Rocks. The walls and overhangs are blanketed with jewel anemones in red, orange, pink and white, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae. Atlantic grey seals are resident around the island year-round and frequently approach divers, especially in the autumn pupping season. Other species include ballan and cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs and the occasional sunfish. Visibility commonly reaches 8 to 15 metres in summer and water temperature varies between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate to strong and dives are timed around slack water. Boats run from Martin's Haven.
Milford Haven, Wales
The Smalls is a remote group of jagged rocks roughly 20 nautical miles offshore from the Pembrokeshire coast, marked by the Smalls Lighthouse, one of the most isolated lighthouses in the British Isles. The reef rises from a seabed of more than 45 metres to expose a complex of pinnacles, walls, gullies and caves accessible from a few metres below the surface. Because of the offshore location and constant tidal flushing, visibility frequently reaches 15 to 25 metres in summer, exceptional by UK standards. The vertical faces are covered with jewel anemones in vibrant pinks, reds, oranges and whites, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges and hydroids, and the area attracts pelagic species rare elsewhere in Welsh waters, including basking sharks and ocean sunfish in late summer. Other residents include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels and lobsters. Currents are strong and tidal, and dives demand careful timing around slack water with experienced charter operators running multi-hour trips from Milford Haven, Solva or Neyland.
Tobermory, Scotland
The Sound of Mull is studded with vertical underwater walls along its narrow channel, where glacially carved cliffs continue below the surface for tens of metres on a clean rock and silt bottom. Drop-offs near Calve Island, Auliston Point, Rubha an Ridire and Lady's Rock are classic west-coast Scottish wall dives, with rock faces falling from a few metres to 40 metres or more on a single dive profile. The walls are cloaked in plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, feather stars, jewel anemones in patches and pink coralline algae, with kelp forests on the upper margins. Resident species include wolffish, conger eels, pollack, ling, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, lumpsuckers, lobsters and the occasional Atlantic grey seal. Visibility is reliable for Scotland, generally 8 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures range from 8 to 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate and dives are timed around slack water from Tobermory and Lochaline charter boats. Suitable for advanced divers in drysuits.
Ventnor, England
St Catherine's Deep is a chalk-and-clay channel scoured by tidal flow three miles off Ventnor, Isle of Wight, flanked by a ridge rising to within 15m of the surface. St Catherine's Race — among the worst tidal races in the British Isles — cuts the trench 60m+ below the seabed, so this dives only at slack water on neap tides, often under 30 minutes, boat access only. Two wrecks cluster at 38-40m: the WWI steamer Tweed (torpedoed 1918) and an unidentified stone-cargo vessel excavated by the Maritime Archaeology Trust on Trimix. Wood is gone, leaving iron and brass — cannon, anchors, a cooking pot — on gravel-over-chalk. Visibility runs 3-4m, briefly 6m near bottom. Conger eel and bull huss work the wreckage; advanced-diver terrain, tight timing required.
Hirta, Scotland
St Kilda is a remote archipelago in the Outer Hebrides about 64 kilometres west of the Scottish mainland and a UNESCO dual World Heritage Site for its natural and cultural value. The crystal-clear waters around Hirta, Soay, Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin offer some of the most spectacular dive sites in the United Kingdom: vertical cliffs that fall from soaring sea stacks plunge below the surface to 45 metres or more on a clean rock and sand bottom. The walls are densely covered with jewel anemones in vivid pinks and reds, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids, pink coralline algae and kelp forests on the upper margins. Resident species include Atlantic grey seals, ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, ling, conger eels, lobsters and extensive seabird populations seen at the surface. The site is famous for its unparalleled visibility, often 15 to 30 metres in summer because of the deep oceanic location, and water temperatures vary between 9 and 14 degrees Celsius. Currents are strong and weather windows demand careful planning. Dives are run from liveaboards departing the Scottish west coast.
Castlemartin, Wales
Stack Rocks, also known as the Elegug Stacks, are two prominent limestone sea stacks just off the south Pembrokeshire coast in the Castlemartin Range area. The underwater topography continues the dramatic nature of the cliffs above, with sheer rock walls, gullies and caverns dropping into 15 to 20 metres of water onto a clean rock and sand bottom. The site is sheltered from prevailing south westerlies and is one of the more reliable Pembrokeshire south coast dives. The walls are blanketed with jewel anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and kelp on the upper rim. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, bib, conger eels, tompot blennies, lobsters and edible crabs. Atlantic grey seals frequent the stacks and often approach divers, especially in autumn. Visibility commonly reaches 6 to 12 metres in summer and water temperature ranges from 9 to 16 degrees Celsius. Currents are moderate. Charter boats run from Tenby and Stackpole Quay subject to military firing range schedules.
Stoney Stanton, England
Stoney Cove is a flooded former granite quarry near Leicester in the English Midlands and one of the most iconic inland dive training sites in the United Kingdom. Open since 1959, it claims to be the National Dive Centre of the UK and trains thousands of new divers each year. The site is a clean freshwater lake reaching 36 metres at its deepest point, with three distinct depth shelves at 6, 20 and 36 metres that allow staged training. Submerged attractions include a Wessex helicopter, a Cornish fishing boat called Defiant, several training platforms, an underwater cave system, a sunken cabin, the wreck of a Stanegarth tug and the historic Nautilus submarine. Marine life is freshwater: rainbow trout, brown trout, perch, roach, freshwater crayfish and ducks at the surface. Visibility is generally 4 to 10 metres and water temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius in winter to 18 degrees in late summer at the surface, with reliable thermoclines at 12 metres dropping to 6 to 8 degrees year-round. The site offers a dive shop, classrooms, cafe, air and nitrox fills, accommodation and runs throughout the year.
Strangford, Northern Ireland
Strangford Lough is a large sea inlet on the County Down coast of Northern Ireland, designated a Marine Conservation Zone for its exceptional biodiversity and strong tidal regime. The Narrows at the mouth of the lough, where over 350 million cubic metres of water flow through with each tide, create one of the most dramatic drift dive sites in the British Isles, with currents reaching up to 8 knots at peak flow. Sites include The Routen Wheel, Rue Point, Audley's Roads and the wreck of the Empire Tana. The rocky walls and pinnacles are densely covered with horse mussels, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones, sponges, hydroids, sea squirts and feather stars. The lough is famous for its rare sea pen colonies, common skate, harbour seals, common terns and brittle star beds. Resident fish include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lumpsuckers and lobsters. Visibility is typically 4 to 8 metres and water temperatures vary between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius. Dives are run only at slack water from Portaferry charter boats and demand experienced drift divers in drysuits.
Stromness, Scotland
The Tabarka is a French steamer scuttled in 1944 as a blockship at the western entrance to Scapa Flow through Burra Sound, between the islands of Hoy and Graemsay. The wreck lies upside down on a clean sand and shingle bottom at 16 to 18 metres, with the keel rising to about 12 metres. Burra Sound is famous for fierce tidal flow but the Tabarka can only be dived at slack water, making timing absolutely critical. The reward is one of the most spectacular wrecks in the UK: the upturned hull is a cathedral of plumose anemones, dead man's fingers and hydroids, with shafts of light penetrating through holes in the plating. Divers can swim through the engine room, the boiler space and large hold openings on a swim-through circuit. Visibility on a good day exceeds 12 metres because of the strong tidal flushing. Marine life includes lobsters, edible crabs, ballan wrasse, pollack, conger eels and occasional grey seals. The site is run from charter boats out of Stromness in tightly scheduled slack-water dive plans.
Holyhead, Wales
The Skerries are a low-lying group of rocky islets off the north coast of Anglesey, marked by an active lighthouse since 1717. The surrounding reefs rise from a seabed of around 25 metres and are renowned among British divers as one of the best North Wales tidal sites, offering drift dives over kelp-cloaked walls, gullies and shipwreck debris. Currents reach several knots at peak flow but produce exceptional visibility and rich growths of plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, jewel anemones, sponges, hydroids, kelp and pink coralline algae. Resident species include ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, pollack, conger eels, lobsters, edible crabs, spider crabs and tompot blennies. Atlantic grey seals are common and curious, often approaching divers in the gullies. Visibility on a good day reaches 8 to 15 metres in summer, and water temperatures vary between 9 and 16 degrees Celsius. The site is dived only in tightly timed slack water windows from Holyhead charter boats and is suited to advanced divers comfortable with drift profiles in cold water with drysuits.
Holyhead, Wales
Trearddur Bay on the western coast of Holy Island, Anglesey, is one of the most popular shore-dive sites in North Wales. A series of sandy coves with rocky headlands offer protected entries onto a mixed seabed of rock, sand, kelp and small reefs in 4 to 12 metres of water. The bay is well sheltered from prevailing south westerlies and is widely used for entry-level training, refresher dives and AOWD progression by Welsh and northern English clubs. Marine life is varied for a shallow shore site: kelp forests of Laminaria hyperborea cover the shallows, with snakelocks anemones, plumose anemones, dead man's fingers, sponges, hydroids and pink coralline algae on the rocks. Resident species include ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, pollack, sand gobies, tompot blennies, edible crabs, spider crabs, lobsters and the occasional cuttlefish or small-spotted catshark. Visibility ranges from 3 to 8 metres and water temperatures sit between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius. Currents are weak inside the bay but stronger off the headlands.
Radstock, England
Vobster Quay is a flooded former limestone quarry near Radstock in Somerset, southwest England, that has been operated as one of the United Kingdom's premier inland dive training centres since 2000. The site is a deep, clean freshwater lake reaching 36 metres at its deepest point, fed by groundwater and known for its consistently good visibility, often 8 to 15 metres on a calm day. The quarry has been deliberately stocked with submerged attractions for training, including a Hawker Hunter jet, a Bristol freighter aircraft fuselage, an SR44 helicopter, several boats, an underwater BMX track and a large container that doubles as a swim-through. Marine life is freshwater: rainbow trout, brown trout, perch, roach, pike, ducks, freshwater crayfish and signal crayfish in the shallows. Water temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius in winter to 18 degrees in late summer at the surface, with thermoclines dropping to 4 to 6 degrees below 18 metres year-round. The site is open year-round, runs facilities including a dive shop, classroom, cafe and air fills, and is a major BSAC and PADI training centre.
