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Drake's Island

Drakes Island, located at the mouth of the River Tamar, is a prime diving spot for beginners in the United Kingdom. Before the Breakwater was built, numerous ships were unfortunately wrecked on its rocky shores due to powerful southwesterly gales. The island offers two distinct diving areas to explore.

On the northern side of Drakes Island lies Asia Shoal, ranging from depths of 5 to 18 meters. Divers can admire a diverse array of marine life, including sponges, hydroids, burrowing anemones, as well as the occasional sighting of scallops and plaice. The visibility here is around 6 meters, making it an ideal spot for novice divers to explore.

Venturing to the southeast side of the island, divers will encounter Pilot Shoal, with depths ranging from 3 to 9 meters. The seabed is primarily composed of sand, dotted with rocky outcrops teeming with marine life such as sponges, hydroids, and burrowing anemones. This area offers similar visibility of around 6 meters.

Drakes Island is easily accessible from Drake's Island, Plymouth, in South West England. Whether you are a beginner diver seeking an immersive underwater experience or an avid enthusiast looking to explore the diverse marine ecosystem, Drakes Island offers an unforgettable diving adventure in the United Kingdom.

Diving Conditions Score for Drake's Island

7.1
Good

Good diving conditions!
The score is based on a calculation of the current weather and sea conditions.

Dive Site Overview for Drake's Island

Depth

12m

Visibility

6m

Experience Level

beginner

Weather Conditions for Drake's Island

Wave Height

0.8m

Wind Speed

5.4 m/s

Water Temp

17.3°C

Visibility

52.48km

Cloud Cover

100%

Wave Period

4.15s

Air Temperature

26.2°C

Precipitation

0 mm

Detailed 7-Day Diving Forecast for Drake's Island
Alpha

Dive Score Chart for Drake's Island

Best time to dive: 16:00 with score 8.41/10. Water conditions: Waves 0.8m, Wind 1.4 m/s.Best night dive time: 0:00 with score 7.549669966996699/10.

Chart showing hourly dive conditions including wave height, wind speed, water temperature, and visibility throughout the day.

Sunrise at Drake's Island: 06:00
Sunset at Drake's Island: 18:00

Optimal diving conditions at Drake's Island are affected by daylight hours. Sunrise occurs at 06:00 and sunset at 18:00, which impacts visibility and water temperature for scuba diving and snorkeling.

🌞
Best Overall
16:00

Score: 8.4/10
Waves: 0.8m (4.15s), Wind: 1.4 m/s

🌙
Best Night
0:00

Score: 7.5/10
Waves: 0.48m, Wind: 9 m/s

Seasonal Analysis for Drake's Island
Alpha

Historical patterns and best seasons for diving at Drake's Island

The dive score combines all factors to rate overall diving conditions throughout the year. Higher scores indicate better diving conditions.

Monthly Dive Score Analysis - Seasonal Diving Conditions

Higher values indicate better diving conditions

Seasonal DiveScore Chart

This chart displays monthly diveScore data throughout the year, showing seasonal patterns. The data is presented as a bar chart with an overlaid line graph.Dive scores range from 1 to 10, with 10 being optimal conditions.

Higher values indicate better diving conditions

Best Season for Drake's Island

Winter

Avg. Score: 10.0/10

Winter offers the best overall diving conditions with calmer seas and better visibility, despite cooler temperatures.

Best Months for Drake's Island

January
Score: 10.0
February
Score: 10.0
December
Score: 9.9

Ideal Conditions for Drake's Island

Water Temp

Thermometer Emoji

25.0°C / 77.0°F

June

Visibility

Telescope Emoji

20.1m / 65.9ft

October

Wave Height

Wave Emoji

0.2m / 0.7ft

January

Wave Period

Wave Emoji

8.0s

January

Seasonal Insights for Drake's Island

Drake's Island shows typical northern hemisphere patterns with June being the warmest month (25.0°C) and December the coldest (21.0°C). The calmest conditions typically occur in January with average wave heights of 0.2m and wave periods of 8.0s. The most comfortable wave conditions are in January with a low wave steepness ratio, creating gentler swells. January offers the longest wave periods (8.0s), creating more comfortable and predictable conditions for boat entries and exits. Ocean currents are slowest in January (0.5m/s) and strongest in January (0.5m/s). January is usually the driest month with 0.0mm of precipitation. For beginners, the best time to visit would be during January to March, when ocean conditions are calmer with long-period waves and currents are typically weaker. Experienced divers might enjoy the challenges and potentially better visibility during the shoulder seasons, with moderate currents that can improve marine life encounters.

Scoring Legend:
9-10 (Excellent)
7-8 (Good)
5-6 (Average)
3-4 (Poor)
1-2 (Dangerous)

Last updated: 1 min. ago - Jun 22, 2026

Note: This dive site is not a verified dive site. Please dive with caution. This dive site might have incorrect information by the community.

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