ARY - South Coast
The ARY, a steamship that went down in 1947, rests upright at 25 metres on Ireland's South Coast. She’s a sturdy old girl, 55 metres long, with her single boiler still prominent and a triple expansion engine tucked within. We often find conger eels making homes in the nooks and crannies of the hull, and crabs scuttling over the plates. Visibility can be a bit of a gamble here, typical for the Atlantic, so we always check conditions before heading out. It’s a good dive for those looking for a solid wreck experience without extreme depths, offering plenty to explore for an hour or so.
- Location
- South Coast, Ireland, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 52.083668, -6.967500
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 25m
Marine Protected Area: Hook Head SAC
Best Time to Dive in South Coast
The warmest water temperatures in South Coast occur in January, averaging 8.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 8.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 8.8°C (air: 7.0°C)
- February: 8.8°C (air: 8.3°C)
- March: 8.8°C (air: 8.1°C)
- April: 8.8°C (air: 9.3°C)
- May: 8.8°C (air: 11.8°C)
- June: 8.8°C (air: 14.2°C)
- July: 8.8°C (air: 15.6°C)
- August: 8.8°C (air: 15.8°C)
- September: 8.8°C (air: 14.6°C)
- October: 8.8°C (air: 12.4°C)
- November: 8.8°C (air: 9.9°C)
- December: 8.8°C (air: 8.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in South Coast
- ALFRED D SNOW - 30m (wreck)
- ALISON - 2m (wreck)
- ALIZE - 50m (wreck)
- ALLIANCE II - 4m (wreck)
- ALONDRA - 15m (wreck)
- AMARYLLIS - 45m (wreck)
- ANNE SOPHIE - 0m (wreck)
- ANTONY - 51m (wreck)
- ANTONY - 53m (wreck)
- ARDENT II - 35m (wreck)
- ASIAN - 10m (wreck)
- ASTRID - 0m (wreck)
- AUD - 39m (wreck)
- BANDON - 33m (wreck)
- BARDINI REEFER - 12m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to ARY
Marine Life in South Coast
Home to 199 recorded species including 97 reef fish, 24 sharks & rays, 14 whales & dolphins, 14 other, 10 crabs & lobsters, 10 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
- megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- lesser argentine (Argentina sphyraena) - Reef Fish
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) - Reef Fish
- Split (Scomber scombrus) - Reef Fish
- Boarfish (Capros aper) - Reef Fish
- witch (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) - Reef Fish
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Spotted Dragonet (Callionymus maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Bastard Sole (Microchirus variegatus) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for ARY
Based on average water temperature of 8.8°C.
- Drysuit - water at 9°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories