The flood tide travels roughly south. With this in mind, enter the water to the north, where the water is at a depth of about 15m. Travelling east will take you around a sheer underwater cliff rising from about 25m depth to a kelp plateau at 5m. Underwater the rocks appear furry; they are encrusted with orange and white dead man’s fingers. Every inch of substrate is covered. If the tide is running, shelter can be found in the lee on the south side of the rock. Alternatively, swim west and then south, keeping to a depth of about 20m – the boilers of the Abessinia will appear with further wreckage. Congers, wolffish and lobsters hide in among the cracks and crevices provided by plates from the steamship. Towards the end of the dive it is worth saving some air to spend time with the seals. Almost anywhere around the Knivestone seals play in the shallow, kelp-filled waters above 5m.

Tip: if there is any swell, don’t concentrate on watching the kelp. Your eyes play tricks on you because it appears that the kelp is fixed. However, it is moving back and forth with the swell – this can make you seasick incredibly quickly. If you just miss the slack the tide will be running north, so reverse the profile. If the water is overflowing through the gap between the two main rocks it is too dangerous to dive, as currents can pull you down into much deeper water. Generally it is a hindrance to use a surface marker buoy because of the amount of kelp in shallow water, and if there is any current it will quickly drag you clear of the dive site. Much better to orientate yourself using the rock wall and to carry a flag or an inflatable SMB.

It is essential to dive on neap tides at slack water, unless you are very familiar with the area. Local currents regularly reach more than 5 knots in less than 30 minutes from slack water. Slack water is approximately one-and-a-half hours after high or low water at Seahouses. The water temperature ranges from 6ºC in the winter, to 12ºC in the summer. A good quality wetsuit or (probably best) a drysuit is required.

Caution In summer, if the wind is easterly, sea fog can appear extremely quickly; even from a perfectly clear sky, the visibility can be less than 100m within 20 minutes.

The bearing back to Seahouses from the south of the Longstone is 204 degrees true North.

Underwater visibility

As long as there have been no recent storms, expect 5–15m, with 25m not uncommon.

Marine Life

There are lots of anemones, starfish, brittlestars and sponges, whereas fish life tends to be sparse, with the occasional huge shoal of herring and coley. Sand eels are quite common. Remember to look in rock crevices for wolffish (broken crab shells by the opening of a rock face are a giveaway). Many of the boulders will also be home to lobster and crabs – they have made a dramatic recovery due to the decline in commercial potting.

However, the main reason for visiting the Farne Islands is to see the grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Breeding takes place in the autumn, when the males come ashore to claim their territory. They are joined shortly afterwards by the females, who are heavily pregnant from the previous season. The females give birth and suckle the pups for about three weeks before they are left to fend for themselves. So, depending on what time of the year you dive, you will see the seals in varying stages of growth. I like to dive between June and August, when the pups’ colours range from a mottled white to their adult coat of dark grey.

The biggest mistake is to try to approach them. The waters of the Farne Islands are one of the best places in the UK to let grey seals satisfy their curiosity. They make sense of objects by gently biting them – especially fins. So move slowly and calmly, and let the seals come to you. This is as near to a guaranteed experience as you can get in the sea.

Unmissable.

Another attraction to the dive is that it is the site of the best known wreck in the area, the steamship Abessinia. She is the largest known wreck on the reef at 135m-long, with a 15m-beam and gross tonnage of 5,753. She foundered in 1921. The badly broken wreckage lies on the western side of the reef at depths ranging from 9–20m. Look out for the lobster and wolffish that hide under the plates of the wreck

Launching

The slipway is open from 8.30am until 6.30pm. The harbour master will issue the boat with a large wooden disc, which must be displayed at all times. The charges are £6 per boat, which includes the first two people, and £1.50 for subsequent passengers (however, this can vary from time to time!).

Launching and recovery can usually be achieved with a normal saloon car three hours either side of high water. At low water neaps a good four-wheel drive vehicle is required. It is impossible to launch and recover one hour either side of low-water spring tides as the harbour dries.

Head for Seahouses in Northumberland, a small fishing village 15 miles south-east of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just off the A1. The Farne Islands lie between one and five miles offshore, NNW. They are reached either by local dive boats operating out of Seahouses, or by RIB. Turn right before the main pier entrance, carry on past the fish-smoking buildings and the slipway is 50m down, on the left. Harbour dues are paid to the harbour master who can usually be found in his office/hut just before the slipway.

Boat trailers can be left on the beach, tight up against the harbour wall on the right-hand side of the slipway. Cars can be parked on the harbour wall 100m to the left of the slip.

Access

Once the boat is launched it can be driven around the fishing boat pier and over to the harbour wall to moor up. There are ladders to climb up the wall. Loading and unloading boats has to be carried out either back at the slip or by using ropes, as the height of the harbour wall to the water’s surface ranges from about 3m to 7m, depending upon the tide.

Warning On no account use the stone steps at the end of the wall – these are for the exclusive use of the day sightseeing boats.

Local by-laws

The Farne Islands have not officially been declared a marine reserve; however, most divers now consider them as such. Remember, this is also a fishing harbour so bringing back lobster, crab or fish doesn’t help public relations. It was only a few years ago that divers were almost banned from launching here. There is a speed limit in the harbour of 8 knots (check with the harbour master). The harbour master may close the slip if he feels the weather is too dangerous. The use of the harbour is on the understanding that fishing boats and commercial pleasure craft have right of way over smaller diving boats. And no diving in the harbour! Only land on the islands in an emergency. Please fly an ‘A’ flag when divers are in the water.

Restaurants

The Blue Bell Hotel, Market Square, Belford. Tel: 01668 213543.
Prices range from £10–£30 per head. Excellent continental-style food, local fish and game. Huge wine cellar. Dress-code smart/casual.

Warenford Lodge, Warenford. Prices from £15 per head. Tel: 01668 213453.

The Viking Restaurant, Seahouses. Wide variety of fish dishes. Prices £12–£25.
Tel: 01665 720747. Seahouses also has lots of fish & chip shops and cafés.

Accommodation

The Lodge, Seahouses. Tel: 01665 720158.
Has been a meeting point for divers for many years, and is very diver-friendly (Les Routiers-approved). There is a bar filled with brass artefacts recovered from local wrecks, and various local photographs taken in the last 50 years or so. The restaurant is excellent and is open to non-residents. £24.50 per person per night B&B.

Longstone House Hotel. From £25 per person, per night, B&B. Discount for groups.
Tel: 01665 720212.

Waren Caravan and Camping Park,Bamburgh. Diver-friendly camp site which offers caravan parking from £7.75 a night. Tel: 01668 214366.
Beware of the camp site on the coast road just outside Beadnell, they don’t like divers.

Waren House Hotel. From £57.50 a night. Tel: 01668 214581. Stunning Georgian house hotel .

Local skippers

Fifteen years ago there was only one hard boat operating out of Seahouses. Now, with the fishing industry in severe decline, nearly all the fishing boats have been converted to dive boats or pleasure craft; last year I counted 14 dive boats.

• Stan Hall, Farne Diving Services. Tel: 01665 720615 (also offers accommodation).

• Julie D II, Three Sisters and Ocean Maid. Contact Jonathan or Julie Dawson on 01665 720865.

• MFV Promised Land. Contact Chris Hall on 01665 720938.

• Sovereign II and Sovereign III. Contact Ailsa and Ian Douglas on 01665 720059.

• Wave Dancer and Wave Dancer II. Phone Colin Rutter on 01665 720892.

Air

Ian Douglas (also Nitrox). See Sovereign, above.

Farne Diving Services. See above.

The Lodge. See accommodation.