LOCAL DIVE SITES

TRAINING SITE

In recent times branch has made good use of Capernwray dive site Nr Carnforth in Lancashire. The site offers excellent training facilities and clear blue water.

 

DIVE SITES

Scenic

Weazel Lock A great shore diving site can be found at Weasel loch, Nr St Abbs Head, in Berwickshire, Scotland. (OS Grid ref: NT 939 650)

Access is through Eyemouth Caravan Park (a small charge is payable at the site office for vehicle parking) and an interesting climb down a wooded stairway to the water 20Metres below the headland. Weasel Loch offers a rock and sandy bottom with excellent visibility although at times there is a surge due to it’s narrow gully-like features. Depth ranges from 3 – 12M 

Beadnell Point in Northumberland offers an easy and interesting shore dive with a wreck in 6M and progressively deeper reefs. Expect about 12M and a fair amount of life on the reef that runs due east from the point. Access is via a footpath situated near the Yaugt Club and a walk of 50 - 100M dependant on the tide

 

Farne Islands (see slack water calculator at the bottom of this page)

Brada Bay (SE end of Longstone). Contrary to some beliefs, this is an ideal site for all diver grades. Depths range to 30 metres but there are ledges from 3 metres downwards. Diveable at all tide states, but care must be taken when diving on a running tide not to go out of the bay.

Blue Caps (E side of Little Harcar). Can be dived at any tide state but beware of getting away from the wall when the tide is running.

 Whirl Rocks  (Northern-most of the Outer Farnes). Not for the inexperienced. Only to be dived at slack tide. Suggest at low slack as it can be difficult to find if you aren’t sure of where it is.

 Pinnacles (to the S of the E side of Staple Island). Dive at slack. The wreck of the Cairngorm is in this area but is well broken.

 

Wrecks:

Coquetmouth Dredger – approximately 200 metres due east of the North Harbour wall in 10 metres. Best dived with some tide to remove the silt you kick up. Sunk by magnetic mine during the Second World War (the same one that cracked the North Pier wall), she lies upside down and well broken. In good visibility the engine room and buckets can make good photographic studies.

Oslofjord – Approximately half a mile from the south side of the south wall of the Tyne harbour in about 10 metres. Sunk in 1940 by a mine. Dive at all tide states. Well broken and scattered and mixed with the wreckage of the Eugena Chandris.

Eugena Chandris – (see above). Sunk in 1943 by collision. Carrying copper and aluminium ingots as well as ammunition. Well broken and scattered.

Somali - 55 34.095N 1 36.121W off Beadnell Point. Lying upright in about 28 metres. Dive on slack only. Bombed by Heinkel 111 bomber in 1941 carrying general cargo including non-ferrous metals, shoes, hay, batteries, medical supplies, bicycles, heavy lorry tyres, several 4x4s, some coin for Hong Kong banks, a small quantity of mercury and tons of toy lead soldiers. You can still find glass bottles, toothpaste, rolls of film, etc. Well broken.

 

Farnes Slack Calculator

Finding Slack and which way the current is flowing around the Farne Islands

Based on Tidal Diamond F – the nearest tidal diamond to the Farnes

 

 

 

Rough

Direction

Speed  Knots

Direction

 

- 6 hrs

1.7 to 0.9

306o

 

- 5 hrs

 

0.4 to 0.2

329o

SLACK

 

- 4 hrs

1.1 to 0.6

118o

 

- 3 hrs

2.2 to 1.1.

127o

 

- 2 hrs

2.4 to 1.2

129o

 

- 1 hr

2.2 to 1.1

129o

HW

HW

1.7 to 0.8

128o

 

+ 1 hr

0.8 to 0.4

126o

SLACK

 

+ 2hrs

0.4 to 0.2

335o

 

+ 3 hrs

1.4 to 0.7

3140

 

+ 4 hrs

2.2 to 1.1

3060

 

+ 5 hrs

2.6 to 1.3

3000

 

+ 6 hrs

2.3 to 1.2

303o

 

Produced By Gail Johnson

 

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