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Rue Point NW

Rathlin Island

Average score: 0

Weather Forecast Tide times Sea Temperature
Site name: Rue Point NW
Location: Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Rathlin Island
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
16

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

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
Intermediate

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)
N/NE/E

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
Strong

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
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
Slack water (Ballycastle)
Getting There: Directions for getting to the site

By boat from Rathlin or Ballycastle. The site is at the base of the cliffs, approx. 1km NW off Rue Point.

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

Rathlin Harbour has pontoons for around 40 boats, however berthing fees apply. Water and electricity are available on the pontoon but there is no reliable source of fuel. Public toilets are available in Church Bay between the Harbour and the pub, near the playground.

Ballycastle Marina provides sheltered pontoon berthing for vessels up to 20 metres. The harbour master should be contacted; Office No. 028 207 68525 Mobile Number 07803 505084. There are onshore facilities with showers, toilets, laundry with 24 hour pincode access and Wi-Fi.

Nearest tank filling is Aquaholics in Ballycastle or Portstewart (ring ahead)

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

Very strong tidal currents

Description: A general description of the physical features of the dive site

Limestone bedrock with some small areas of gravel and pebble.

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

A kelp forest of Laminaria hyperborea with many red epiphytes (incl. Heterosiphonia plumosa and Phycodrys rubens), dominates the limestone bedrock. Patches of flat and smooth bedrock are coated in a coralline crust.

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

Rathlin SAC
Rathlin MCZ
Rathlin Island SPA

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

Rathlin Report 2009-2011
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.
  • Ballycastle/Rathlin Harbour Office No. 028 207 68525 Mobile Number 07803 505084
  • When navigating within Ballycastle or Rathlin Harbour, use VHF Channel 80
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
55.265169, -6.200967
Open in Google Maps Convert coordinates to DDM/DMS
Rue Point NW Rue Point NW Rue Point NW Rue Point NW

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