LOCAL DIVE SITES
Scuba Diving in Pembrokeshire, West Wales
Water temperature: | In March temperatures are around 7°C (45°F) and by May they have generally reached 9°C (48°F). The sea continues to warm up over the summer to a maximum of about 17°C (63°F) in August and September |
Suit: | A drysuit is recommended for comfort for the whole year, but a semidry can comfortably be used from June to October, or all year round if you are brave! |
Visibility: | 5 - 15 metres (15 - 50 feet) |
Type of diving: | Wreck diving, drifts, reefs, walls, seal diving |
Marine life: | Seals, sunfish, cuttlefish, dogfish, bib, bass, pollack, pouting, flounder, plaice, crabs, lobsters |
When to go: | Most divers consider diving in Wales to be viable from March through to October, although the weather can prevent it from being possible to dive towards either end of the season. Sunfish are seen around Pembrokeshire in September if you are after some unusual fish encounters |
How to get there: | Boats can be launched from Dale, Little Haven and Martin's Haven. |
| Dive Sites - Skomer * |
The Molesey Sunk 26th November 1929. She was hit by a severe gale and experienced mechanical failure. A dramatic account of the sinking is available in Shipwrecks Around Wales – Volume 1 by Tom Bennet. The wreck lies in 20 metres of water and sits on a bottom of rock and kelp. The currents in the area are dangerous and you are advised to stay on the wreck throughout the dive. |
| The Dead Eye Wreck The exact details of the vessel are not known but believed to have been lost in a storm. Lies in 16 metres of water and is well broken up. A nice reef lies to the west of the wreck. |
| Shag Rock Heading south from Shag Rock you will find some pinnacles on top of which is an anchor, possibly from the Dead Eye Wreck. A second anchor lies between the pinnacles. Lots and lots of seals. 20 metres plus. |
| Al’s Rockery A good reef dive - down to 16 metres with small reefs running off to the south. Plenty of life, particularly the small stuff. Makes a very good second dive. |
| Seal Hole Another good reef dive with a rock and kelp bottom. One reef extends to a second one 50 metres offshore. |
| Mew Stone A nice reef that extends out to 50 metres or so. You need to dive this on slack water as, at other times, currents can make this site infeasible. |
| Cray Bay Some really large boulders. L ess life close in – the action starts further out. |
| The Wick Reef extends out to 40 metres. You are advised to stay in tight because of currents. Plenty of sponges and sea fans. Fish galore! |
| Skomer Head Well down to 20 metres. Serious currents make this a difficult dive to get on to. Much life, especially anemones. |
| The Spit and Pigstone Bay Plenty of life. Extends out to 40 metres. Found one of the biggest Crays here along with cuckoo wrasse and seals. |
| Bull Hole Loads of life, including some nice fans. As you descend and move further out beware as the current can pick up. |
| Pain’s Rock Large rock boulders to one side, descend down to sand. Lots of Devonshire Cup corals and lobster hidey-holes. Much fish life here. |
| Garland Stone Comprises a wall down to 40 metres. Loads of life but very dangerous currents, so dive this on neaps and slack water only. |
| Skomer Rip Again, lots of life. Only dive this area on slack water as it runs like a steam train into the Goose Race at the back of Skomer. A dive for the more experienced diver. |
| The North Wall A cliff dive that descends to 45 metres. Ledges in places. This is one of our popular sites – complete with boulder field. This dive has superb examples of sea fans, Dead Men’s Fingers and excellent sea squirts. |
The Lucy *
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| Rye Rocks Surface to 40 metres you can even do the chicken Run – down the reef. Along the sand, over to the Lucy, surfacing on the shotline there. I hold the record with 11 minutes. The mast of the Lucy lies on this reef to one side. |
| Sea Fan Garden Found this in passing one day (literally) drops off to 21 metres. Large wall covered in sea fans - saw about 40 including an Albino. At the end of the dive there’s a nice sea cave with a swim through. |
| Nicks Pig *** New *** On W side of Skomer. Couple of cave swim throughs - drop down a hole and see the cave on the other channel. Watch out for any seals that might be in residence. |
| Dive Sites - Skokholm * |
| Neils pinnacles *** New *** Skokholm - just out of the flow - good cray ground - down to 30m plus. |
| Franks Point Some wreckage, couple of really big anchors in close. Down to 38m so don't go when its running. Wreck at the bottom. |
| The Head Some really deep stuff 38m plus, peaks up to 8m. Really spooky dive, found a family of Crays having tea. Loads of fish life. |
| Unknown Wreck System of gullies with a reef that extends out to deeper water. There's a 100ft wreck jammed into one of the gullies. |
| Danni's Drop Off A reef up to 10m from the surface. Has walls going down 6m or so with large ridges and ledges. Much fish life including the largest Pollack I've ever seen. Abundant fish life including Cray, Lobster and Edible crabs. Has some pinnacle style rocks and swim throughs. Have to get the tide right to dive this one. Max 30m depth. |
| The Bowling Alley Deep dark, some really impressive drop offs . System of gullies running out to 40 metres, found some really impressive lobsters, didn't have the heart to take them home. |
| Tony's Red Spires Pinnacles, drop offs 30m plus. Sea fans, sponges, Ross coral and some large conger. Watch out for the rip - Laurie got half way to Skomer! |
| The Sea Fan Bed Loads of smaller sea fans seem to have been attacked by an algae. Flattish reef system but found an albino fan in the middle. A few Dogfish around plus the odd crustacean. |
| Ed's Wreck Well broken boilers, spars, keel, various bits and pieces hide under the sand at times - 11 metres |
| Flag Reef So called because it's where I lost my flag. From the surface down to 28m. There's a wreck at the start of this dive, slatted decking, etc. Nice drop-off and overhangs - gullies running out to the sand. |
| Little Bay Point Couple of old steamships in the shallows - very kelpy, 7metres |
| Jo's Peaks Outer reef 6/32 metres, loads of gullies, drop offs, swim throughs. There is the biggest sea fan I have ever seen - about 4 feet lying in a gully, really something else! So many fish it's not true - one of the best dives I have ever found. |
| The Ski Slope Wall going down to 30 metres straight as a die - some nice jewel anenomes. Plenty of slugs or nudibranchs, as the little creatures are better known. Found about 9 different types one day. |
| The Devil's Teeth Situated by Peters bay, jagged rock formation, plenty of wreckage - guess someone got it wrong! Viz never too clever - pretty silty. |
| The Northern Sea Fans Yes, they are not supposed to be here but they are. Found three specimens on 1 dive - show you if you want next time you're down Vicky! |
| Crab Alley Bit of a back eddy at times, crabs seem to be running in circles. Goes down to 27 metres - lot of bricks, few spars, some nice sponges further out. Nice dog fish collection point. |
The Orange ReefDive Sites - The Smalls * 
Lying 18 miles off-shore from St. Ann’s Head, The Smalls are one of a group of reefs. It breaks the surface of the water with a lighthouse to mark it. Wrecks abound in the vicinity and recently a Viking sword was discovered - the search still goes on for the owner.
The area around the reef consists of large gulleys, walls, immense drop-offs and is one of the few places where orange Deadmen’s Fingers can be found. There are lobster, crab and crayfish in abundance and the shoals of fish swim along with divers. I recently swam through a massive spiral of mackerel, dodging the gannets that were diving for the fish. Jasons Jugular ** New **
Look down the wall - 25m below see the gully going into the distance - wreckage as well.Dutchmans Reef ** New **
A really scenic wall - 13m goes down to... well I stopped at 29m, still a long way to go.Wreck ** New **
A new wreck in 19m to the east of the light - plenty of stuff to go through.Wreck ** New **
New wreck at the Barrells - 24m down to 40m - hardly a finger mark on it.The Abyss
Gently down to 8m, past the ridge, through a sma11 opening down to 15m. Past the tunnel and down to 26m, and down, and down and on to 50m.White Wall
Into the kelp at 14m, down the gully, over the top of the reef with a large boulder. Go around the corner along the sandy gully going down well to the right. Here you wi11 find the White Wall with Dead Man’s fingers, plumose and also Lobster to die for!Conger Run
A Conger every “fin” of the way. Big ones, small ones and some with heads the size of horses! Is this a Conger breeding zone. Only in 18m. Steptoe’s Yard
Never seen so much scrap metal and wreckage. Capstans around the place. Bits of this, bits of that cant find the other!! Prize for the first one to name the horse!The Londoner
There is a lobster at the bottom of the gully that must be 25lbs! His harem run up and down the gully. A lobster every 4 ft. Down at 18m the gully runs into a cu1-de-sac that rises up to 12m then drops off to 25m.
Down in the gullies to 18m the walls are all covered in Dead Man’s Fingers, round into the drop off and on down to a 25m sandy bottom. Boulders lead to a drop off and over the edge to 35m in a really large gully. Watch the currents - they are liable to drag you down on the ebb.
Dive Sites - Haven to St.Anns Head * Submarine
Lies in 6 metres of water on Watwick Reef, very well broken after the boys tried to get inside. Big bang, there's more outside than inside.West Blockhouse Reef
Nice little 12 metre dive, system of small gullies running seaward few large boulders to the seaweed side. Ling, shoals of Pollack, never seen so many Nudibranchs, spirals, large steel bowl jammed into the rock at the end of the reef.Mill Bay Reef
Max depth 18 metres reef boulder sandy bits.
Conger, lobsters, loads of fish, the reef is ½ mile sq.The Greek
Adamantios J Pithos (the 'Greek'). Well broken up keel with ribs, boilers and engine room still there (Jan found a porthole in July - guarded it like a caged lion)
Max depth 16 metres.Chapel Rocks
9 metres down to 20 metres large reef large anchor to the east covered in plumose plenty of life runs a bit on springs. Lollipop
Otherwise known as the Mid Channel Light - marks the mid channel rock. Sea Empress parked here for a while, some large gullies going down to 30 + metres - got to get the tide right or you've gone under the ferry. St Ann’s Outer Reef
Not for the faint hearted 36 metres deep and black only on slack water, salt meets fresh at 13 metres loads of sponges, Ross coral, crays and shoals of fish.Stonehenge
Half a mile from St.Anns Head - a reef system up to 12m and down to 30m. Looks like Legoland with big square blocks that appear man made. The Yonaguni of Wales. Is there an old wreck here? Not a novice dive - current runs well here. Greek Reef
System of reefs going seaward plenty of lobsters and crab, congers and Pollack.Sheep Island
Starts with large boulders 10 metres deep loads of lobbies to the inside work your way out and around large reef with big gullies heading out seaward, large smooth hound and a lot of fish.Wreck around the corner
Just round the corner from St Ann's behind the first big rock - loads of steel plates and wreckage well broken up.Thor
Another WW2 wreck well broken up. Sometimes more lobbie pots than wreck. Lies in 22 metres just to the east of the headland before Watwick bay. Ok for a second dive. There is a permanent marker buoy on the wreck.Thorn Island
Not a lot here, just boulders, kelp out to the sand. On the west side there is a really good bed of clams & octopus came up in the bag as well (Old Napoleonic fort).Stack Fort
Colony includes a few seals. OK for 2nd dive. Wall reef runs out to the east - few lobsters, crabs etc. Plenty of fish life, runs around the island fairly briskly (Old Napoleonic fort).Castle Head
Pleasant little novice dive 10 metres deep but really pleasant.
Loads of life, wall rocks with kelp lots of fish life squat lobsters.Mill Bay
A well-broken wreck lies around the corner - bits of brass can still be found. Old Navy ship broke free from her tow on the way to the breakers. Wrecks in the Haven * Dakotian
Large freighter sunk during the war by mines, situated just north of the east bay. She's 600 foot long and starting to break up now - some good swim throughs. Cargo tin plates still there. Takes 50 minutes to swim right round the wreck - good easy dive in good viz. Max depth 19 metres - make sure you stay with the shot to the bottom - current can run quite well. Some good sized congers and good fish life, cod. There is a permanent marker on it.Caroline
Gunboat just to the side of the Dakotian. Fairly small (Ivor the diver has got the bophors gun off of it).
Max 4 divers on it at one time - nice little wreck.Behar
On Great Castle Head, cable layer went down during the war - really good wreck in good viz. Runs a bit at times though lots of fish life, some good swim throughs, lies in 19 metres.S.S Collier
Real wreck - not a lot left, spread at 9 o'clock & 12 o'clock from the Stack Fort buoy.Landing Craft
Lies in 16 metres of water just to the inside of the north cardinal buoy. Only a slack water dive though! Pretty dive - plumose anenomies on the top. Boat is upside down with the hatch open, no more than 6 divers on it at a time. Lobsters, crabs, scallops, langoustines and a couple of congers (large one inside).Loch Shiel
Lies on the seaward side of Thorn Island. Whisky also firebricks are found well broken up - joined up the side of the island 10 metres deep.
| Dive Sites - Hoopers Point to Jack Sound* |
| Marloes Sands A mile off Marloes Sands lies a landing craft with a Sherman tank on it. Depth approx 30 metres - the search continues. |
| Gateholm Island Rocks going out to the reef. Plenty of corals, sponges, loads of congers and lobster - a really good drift but go the right way (head towards St Anns) - 27 metres max. |
| The Benches Couple of nice pinnacles just about ½ mile out. Fairly scoured out - ideal place to find the large crays, plenty of sponges, corals etc. Don't get the tide wrong though. |
| Sunderland Lying close in. W.W.2 Flying boat. |
| Skank Rock Reef heading out to about 17m. Well scoured by sea action - deep holes, boulders, kelp. Found odd pieces of wreckage. |
| Running Reef Reef up to 13 metres - lies about a mile off shore - goes down to 27 metres. Lots of sponges, Ross corals, the odd cray, dog fish. Around here is a large cannon is this where the Santa Maria is? And the pots of gold! |
| West Dale Series of rock formations, going out to about 27 metres. Found plenty of strange wreckage here on one occasion. Gullies, kelp to broken ground - certainly plenty of fish life. |
| Dive Sites - Jack Sound to Little Haven* |
| Borough Head Very nice novice dive wall down to boulders / kelp to sand. Swim throughs, chimney, lobster, crab and plenty of fish life. Scallops abound, just back around the corner is a really nice night dive. |
| Ticklas Point Boulders, kelpy - a good novice dive. Cave in the corner, just before you get there is a 10 metre wall behind the outcrops. Lots of lobbies. |
| Hen and Chicks This is really one of the best dives you will ever come across - even got Trigger fish from July onwards. System of large pinnacles / reef. There is anything you would wish to find - Pipe fish, sea hares, nudibranchs, candy stripe flat worm, even the seals - only 8/l4 metres. |
| Stack Rock*
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| St.Brides The ultimate everything dive - you name it, it's there... sea fans, scallops, lobster, crab, small shark, large shark, congers that would even scare your mother! Plumose, jewell, trurnpet, snakelock anemones, dead mens fingers by the acre - the biggest cuttle fish ever, octopus and lots more. |
| Easy Shoredive Sand with rock and kelp at the sides. Flatfish, Bass, Pollock, sand eels, nudibranchs, lobster, crab - and only 6 metres. Novices love this one. |
| Hand Marks This is the place the dog fish meet - they travel with the current and rest at the back of the reef, hundreds of them. Large holes on the seabed with mini caves, plenty of conger and loads of sponges. Drops right off to 35m from 10m - watch the rip though. |
| Sheer Folly *** New *** At the end of the Hand Marks, 3 miles out. Wall down to 39m, flying. |
| The Run Around Just out of St. Brides on the ebb really nice drift, about 2 knots. Reef to boulders to sand - loads of dead mens fingers, soft corals, the odd lobster or two. Really easy even for novices. |
| Nabs Head System of never ending gullies only about 17 metres. Seen lots of John Dory here, plenty of doggies, scallops hide here when they vanish from Skomer. A real gem - love this dive, do most of our guided dives here. So much life - very rarely do we not find octopuses here. Show you the razor fish, kamikaze spider crabs, scallops by the bucket, cray fish, lobster etc. etc etc. - a real buzz. |
| High Point - Octopus Reef Another gem - only 15m. Conger, pipe fish, candy stripe flat worms, nudibranchs, and, of course, octopuses plus their egg cases. Nearly forgot - enough fishing gear to stock a shop. We try to take 5 weights a person plus line in safety to try and clear the dive. |
| Martins Haven The deeper shore dive out to 25 metres - everything is here for you. A Sea horse was found here a few years ago. From cray to seals - watch out for the Skomer boat, stay to the right or you'll get a fright! |
| Junkos Rock Named after Junko McBride on her birthday - prize if you know where she is now. Nice reef 13m on the south, 29m on the north - be careful with the tide or you will be in Jack Sound, this is a cracking dive if you like cray, lobster, crab, scallop, nudis, conger, red dead mens fingers and lots more. |
| Wooltack Point Work out from 8m on sand wall / boulders around and down into the gullies. There are some monster conger - be very careful though, do not attempt this dive on anything but slack... ask Laurie - 10m in 3 seconds up. |
| Dive Sites - Solva Area* |
| Cave around the corner Out of the harbour just to the right you will see a split in the rock, just in front is the entrance at only 5 metres. Go in, it runs for about 30 feet. There is a shaft of light from the split and the walls are red with sea squirts. Just to the left are a series of holes containing lobster and conger. |
| Green Scar Large island, rocky, kelpy to landward. On the seaward side in 22 metres are a couple of old steamships fairly well broken up. Nice reef system as you head in, well scoured out cave to the left. Plenty of lobster, crab - saw my first John dory here. |
| Black Scar Smaller reef with plenty of fish life - found the biggest shark I've ever seen here, tried to eat Jo - didn't fancy me thankfully! |
| The Mare Other side of Green Scar island, big sloping rock down to 17 metres. Had my first experience of trying to catch a lobster here. Boulder field around the rock large running gully on landward side - really nice dive. Don't go on any of these after heavy rain - lot of run off from the river. |
| The Running Reef Lying just 10 metres below the surface, a really extensive reef with some wide gullies and small caves. Drops to 25 m, plenty of life, nudibranchs galore, dog fish, pollack, octopus, crab, lobster - beware, the tide will pull you out on the ebb. Last time we were here H.M.S. Sheffield nearly got us. |
| Felin Fowl Some big conger live round here - had a couple of frights. Reef at 17m, boulders, kelp - nice easy second dive. |
| Felin Fach Very much as Felin Fowl. Found plenty of lobster and crab also octopus and some nice scallops. |
| The Three Tugs One was towing the other two and broke down - result not good! Just to the left of Solva - all three in a heap. |
| Carfai Bay Wall running out only about 15m. Some nice things on the wall and in it - last time we were here was on the lifeboat - the dog was very pleased to see us, had tried abseiling and failed! |
WRECK SITE INFO
DAKOTIAN
NOV 1940, DEPTH 7-19m, DALE, 51 42 12 N 05 12 06
WDAN BEARD
DEC 1944, DEPTH 8-13m, STRUMBLE HEAD, 51 39 37 N 05 04 52 W
ELLERBECK
AUG 1914, DEPTH 20+m, HATS AND BARRELS
FARADAY
MAR 1941, DEPTH 5-16m, HOOPERS POINT, MARLOES, 51 42 40 W 05 12 12 W
ADAMANTIOUS J PITHIS (THE GREEK)
JAN 1940, DEPTH 8-16m, ST.ANNS HEAD, 51 40 47 N 5 10 16 W
GRAFFOE
JAN 1903, DEPTH 10-15m, RAMSEY ISLAND, ST DAVIDS, 51 51 01 N 5 20 00 W
GRAMSBERGEN
NOV 1954, DEPTH 6-14m, FISHGUARD, 52 00 31 N 04 56 18 W
HEREFORDSHIRE
MAR 1934, DEPTH 5-11m, CARDIGAN ISLAND, 52 08 00 N 04 41 18 W
HERMINIA
DEC 1920, DEPTH 5-11m, NEEDLES ROCK, FISHGUARD
KITTY
JAN 1819, FISHGUARD
LANGSTON GRANGE
AUG 1909, DEPTH 30+m, BELL ROCK, NORTH BISHOPS, 51 54 14 N 5 22 35 W
LOCH SHIEL
JAN 1894, DEPTH 10-15m, THORN ISLAND, MILFORD HAVEN, 51 41 47 N 05 07 07 W
LUCY
14 FEB 1967, DEPTH 40m, SKOMER ISLAND, 51 44 27 N 05 16 33 W
MOLESEY
NOV 1929, DEPTH 3-7m, MIDLAND ISLAND, SKOMER , 51 44 02 N 05 15 39 W
SALUS
SEPT 1896, DEPTH 4-11m, STRUMBLE HEAD, FISHGUARD, 52 01 44 N 05 03 13W
ALICA WILLIAMS
FEB 1928, SKOKHOLM ISLAND
CALBURGA
NOV 1915, DEPTH 35-43m, STRUMBLE HEAD, FISHGUARD, 52 01 04 N 05 05 35 W
CAMBRO
MAY 1913, DEPTH 12–22m, SMALLS, 51 43 07 N 05 40 10 W
CHARLES HOMES
OCT 1859, DEPTH 6-9m, ABERBACH, 51 58 27 N 05 05 10 W
COUNT D’ASPREMONT
DEC 1903, DEPTH 28m, RAMSEY SOUND
DALSERF
JULY 1910, DEPTH 17-23m, GRASSHOLM, 51 43 44 N 5 28 32 W
GLENISLA
FEB 1886, DEPTH 15-20m, ABERIEDDY, 51 56 09 N 5 13 54 W
H.M.S BARKING
MAR 1964, DEPTH 3-10m, MILL BAY, DALE
LEYSIAN
FEB 1917, DEPTH 14m, ABERCASTLE, 51 57 36 N 05 07 52 W
LUMINENCE
MAR 1967, DEPTH 30+m, HATS AND BARRELS, 51 41 20 N 05 32 20 W
NIMROD
FEB 1860, DEPTH 18-32m, ST.DAVIDS HEAD, 51 54 36 N 05 17 54 W
PRINCE CADWGAN
SEPT 1876, DEPTH 20m APPROX, PORTHCLAIS
PRINCESS IRENE
AUG 1906, DEPTH 20m APPROX, LINNEY HEAD
RAGNA
DEC 1900, DEPTH 10m APPROX, TREFIN
RESURGAM
FEB 1880, DEPTH 30m, LLANDUDNO, N.Wales
Dylan, one of our regular coxwains, was part of the recovery team.
S ZENT ISTUAN
SEPT 1908, RAMSEY, 51 51 25 N 5 20 54 W
VERONICOS ALEXIA, VERONICOS GEORGOS, VERONICOS BARBARIAN
OCT 1981, SOLVA. Three in one! All tugs
*current dive site information extracted from www.divein2pembrokeshire.com*