Dubh Sgeir, Firth of Lorne

Type of Dive:                       Boat Dive.  Usually dived from Lochaline, Oban or Craobh Haven dayboats.

Experience suggested:    Sport diver or above

Travel directions:               Dubh Sgeir is a small reef that lies 1.5 nautical miles south west of the tip of Kerrera Island in the Firth of Lorne.  It is about 7 nautical miles from Oban, through the Sound of Kerrera.

Lat & Long:                          56:22:005N; 005:37:202W.

1:100 000 Map

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Tides                                      Tides of up to 1 knot in the Firth of Lorne.  Oban is the Reference port.  This is dived on the flood tide as the North side of the reef is protected on flood tide.

Underwater directions:    The reef is only 100 to 150m long so it would be possible to fin around it.  The south side is sheer and uninteresting.  The main areas of interest are a scallop bed on the NE side of the reef which is in 20 to 30m and a number of ‘cavelets’ along the N side of the reef, that go in for a couple of meters each in 20 to 30m.  These are roofed by jewel anemones.  There is a dense kelp forest from 16m to the surface.  Apart from the cavelets there are oblique fissures and boulderfields to explore.  Generally, drop off at NE side of reef, pick depth and fin along exploring or scallop hunting, surfacing with DSMB.

Dive site drawing:             

Site Hazards:                      Tidal stream

Pub & Café:                         Plenty in Oban

Version                                 1.0

Created by:                          alex maclennan

Date:                                      October 2007