Water temperature The water temperature in the UK is not as cold as expected from the latitude of the islands because of the influence of the Gulf stream, which causes the temperatures on the west side of the UK to average 1 to 2☌ higher than the east. Diving in the UK is sufficiently challenging that divers exploring deeper sites (>30m) are encouraged to carry independent redundant gas supplies in the form of pony cylinders or twin sets. Depths Diving in the UK is available at all recreational depths (0-50m) and there is a significant body of technical divers who explore wrecks in the mixed gas range. Divers in the UK often become involved with voluntary organisations that record and survey marine sites and are active in the conservation of the sea. The underwater topography in the UK is influenced by the highly varied geology and the effect of several ice ages, therefore the rock structures provide many reefs, walls and caves in which a very diverse and beautiful marine assemblage flourishes. These wrecks provide a focus for the proliferation of marine life and a source of historical interest for divers.
The wrecks from the WWI and WWII are deteriorating and wave action has served to break up the shallower wrecks, however a large proportion of the deeper wrecks remain intact and untouched.
The nautical history of the UK, the busy shipping lanes and many shipping casualties from two World Wars, in which the UK was heavily involved, has provided over 44,000 shipwrecks distributed around the coastline, a significant proportion of which are visited by UK divers.
The nature of diving in the United Kingdom Types of dive site The 17,000 km coastline of the United Kingdom (UK) is highly diverse with over 1,000 islands that provide a wide range of habitats for divers to explore including wrecks, caves, reefs, walls, piers, kelp forests and inland rivers and lakes.
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