England

United Kingdom

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

St. Mary's Island England

The easier of two dives possible off the island. Enter water off rocks which are mostly sheltered from the waves. Dive follows island round to the north east. Rocks start around 2 metres from the surface and have various cracks containing crabs etc. Smaller kelp grows on the rocks and grows bigger as you head east. After the rocks is a small kelp forest.

Park in the car park to the west of the island at 50p per hour. Access to site is a long walk across the paved causeway and then across the rocks surrounding the island. The site is tidal and the causeway can only be crossed at lower tides.

St Mary's Lighthouse is also known as St Mary's Island.

St Mary's Lighthouse

3 sunken wrecks.

Whitley Bay near Newcastle.

Brown's Bay

The Oslofjord was a 5 Deck Trans-Atlantic liner. In 1940 she was retrofitted as a Troop Transport and order to Newcastle.At 8:20 on 1st December, she hit a mine 2 Nautical Miles from the harbour entrance. By 8:45 tugs had arrived but fearing the ship could block the entrance to the port, she was instead beached. The Oslofjord broke in two and capsized on the 21st January 1941. On 15 March 1943, the Greek steamer Eugenia Chandris collided with the wreckage and sank as well.

The wreck originally rose out of the water but due to the tide and shallow depth is now around 3/4 meters from the sea bed. The Oslofjord is the biggest wreck on the East Coast and has a large amount of metalwok visible. The engines have survied but have collasped inward. There is some coral growth and lobsters and crabs are often seen on the wreck.

Dive site needs to be accessed by boat, probably from North/South Shilds. Dive site is moored with 3 buoys.

Oslofjord Wreck

A well broken up wreck lieing in around 20 metres of water. Known locally as the Collier Wreck. Boilers and Engine block are clearly visible but starting to break down. Soft corals have grown on the wreck and fish can be seen in passing.

By boat from North or South Shields

Ilios is also known as Collier Wreck.

Ilios

A deeper wreck with some structure still standing including portholes to look through. Wreck is more broken up amidships, but this is a good place to look for fish and lobsters

By boat only

Motor Mine Sweeper 180 is also known as Sweeper Wreck.

Motor Mine Sweeper 180

Howick is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in United Kingdom, Europe which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Howick

A larger reef than other sites in Beadnell. The reef extends for around 150 metres. Diving is possible both on the north side and south side of the point. Diving on the north side is more popular due to a small amount of wreckage of the Yewglen. Site has plenty of growth and life.

Park on Habour Road next to Knackers Hole and walk down to the site. A busy days, kit may need to be dropped off and cars left in the car park at the end of the road. This site has the longest walk from the parking so it is advisable to drop off heavy items of kit as close as possible.

Beadnell Point

The bay between Knackers Hole and Beadnall Point contains a reef on either side and a sandy area in the middle. Entry from the beach leads on to a rocky area which gradually becomes a sandy base. Bottom slopes gradually out till 10 metres deep, were it drops by another few metres in depth. Lots of growth and kelp around the reef area. A selection of fish, as well as Lobsters and Scallops can be seen around the site.

There is also a nearby fill station, See Farne Diving Services website for info.

Park on Habour Road next to Knackers Hole and head south past the lighthouse. At busy times, kit may have to be dropped off and car left in the car park at the end of the road. You can gain access to the beach directly by climbing down a small hill, or take a path a little further south.

Lady Hole

Enter the site from the rocky beach and follow the reef wall on your right out to the point and back. Theres plenty of wildlife and a kelp forest to explore. The site is shallow to start with and gradually gets deeper. Good for training near the beach.

There is also a nearby fill station, See Farne Diving Services website for info.

A cafe in the village down the road from the fill station, and a burger van in the car park for the harbour.  Car park here is also used for boat launching for the Farne Islands and Somali.

Straight in from the road.  Park up somewhere without obstructing traffic and its a short walk of 10 - 15 meters down a pebbly beach into Knacker Hole.  

Knacker Hole

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

Farne Isles. She is usually buoyed but this only surfaces at or close to slack water - often too late to get two waves of divers in. If you're (un)fortunate enough to be the first or only ones on site, the best tactic is to drop a buoyed shot at the GPS position and do a circular search with the 'sounder around this until you get a trace then drop anchor there. She lies approximately N-S, the stern being to the north.

Somali Wreck is also known as The Somali.

St. Mary's Island England

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at St. Mary's Island England