Traeth Bychan
A busy bay which faces east, has a good slip. Good launch site for Anglesey north coast sites. Possible to drive onto the beach for launching but no parking on the beach.
Launch fees: None

Bull Bay
There is a short concrete ramp on to a pebble beach. Launching is possible at most states of the tide but is made easier with the aid of four wheel drive vehicles. Not suitable in NW, N, NE & E winds. There is a public car park & toilets nearby.
Launch Fees: None

Porth Eilian
A very sheltered north facing bay tucked inside Point Lynas. There is a rough slip which makes launching possible but awkward.

Holyhead
There are two main concrete slipways protected from all but NW - NE winds. The slip at the Holyhead Sailing Club is private so permission should be sought from HSC prior to launching. Car parking is available just off the promenade. The public are requested not to use the members car park adjacent to the Sailing Club. Both slips are easy to use at all states of the tide except for low water springs. Users are requested to prepare boats for launch in the car park and NOT on the slip. Be prepared for the occasional delays in launching whilst club members launch and recover their craft especially in the racing season.
Launch fees: variable.

In contrast to the tidal nature of the island, many of the shore dive sites are actually well protected from the currents and rip-tides. Most shore diving is best conducted in the two hours either side of high water thus avoiding difficult shoreline terrain.

The following list represents the main shore diving sites around Anglesey -

Llandwyn - Rhoscolyn
Cable Bay is safe for a beach entry
Rhoscolyn close to rocks and far end of Silver Bay Caravan Park. Slight current at times

Trearddur Bay
Ravenspoint is generally good but popular with boats also. Slight currents outside of gully, sewage out-fall from caravan site
Porth Diana is generally a safe bay with respect to depth and current. There are a lot of boats using the moorings, SMB’s are essential.
Trearddur Bay main beach makes a good night dive at high water. Daytime boat traffic and jet-skis make the beach very unsuitable for shore dives.

Trearddur Bay to Porthdafarch
There are numerous safe bays with interesting marine life. Parking is limited though.
Porthdafarch is excellent with depths up to 9m at high water. Good car parking & toilets refurbished for 1999. Popular beach in summer.

Holyhead
Soldiers Point on the seaward side of the breakwater has the scattered remains of wreckage. Old flints have been found here. Dive at high water only.

Newry Beach in Holyhead Harbour is good for training drills and is protected in all but NW - NE winds. This is a busy harbour avoid diving in the moorings and close to Mackenzie Landing and the slipways. ALWAYS use a SMB.

Anglesey North Coast
Porth Eilian is a very picturesque north facing bay tucked inside Point Lynas. It is also the only worthwhile shore dive site since other bays along the north coast are either awkward to access or are troubled by currents. Very popular, other craft especially jet-skis.

The marine wildlife is diverse and includes several species of crab, lobster, anemones, nudibranch, and octopus. Rich plant life with a variety of sea-weeds in green, red and brown help to create an almost garden-like appearance to some sites.

ADVICE:

The majority of sites around Anglesey are very tidal, some even dangerously so. It is vital to seek local knowledge if you are new to the area. Neap tides usually offer the best situations for diving because slack water periods are longer, currents are weaker, and seabed disturbance less (and visibility better). The complex shape of the reefs and headlands create many tidal hazards including rough water (‘overfalls’) and back-eddies. Consequently it is sometimes very difficult to predict slack water constants for some sites.
There are plenty of wrecks in deep water for the more adventurous diver to tackle, however dive times will tend to be limited by the duration of slack water. The longest slacks tend to be found off-shore off the Anglesey north coast where slacks of over an hour can occur.

Around Anglesey the most common diver related incidents are ‘lost diver’. To avoid these situations please take note of the following advice
* Prominently display A-Flags on boats whilst diving
* Plan dives to take account of the time and duration of slack water
* Obtain up to date weather forecasts
* Take special care when diving close to headlands (rip tides & overfalls)
* Use Surface Marker Buoys whenever possible
* Carry a back-up locator e.g. personal flags, strobes, whistles etc.
* Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back
* If boat diving also inform the coastguard
If you do lose contact with divers mark their last known position and inform the Coastguard immediately.
Care must also be taken with respect to wind strength and direction. Even light winds of less than Force 4 can produce rough water especially when set in the opposite direction to tidal flow. Boats must be capable of making way against strong currents when fully laden with divers and equipment.
The following list gives an idea of the degree of protection the Island may offer when wind strength increases:
With NW, N, NE, E winds the north coast of Anglesey and Holy Island are undiveable.
With SE, S, SW winds Rhosneigr, Rhoscolyn, Trearddur Bay areas are undiveable.
NW, W winds create problems for the whole of Anglesey except for possibly Moelfre to Traeth Bychan.
This is general advice only. Owing to the complex nature of the conditions to be found in the sea around Anglesey and the interpretation that individuals may place on this information, Anglesey Divers accept no responsibility whatsoever for any losses, damage or injury suffered as a result of the use of this information.