HMS DELIGHT

Best months: Jul–Sep

Protected Area

West of Wight-Barfleur

Why dive here

With 176+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - HMS DELIGHT offers some of Cornwall & Devon's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 10-18°C, warmest July, August, September.

Best timeJul–Sep

WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 176+ species recorded

Water10-18°C · warmest July, August, September

CharacterWreck dive · max 57m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The HMS Delight is deep, and we mean properly deep, but what a dive. Dropping onto her at 57 metres, you’re hitting the limit for most recreational trimix divers, so this is one for the serious technical crowd. She’s a D-class destroyer, bombed and sunk by German aircraft in 1940, and lies upright, mostly intact. We love how her huge turbines and quadruple shafts are still visible, a testament to her speed. You’ll weave through the skeletal remains of her superstructure, picturing the chaos of that day. Her gun emplacements are still there, silent sentinels, and the torpedo tubes are a highlight, giving you a real sense of her offensive power. Visibility here can be surprisingly good, but even on an average day, the sheer scale of the Delight is impressive. Look closely, and you’ll find plenty of plumose anemones clinging to the metalwork, their white tentacles swaying gently in the subtle current. This is a dive that demands respect, but for experienced wreck enthusiasts, it’s an absolute privilege.