Diving

With visibility averaging 15m (49 ft.) and occasionally reaching 29m (95 ft.), and many wrecks to explore, the west coast of Ireland may be cold, but it's still a pretty good place for divers.

The Irish dive season generally starts in March and ends in October, although specific dates depend on your comfort zone. Outside these months, weather and ocean conditions could make jumping into the sea unappealing. The PADI open-water diver certification is the minimum requirement for all dives; most schools also offer introductory dives for novices.

The rocky coast of West Cork and Kerry is great for diving, with centers in Baltimore and Dingle. On the west coast, there are many great locations, one of which is the deep, sheltered Killary Harbour. Northern Ireland offers many interesting dives, with more than 400 named wrecks off the coast and many in the Irish Sea and in Belfast Lough.

Diving Resources

The Irish Underwater Council (CFT, or Comhairle Fo-Thuinn), 78A Patrick St., Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin (tel. 01/284-4601; fax 01/284-4602; www.irishunderwatercouncil.com), is an association of more than 70 Irish diving clubs. It operates under the aegis of the CMAS (Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques), the world diving federation. Its website lists information on diving and snorkeling, dive centers, and dive hotels (no pun intended) throughout the Republic and publishes the CFT Guide to Dive Sites and other information on exploring the Emerald Isle's emerald waters.

Sign up for certified level-one and level-two instruction and equipment rental for kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing at the Surfdock Centre, Grand Canal Dock Yard, Ringsend, Dublin 4 (tel. 01/668-3945; www.surfdock.ie). Dublin Bay is filled with sea life and old wrecks, making it ideal for cold-water diving. To try it out, get in touch with Oceantec Adventures in Dun Laoghaire (tel. 01/280-1083, or toll-free within Ireland 1800/272-822). It offers a five-star PADI diving school and arranges dive vacations on the west coast.

The UK Diving website, www.ukdiving.co.uk, features information on diving in the North, including a wreck database you can access either through a conventional listing or by pinpointing on a map.

Irish dive centers and schools include The National Diving School, Malahide Marina Village, County Dublin (tel. 01/845-2000); Oceantec Adventures, Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin (tel. 01/280-1083); Baltimore Diving & Watersport Centre, Baltimore, County Cork (tel./fax 028/20300; www.baltimorediving.com); and Scubadive West, Renvyle, County Galway (tel. 095/43922; fax 095/43923; www.scubadivewest.com).