Ocean Diving In Ireland

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Ireland is a small island located in north-west Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, west and south sides, and the Irish Sea on the east side. Ireland enjoys a temperate maritime climate, but receives a lot of rain, giving it its characteristic green color.

The beauty of the surface continues underwater with a great variety of diving offered including wrecks, gullies, caverns, drifts and shore dives. However, due to adverse weather and sea conditions, the dive season generally starts around March and ends around October. May through September typically have the best conditions, visibility on the Atlantic coast ranges from 15 - 100 feet, it is generally lower on the east coast (<30 feet). Seawater temperature ranges from 39°F in winter warming up to a maximum of about 60°F in September. Most divers wear drysuits, or at least a 7mm wetsuit!


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All wrapped up after some Irish diving!!!

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Lake Diving in Lake Inchiquinn, west coast of Ireland

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Ocean Diving in Lough Hyne on the south coast of Ireland

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Popular shore diving site, Ballyalla on the south coast of Ireland

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Another popular shore diving site, Novahal Cove on the south coast of Ireland

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Popular ocean dive site, Sherkin Island on the south coast of Ireland

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Sea conditions in Ireland in the Winter!

There is a great diversity of Ocean Life, as can be seen in some of the following pictures….

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Typical landscape underwater of the west coast of Ireland, where gullies, walls and dropoffs are common.

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Dead mans fingers (a type of soft coral) and jewel anemones

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Plumose anemone

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Male cuckoo wrasse

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Female cuckoo wrasse

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Dogfish

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Close up of a dogfish

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Tompot Blenny

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Irish Flounder

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Compass jellyfish

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Common Jellyfish

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Ling

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Lobster

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Lobster up close, peering out from his burrow

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Seven armed starfish, particularly common on the south coast

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Edible sea urchin

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Scuba diver and spider crab

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Spider crab

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Velvet swimming crab

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Common seal

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Common seals in Oysterhaven Bay on the south coast