Alternative Names: None
Type of Dive: Boddam lighthouse is a good shore and wreck dive with gullys and an arch.
Suggested Experience: Suitable for all grades
Travel directions: Head north on the A90 to Boddam and turn left at the Rocksly Inn onto station rd go to the end of the road and turn right onto Harbour st and bear left to the lighthouse. Google
From Aberdeen: 25 Miles 1 hour
Parking directions: Park by the lighthouse bridge
Lat & Long: 57.470428, -1.774305 Postcode AB42 3NF Google
Depth: Max depth around 23 m.
Tides: Tide Tables Magic seaweed
Site entry/exit: Make your way down the side of the bridge onto the shore. Google
Underwater directions: Dive the north side of the Buchaness Island, past a broken up wreck called the Einar and through a gully that ends up in an underwater arch. As with most of the sites on the east coast, the area can be quite silty but it is very nice in clear conditions. The south side of the island is deeper (you can get over 25 m on the southeast side) but, as a shore dive, it involves a longish walk in full kit, a serious climb from the path to the shore, an impressive jump entry and a final approach to the exit point over a fair distance of kelpy shallow water (avoid low tide).
Air & Nitrox: Divenortheast Core94
Site Hazards: Swells and few exit points.
Nearest Public phone: None close.
Mobile Network service: Most work here.
Accommodation: Its always a problem near Aberdeen.
Other comments: The wreck at Boddam Lighthouse is the EINAR (known locally as the 'salt-boat'). Norwegian 217 grt, length 94ft, iron steamship built 1872 by W. Tham, Motala, for I.A. Kruger of Bergen. Stranded in fog 16/8/1893 whilst en-route from Middlesbrough to Iceland with a cargo of salt - strangely, none of the cargo remains. As it's in only 6-8m so it's been well hammered by the north sea and is barely recognisable as anything other than a few plates. It's best to dive here after there has been good weather for a couple of weeks and no swell.
Café: None close to here so take everything you need.
Version: 2
Created by: Alejandro Gallego Grampian divers
Date: 7/1/08
Thanks To: Poitet, buchandiver and Craig Muirhead for additional info.
Links: Link
Surface Photos Alejandro Gallego Utube
Underwater photos: By Craig Muirhead
Divesite map: Contact me
Dive reports: Poitet 30/6/12 Spent an enjoyable morning diving Boddam Lighthouse today. Plenty of other divers around as well. Entered the water in the usual place on the North West corner of the island. Battled along to the wreckage where the water was a bit deeper Viz as usual for this site was pretty good. Probably not quite 10m but not far off despite the unsettled weather recently. Followed the wreckage along and around to the arch. Went through the arch and started to make an attempt to circumnavigate the island. Soon found I was battling against the current so chose to return the way I came, All in all, an enjoyable little dive which I seem to keep going back to. Maximum depth of about 23m and total time about an hour. Certainly worth doing if you're in the area and preferable to the quarry. I would guess the island would provide shelter from the swell on one side or the other in most conditions but you may have to careful not to stray too far or you could have a long swim in difficult conditions for a safe exit point.
Dive Report: comment in the box below.