Location:Descriptive location referring to nearest landfall i.e. town, village, harbour or island
Portrush
Type:Describes whether this dive site can be dived from the shore, from a boat, or both
Shore
Wreck:Dive sites which include a shipwreck (or part of a shipwreck) are labelled with a ‘Yes’
Yes
Min. dive depth (m):The approximate minimum depth of the dive given in metres
5
Max. dive depth (m):The approximate maximum depth of the dive given in metres
10
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
10
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
Novice
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)
Moderate
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
Visibility ranges from 3-10 metres
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
LW Portrush with little swell
Getting there:Directions for getting to the site
Turn off the A2 Portrush Road at the Rinagree Point entrance (sign and gate), keeping an eye out for cyclists on the bike lane. Access the shore on foot from the car park. Be prepared for a bit of a hike down to the shore (and especially back up!). Swim out between the two verticle bedrock walls which will lead you to the wreck.
Facilities:Details of nearest facilities to dive site i.e. public car parking and toilets, slipways etc
Car parking is available on the Rinagree Point headland (look out for sign and gate) ~150m east of the site.
Nearest tank filling is Aquaholics, Portstewart (028 7083 2584)
Hazards:Anecdotal information on possible hazards at the site for divers and snorkellers
Access involves climbing up and down rocks which are usually slippery
Watch out for cyclists on the bike lane when turning onto or leaving the Rinagree Point entrance, particularly those coming from the Portrush direction, which can appear out of nowhere at speed!
Description:A general description of the physical features of the dive site
Rocky slope with rocky vertical walls either side leading out to the metal wreckage, which is largely broken up apart from the large boiler. The wreck lies on a mixed seabed of bedrock, with sand and boulders.
History:The history of the wreck provided by the Senior Marine Archaeologist from the Department for Communities Historic Environment Division (only included for wreck sites)
Date of loss 22/03/1906. A 480 g.t. steamship built in 1889 in Bowling. En route from London to Coleraine with a cargo of manure and 12 crew. Stranded and lost in s force 2. Later salvaged from the adjacent shore; at least one mooring ring/point can still be seen affixed to the rocks at this location and used in the salvage operations.
Information derived from Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI), Department for Communities, Historic Environment Division.
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
The boiler of the wreck is covered with mixed red tufted and encrusting algae and kelp at the top.
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’
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
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
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