Dive Guide

Overview

Belfast lough is a long, broad inlet
carpeted with wrecks often referred to
as the Scapa Flow of Northern Ireland.
Over 20 in all, covering 100 years of
shipping history in all shapes and sizes.
Wrecks are located at 10 to 60 metres.
With the M1, it's very tempting to nip up
and do a dive these days!
Most of the dives are sports diver plus.

Sites

• S.S. Chirripo
• S.S. Troutpool

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Overview

Malin Head is the most northerly point in Ireland.
It has a beautiful rugged coastline, but is exposed
and isolated with few areas to shelter from the
elements and thus few amenities. The advantage of
this is few diving tourists and lots of relatively
unexplored wrecks and reefs. The disadvantage however
is that divers must be self-sufficient and are at the
mercy of the weather.

Sites

• Corientes - 33m
• Tor Rocks, Inistrahull - 27m
• Iris/gully Inistrahull - 15m
• Carthiginian - 58m
• Castle Eden - 33m
• William Manell - 30m
• Devils Cut - 18m
• Cumberland - 58m
• U861 - 43m
• The O'Doherty Rocks (Garvan Isles) - 20m
• Racoon - 17m
• Laurentic

Overview

During the summer months Hook Head
offers some of the best boat diving
in the country on sites such as the Girl Arleen,
Western Rock and Three Mile Rock. Couple this
with the fact that it is only three hours
from Dublin and you have a recipe for a great
trip! Make no mistake though, Hook Head is not
only for the summer months: it has some really
good shore diving which can be experienced all
year round and is also perfect for less
experienced divers.

Sites

• Slade Harbour
• Solomon's Hole
• Carraig Ahoy
• Black Chan
• Churchtown
• Unidentified Trawler
• Blow hole
• Grogan
• Tower Hole
• Hook Head
• Three Mile Rock - 15m -> 35m
• Western Rock - 22m -> 40m
• Girl Arleen - 27m
• George Milburn (Minesweeper)

Overview

The Mullaghmore headland is located just off
the main Sligo-Bundoran road(N15). In March 2003
a group of 31 of us headed off for on an exploratory
mission to Mullaghmore head in Co. Sligo. Unfortunately
the diving turned out to be disappointing and very
different from what we expected.

Sites

• The Head
• Bishops Pool
• Lobster Farm
• Thumb Rock

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Overview

Kilkee lies right on the west coast of Clare
with nothing much between it and America.
With the full force of the Atlantic rolling in, it can
be very weather-dependent. However if you do get out
the water is usually extremely clear and the underwater
topography makes for many great dives. There is diving
for ocean divers, and plenty for sports divers.

Sites

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Overview

Kilkieran Bay is where most of the diving club's
current members took their first little fin-strokes.
The Novice Trip, our annual spring training trip,
has been held here for close on ten years, and we just
keep coming back. We also dive here in late December
and early January on our annual New Year's Trip.

Sites

• Coral Beach, Carraroe
• Yellow Rock
• Novice Rock
• Bird Rock
• The Channel

Overview

Baltimore is a small village in West Cork
and is one of the southern-most places in Ireland.
The diving here is among the best in Ireland
and it is becoming a regular club trip destination
during the summer months.

Sites

• Lough Ine
• The Stags
• U260

Overview

Allihies is at the western tip of the Beara Peninsula,
in Cork. The main attractions here are fabulous clear water
and some very dramatic scenery - offshore you have the Cow
and the Bull Rocks, and nearer to harbour you have Dursey Island.
There are any number of nice scenic dives in the area and plenty
of marine life to see - people were actually heard to voice
complaints of there being too many crawfish in the way of the scenery.

Sites

• The Bull
• The Cow
• The Calf
• Dursey Sound
• Cullough Rock
• Bolus Point
• Garinish Pier

Overview

The Maharees Peninsula is a mostly sandy spit
located off Dingle Peninsula between Tralee and
Brandon Bays. Located of the tip lie the Maharee
Islands or the Seven Hogs. The largest island Illauntannig
has remnants of an early monastic settlement on it.
There is also a local seal colony. There are lovely
sites at Gurrig and Inistooskert.

Sites

• Brandon Point
• Deelick Point
• Moynihan's Rock
• Sauce Cree
• Gurrig Island

Overview

There are many excellent sites around Valentia
that make the long drive well worth it.
The Skelligs make a spectacular dive. Plenty to
keep the sports divers happy.

Sites

• Great Skellig Island
• Little Skellig Island
• Bray Head
• Doulus Head
• Oilean an Iasc (Fish Island)
• Valentia Harbour

Overview

The Saltee Islands lie about five kilometres
south of Kilmore Quay, which is twenty-three
kilometres from Wexford. The islands are a well
known bird sanctuary. We dive around the
islands at least once a year
as they're only a few hours from Dublin
and the diving is superb.

Sites

• Coningbeg Rock
• Coningmor Rock
• The Brandies
• The Lismore
• S.S. Lennox

Overview

Sites

• Sandycove
• The Lady's Stairs
• Scotsman's Bay
• The Muglins
• Dalkey Sound
• Dalkey Island
• Ireland's Eye
• M.V. Bolivar
• RMS Leinster
• SS Guide Me II
• HMS Vanguard
• The Marley
• HMS Deliverer
• RMSTayleur
• SS Shamrock II
• Polewell
• Queen Victoria
• SSStrathray

Overview

St. John's point is the first trip away
for the club after our novice trip.
The beauty of this trip is that the
May bank-holiday on which it is held
always seems to provide us with
glorious weather which in turn just
improves the already breathtaking beauty
of Donegal in the north west region of Ireland.

Sites

• The Wall
• Black Rock
• The Beach
• The Reef
• The Stack

Overview

Strangford Lough is an easy trip,
great for a first time organiser or
just for the lazier organiser.
It's nearby, from Dublin, three hours
will have you in Strangford,
drink is cheap, the people are nice and
the diving's not half bad either.
The club runs a training course,
often the Advanced Diving Techniques
Course, from Portaferry each year.
There are a range of dives with plenty
for ocean divers but also several
dive-leader plus dives.

Sites

• M.Y. Alastor, Ringhaddy Sound
• Inner Lees, Ballyhenry Bay
• Outer Lees
• The Pins
• Ballyhenry Drop-Off
• Gun's Island
• Georgetown Victory
• The Bangor
• The Hunsden
• The Routen Wheel
• Jimmy's Wall

Overview

North Donegal boasts some beautiful scenery
above water including the 180m Horn Head cliffs,
Glenveagh National Park, the Atlantic drive around
the Rosguill peninsula and many deserted sandy beaches.
Below water, there's plenty of nice diving,
all suitable for sports divers.

Sites

• The Narrows
• Melmore Head
• The Limeburner Rock
• Frenchman's Rock
• Duncap Head Cavern
• Horn Head
• Wherryman Rock
• Black Rock
• Pan Bay

Sites

• The east end, north of 'The Anvil'
• The west end, under the lighthouse

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Overview

The Slieve League cliffs are the highest
sea cliffs in Europe,almost 600 metres high
and pretty spectacular. There is diving right
the way along them, much suitable for ocean divers,
with caves for beginners, as well as a few forty metre
drop-offs for more experienced divers. The water
is usually very clear and there's lots of life about.

Sites

• Cave
• Malinbeg
• The Cliff
• The Trenches

Overview

Inishboffin is an island off the west coast
of Ireland, west of Killary Harbour and at
the joint of the counties Galway and Mayo. It
is a world apart from the hustle and bustle of
city life; the many sail boats and tractors
reflect the true pace of life.

Sites

• Spotted Rock
• Glassilan / Glasilaun cave
• Maol An Dubh / Mweelandhu
• Dun Na Hinine / Dooninaheena
• Buachaill / Bouchal Rock
• Pigeon Cove
• High Island
• Stags of Boffin
• Maon Mor shoal / Mweenmore Shoal
• Sunfish Rock
• Friar Island

Overview

Achill island has classic west coast scenery
with dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches.
It is a popular spot for many watersports not
just diving. If you are unfortunate enough to be
blown out there is always surfing, with plenty
of climbing and walking in the area too.

Sites

• Inishgalloon / Inishgallon
• The Bills
• Achill Head
•