WAR BARON (PROBABLY) - Cornwall & Devon

The War Baron (probably) is one of our favourite deep wrecks in the UK. At 46 metres, it’s a serious dive, definitely for technical divers or those with solid experience in lower visibility and colder water. You drop onto a massive steamship, 125 metres long, a real beast from 1917, sunk by a mine in 1918. We love exploring the huge triple expansion engines and boilers, still largely intact and imposing. The scale of the ship means you’ll need multiple dives to properly take it all in. Visibility can swing wildly here, from a murky few metres to a surprising 15, so pick your day carefully, ideally on a neap tide for less current. Even on darker days, the wreck comes alive with life. We’ve seen conger eels that look like tree trunks lurking in the holds, massive edible crabs scuttling over the plating, and a constant cloud of pout and bib around the superstructure. It’s a proper historical dive, a somber reminder of wartime, but now a thriving artificial reef.

Location
Cornwall & Devon, United Kingdom, Mediterranean & Europe
Coordinates
50.389750, -5.394733
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
46m

Marine Protected Area: St Agnes

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 WAR BARON (PROBABLY)

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 WAR BARON (PROBABLY)

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