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Foul Grounds

Portstewart

Average score: 0

Weather Forecast Tide times Sea Temperature
Site name: Foul Grounds
Location: Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Portstewart
Type: Describes whether this dive site can be dived from the shore, from a boat, or both
Boat
Wreck: Dive sites which include a shipwreck (or part of a shipwreck) are labelled with a ‘Yes’
No
Min. dive depth (m): The approximate minimum depth of the dive given in metres
13
Max. dive depth (m): The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
18

Max. seabed depth (m): The maximum depth of the seabed at the site taken from the intersect between the dive site point and the depth contour on an Admiralty Standard Nautical Chart
20.9

Diving experience (min level): The recommended minimum level of diving experience for a specific site, described as Novice (<50 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Open/Advanced Open Water, BSAC Ocean Diver or CMAS 1 star), Intermediate (50-100 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Rescue Dive, BSAC Sports Dive or CMAS 2 star) or Advanced (>250 dives in temperate/cold waters and minimum certification of PADI Divemaster, BSAC Dive Leader or CMAS 3 star

Optimal wind direction: The general wind direction which causes minimal exposure at the site, corresponding to 8 points of the compass: North (N), North East (NE), East (E, South East (SE), South (S), South West (SW), West, North West (NW)
SE/S/SW

Exposure: The approximate level of exposure to wind and wave action at the site on any given day, described as Sheltered (inshore sites surrounded by a form of shelter on all sides), Moderate (sites which are partially sheltered) or Exposed (sites with little to no shelter)
Exposed

Tidal strength: Anecdotal description of tidal strength at the site

Marine Protected Area: A Yes or No highlighting whether or not the site occurs within a Marine Protected Area
Yes

Visibility: Anecdotal description of the typical underwater visibility at the site
5-10m
Best time to dive: Anecdotal recommendation for the best time to dive the site for optimal underwater conditions. This typically relates to the stage of the tide
Getting There: Directions for getting to the site

By boat from Portstewart or Portrush. The site is 300m NNW of Portstewart Harbour entrance.

Facilities: Details of nearest facilities to dive site i.e. public car parking and toilets, slipways etc

Public toilets are available on the Harbour Road in Portstewart, 50 metres from the ahrbour. Free car parking is available in Harbour Place car park above the harbour. The slipway is not available for ad hoc use and a barrier restricts access.

Portrush Harbour offers free car parking above the harbour, public toilets in the harbour office and a slipway on the North Pier. There is a barrier to the harbour which is staffed during office hours, 7 days a week from April – September. Fees apply; for use contact Portrush Harbour Office: 02870822307 / 0788981860.

Nearest tank filling is Aquaholics in Portstewart (028 7083 2584)

Hazards: Anecdotal information on possible hazards at the site for divers and snorkellers

  • Tidal currents can be very strong (prepare for a drift dive).
  • Metal wreckage has been reported previously
Description: A general description of the physical features of the dive site

Flat sloping seabed comprised of coarse sand patches, boulders, cobbles and pebbles. Due to the strong tidal currents, this is often a drift dive.

Biodiversity: A description of the species composition at the site. Species of interest are highlighted. Follow the links for more information about the species on the NBN Atlas Northern Ireland website

Hermit and masked crabs are common here, along with sea urchins and common whelk or ‘buccies’ Buccinum undatum.

View all species records from this site

A link to the dive site location on the NBN Atlas Northern Ireland website, showing all species records from within a 1km boundary of the site centroid. Any new species records from the site submitted to Seasearch, iRecord, CEDaR Online Recording or iNaturalist will appear here
Local Charters: A link to the website for the nearest Dive Centre to the site. A map of all dive centres is provided under ‘Go Diving’

Aquaholics

Environmental and Historical Designations: A list of any environmental or historical designations attributed to the site, or overlapping it. Follow the link for more information

Skerries and Causeway SAC

More Information: Links to additional information found online for the dive site

Aquaholics Portstewart & Portrush

Northern Ireland Marine MapViewer

Safety: Safety tips

  • In an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
  • Follow VHF radio Channel 16 (156.8 MHz), the international distress frequency. Send a distress alert followed by ‘MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY’ and ‘This is [boat name]’.
  • Find nearest defibrillator (AED) here
  • Portstewart/Portrush Harbour Office: 02870822307
  • When navigating within the harbour/marina, use VHF Channel 12.
Latitude, Longitude: The approximate XY coordinates for the dive site in Decimel Degrees (DD). These can be converted to DMS or DDM by following the link below
55.19075, -6.728033
Open in Google Maps Convert coordinates to DDM/DMS
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