Chances are if you’ve ever considered learning to dive, you’ll conjure up images of tropical destinations with warm waters.
However, you should consider sites closer to home say the experts at the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). With 20,000 miles of diverse coastline, glorious wildlife and a rich maritime history, the UK offers some of the most scenic and exciting dives in the world.
The UK and Ireland are home to a catalogue of Marine Protected Areas, thousands of historic shipwrecks, and over 850 varieties of marine life, from crustaceans, conger eels, seahorses and octopuses, to jellyfish, seals, dolphins, and even sharks. So, there is plenty to see.
Whether you’re a complete novice looking to start a new hobby and ‘test the waters’ with a fun dive experience, or you’ve tried an introductory dive on holiday and want to explore more, or you’re an experienced scuba diver seeking advanced certifications and adventure - exhilarating and memorable dive experiences can be found right here in the UK.
Best dive sites in the UK
Durgan – Helford Passage, Cornwall
Located between Falmouth and the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall and nestled within the entrance of the Helford River lies the serene village of Durgan.
Scuba diving at this site is suitable for both beginners and experienced divers. However, special care must be taken, as the seagrass meadow is delicate and vulnerable to damage. Proper buoyancy skills are required for diving here.
The sandy bottom and seagrass meadows are best explored at high tide and it is the perfect location for spotting thornback rays, cuttlefish, bobtail squid, the small spotted catshark and even the occasional seal.
Reasons to Visit: Durgan is a popular tourist destination not only for its amazing landscape but also because the village is an unspoilt vestige of Cornwall’s past. Don’t expect many shops and pubs but do expect to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Useful contact: Cornish Diving Centre
Chesil beach, Dorset, England
Take a trip to the Jurassic Coast (a World Heritage Site) in Dorset and you’ll find dramatic, red cliffs preserving millions of years of natural history, which surround some of the UK’s best dive sites.
Weymouth and Portland offer both shore dives (Chesil beach is a popular training site) and the M2 submarine and Aeolian Sky are both top wrecks to visit for more experienced divers. Swanage Pier, at 4m deep, is a fantastic, novice-level shore site where no two dives will be the same.
Reasons to visit: Family attractions and entertainment, beautiful beaches
Useful contact: Old Harbour Dive Centre
Harlyn Bay, Cornwall
Located on the north coast of Cornwall near Padstow with maximum depths of around 14 metres at high tide, Harlyn Bay is an ideal dive site for beginners or intermediate divers. This site is well sheltered from the general swell, allowing for calmer waters for an easy shore or boat diving experience.
When scuba diving here you can expect to see velvet crabs, corkwing wrasse, small spotted catsharks, lobsters and spider crabs. Divers have also seen the occasional dolphins, basking sharks and seals.
Reasons to Visit: Harlyn Bay is considered one of the best family beaches in Cornwall. Situated near Padstow, Harlyn is a great spot to spend your day enjoying the beach and local village life.
Useful contact: Harlyn Dive School
Porthkerris, Cornwall
On the Lizard Peninsula at Porthkerris, there's some excellent shore diving. Sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds, a handy beach entry gives access to a rocky reef close to shore.
Invertebrates, including tube worms, anemones and sea urchins colonise the hard substrate, but keep your eyes open as encounters with basking sharks and pods of dolphins are a real possibility.
Reasons to visit: Incredible beaches, coastal walks, family days out, culture and active sports.
Useful contact: Porthkerris Divers
Scapa Flow, Orkney, Scotland
In 1919, at least 52 vessels of the German fleet were scuttled in Scapa Flow on the Orkney Islands off Scotland’s Northern coast.
Many have been salvaged over the years, but the remaining wrecks provide an eerie reminder of turn-of-the-century naval technology and have become some of the most famous wreck sites in the world, let alone the best dive sites in this area.
The wreck dives here include three 177 metre/580 foot battleships and four 155 metre/510 foot cruisers.
Reasons to visit: Adventure, wilderness, stunning nature, outdoor family fun
Useful contact: Kraken Diving
Falmouth Bay, Cornwall
Falmouth is incredibly accommodating for all levels of diver, thanks to its line-up of both shallow and offshore dives within easy reach.
Pendennis and Castle Beach are particularly popular shore and night dives for both scuba divers and snorkelers, and are home to the wrecks of WWI submarines; keep an eye out for cuttlefish and dogfish too.
The Hera (18m/59ft) is a great beginner’s wreck, spread across two halves and each encrusted with sponges, fans, and dead man’s fingers (one of the world's weirdest fungi).
For something a little different, the Falmouth Estuary and Helford River lay claim to excellent sightings of thornback rays in spring.
Reasons to visit: Dog friendly and family friendly beaches - iconic sandy beaches to intimate sheltered coves, Falmouth’s 300+ beaches are gloriously varied.
Useful contact: Cornish Diving Centre
Pembrokeshire, Wales
Home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (the only coastal national park in the UK), this area has it all, from beachy shore dives (St Brides, Martins Haven) to countless wreck dives at all depths: The Dakotian sits in just 20m of water while The Lucy offers a more adventurous 40m. For technical divers, the Drina touches the seabed at 60m.
Further afield, the island of Grassholm is not only a superb diving spot, but home to one of the world’s largest Gannet populations.
Even further, about 20 miles out to sea, The Smalls Lighthouse needs calm seas to be reached, but worth the journey as you’ll be surrounded by seals playing amongst the pinnacles and gullies.
Pembrokeshire is renowned for its rich concentrations of marine life including blue sharks, dolphins, sunfish, rays, lesser-spotted catsharks, octopus, lobsters, conger eels, crabs, starfish and more.
Reasons to Visit: Coastal national park, adventure, off the beaten track
Useful contact: Welsh Diving
Farne Islands, Northumberland
Located off the Northumberland coastline, in England, the Farne Islands are just a stone’s throw from the Scottish border and a popular checkpoint for divers travelling up into Scotland.
While the islands are surrounded by wrecks and beautiful reefs, the attraction here is clear and simple: seal encounters. There’s estimated to be thousands of grey seals in the area, and they’re very accustomed to visits by divers. Don’t be surprised if you find your fins being tugged by one of these playful residents!
Reasons to visit: Good stop on route to Scotland, amazing sea life (grey seals and puffins)
Useful contact: The Fifth Point Diving Centre
Jersey, Channel Islands
Offering warmer waters than mainland UK, the Channel Island of Jersey is a great option for winter months. Plenty of shore diving options offer colourful reefs, rays, wrasse, flat fish, cuttlefish and more.
Jersey has one of the biggest tides in the world, creating fun drift dives where you can see rays and plenty of scallops.
The historical wrecks that lie around the island are teeming with marine life such as pouting and conger eels. Boat trips further out from the island are also available, where divers can find soft sponges and fan corals covering reef walls and beautiful kelp forests where the resident seals come to play.
Reasons to visit: Beaches, culture, heritage, family
Useful contact: Bouley Bay Dive Centre
Oban, Scotland
The presence of the nearby Gulf Stream and unpolluted waters of the Firth of Lorne make Oban and other sea lochs a mecca for UK diving enthusiasts.
There is diving here to suit everyone, from pleasant scenic dives in wrecks both shallow and deep, to hairy drift dives with tidal flows exceeding 15 knots and deep drop offs.
The marine life is abundant, with walls covered in anemones, sea squirts and sponges, lobsters and conger eels. You can also discover wildlife such as otters, seals and skate that teem in these pure waters.
Reasons to visit: Scenic destination, Scottish highlands culture, nature
Useful contact: Puffin Dive Centre
Brighton, West Sussex, England
The Indiana wreck is located roughly one mile out to see from Worthing Pier. It rests in 8-12m of water depending on the tide.
The Indiana was a British steam ship returning from Sicily with its cargo of lemons or oranges (although these have long since gone). She sank due to a collision with a German steam ship called The Washington who survived the crash while on her journey to New York.
This is a popular dive wreck as it is perfect for novice and experienced divers. It has bags of marine life including large schools of bib and whiting, congor eels, crabs and shellfish. A great way to enter the world of UK sea diving.
Reasons to visit: Proximity to London, wreck diving, nightlife, culture, shopping
Useful contact: thebrightondivecentre
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About PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the largest purpose-driven diving organisation with a global community of 6,600 dive centres and resorts, 128,000 professional members and more than 30 million certified divers to date. For over 50 years, PADI has been prividing high quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives.
For more information contact your local PADI Dive Centre
