PENTYRCH - Cornwall & Devon

The Pentyrch is a proper dive, a deep cut into history sitting at 17 metres. We’re talking about a WWI steamship, torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat in 1918. It’s definitely a melancholic place, knowing its story, but that history is what gives it so much character. What you find now is a wreck largely collapsed but still very much a wreck, spread across the seabed. The bow and stern sections are the most coherent, giving you a real sense of its former scale. The midships are more of a debris field, but don’t dismiss it – that’s often where we find the most interesting stuff. Conger eels love these scattered plates, and we’ve seen some huge ones tucked away. We’ve also had fantastic drifts over the whole site on a good tide, watching dogfish scout the edges and enormous ballan wrasse pick their way through the plating. Visibility can be a typical Cornish mixed bag, but when it’s good, the light penetrating to the seabed here is just beautiful, silhouetting the remaining ribs. This is one for wreck enthusiasts who appreciate the story as much as the structure, and for those who enjoy hunting for the resident marine life in a more somber setting.

Location
Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
50.723300, -0.263633
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
17m

Marine Protected Area: Shoreham Beach

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 PENTYRCH

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 PENTYRCH

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