Silfra Diving

SMS Markgraf was a König class battleship serving the Imperial German Navy during World War I. This 175 meter long wreck is often thought of as the jewel in the Scapa Flow crown. She was scuttled in 1919.

Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland where, following the German defeat in WWI, 74 ships of the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet were scuttled here, making it a mecca for wreck lovers.

Shore dive on the remains of an old pier with pier foundations down to 24 metres. The highlight is a large frame at 18 metres nicknamed the monolith as it towers above the diver as you fin around it.

Park at Carrick Dhu Caravan car park. Short walk down the cliffs and over the reef to the Blackrock headland. The diving spot is in the V-shaped gap in the rocks on the eastern side of the headland. Quite exposed to the waves and will amplify the tiniest swell so only recommended on the calmest days.

This site has small rock walls and reefs down to 15 meters. At 8m there is a large Admirality fisherman’s anchor which stands two to three mtrs off the seabed on the south side of this site.

This is a scenic dive site with a maximum depth of 20m. It is an active working pier, with boat traffic. Use of DSMB’s is recommended. Access to the site is by permission only from C & C Marine. it has a confined water training area with a sandy bottom suitable for entry level dives.

Just east of the point 100 metres east of Grey Rock, there is a lovely area for mid range diving. Here the shore drops vertically to 27/28 metres. There?s usually lots to see at various levels on the wall.

A short boat ride from Annaghvaan pier, Grey rock is in an area of uncharted rocks and strong tides, so local knowledge and experience is a must navigating to this site. This site ranges from 15m to 40m with a variety of life to be seen along the wall.

This is an enjoyable drift dive. Drop in at either end depending on the direction of the tide. You can drift along the stoney bottom (15-20m) at a fair old rate. If you keep into the wall (north side), you can avoid most of the current.

The Alain Dominique Wreck sits in approximately 12m-16m of water depending on tides. It sank some time in the mid 90’s. . This is a great site for an introduction to boat and wreck diving but it must be dived at slack water to avoid a strong drift. It can be easily identified at the surface as a green buoy.