Eyemouth and St Abbs Shore Dives
WEASEL LOCH, EYEMOUTH
Weasel Loch from the Cliffs
One of the best Shore Dives I have ever done on the East Coast, as good if not better than St Abbs if conditions are right. There are actually three different dives that can be done from here, all different, all good.
Weasel Loch is a cove or gulley surrounded by high cliffs which is about 100m in length from the entry point at the foot of a step slope to the end of the cliffs into Open Water.
Accessed from Eyemouth Caravan Site through a gate onto the Cliff Edge (only park there in dry weather), access and parking cost £3 per car, and the access is only until 4.30pm, although the key is available from reception (£3 includes use of showers and drying rooms).
Entry point and Steps up the Cliff
The Entry Point is accessed down a set of steep wooden stairs built into the cliff, a long walk and do take care when going up and down, rest stops are available for the less fit Divers!. Once at the bottom you access the water to the left of a large boulder, if the water is low it can be a bit of a scramble.
Dive 1 is through the Gully to the Sea, and back again , a good dive for Training or the less experienced, lots to see, Congers, Octopus, Shrimp, Flounders, Pollock and all kinds of life which appears to like the sheltered conditions. Max depth is about 15-17m on a sandy bottom, not really tide affected as long as you don?t venture too far outside into the Open!, strong currents can catch the unwary.
Opening out to the Sea
Dive 2 is the same except is a Slack Water Dive, keeping the wall on your right leave Weasel Loch at the end and follow the wall around into the next Bay, be careful and not turn too quickly, after about 20 minutes you will find the wall turning inland again, you should be able to see the other side and cross this gap to pick up the wall on your right again. There is a large pile of abandoned rope if you see this you are going the right way, if you don?t get across you have to follow this wall all the way round, there is an access at High water into the next bay but it cuts your Dive short. Continuing around after about 45minutes you will find yourself heading South into a sandy bay, keep the wall on your right until you are in about 3m and surface into Little Leeds Bay. Now the fun part, it is a clamber out across the rocks, and up a steep goat path back to the cliff top, a real strenuous climb, I have seem weight belts and kit abandoned on the way up. Again a great Dive if the tide is right, lots of life and normally superb visibility, this is a minimum 45 minute Dive with a max depth of 18-20 metres so ensure you have enough air, as a long surface swim if you have to come up, no easy exit other than the entry at Weasel Loch, or Little Leeds Bay. If the tide is strong you could always exit at Eyemouth Harbour, or St Abbs?.or Leith!
Leeds Bay with the exit on the left
Dive 3 I haven?t done, but you walk west along the Cliff Path for about 200 metres until th cliffs drop down to the sea, jump in and follow the wall on the right back into Weasel Loch, same again Maximum depth 18-19m on Slack water only.
Suggested Entry point for Dive 3
Conger Reef lies directly off Weasel Loch an excellent site at about 20-22m but unless you want a strenuous swim best left as a Boat Dive.