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Durham
county's coastline in the north eastern part of England boasts
good shore diving. Durham diving offers cliffs, gulleys
and wrecks that are abundant with marine life. The dive
sites provide for beginners and advanced divers alike.
Always dive according to your level of training.
Never enter the water without checking with the local dive center
for safety, additional information, level required for each dive
site and without being accompanied by a professional. All the
information provided is purely informative for our readers and
shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion. Durham diving
activities are often conducted in the St.
Abbs and Eyemouth which is a is a natural reserve
and offers good diving as well as opportunities for family activities.
The St. Abbs harbour is a shallow dive and is
protected by a large rock locally called Broad Craig. You can
access the water by climbing down a rocky slope to the end of
the harbours wall.
This site is ideal for newly certified divers
to train newly acquired skills in open water. More advanced divers
are advised to explore the Broad Craig rock or
dive the gulleys on the east which lead to breathtaking underwater
arches. However, beware that diving in the harbour
itself or its immediate environs is not allowed. Although there
are shore dives which give an excellent opportunity for novices
to practice their skills all planning to dive here should beware
that though the high cliffs provide shelter from the Westerlies
many sites on the coastline are exposed to swell brought about
by the Easterlies. This could well make diving impossible.
Wuddy Rocks, close to St. Abbs harbour has dramatic
underwater cliifs covered in marine life and dead mans fingers.
The visibility is generally good and you can find gulleys
that lead to great swim throughs all full of marine life. Skelly
Rock & West Hurker are located to north of St Abbs Head.
There are lots of nudibranches and colourful anemones. Good drift
dives await you here and as you go through the gulleys you can
take in the great view of deadmans fingers and plumrose
anemones. Beware these sites are quite tidal.
Black Carrs has a series of underwater gulleys
that boast colourful anemones. This site is tidal and you may
seek shelter by dropping into the gulleys or staying nearer to
the rocks.
Although the Durham area doesn't have many wrecks there are
two wrecks that are regularly dived and which make interesting
dives.
The S.S Alfred Ealsden is the wreck of a Danish
ship that sunk in 1907 after hitting the Ebb Carrs. It's well
broken up and scattered in the gulleys but the site harbours a
lot of marine life. You will encouter pollack, lobsters
and wrasse in plenty.
The S.S Glanmire a 1100 ton steamship went down
in 1912. It's broken up but you can still distinguish the boilers
and ship ribs strewn all over the place. There's abundant
marine life here
but beware of the tides. These can be quite strong
and the dive is best attempted at slack water.
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