There is more to diving Britain than ocean diving from well-known coastlines with their cosy pubs and tea rooms for post-dive warmth. The summer season sees many divers and families head to the coast but, for those based inland and looking for fun and accessible alternatives, Britain has a number of inland dive sites where swimming alongside buses, helicopters and caravans in the norm. For fun diving with first class facilities look no further than the lakes and quarries on offer.
The average water temperature is 3°C in winter and 18°C in summer. Diving is available year round and divers can see pike, perch, roach, eels and crayfish. A drysuit with thermal undersuit or semidry suit (summer only) are recommended. Average dive visibility is 1-20 metres and we recommend divers always carry a torch, plan for possible winter free flows in cold waters and consult dive site maps when planning to dive.
Here are some of our top dive sites:
Stoney Cove
This flooded quarry is the UK’s National Diving Centre and is a popular dive site located in Leicestershire, England. There are a variety of dive areas from 7 to 35m depth and highlights include a bus, helicopter and Hydroboxes with air pockets – allowing divers to talk through regulators with each other. Stoney Cove also offers snorkeling and the centre has a 30°C heated indoor training pool, showers with changing facilities and a bar and restaurant. Try Stoney Cove and The Dive Club.
Gildenburgh
This lake has been developed since 1945 from a former brickworks and is located in northern Cambridgeshire, England. Diving is available year round and the site offers dive depths of 1-22m with training platforms at 1m, 2m, 3, 5m, 7m and 9m. This site is ideal for novice divers, those completing their instructor examinations and all abilities in-between. Water visibility can reach 20m in winter and the site’s compact size means it can be easily explored in one weekend if time is limited. Highlights include a coach, Morris Minor, cabin cruiser and a variety of fish and plant life. The site has a small café, shop and changing facilities. Try Gildenburgh.
Dosthill
Dosthill quarry is the UK’s oldest inland dive site and is located in the West Midlands, England. It’s easily accessible from the motorway and yet is tucked away in a quiet location behind a church and surrounded by trees. Dosthill offers dives up to 24m depth and training platforms from 2m to 18m, making it a popular place to learn to scuba dive. Highlights include a catarmaran, sunken trees and the latest addition; a Jetstream aircraft for wreck-penetration skills practice at 18m depth (available for all certified divers). The site has a small shop, portable toilets and catering van. Try Divedozzi and Aquasport International.
Wraysbury
This lake is situated within a nature reserve and is easily accessible from London, being located in Middlesex. Maximum dive depth is 12m, with an average visibility of 5m and summer water temperatures can reach 21°C. This site is mostly devoted to training and is popular at weekends. Dive highlights include a lifeboat, dragon boat, taxi and numerous platforms. There is also a confined water area for shallow water skills practice and the centre offers all PADI recreational and technical diving courses, including SDI Solo Diver. The centre is open late night on Wednesdays and there is a shop, filling station, portable toilets and licensed café on site. Try Wraysbury.
Capernwray
Capernwray quarry is located in Lancashire, England and offers dive depths of 5m to 20m. Visibility is good on average with 15m mid-week but drops significantly during busy weekends. There is a jetty with piers for deep water entry and a large variety of dive highlights to explore, including the wreck of the HMS Podsnap, a flying saucer, Wessex helicopter, gnome garden and also underwater caves. This site has excellent facilities including a heated changing area, clubhouse, restaurant and RIB for rescue. Try Capernwray.
NDAC – National Diving & Activity Centre
NDAC in Gloucestershire offer a diving depth range of 1m to 80m and has good visibility. With a number of training platforms and dive highlights including armoured and amphibious vehicles, this is a popular site. There is a free diving platform for training and also a trapeze at 75m for decompressions stops. Shallow training platforms are conveniently labelled for novice divers and site facilities include a shop, changing rooms, café and courtesy vehicles from the parking area to the pontoon. Kit trolleys are also available and the centre has a range of other activities including off-road driving and survival experiences. Try NDAC.
Vobster Quay
This quarry in Somerset has earned a reputation as the ‘UK’s friendliest inland diving centre’ and reviews online confirm that title has been well-earned. The maximum dive depth at Vobster is 36m and visibility is variable from 5m to 10m. Dive highlights include commercial aircraft, a crushing works and concrete-lined tunnel. Facilities include a dive shop, equipment hire, free hot showers and catering van. The centre offers a full range of PADI courses and technical diving courses from IANTD. Try Vobster Quay.
