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Isle of Man, Irish Sea
For a UK diving holiday with a difference, base yourself on an island and your cares will melt away
 Photo: Paul Kay |
Why go there?
This unique island sits in the middle of the Irish Sea and is surrounded by clear water replete with wrecks and marine life.
Diving
Arguably the more spectacular diving is to be found in the south – especially around the Calf of Man. However, both the east and west coasts offer good dives too, and there are many offshore wrecks, some well offshore. The Calf of Man is a very tidal area which can only be dived at slack water. It is well worth the effort as its well-fed marine inhabitants, swept by strong food-laden currents, cover the sea bed in a riot of vibrant colour.
The fish around Port Erin’s boulder breakwater (an easy shore dive) are extremely tame, especially the ballan and cuckoo wrasse. The Sugarloaf Caves between Spanish Head and Port St Mary make for an excellent dive. During mid-summer, it’s possible to see guillemots ‘flying’ down through the water outside the caves, perhaps attracted by the silvery bubbles produced by divers. The caves themselves are spectacular, not too deep and they make for an unusual dive. Kelp covers much of the shallower rocky sea bed around the Isle of Man and hides some stunning gullies, so it’s well worth having a good snuffle around. Basking sharks are sometimes plentiful in June.
Where to stay
Port St Mary and Port Erin are the best towns to be based in for diving. There are usually sufficient vacancies, but all bets are off during the TT racing week (28 May–10 June this year). Check the online tourist information service www.iomguide.com to make bookings. To get there, you can take the ferry from Liverpool or Heysham to Douglas with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (www.steam-packet.com, phone 08705 523523). Expect to pay around £300 for a return trip with a car and two adult passengers.
Making it happen
Quest Diving in North Wales, (phone 01248 716923) offers trips to the Isle of Man. Isle of Man Diving Holidays (phone 01624 833133, www.isleofmandivingholidays.com) offers RIB diving out of Port St Mary.
READER'S VERDICT
Jim Fisher, experienced diver
I’ve been diving for 32 years and visited the Isle of Man for the first time last year. We’ve come back again this year and we’re having a great time. I like wreck diving and there are some good wrecks within a 30-minute RIB ride from Port St Mary. We came across on the ‘Super Cat’ from Liverpool and we’re diving with Isle of Man Diving Holidays, who also arranged accommodation. The best wreck so far is the Ringwall, a coaster which sits at 40m and which has loads of life and intact features.