Diving Strangford Lough - Advice Please

[Rocky T]

Myself and 3 friends are spending the weekend of the 16th - 18th in Northern Ireland. We have Saturday and Sunday booked with Aquaholics and then plan to head to Strangford Lough for some diving on the Monday as the ferry home isn't till 10pm. Can anyone give us some tips on where to dive and at what tide state. The only info i've been able to come across is the dive on The Mv Alastor on Dive Site Directory.

Thanks in advance, Mark

[Peter M]

Bring a torch a big one !!!!

[buchhawk]

If it was me I would do a shore dive up at Aquaholics.
It would be one hell of a drive to the Alastor, then on to Larne for the ferry.
Plus the Aliastor is hard to find if you have never being down them little roads
Ken

[Peter M]

Originally Posted by buchhawk

If it was me I would do a shore dive up at Aquaholics.

Ken !!

[RogerViking]

aye what peter said ...if your in killinchy killalaigh head north until you get to a junction the ballymoran road youl see it on the right side of the road about 2 miles away head down this road and take the left at the end of it then take the first right ringahaddy road follow the road till you come to the end where there is a house and an area to park opposite carefuff dont drive into the lough...there is an old expansion pipe about a few feet under the water at the end of the pier (as you look out at the lough under the left bollard) follow this pipe till it becomes a rope favor the left when it splits into two and continue on out to the wreck ....make sure to find the rope for the way back ...enjoy

[Mick F]

Originally Posted by RogerViking

aye what peter said ...if your in killinchy killalaigh head north until you get to a junction the ballymoran road youl see it on the right side of the road about 2 miles away head down this road and take the left at the end of it then take the first right ringahaddy road follow the road till you come to the end where there is a house and an area to park opposite carefuff dont drive into the lough...there is an old expansion pipe about a few feet under the water at the end of the pier (as you look out at the lough under the left bollard) follow this pipe till it becomes a rope favor the left when it splits into two and continue on out to the wreck ....make sure to find the rope for the way back ...enjoy

Nice & easy then!

[balbrigganbloke]

Yeah mick who could get lost underwater from following the wrong line?????

[The Penguin]

Originally Posted by balbrigganbloke

Yeah mick who could get lost underwater from following the wrong line?????

i done it before....

if diving the Alastor dive at slack water. on Easytide the nearest port is Killinchy, but Strangford is fine (10 minute difference). take a big torch!!

on the Portaferry side of the lough, about a mile out of Portaferry you have the Pins wreck (10m, some wooden timbers and copper sheathing from the 18th c) and the inner part (bow) of the Lees wreck (Empire Tana, ex-Carso) - the stern section of this is visible in the middle of the channel. Empire Tana is a pleasant dive, 10-13m depending on tide. again choose slack!

[RogerViking]

Originally Posted by balbrigganbloke

Yeah mick who could get lost underwater from following the wrong line?????

in a rather loud nelson muntz voice and pointing at mick ' HA HA'

[smcmullan]

As it happens I have a Google Map link to the location of Ringhaddy Pier for shore diving the Alastor:

Google Maps

As Roger says bear left on the line at the junction with the old lightsticks - its VERY close to the end of the pier so careful you don't overshoot.