LUCENA
Protected Area
Baile Mhac Óda
Why dive here
With 185+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - LUCENA offers some of South Coast's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 9-15°C, warmest July, August, September.
The Lucena, a steamship that went down in 1915, is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to off Ireland's South Coast. She sits upright at 40 metres, her bow pointing northeast, and while she's classified as 'dangerous', that just means she’s broken up enough to be interesting, not necessarily hazardous. We love tracing the length of her hull, often finding conger eels peeking out from the darker recesses. The stern is our favourite spot, where the propeller shaft is still fairly intact, and you can sometimes catch a glimpse of a huge ling lurking there. This isn’t a wreck for beginners; you’ll want some experience with deeper diving and cold water, but the reward is a genuinely atmospheric dive, especially when the light filters down through the plankton-rich water. It feels like stepping back in time, with the ship’s structure now completely claimed by anemones and dead man's fingers, a proper cold-water garden.
Typical LUCENA Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Deep dive (40m) - monitor air consumption closely. Advanced certification recommended.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Cold water this month (avg 14°C). Drysuit or thick wetsuit (7mm+) recommended.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for LUCENA
LUCENA Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for LUCENA, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (51.71, -8.38) (9km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
14°C
57°F · Range: 12.3–14.8°C
Air Temperature
12°C
54°F
Wind Speed
7.84 m/s
15.2 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1008.6 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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