Eddystone Lighthouse, Off Plymouth,

Taking a boat out of Plymouth Sound the 10 miles to the Eddystone Lighthouse on a fine, sunny, late summers day, seeing porpoises or basking sharks along the way, and experiencing 30 metre visibility at the site doesn't happen often - but it's not as rare as all that. Around the lighthouse the bottom is very varied down to about 50 metres, but mostly around 20 to 30 metres. There are plenty of dogfish, bib, pollack, congers, wrasse, lobsters and edible crabs to be seen and, reputedly, the remains of several ships now broken beyond all recognition.

Eddystone Lighthouse

The Eddystone lighthouse is 12 miles south of Plymouth with a variety of marine life. This site is a delight for the under water photographer with depths varying from 0 to 50 meters, and the vis regularly 15 meters plus.

This site is amazing, one of the only places where we often get "gin clear" water. Depth is deceptive and it is very easy to go deeper than you intended. However the variety of life is good all round the huge granite boulders and walls that drop right down. It is possible to do a shallow dive here staying in the lee of the current, sheltering between the rocks that rise up to form the base of the new Eddystone Lighthouse. However this as an Advanced dive and only those confident in their ability should dive here.

Max Depth: Anything from 8m-60m depending on where you drop and what you want.

Viz: Generally 10-12m, at best 20m+ although bad weather will make it worse.

Orientation: The lighthouse leads down to the sea bed in every direction. Get a good feel for the rocks and direction of deep and shallow areas before you drop.

Buoy Lines

None, please use a shot for descent and a Delayed SMB for the ascent. Known for strong currents delayed SMBs per diver are essential.

Areas of interest

The whole site is amazing.

No Take Zone
Not in a conservation area, but we still operate a No Take policy.

Life you could see
Below 18m, Sea Fans, Rose Coral and Yellow Sponges. Across the whole site you can see carpets of Jewel Anemones, sometimes find lobsters, crayfish, along side dogfish and wrasse. There are plenty of sea urchins and starfish of all types and sea cucumbers everywhere. This is one of the few sites where Smooth Hound Sharks are known to live. Divers have been known to see dolphins and sun fish here