by Barbara & Stephen Cragg
At the beginning of October 2000, Stephen and Barbara went off on a diving trip to North Berwick with Divesafaris of Scotland. It was a trip into the unknown, as we had never dived up there before...
As it turned out we got on Gary's rib, and joined another dive club from Cumberland. Seemed quite a good bunch of divers, 4 blokes and 1 female.
The dives off Bass Rock are brilliant. When we were there the viz. wasn't brilliant but there were plenty of lobsters. Also plenty of lobster pots, but the lobbies were mostly hiding under them rather than in them. The rocky sides are home to large Dahlia anemones and dead mans fingers of varied colours. The walls are covered in them.
The underwater strata is like a continuation of the island on top. Very rocky. When we dived there were lots of seals about and they are common companions to the divers. The underwater terrain, being rocky with lots of nooks and crannies is also ideal octopus terrain. There are probably more octopus per sq.mtr than most places we have dived round the UK. There was an abundance of Wrasse, large edible crabs even the odd Wolf fish and conger eel. There are loads of different dives around Bass Rock. At different times and states of the tide you dive different sides. There are sites for both the novice and the experienced divers where you can attain depths of 40+m.
Craigleith is another dive site. It offers and excellent drift dive when the tide is running. Here again the bottom terrain is rocky but more rounded rocks than the large granite type boulders of Bass Rock. There are walls, ledges, reefs and boulder fields.
I would say that North Berwick is a much underrated diving place. If anything I would think the diving here is better than St. Abbs. The only downside for diving there is the travelling, about 5 hours. That being said it is nearer than either Loch Fyne or Cumbrae, and the diving is certainly far superior to that of Loch Fyne, but you do need a rib.
There are three boats for hire to get out the various islands. Well worth a club trip. Take note - I am able to organise one if required!!!!
Steve and I will definitely be diving there again with Divesafaris of Scotland.
