A free 10 page guide to shore diving around Falmouth in Cornwall. Featuring pictures of the dives and actual locations.

1. Falmouth's
Shore Dives
A simple guide to Falmouth's popular
shore dives.
Mark Milburn
January, 2012
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2. Good Selection
Wrecks and Reefs
Falmouth Bay is protected from the predominant south westerly winds
by the Lizard Peninsula. This makes it likely that you can go diving,
even in a force 6 SW. The worst time to try and shore dive around
Falmouth, is during an easterly or southerly wind. The winds will bring
waves, they have also brought many wrecks. There are three German
WWI U-Boats, a 5,000 ton oil tanker and a 422 ton fishing trawler on
the shore. The coast shelves slowly here, you will have to swim a long
way out to get much deeper than 10m. Visibility varies from 1m to up to
10m. Marine life is varied and you may see a range of things from
Nudibranchs to Seals. We'll start at the most northerly site and work
south. There are always variations to the dives, these are the most
common ones or not to be missed ones. Most dives are only suitable at
high water, I will note ones that are do-able at low water.
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3. Falmouth's most popular shore dive is the 'Silver Steps'. The Silver
Steps relate to the bright granite steps going down to the sea off of
Pendennis Point. To get there head along Castle Drive, the one way
system around Pendennis headland. The first landmark on the left is
the dockyard, then a little further around there is a car park. A few
hundred metres more, just before the road becomes two way, there is a
lay-by on the left. Park there, it’s free. A photo of the lay-by is below.
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4. The path to the steps is just to the left of the lay-by looking out to sea.
The path splits into two. It is possible to enter the water from the left
hand path and steps.
Although it is far easier and much more sensible, to enter from the well
trodden right hand path and steps. There are quite a few steps down, for
most of the way there is a heavy duty handrail. The handrail is
especially useful on the way back up.
Once at the bottom of the steps you can put your fins on while leaning
against the wall. The rocks are reasonably flat but there are a few rocky
pools to avoid. The rocks step down onto the sand which can catch you
out mid tide. Once in the water follow the gully out onto the flat sand.
There are now several options. To the left you can follow the reef along
until the first gully, in this gully are the remains of UB-97 (possibly).
The UB-97 is a German WWI U-Boat that was part of a consignment to
Falmouth, in payment for war reparations after the end of WWI. The U-
Boats were moored in Falmouth Bay, when a southerly gale made them
part their moorings and crash onto the rocks.
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5. UB-97 is one of three submarine remains left around Falmouth's shore.
The most noticeable part of the submarine remaining is the large three
pronged fork, possibly part of the hydro-vane hinge or rudder assembly.
Back out onto the sand and along to the next gully, there the remains of
UB-86 (possibly) lie. There is much more left of UB-86 than of UB-97. At
low water part of it even breaks the surface.
Circled above is part of one of UB-86's structural ribs showing at low
water.
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6. Back out onto the sand and into the next gully, which is narrow and has
steep walls. It's an interesting gully with a tiny cave at the end, within
the cave are the remains of a small motorbike. The bike does get buried
in sand now and then. That is one possible route. Another option, when
you get to the sand, is to turn right and swim along the reef. There are
lots of small rocky outcrops which make it an interesting dive. Another
option is to head straight out, past the coarse sand and onto a stoney
area. Within this area you can find the odd scallop. On the coarse sand
there is a boiler from a steam fishing trawler, it sank around 1849 and
can easily be missed. The Silver Steps is not really recommended at low
water, mainly because of the entry point.
The next shore dive is off of Castle Beach. Castle Beach is in front of the
Falmouth Hotel just a little further along from the 'Silver Steps'. It is the
location of another German submarine. It is a little walk down a couple
of slopes, even worse on the way back up laden with wet gear.
The submarine is not far offshore, it's around 100m to the far end of the
U-Boat. At high water you can swim over the reef straight to the wreck.
At lower states of the tide it is best to head about 20m south of the lower
slope, there is a sandy gap in the reef which makes for an easy entry.
You can find the U-Boat by swimming along the reef, it is usually
covered in kelp and can be hard to spot.
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7. The wreck lies at 90 degrees to
the shore. If you line up the
left hand edge of the Falmouth
Hotel, with the left hand side
of the ice cream hut and swim
out, you will come across the
wreck. At low water springs
the highest part just breaks
the surface, the deepest is
around 8m at high water.
Parking is usually available
along the roadside above the ice cream hut.
Along the coast another 1/2 mile and Gyllyngvase beach is our next
shore dive location. The best dive off of Gylly is from the south end of
the beach, just in front of the wall that supports the cliff path to
Swanpool. The reef is interesting enough but a little further along there
is the remains of a wreck, the 5,077 ton oil tanker, the Ponus.
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8. The wreck is well broken and spread over a huge area. The largest piece
stands around 2m high. To find it you need a straight line between the
last tall tree in the car park and the red and white beach safety sign.
Keep the tree and sign lined up
and you will come across the
biggest piece. The only other line
of sight (transit), is the white wall
besides the restaurant at
Swanpool becoming visible
around the point.
Once you find the wreck you can swim around for quite a while finding
more and more of it. It is spread over at least 50m with steel plates,
pipes and ribs exposed, or half buried in the sand. The sands can shift
and parts of the wreck get covered and uncovered, from time to time.
The wreck is just 0.5m deep at low water springs and is still dive-able,
maximum depth is 8m at high water. The best place to park is on the
road just behind Victoria Gardens. You can then walk around the
southern end of the gardens to the beach. There is a wall by the beach,
just as you get onto the sand, it is an ideal place for putting your kit on
before entering the water.
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9. Next along is Swanpool Beach, Swanpool is a very easy, lazy dive.
Especially at high tide. From the car park to the water can be as little as
a 25m flat walk. At low tide it is a much longer walk and just too
shallow. The southern reef is plain and simple, usually with quite a bit of
life. The north reef is shallower, at high water there is a very shallow
arch to swim through. At low water you can walk through the arch.
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10. Maenporth Beach also has a wreck, a 422 ton fishing trawler sunk in
1978, it is very shallow and a long swim out. It is an excellent snorkel
and a good dive at high water. The wreck is around 300m from the
beach and it is a long swim. It lies behind rocks along the left hand side,
north side, of the cove and is not visible from the beach. At low water
you can climb across the rocks to get to the wreck, then walk around
the remains of the Ben Asdale.
The car park on the beach makes easy access to the water. You can walk
along the cliff path to see the wreck from above. You have to make your
way through some bushes, to get to the ledge above it though.
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11. The last two dives I'll group together as they are almost one. Grebe
Beach and Durgan are just a couple of hundred metres apart, on the
north side of the Helford River. Just off Durgan Beach there is a lot of
moorings to swim around whilst, Grebe has no moorings at all. They
both have Sea Grass beds with a wide variety of life.
The Helford River is a voluntary area of conservation, mainly because
of this variety of life. It is best to dive at slack water, around one hour
after high or low water. Then head into the opposite direction of the
next tide, so you can swim back with the tide when it turns. If you don't
you may struggle to get back to where you started. The maximum depth
is around 6m off of either beach.
Parking isn't easy, as the free car park is at the top of the hill. Don't
park anywhere else, especially the passing places, as the police patrol
the area and give tickets out. Drop your gear off, park up and walk back.
The diving is worth it, if you like marine life.
Visibility is usually better at high water on all shore dives. The rivers
won't be so good after heavy rain. The visibility will take a few days to
clear after southerly or easterly winds. It is worth the wait.
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12. Sponsored by
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