Northern Ireland Dive Conditions

Diving in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland offers two contrasting dive environments within a small area. Strangford Lough — a huge sea lough with a narrow tidal channel — has one of the fastest tidal flows in the British Isles, reaching 8 knots on spring tides. Dive at slack water during neap tides for flat-calm conditions and visibility up to 8m through the forest of anemones and sea fans. Rathlin Island off the north Antrim coast is a Marine Conservation Zone with dramatic cliffs both above and below the waterline, seal encounters guaranteed, and a strong history of shipwrecks from the days of the narrow North Channel crossing.