Anyone ever dived around Dungarvan / Helvic

paul o

Hi all,

just wondering if anyone on here had ever dived around the Dungarvan Bay area? From looking at charts it seems like there should be some good diving around the areas between Ballyvoyle Head and Helvic Head and off the back of Helvic head as well.

Has anyone any experience of the area?

Regards
Paulo

howtomake

I've only snorkelled around there, seemed like an ok spot for some scenery.

denismc

i have travelled out to divesites from Dungarvan and if i recall the harbour is shallow in places due to silt accumalation so i would imajine the visibilty isn't great.
Also the Blackwater enters the sea at Youghal and if it has been raining it can bring down the viz in the area.
Saying that there are some great wrecks out from Dungarvan if you have a boat.

paul o

thanks for the replies lads. it doesnt seem to be a well dived area, which tells me that either is cr@p or that people just dont bother with the inshore marks.

is there anywhere i could find out where the wrecks are? would like to convince the club to make a trip with some boats

denismc

A popular wreck in the area is the SS Folia in about 36m. I dont have marks for it but it is well known and dived regularly so if you ask around you should be able to get marks.
There are a few more wrecks in the area but i havent dived them.
There is more info here.
http://www.irishwrecksonline.net/details/Folia397.htm

Denis

paul o

thanks.

are there any good shore dives in waterford at all does anyone know or do i have to go exploring

paul o

looks like i'm going exploring so

denismc

Was diving at Hook Head at the weekend for the first time and i have to say i was very impressed.
In one just dive i was in 2 caverns and on 2 different wrecks.
The diving is all shore diving and the deepest is about 12 metres so you will get plenty of time in the water. The bedrock is limestone so there are plenty of caverns and gullies with plenty of life.
Also there is plenty of info on the net about it.
Its not Waterford but close.

who_am_I?

When I lived close to that area I did a lot of diving with Pat Waide in Ardmore Diving Centre.
The Folia is a nice deep wreck not too far off shore. The Samson Is a nice shallow wreck at the base of the Cliff with a cave swim through at the back of the wreck, There are plenty of good scenic dives and cave swim throughs in the area too.
If you are into the (much) deeper stuff, Pat found U-1276 at 75 metres, 30 KM offshore a few years ago.
Pat, who owns the centre, lives a lot closer to Helvic than Ardmore. Make of that what you will.

paul o

thanks lads. i will try hook up with Admore Diving

Martin_F

+1 for Pat out of Ardmore. It's a few years now but I was out with him quite a few times over a few years up to 2003. Always found the viz fairly good in the area and plenty to see.