UK Diving Places To Dive

THE DIVE

Marine life
Maximum depth on the cable is 17m, but boulders and bedrock start to appear in only two to three metres of water. A coating of sponge can be found on virtually every exposed hard surface (including a lot of the junk that has accumulated since the bridge was built). There are too many types of sponge to list them here by name – suffice to say, red, orange, yellow and green colours predominate, with forms varying from smooth to knobbly, encrusting to lumpy, tendril-like to finger-shaped.

Within the sponges are many other creatures. Anemones include delicate and pretty varieties, as well as the more robust dahlias. There are hydroids, sea squirts and large barnacles, plus numerous, weirdly shaped creatures that require a close inspection to decipher their outline, let alone their identity.

Then there’s the more mobile life – it’s crab city down there! In fact, you can see more shore crabs on one dive here than in a year diving elsewhere. And, although they’re usually found only in very shallow water or on the shore, in the Strait they’re everywhere. There are small, edible crabs and velvet swimmers, plus loads of spindly-legged scorpion spider crabs, which are often covered in sponges, making them difficult to spot on the sea bed.

Fish, too, are numerous: gobies, blennies, pogges and butterfish are all easy to find. Search under the bigger boulders and you may come across a conger lurking in its lair. And look out for large bass taking a rest in the tidal shelter created by the larger rocks.

Visibility
The Strait is a nutrient-rich environment, hence the high sea-bed biomass – which, in plain English, means there’s a lot of marine life here because of the masses of edible muck in the water. As a result, poor visibility is the norm – usually less than three metres, often less than one, although, very occasionally, you may get up to eight metres, when the Strait is visually stunning.

Tides
The Strait is subject to very strong tidal currents. Slack water is around two hours before low tide (Liverpool) and varies from 30 to 90 minutes long. If you do get caught in the current, don’t worry – a short swim will get you to shore, although you may be a long walk from your starting point.

Boat cover is useful (you can launch from the slipway in Menai Bridge), but not essential.

WARNING Powerboats and jet skis use the Strait and may be a problem – take care.

How to get there
Follow the A55 towards Anglesey. Cross the Britannia Bridge, then take the slip road on the left. Turn right at the T-junction towards Menai Bridge, right at the first roundabout and left at the second roundabout. Follow the road to the end, then take the first right and you’ll find yourself on a narrow shore road that goes under the suspension bridge.

Access
On the Anglesey side, you can park near the site, kit up and walk through a gate that leads to a small green. Narrow steps take you to the shore – follow the wall to the water.

Accommodation
There are lots of places to stay – contact the local tourist office on 01248 713177.
Air fills
Anglesey Diver Training College, near Holyhead. Tel: 01407 7645450.
Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre, also near Holyhead. Tel: 01407 762525

MENAI STRAIT	page - 1 \| 2 \| 3
Bursting with life and colour, this is one of the best shore dives in the UK, says Paul Kay

Just to the east of the Menai Bridge, in Gwynedd, north Wales, there are are two yellow, diamond-shaped signs, one on either side of the Menai Strait, which the bridge spans. Put there to indicate the presence of a submarine cable to mariners, they serve an even better purpose as far as divers are concerned – as markers for a superb shore dive, complete with guiding cable.
	Sign of life: above, one of the yellow markers that indicate the submarine cable; top, the elegant arches of the Menai Bridge; . Photographs by Paul Kay
	The whole of the Strait has been proposed as the UK’s fourth marine nature reserve (the three existing reserves are Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire, Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel and Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland). Menai has been put forward for good reason: the Strait is literally stuffed with marine life, and there are few places to beat it for colour and variety. A dive along the submarine cable is a great introduction to this exciting waterway.
THE DIVE Marine life Maximum depth on the cable is 17m, but boulders and bedrock start to appear in only two to three metres of water. A coating of sponge can be found on virtually every exposed hard surface (including a lot of the junk that has accumulated since the bridge was built). There are too many types of sponge to list them here by name – suffice to say, red, orange, yellow and green colours predominate, with forms varying from smooth to knobbly, encrusting to lumpy, tendril-like to finger-shaped. Within the sponges are many other creatures. Anemones include delicate and pretty varieties, as well as the more robust dahlias. There are hydroids, sea squirts and large barnacles, plus numerous, weirdly shaped creatures that require a close inspection to decipher their outline, let alone their identity. Then there’s the more mobile life – it’s crab city down there! In fact, you can see more shore crabs on one dive here than in a year diving elsewhere. And, although they’re usually found only in very shallow water or on the shore, in the Strait they’re everywhere. There are small, edible crabs and velvet swimmers, plus loads of spindly-legged scorpion spider crabs, which are often covered in sponges, making them difficult to spot on the sea bed. Fish, too, are numerous: gobies, blennies, pogges and butterfish are all easy to find. Search under the bigger boulders and you may come across a conger lurking in its lair. And look out for large bass taking a rest in the tidal shelter created by the larger rocks. Visibility The Strait is a nutrient-rich environment, hence the high sea-bed biomass – which, in plain English, means there’s a lot of marine life here because of the masses of edible muck in the water. As a result, poor visibility is the norm – usually less than three metres, often less than one, although, very occasionally, you may get up to eight metres, when the Strait is visually stunning. Tides The Strait is subject to very strong tidal currents. Slack water is around two hours before low tide (Liverpool) and varies from 30 to 90 minutes long. If you do get caught in the current, don’t worry – a short swim will get you to shore, although you may be a long walk from your starting point. Boat cover is useful (you can launch from the slipway in Menai Bridge), but not essential. WARNING Powerboats and jet skis use the Strait and may be a problem – take care. How to get there Follow the A55 towards Anglesey. Cross the Britannia Bridge, then take the slip road on the left. Turn right at the T-junction towards Menai Bridge, right at the first roundabout and left at the second roundabout. Follow the road to the end, then take the first right and you’ll find yourself on a narrow shore road that goes under the suspension bridge. Access On the Anglesey side, you can park near the site, kit up and walk through a gate that leads to a small green. Narrow steps take you to the shore – follow the wall to the water. Accommodation There are lots of places to stay – contact the local tourist office on 01248 713177. Air fills Anglesey Diver Training College, near Holyhead. Tel: 01407 7645450. Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre, also near Holyhead. Tel: 01407 762525
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