Reef
down to 10 m
Stackpole Quay
Easy beach entry to a 10 m rocky bottom where thousands of spiny spider crabs gather to mate in May and June.
- Open Water
Pembrokeshire & Skomer
Diving in United Kingdom
8 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for seals, pollack and crustaceans.
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Water
- 7–17 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- CWL
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Pembrokeshire & Skomer in October
Good season- Sea
- 15 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 15 °C
- 11 °C at night
- Rain
- 160 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 19 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
PADI: most divers dive March–October; water is warmest (~17 °C) in August–September and a semi-dry is usable June–October, so Jun–Sep is shown as best, Mar–May and Oct as good. The PADI Wales page says Wales can be dived all year (typical season April–October), so Nov–Feb is shown as possible, not closed.
Dive sites in Pembrokeshire & Skomer
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m5 sitesKelp forest
down to 30 m
Martin's Haven
- Open Water
- Squid
Reef
down to 10 m
St Brides Haven
- Open Water
- Pollack
down to 9 m
Cwm yr Eglwys
- Open Water
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m1 siteFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrustaceansSource: finstrokes.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Crustaceans: May–Jun
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Seals
- Pollack
- Cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus
- Anemones
- Corals
- Basking sharks
- Minke whales
- Dolphins
- Mola mola (sunfish)
Where is Pembrokeshire & Skomer?
- Nearest airport
- CWL
Pembrokeshire & Skomer: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Pembrokeshire & Skomer?
- The best months to dive Pembrokeshire & Skomer are Jun–Sep. PADI: most divers dive March–October; water is warmest (~17 °C) in August–September and a semi-dry is usable June–October, so Jun–Sep is shown as best, Mar–May and Oct as good. The PADI Wales page says Wales can be dived all year (typical season April–October), so Nov–Feb is shown as possible, not closed.
- Is Pembrokeshire & Skomer good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 5 of the 8 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Stackpole Quay, Martin's Haven and Porthgain. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Pembrokeshire & Skomer?
- The water is usually between 7 °C and 17 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Pembrokeshire & Skomer?
- Divers regularly see crustaceans (May–Jun), seals, pollack, cuttlefish, nudibranchs and octopus.
- How do you dive Pembrokeshire & Skomer?
- The nearest airport is CWL.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash