First time shore dive in NE. Advice required

[ianfirmin]

Hiya all,
I have a new diver looking for his first sea dive off the NE coast. He's been diving in puddles or the Med so far. I know it's a bad time of year but I'm wondering about Beadnell. Has anyone dived off the beach from the south side of Beadnell point or perhaps off the fishing harbour breakwater?

I don't want anything too rocky or in the path of a swell. Some suggestions would be very welcome.

Tia
Ian

[scubaloo]

mornin Ian....i did my first shore at beadnell beech and yes it was a good first dive, i dive up there like others most of the seacon vut never hear of anyone diving the south side, the bech or the wreck off the wall are the most widely done, other than that Browns bay a tynemouth is my haunt during the week and round the back of the old swiming pool to enter and exit which are very easy, theres loads to see with the reef and the wall and also the wreck (not much left of that)though.keep away from the lighthouse as u will know its long long walk over thoose rocks.........Hope this helps............

Happy diving

[2wheeldiver]

I would recommend going up to Eyemouth and getting a guided dive with Martin at Aquastars. The shore entry is nice and easy and the vis will be miles better than Browns bay etc. Get in touch with them as all the shore dives are very weather dependent and even the smallest swell can give you all sorts of problems especially if it's your first time in the North Sea.

[Helen F H]

Ello, i have dived a fair few times at Beadnell.

Im a bit stuck on the names of some of the dives, but if you give me a few days i will see if i still have the guide book for that area and post it to you if you like.

From memory - things might have changed (access etc) as this was 2002.

Driving towards Beadnell carparks you go along the sea front where there is a sea wall, a cobble beach running to sand and several reefs going out. Park at the end of the wall just before the road does a sharp right turn.

This is a nice little dive and is fairly easy to get in and out. Follow the reefs out, you can get 10-15m if you go right the way out.

NExt dive i did was not quite as easy to get in, but a nicer dive. Stood in the same place as dive 1, around 200 yards further on there is a small headland with a house on it. A path runs down the south side of the house and you can get access to the next bay along. It is a bit of a clamber mind. Beach is cobbles with reefs running out again. Once again, you can get 10-15m, but a little quicker if i remember rightly.


Hope that helps

[Snash]

This link is to a very good and informative site with lots of shore diving.

Northeast Divesites


The fantastically named Nacker Hole at Beadnell is worth a plonge. Mrs Snash, a bit of a warm water diver if truth be told, had a very good dive there in October.


Snash

[Buoyant Babe]

I've dived Nacker's Hole at Beadnell a few times. Howick is also a good one. Browns bay might be a bit...errr...brown at this time of year. For almost guaranteed diving I'd go to Green Ends Gulley behind Aquastars in Eyemouth.

HTH

Helen xxx

[KeyLimePie]

The gullies at Eyemouth are great shore dives. Off the far end of the harbour at Abbs is also nice, but probably best to do it at high tide if you don't want too many rocks.

Dave

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by KeyLimePie

The gullies at Eyemouth are great shore dives. Off the far end of the harbour at Abbs is also nice, but probably best to do it at high tide if you don't want too many rocks.

Dave

That is a nice dive Dave, but the harbour wall was closed to the public last time we were there in October.

[KeyLimePie]

Was it not open the last time we were there, when we did the Glanmire in the summer?

[Buoyant Babe]

Originally Posted by KeyLimePie

Was it not open the last time we were there, when we did the Glanmire in the summer?

It was, but on my 'YD Does Eyemouth' trip in October it was cordoned off. Aaran and I wanted to show Morag the entry from shore to dive Cathedral Rock, but we couldn't go along the harbour wall.