TOCCATINA - Cornwall & Devon
TOCATINA is a small wreck, but don't let that fool you. We love her because she's a fantastic training ground, especially for newer divers looking to get comfortable on metal. She went down in '77 after a fire, a sloop that was being towed clear of the Solent shipping lanes. Now she rests in a shallow eight metres, which means plenty of bottom time and a nice bright dive. Visibility can swing wildly here, like much of the UK coast. We've had days where we could see the whole wreck from the surface, and others where it was an arm's length search for her shape. Our favourite way to dive her is on a slack tide, drifting slowly from bow to stern. You’ll find common brittlestars clinging to every surface, and often a few inquisitive dogfish poking around the debris field. The wreck is well broken up, so it's more of a scatter than an intact vessel, but that just means more nooks and crannies for crabs and small gobies to hide in. Keep an eye out for the odd lobster tucked under a plate, too. It’s a great site for photographers keen on macro, and a perfect spot to practice buoyancy skills around an artificial reef.
- Location
- Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 50.703907, -1.551409
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 8m
Marine Protected Area: Colwell Bay
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
- 12 - 49m (wreck)
- 20 - 5m (wreck)
- A2 - 1m (wreck)
- AALESUND (POSSIBLY) - 37m (wreck)
- ABRAHAM COVE - 56m (wreck)
- ACADIAN - 34m (wreck)
- ACADIAN - 38m (wreck)
- ACHIEVEMENT - 6m (wreck)
- ACTIVE - 27m (wreck)
- ADA - 40m (wreck)
- ADA MARY - 2m (wreck)
- ADDAX - 52m (wreck)
- ADOLF VINNEN - 1m (wreck)
- ADON - 0m (wreck)
- ADUR II - 11m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to TOCCATINA
- Abyss Scuba School - ["PADI"]
- Andark Diving - ["PADI"]
- Aquanaut Scuba & Snorkelling Centre Ltd - ["PADI"]
- Berkshire Divecrew Training 2012 Ltd. - ["PADI"]
- Bouley Bay Dive Centre
- Celtic Deep
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
- Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) - Reef Fish
- Common Seal (Phoca vitulina) - Whales & Dolphins
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- Soldier (Chelidonichthys cuculus) - Reef Fish
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) - Octopus & Squid
- Bastard Sole (Microchirus variegatus) - Reef Fish
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- solenette (Buglossidium luteum) - Reef Fish
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna) - Reef Fish
- Common sea star (Asterias rubens) - Starfish
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Angler (Lophius piscatorius) - Reef Fish
- Common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
Recommended Packing List for TOCCATINA
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