Dacorum Sub Aqua Club
Launch Sites for Dive Boats
This page provides basic information about dive boat launch and pickup sites that the club uses, which may be useful to dive trip organisers or divers who don't know them.
The page also provides hyperlinks to streetmap.co.uk allowing people to see maps to find the sites. The "zoom out" button on streetmap.co.uk is useful for those who don't know how to get to the sites.
| Launch Site | Features | Good points | Bad Points | Map and Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye
East Sussex |
Concrete slip
Available HW-2 to HW+3 |
Strong currents
Bar Channel dries |
StreetMap
HM 01797 225 225 |
|
| Newhaven Marina
East Sussex |
Concrete slip
Tractor launch £25 charge |
Expensive | StreetMap
Marina 01273 513 881 |
|
| Bognor Regis
West Sussex |
Concrete onto sand beach | Need LGR 4x4
No nearby air |
StreetMap
Foreshore Officer 01903 737500 |
|
| Selsey
West Sussex |
Wooden ramp onto shingle beach | Need LGR 4x4 unless HW+-2h
No nearby air |
StreetMap | |
| East Wittering
Bracklesham Bay West Sussex |
Narrow concrete slip onto single | Need LGR 4x4
Exposed to south Limited parking Busy in summer Air 2 miles away |
StreetMap | |
| Hayling Island
West Sussex |
Wide concrete slip | Nearby pub | Strong currents
No nearby air |
StreetMap
HO 0705 463 419 |
| Eastney
Portsmouth |
Wide concrete slip
Parts of slip covered in shingle |
Strong currents
Need 4x4 Air 2 miles away No nearby toilet |
StreetMap
HO 01703 463 419 |
|
| Calshot
Solent |
Wide concrete slip | Wakes of nearby large ships cause waves on the slip
No air No nearby fuel Boathandling only |
StreetMap
HM 01703 892 077 |
|
| Swanage
by Lifeboat slip Dorset |
Wide concrete slip | Air 300m away on the pier | Steep slip and hill
Fuel 1 mile away Busy in summer Limited parking |
StreetMap
Pier 01929 427 058 |
| Kimmeridge
Dorset |
Concrete ramp with ledge | Completely dries for 20m at low water
Double low water No air No fuel Firing range |
StreetMap
Range 01929 462721x4700/4819 |
|
| The Cove
Weymouth |
Charter boat pickup point | StreetMap
HM 01305 206423 |
||
| Town slip
Weymouth |
2 boat gentle concrete slip | 1 mile to air
1 mile to fuel Long way inland Town centre parking |
StreetMap
HM 01305 206423 |
|
| Ferrybridge
Portland |
2 boat gentle concrete slip in boat yard
Mandatory £20 tractor launch £8 to dive Portland Harbour |
Launch fee includes 1 car parking
Fairly secure boatyard |
2 miles to air
1 mile to fuel Dusty chalk ground Restricted opening hours Strong currents |
StreetMap
HM 01305 824044 |
| Castletown
Portland |
Narrow concrete slip onto cobbles
Free launch Extra parking in port £8 to dive Portland Harbour |
Air nearby
Dive shop nearby Chandler nearby |
Limited nearby parking
Costly parking Busy in summer 3 miles to fuel |
StreetMap
HM 01305 824044 |
| West Bay new slip
Lyme Bay |
Wide concrete slip | Air nearby | Limited nearby parking
Busy in summer |
StreetMap
HM 01308 423 222 |
| West Bay old slip
Lyme Bay |
Wooden slip into harbour | Air nearby | Difficult in onshore winds
Needs powerful car to retrieve Busy in summer |
StreetMap
HM 01308 423 222 |
| Lyme Regis
Lyme Bay |
Wide concrete slip onto sand
|
Needs 4x4 except at high water
Limited parking Very busy in summer Nearest air at West Bay |
StreetMap
Marina 01297 442 137 |
|
| Salcombe
South Devon |
2 boat concrete slip
Very sheltered Dries at low water |
Air in town | StreetMap
HM 01548 843 791 |
|
| Challaborough
South Devon |
Ramp onto wide sandy beach
Tractor sometimes available Free |
Air in dive shop off the beach
|
Needs LGR 4x4
Dangerous in onshore winds Very busy in summer Very narrow lanes |
StreetMap |
| Bovisand
Plymouth |
Concrete slip
Difficult L-shape at water line Under new ownership: probably closed to divers |
Great ocean-side location
|
Long way from Plymouth
Narrow lanes |
StreetMap |
| Mountbatten
Plymouth |
Wide concrete slip | Air nearby
Close to city centre |
Very busy in summer
Limited parking 2nm from open sea |
StreetMap
Marina - |
| Queen Anne Battery
Plymouth |
Wide concrete slip
|
Air nearby
Chandler nearby Close to city centre |
Very busy in summer
Limited parking 2nm from open sea |
StreetMap
Marina 01752 671 142 |
| Port Pendennis
Falmouth |
StreetMap
HM 01736 366 133 |
|||
| St Marys
Scillies |
Slip onto sand beach
Dive shop may provide launch vehicle |
Central location
Air nearby |
Feryy from mainland expensive and not suitable for bringing own launch vehicle | StreetMap
HM 01729 422 768 |
| St Abbs | ||||
| Seahouses | ||||
| Beadnell | ||||
| Levington Marina
Felixstowe |
Concrete slip | Chandlers
Small supermarket |
Boat handling only
No air 3 miles to fuel |
StreetMap
Marina 01473 659 240 |