MEMNON - Cornwall & Devon

The Memnon is a proper deep dive, sitting at 45 metres off Portland. She’s a big steamship, torpedoed in 1917, and her sheer scale is what gets us every time. You descend onto this massive structure, and it’s a stark reminder of the war. We love exploring the bow, which is still largely intact, and you can really get a sense of her original lines. Visibility here can be a bit of a lottery, as it often is in the UK, but when it’s good, the light penetrating that deep really illuminates the wreck’s details. Keep an eye out for conger eels – they absolutely love the Memnon. We've seen some absolute monsters lurking in her holds. Our favourite time to dive her is on a slack tide, obviously, but really early in the morning before other boats stir up the sediment can make a real difference to the visibility down there. This isn’t one for the faint-hearted, nor for anyone new to deep wreck diving, but if you’ve got the experience and the gas, the Memnon delivers a powerful dive.

Location
Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
50.277267, -2.826268
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
45m

Marine Protected Area: East of Start Point

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 MEMNON

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 MEMNON

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