Scuba Diving in England
For many people around the world (and plenty of people in England too), the idea of scuba diving in English waters does not sound too appealing. Cold weather, green water and no colourful fish are the common perceptions of the sea around this country.
Well, how wrong that perception is. England has some first rate diving opportunities. Yes, it can get cold and you will need a decent wetsuit in summer and either a thick wetsuit or drysuit from autumn to spring, but the rewards can be well worth the small discomfort.
Firstly, starting in the southwest, this is where there are sharks to be found. Boats out of Padstow offer shark dives with common encounters with blue sharks and porbeagles. When the time is right, you can dive even with whale sharks.
A couple of good wrecks near Lundy Island off the Devon coast, including the wreck of the HMS Montagu which is in shallow water, but has live shells lying around the seabed.
Shore diving is also possible in England in various locations. Howick Beach, Great Kern, Northumberland is used by local divers who get to explore the remains of a submarine and some great shallow swim throughs.
The closest you will get to med style diving is Lulworth Cove on England's south coast. This is a closed cove with shallow and rich waters so great for beginners who want to see fishes. The cove does get quite a lot of boats so SMBs are a must.
These are just a few of the dive sites in England, but ask most people where in England you can dive and all they can think to say is Stoney Cove!