LA MAUVE - Cornwall & Devon

La Mauve, oh La Mauve. We’ve always had a soft spot for this scuttled barge, just over 20m down in Plymouth Sound. She went down intentionally in '93, not far from the Breakwater, making her a perfect easy wreck dive when the weather elsewhere in the Sound is a bit grumpy. The 20-meter length makes her manageable. You can pretty much circumnavigate the entire thing and still have plenty of bottom time to peek inside the small hold. What we really love is how the wreck acts like a big, metal magnet for life on an otherwise sandy seabed. You’ll often find dogfish tucked into the sand nearby, and the whole structure is covered in plumose anemones, soft corals, and dead man's fingers. Ballan wrasse dart in and out of the plating, and conger eels are usually lurking in the darker crevices. It’s not a deep dive, so you get decent light penetration, which really shows off the vibrant colours of the anemones swaying in the gentle surge. It’s a cracker for photography, especially with a wide-angle lens to capture the whole scene.

Location
Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
49.258600, -2.070883
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
22m

Marine Protected Area: Jersey Coast

Best Time to Dive in Cornwall & Devon

The warmest water temperatures in Cornwall & Devon occur in January, averaging 9.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 9.6°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 9.6°C (air: 7.3°C)
  • February: 9.6°C (air: 8.4°C)
  • March: 9.6°C (air: 8.6°C)
  • April: 9.6°C (air: 10.1°C)
  • May: 9.6°C (air: 12.6°C)
  • June: 9.6°C (air: 15.2°C)
  • July: 9.6°C (air: 16.6°C)
  • August: 9.6°C (air: 17.1°C)
  • September: 9.6°C (air: 15.9°C)
  • October: 9.6°C (air: 13.5°C)
  • November: 9.6°C (air: 10.7°C)
  • December: 9.6°C (air: 8.7°C)

Nearby Dive Sites in Cornwall & Devon

Nearest Dive Centres to LA MAUVE

Marine Life in Cornwall & Devon

Home to 192 recorded species including 93 reef fish, 18 sharks & rays, 13 whales & dolphins, 11 crabs & lobsters, 11 other, 10 seagrass & algae.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for LA MAUVE

Based on average water temperature of 9.6°C.

  • Drysuit - water at 10°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