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Relatively deep water close inshore and strong tidal movement combine to provide
some of the easiest and best shore diving in Britain. There are, however, only
two entry points. Firstly, direct from the car park with a short swim out to
the large rock (called Maw Carr locally) but usually referred to by divers
as Seagull Rock. This can be a bit of a scramble at low tide, particularly
when trying to exit and the ideal time for entry is an hour before high water.
The second option is to walk around the outer harbour wall and enter from the
rocks with hardly any need to swim on the surface. Both are suitable sites for
trainees.
By far the best is the harbour wall as this gives access to a maze of superb,
kelp-topped gullies and vertical walls up to 15m high with a stunning range of
marine life. Just about every species found on this area of coast can be seen
here at some time including a semi-tame wolf fish which has been a summer resident
in the same hole for several years. A big attraction is Cathedral Rock with its
unique double archway which is a mere 50m swim from the shore and a "must see"
for any first time visiting diver. The top of Cathedral only appears at half tide
and can be identified as the furthest rock in a south-easterly direction. If you
are uncertain, it is best to have it pointed out in advance in order to avoid
missing it underwater.
Another very popular dive from the harbour wall is to circumnavigate Big Green Carr.
Look up the channel running north from the entry point and it is the large rock forming
the right hand side of this channel. Here you will find lots of beautiful walls,
hopefully the resident Wolf-fish and on the seaward side, a sharply undercut wall
full of holes and cracks known as the Amphitheatre. This is likely to be occupied
by squat and common lobsters, velvet fiddler crabs, Yarrell's blennies and occasionally,
the elusive tadpole fish. A beautiful and very easy dive.
Diving from the car park is less spectacular but still well worth doing. Seagull Rock
has good vertical walls but these lead down largely to sand at about 12m. This is
probably the most sheltered site in the area and this, combined with the reflective
quality of the sand, means that the very best visibility can usually be found here.
At the rear of Seagull Rock is a huge crack probably 4m wide, running from the
surface to the sea bed. Go right in and although it will seem a bit gloomy at first,
there is lots to see on the faces. The crack gradually narrows and at the centre of
the rock becomes a cave with a silt bottom and a good population of leopard spotted
gobies. Well worth a look but take a torch. Complete your dive by swimming right
round Seagull Rock leaving just a short swim back to the car park.
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