Is Scapa Flow (Orkney) good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 3 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Churchill Barrier 2 blockships, F2 & YC21 and Churchill Barrier 3 blockships. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Scapa Flow (Orkney)?

The water is usually between 8 °C and 14 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Scapa Flow (Orkney)?

Divers regularly see seals, pollack, crustaceans, starfish and urchins, conger eel and reef fish.

Scapa Flow (Orkney)

Diving in United Kingdom

12 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for seals, pollack and crustaceans.

Best months: Jun–Sep
Water: 8–14 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: KOI

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

Scapa Flow (Orkney) in October

Good season

Sea: 13 °C; at the surface
Air: 12 °C; 9 °C at night
Rain: 130 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 25 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.

Operators' season runs from Easter/April to October (early November). June–September is shown as best (warmest water), April, May and October as good, and the other months as possible. No source says diving stops in winter; one source notes visibility is clearest December–April on the Tabarka.

Source: padi.com

Dive sites in Scapa Flow (Orkney)

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 m3 sites

Wreck

down to 11 m

Churchill Barrier 2 blockships

Shallow shore dive (1-10 m) among about eleven blockships beside Churchill Barrier 2, best at high tide.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 20 m

F2 & YC21

A WWII German escort boat and its sunken salvage barge in 16-18 m, diveable at any state of the tide and a great second dive.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 15 m

Churchill Barrier 3 blockships

Walk-in shore dive to blockships including the Empire Seaman, Martis and Gartshore, used for drysuit courses, to 15 m.

Open Water

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m3 sites

Wreck

down to 18 m

Dyle (Burra Sound)

A Burra Sound blockship in 12-17 m ringed by kelp, covered in dwarf plumose anemones and patrolled by wrasse and pollack.

Advanced
Pollack

Wreck

down to 27 m

SMS Karlsruhe

A broken-up German cruiser in 25 m where areas inaccessible on other cruisers become accessible, with 40-minute dives possible.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 18 m

Tabarka (Burra Sound)

A Burra Sound blockship in 14-18 m covered in flora and fauna, where light pours into the interior from December to April.

Advanced

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m5 sites

Wreck

down to 36 m

SMS Brummer

A largely intact mine-laying cruiser on its starboard side in 36 m, much of its arsenal lying on the seafloor.

Experienced

Wreck

down to 36 m

SMS Cöln

A German light cruiser on its starboard side in 36 m, home to shoaling pollock, cod, lobsters and crabs.

Experienced
Pollack

Wreck

down to 38 m

SMS Dresden

A German wreck lying on its port side at 38 m, with pollock schooling over it in summer and crabs and lobsters in the hull.

Experienced
Pollack

Wreck

down to 38 m

SMS König

The battleship that led the German line at Jutland, nearly overturned in 38 m, with salvage exposing areas hidden on the others.

Experienced

Wreck

down to 38 m

SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm

A German battleship from 12 m at the hull to 38 m, with half of its 12-inch guns still visible.

Experienced

Technical and specialty dives

1 site

Wreck

down to 45 m

SMS Markgraf

A 175 m König-class battleship lying almost completely upturned in 45 m and still in superb condition.

Technical
Jellyfish

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Seals
Pollack
Crustaceans
Starfish and urchins
Conger eel
Reef fish
Corals
Cod
Jellyfish
Basking sharks
Dolphins
Nudibranchs
Octopus
Squid

Where is Scapa Flow (Orkney)?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Scapa Flow (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: KOI

Scapa Flow (Orkney): frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Scapa Flow (Orkney)?: The best months to dive Scapa Flow (Orkney) are Jun–Sep. Operators' season runs from Easter/April to October (early November). June–September is shown as best (warmest water), April, May and October as good, and the other months as possible. No source says diving stops in winter; one source notes visibility is clearest December–April on the Tabarka.
Is Scapa Flow (Orkney) good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 3 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Churchill Barrier 2 blockships, F2 & YC21 and Churchill Barrier 3 blockships. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Scapa Flow (Orkney)?: The water is usually between 8 °C and 14 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Scapa Flow (Orkney)?: Divers regularly see seals, pollack, crustaceans, starfish and urchins, conger eel and reef fish.
How do you dive Scapa Flow (Orkney)?: The nearest airport is KOI.

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.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash