As shore dives go, Chesil beach is pretty exposed. Nevertheless, on need a calm day, or particularly when there are strong winds from the east, there are some nice little shore dives available.As shore dives go, Chesil beach is pretty exposed. Nevertheless, on need a calm day, or particularly when there are strong winds from the east, there are some nice little shore dives available.
Even when the sea appears calm, it can be a good idea to have a rope on the beach to assist with exiting the water.
At the Portland end of the beach is Chesil Cove, usually a little more sheltered than other sites and a popular training spot. Underwater the shingle slopes down steeply at first then levels out to a barely noticeable slope. It's a bit of a desert with occasional crabs and fish, though closer to the Portland end there are some nice rocks with kelp and all the usual rock life, and this provides shelter for a better selection of fish. The trouble is you have to walk or swim further to get there; and back again.
Back towards the Weymouth end of the beach there are a couple of shore-dive-able wrecks.
The Royal Adelaide was a 1,500 ton steel sailing ship blown onto the beach by a gale in November 1872. The ship was carrying a general cargo including a casks of gin, many of which were washed ashore to the great delight of the crowds that had gathered to see the wreck. An irony of the wrecking was that 60 out of 67 passengers and crew were saved, but at least 20 of the spectators died of exposure, having passed out on the beach due to over indulgence in the gin.
To dive the remains of the Royal Adelaide, drive back towards Weymouth to the large gravel car park just before the bridge across the Fleet and park as near to the Cafe end as possible.
Walk to the ridge of the beach then along the ridge away from Portland to locate a small brick cairn that is to the west of the car park, then stride another 14 paces (approximate yards) further along the ridge. The Royal Adelaide is now straight down the beach and depending upon the height of the tide about 70 to 90 metres off shore.
As there is usually a current running along the beach, the most reliable way to hit the wreck is to follow the seabed out along a compass bearing. Those who swim out on the surface invariably end up diving shingle.
Over the years the remains of the Royal Adelaide have been pounded by storms and ground by pebbles until very little of the ship actually remains; just a few beams, plates and girders rising from the shingle. It is not the sort of wreck you dive for wreckage!
As a steel oasis in a desert of pebbles, the remains of the Royal Adelaide are home to an enormous shoal of pouting. There are also usually a few pollack, wrasse and bream to be found on the wreck and hordes of tompot blennies.
Over the summer the wreck also attracts cuttlefish and towards the end of the summer often has a complement of grey trigger fish, migrants from warmer seas. You won't see trigger fish over the winter though as they can't survive the cold water.
From the Portland end of the gravel car park, another easily accessible wreck is the remains of an American landing craft smashed against the beach when the engines failed in October 1944.
To find the wreck, walk to the ridge of the beach and line up the posts of the fence at the end of the car park, then stride 16 paces along the ridge away from Portland. The remains of the landing craft can be found straight down the beach and a little closer to shore than the Royal Adelaide. Again the most reliable way to hit the wreck is to follow the seabed out along a compass bearing.