Review diving in Brittany

Located at the western part of the country, Brittany is one of the 13 regions of France. The territory extends from the estuary of the Loire in the south to the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel in the north. Brittany is a land of legends according to medieval histories with King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table and Merlin the Magician. But it is also 2 800 km of coastline, bordered to the north by the English Channel, to the west by the Celtic Sea and the Iroise Sea, and to the south by the Bay of Biscay . Its stunning landscape, its sandy beaches, its rocky cliffs, its wide estuaries and rivers will seduce you, and if you like scuba diving in France, this destination is definitely for you.

Best place to dive in Brittany?

The Gulf of Morbihan

In this part of Brittany territory experienced divers can enjoy drift dives. Indeed, in the Gulf of Morbillan, the current is powerful due to the strong tide. You will also love the beautiful show offer by the seabed around Belle-Ile-en-mer. Many fishes, congers and bars live in the shipwrecks that lie on the bottom of the sea. The fauna attached to the rocks, corynactis, anemones, sponges, lush colors, offers a spectacle worthy of a picture. Lovers of wrecks will go first dive the 2 most beautiful of them: The Philippe Eric , wooden French trawler which burned and sank in 1983 and the Hanan, Dutch coaster that was bombed in the July 28, 1944 by the british army.

Finistere

The Glénan islands are located in the south of Finistère includes nine major islands, all of them classified as an integral natural reserve. In the Glénan archipelago, enthusiasts divers can also explore wrecks, between 17 and 30 meters deep like the Pietro Orsoleo, huge Italian cargo ship measuring 140 meters long and sank in 1942. Beside the harbour of Brest, beginners can start diving wrecks in shallow waters like the Dellec, destroyer of the second World war. In Finistere, the sea color is turquoise with opal shades. In addition to numerous wrecks, fauna and underwater flora are breathtaking, that’s why many divers considers finstere as the best place for diving in Brittany.

Bay of St Malo

With islets, drops off, shoals and wrecks, the bay of St Malo is also an interesting place for diving. Tides are the highest in Europe, but the shallow seabed allows everyone, beginners and experienced divers, to enjoy the richness of his dives.

Cotes d’Armor

In Ploumanac’h you have superb dive sites only reserved for very experienced divers due to strong waves, currents and slippery rocks who make them very dangerous. Many fatalities occur each year. So be careful!

Loire Atlantique

The dive spot “Plateau du Four” will seduce you with its shoal full of fishes. It is also a passage for marine mammals who come to feed here.

Best time to go?

The best time to dive in Brittany is from july to October. It’s during this period that the water is warmer reaching sometimes 17° C.

Scuba Diving conditions

Visibility: Not always predictable, winds and tides will influence it a lot. The average visibility is from 5 to 6 meters, but can, on certain days, depending on the season and brightness exceed 10 meters. At hight tide slack, it is much better.Current: Currents from tides are dangerous, which makes scuba diving very technicals, particularly in the Gulf of Morbihan.

Difficulty: To not get in trouble, you should always dive during slack time, short period when the water is completely unstressed, without movement.

The water temperature: It varies from 12° to 18° depending on the season, and rarely drops below 12 degrees. We advise you to wear a 7 mm wetsuit.

What can you see while diving?

Brittany waters are very rich with congers, lobsters, cuttlefishes and many other species. In Loire Atlantique, you can spot torpedo rays, mullets, bars, lobsters, sponges, and the largest colony of French barnacles. It is also here that you can possibly cross mammals as the bottlenose dolphin or the common dolphin who come to feed in the area. The luckiest one can observe during summer time some pilot whales. You will also be seduced by the richness of the flora composed of sea fans, anemones, seagrass …