Portland · Dorset · England

There is another coast below the tide line.

Guided scuba-diving excursions from Portland for first-time divers, qualified explorers and small private groups. Clear prices, measured planning and dive days built around the sea that actually turns up.

Choose a dive day Read the Portland field note

6guests max per departure

2dives on full boat days

08:15typical morning check-in

Scuba diver preparing beside the sea near Portland — Portland departure · dive plan agreed before kit-up

01 / PORTLAND BELOW

A diving day should begin with the water, not the brochure.

Portland sits where sheltered harbour water, open-coast conditions and a long maritime history meet. That variety is the reason we plan each departure as a real dive day rather than a fixed script.

We look first at sea state, visibility, current, experience and recent diving. Only then do we settle the profile. A calm morning might suit a first descent close to shore; the same day can offer qualified divers a two-dive boat itinerary with a completely different character.

That approach keeps the experience grounded. You know the intended depth, entry method, equipment plan and price before the booking is confirmed, while the final site selection remains flexible enough to respect the conditions on the day.

Diver moving through clear coastal water

FIELD NOTE · 01

Cold water makes details matter.

Gloves, hood fit, thermal layers and a sensible pace affect comfort long before depth does. We check exposure protection and weighting on the surface so the first five minutes underwater are spent looking around, not fixing avoidable problems.

02 / DIVE DAYS

Three ways to enter the water.

Every listed price is the total payable base price for the package shown and includes VAT at the standard UK rate of 20%. Optional equipment upgrades or gases are never added unless you choose them.

Introductory scuba-diving session in sheltered coastal water

Entry-level1 water session

First Sounding

A calm, closely supervised introduction for people who want to experience scuba before choosing a full qualification route. The session starts with equipment familiarisation, breathing and buoyancy practice before a shallow-water exploration.

£136.80per person

Briefing and shallow-water session
Core scuba equipment, cylinder and weights
VAT included: £22.80 of the price shown

No booking surcharge. Subject to a health questionnaire and suitability assessment. Personal transport, meals and optional photo package are not included.

Book First Sounding

Scuba divers approaching a wreck off the Dorset coast

Qualified divers2 boat dives

Portland Wreck Pair

Two guided boat dives selected for the day’s sea state, current and your certification. The emphasis is on slow, readable wreck exploration rather than chasing depth for its own sake.

£226.80per person

Two boat spaces, guide, cylinder and weights
Site briefing and surface refreshments
VAT included: £37.80 of the price shown

Personal regulator, BCD, suit and computer hire are not included. Optional full kit hire is quoted before confirmation if required.

Choose this dive day

Divers drifting along a rocky underwater reef

Current-led2 dives

Jurassic Coast Drift

A two-dive day for divers comfortable in moving water. We use the tide window as the organising principle, then match the route to experience and conditions instead of forcing a pre-set track.

£214.20per person

Boat transfer, guide, cylinder and weights
SMB protocol briefing and current plan
VAT included: £35.70 of the price shown

Requires an appropriate recognised diving qualification and recent experience. Nitrox, if requested and suitable, is priced separately before booking.

Choose this dive day

03 / PLAN THE DIVE

The sea gets the final vote.

A booking secures a dive day, not a promise to force one specific site in unsuitable conditions. That distinction is part of how we keep the experience sensible.

Experience check

We review certification, recent diving, comfort in current, equipment and the depth range you actually want — not the depth you think you should want.

Conditions check

Sea state, visibility, tide and access shape the final site choice. If the intended profile is not sensible, we move the plan, reduce it or cancel the water session.

Brief, kit, enter

Entry and exit, lost-buddy procedure, ascent plan, surface signalling and emergency arrangements are briefed before anyone commits to the water.

Dive equipment arranged for checks before a coastal dive — Kit check before departure · nothing rushed

04 / DEPTH GUIDE

Start with the depth you enjoy.

Use the selector as a planning prompt. It is not a certification check: the final recommendation depends on your qualifications, logged experience, conditions and the guide’s assessment.

12 m

Suggested starting point

First Sounding

For a first underwater experience, we keep the profile shallow and focus on breathing, trim and comfort rather than distance or depth.

Discuss this profile

Diver beside a weathered underwater structure off the Dorset coast

05 / FIELD NOTE

What a wreck dive is actually asking you to notice.

The interesting part is rarely the headline depth. It is the relationship between shape, light, marine growth and the way a structure has settled into the seabed.

On a first pass we keep some distance. That wider view tells you more: where the deck line sits, where current is running and which sections have become habitat. On the return, details appear — fittings, openings, changes in material, small fish holding in the lee of a plate.

Good wreck etiquette is deliberately quiet. We do not remove objects, force entries or turn a dive into a collection exercise. The aim is to leave with a better mental map than the one you had on descent.

Reading time · 3 minPortland notebook · 2026

06 / BOOK A DIVE DAY

Tell us how you dive. We’ll match the day.

Send the basics and we will reply with availability, the proposed dive profile, the exact inclusions for your selected package and any equipment options you have asked for. Your enquiry does not become a confirmed booking until we send written confirmation.

Email[email protected]

Telephone+44 7133 269935

BaseCastletown, Portland DT5 1BD