Diving Antrim Coast & Causeway

About Northern Ireland – Antrim Coast & Causeway

The Antrim Coast and Causeway is Northern Ireland’s diving centrepiece, where basalt cliffs, sea caves and kelp forests meet the Atlantic. Rathlin Island is the standout: steep basalt walls, massive kelp and a dense anemone garden, plus the wreck of HMS Drake and the SS Lugano. The Giant’s Causeway extends its famous hexagonal columns beneath the sea, Ballycastle’s Fair Head drops as tall underwater cliffs, and Portrush and the Skerries offer granite pinnacles and training reefs. The Gobbins near Larne adds sheer walls and caves, while Portballintrae and Portstewart give sheltered bays for beginners and night dives. Dramatic and exposed, this region rewards drysuit divers with superb scenery and accessible wreck history.

Highlights

• ✓Rathlin Island: basalt walls, kelp and the HMS Drake wreck
• ✓Giant’s Causeway: underwater hexagonal columns and unique geology
• ✓Ballycastle Fair Head: tall underwater cliffs and seals
• ✓Portrush Skerries: granite pinnacles and training reefs
• ✓The Gobbins & Portballintrae: walls, caves and sheltered bays

Getting There

Fly into Belfast (BFS) or take the ferry, then drive the Causeway Coastal Route. Rathlin is reached by ferry from Ballycastle; dive boats launch from Portrush, Ballycastle and Portstewart.