ST NICHOLAS
Protected Area
Long Berry Coast
Why dive here
With 140+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - ST NICHOLAS offers some of Scapa Flow, Orkney's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 8-14°C, warmest July, August, September.
The St Nicholas, an iron steamship from 1871, offers a different kind of Scapa Flow dive. She’s not part of the scuttled German fleet, but rather a casualty of the rocks, having slipped into about 23 metres after an old grounding. We found her remarkably intact, a proper old girl with her bow pointing towards the surface and the stern settling into the seabed. There’s a good sense of scale as you glide past her 69-metre length, with crabs and anemones making themselves at home in the nooks and crannies. It’s a solid dive for those who appreciate maritime history beyond the usual warships.
Typical ST NICHOLAS Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Depth of 23m - Advanced Open Water certification recommended.
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Cold water this month (avg 13°C). Drysuit or thick wetsuit (7mm+) recommended.
Always perform a 3-minute safety stop at 5m before surfacing.
Reviews for ST NICHOLAS
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for ST NICHOLAS
ST NICHOLAS Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for ST NICHOLAS, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (58.64, -3.16) (8km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
13°C
55°F · Range: 11.4–13.8°C
Air Temperature
10°C
50°F
Wind Speed
9.26 m/s
18.0 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1005.3 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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