Viz Reports (Farne Islands and Northumberland)
Following on from it's successful introduction in 2016 I have decided to try and keep live the Viz Report! Historical Information has been left on the page to allow potential visitors to get some idea of the kind of viz and water temperature which could be expected at a particular time of year.
All visibilities are measured with a 'secchi plate', I have found that through water visibility tends to be 10% -> 20% better than the measured vertical visibility.
Current Data
| Date | Viz (m) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook | Wildlife Notes |
| 01-Jan | 2m | South of Point | Don't plan on anything | All over the place although you may be lucky if you live local | Could see nowt but slippy red weed! |
| 25-Jan | 5 - 6m | Knacker Hole | Blowing up again | Boats should be ok over the weekend if they can tuck away on the Islands | A few lobbies, no velvet swimmers, flounders about too |
Historical Data (2022)
| Date | Viz (m) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| 05-Nov | 2m | Lady Hole | That’s about your whack for shore diving | The Islands should stay good, the shore diving, probably done for 2022 |
| 28-Oct | 12m | PS Pegasus | Ok, but due to the time of year it will not get any better | The Islands should stay good, the shore diving well not sure |
| 28-Oct | 3m | Powder House | Should have been better than it was but a nasty chop 'blew' dust from the kelp tops | We are really looking at last knockings for shore diving now! |
| 28-Oct | 3m/4m | North of Point | Ok, but due to the time of year it will not get any better | We are really looking at last knockings for shore diving now! |
| 16-Oct | 4m | South of Point | Not so good, getting very wishy-washy | Looking pretty grotty |
| 08-Oct | 1m | Howick | Little bit of a blip midweek then flat for the weekend | Ok, but stay away from Howick, it's shot |
| 03-Oct | 8m | Lady Hole | Little bit of a blip midweek then flat for the weekend | Wrong again, the suspended stuff has dropped out or been washed away after a couple of tides |
| 02-Oct | 4m | South of Point | Little bit of a blip pn Thursday but nowt too bad | Has improved though I doubt it will be 'better' than 6m vis from the shore even by next weekend, too much fresh water run off |
| 01-Oct | 2m | North of Point | Flat as the proverbial | Should improve! |
| 10-Sep | nil | North of Point | A bit all over! | This is the worse September I have encountered for shore diving as you simply cant! |
| 20-Aug | 10m plus | North of Point | A bit all over! | We were due for a big blow at the weekend but its tempered down so may be 'ok' and improving thru Bank Holiday week |
| 14-Aug | 10m plus | North of Point | Due a mid-week blip | Iffy mid-week at best for shore diving but fingers crossed for the weekend |
| 11-Aug | 6m | Howick | Good on the seven day forecast | Excellent for the weekend |
| 21-Jul | 6m | South of Point | A bit 'iffy' over the weekend for shore dips unless you get in on a south facing site but good Monday/Tuesday | A bit wishy washy in the shallows but ok when you get to 5m and beyond, boats will be great |
| 20-Jul | 2m - 4m | Knacker Hole | A bit unsettled 'til Monday isn't that always the case? | If you're going in from the shore make sure you go in on the flood as the fresh water is clear |
| 14-Jul | 6m | Howick | At last a bit of a blow due next week but only Wednesday 20th | After Saturday the tides should calm down so less suspended silt |
| 13-Jul | 8m | Howick | Still looking good but big tides may wipe out Howick, beadnell will be ok | The weekend might not be crystal clear with these tides |
| 12-Jul | 6m | Howick | Looking good but big tides | Should be great all week and hopefully to the weekend |
| 08-Jul | Low | Knacker Hole | Lo it came to pass | Don’t know what the weekend will be like, I shall see tomorrow (Friday) |
| 06-Jul | 6m | Howick | It was due to blow up today but now due to arrive overnight | If the forecast rings true not sure how good itll be at the weekend |
| 03-Jul | 10m | Beadnell Point | The forecast is now going a bit iffy on Thursday and manybe onto the weekend | Great for cheeky midweeker but shore dips next weekend may be in doubt |
| 01-Jul | 10m | Beadnell Point | Its looking good for the week, a blip was forecast for Wednesday but not now. | One word 'superb' |
| 25-Jun | 3m | Lady Hole | Its looking a bit swelly so don’t bother shore dips until next weeknd | I am not bothering until next weekend as it appears to be slowly flattening |
| 19-Jun | 0.5m - 1m | Howick | The blip has arrived for 24 hours, then back to flat | Stick to Beadnell and it should pick up next weekend. Howick will be iffy dive to silt |
| 18-Jun | 6m | Howick | Going to be a blip | Stick to Beadnell and it should pick up next weekend |
| 12-Jun | 12-15m | Beadnell Point | Improving | Should be great all week and hopefully to the weekend |
| 10-Jun | 4m to 5m | Knacker Hole | Improving | A bit of snot in the water, when that goes great! |
| 28-May | 1m to 4m | Lady Hole | Getting worse before it gets better | Stick to boat dives, although there does appear some snotty plankton in the water |
| 26-May | 6m | Beadnell Point | Picking up later on Friday making things a bit iffy | Not sure I'd plan any shore dives for the weekend! |
| 21-May | 10m | Beadnell Point | A slight blow mid-week but looking damn good. | Dive now or plan to dive imminently |
| 15-May | 5m | Beadnell Point | Good vis if a bit wishy-washy, which is forecast. Should just cause a blip in the vis | It should be good for the weekend |
| 14-May | 6m | Beadnell Point | A bit of swell but the good vis is here | A bit of a pick up early in the week and then back to settled weather and excellent vis |
| 09-May | 1m | Knacker Hole | A big slow groundswell breaking over the sea-wall at KH, but its easing from today! | Hopefully easing towards the weekend |
| 02-May | 3m | Beadnell Point | Picking up and wishy-washy from N-S groundswell | The forecast for terrible Monday is now mid-week but not 'as bad', looking ok for the weekend |
| 01-May | 4m | Beadnell Point | Due to blow up on Bank Holiday Monday | A tad milky still! |
| 30-Apr | 3m | Beadnell Point | Due to blow up on Bank Holiday Monday | A tad milky again! |
| 26-Apr | 1m | Beadnell Point | Worse for the weekend | Milky stuff is dropping out |
| 20-Apr | 5m | Beadnell Point | Worse for the weekend | Milky stuff is dropping out |
| 19-Apr | 4m | Beadnell Point | Worse for the weekend | Still milky, until Thursday! |
| 18-Apr | 2m | Beadnell Point | Easing | Milky but improving each tide, until Thursday! |
| 16-Apr | 1m | Beadnell Point | Easing | Poor but the forecast says improving |
| 13-Apr | 1m | Beadnell Point | Easing but still poor | Poor but the forecast says better for easter weekend |
| 10-Apr | nil | Beadnell Point | Easing but still poor | Poor but the forecast says better for easter weekend |
| 07-Apr | 1m | Beadnell Point | Blowing up again | Poor, but judging how fast the rubbish drops out it should only take a tide or two when things calm down |
| 03-Apr | 3m | Beadnell Point | Due to blow up again | Poor, but judging how fast the rubbish drops out it should only take a tide or two when things calm down |
| 02-Apr | 1m | Beadnell Point | Due to blow up again | Poor, the islnds will be seasonally ok |
| 26-Mar | 2m | Beadnell Point | Due to blow up badly and there is lots of silt on the bottom | Poor, the islnds will be seasonally ok |
Historical Data (2021)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| 20-Nov | 2m | - | Beadnell Point | Due to pick up | That’s all folks |
| 23-Oct | nil | - | Beadnell Point | Flattening off but…. | After this blow I reckon the shore diving is shot and the islands will be stirred up for a while |
| 17-Oct | 6m | - | The Kettle | Not good at all for the next week | Islands should be 'ok' but shore is bad |
| 16-Oct | 2m if youre lucky | - | Beadnell | Not good | Distinctly iffy |
| 03-Oct | 2m | - | Beadnell | Getting better for the weekend but horrid mid-week | Tides are getting bigger but it may settle a bit for next weekend |
| 24-Sep | 2m or 3m | - | Beadnell | Not good | With the big ground swell we have it'll be a while until things settle down |
| 19-Sep | 2m | - | Beadnell | Pretty grotty | Should improve during the week, but with the big tides we may not see a huge improvement |
| 18-Sep | 1m to 3m | - | Beadnell | Grotty | Not holding out a huge hope |
| 13-Sep | nil | - | Beadnell | Horrible | Its coming to that time of the year |
| 28-Aug | 2m or 3m | - | Beadnell | yuk | Not good at all |
| 25-Aug | 8m | - | Beadnell | This good vis is an anomaly its due to be horrid tomorrow | Looking to be french onion vis |
| 19-Aug | 5m | - | Beadnell | Not so bad despite the mid-week brew up | Should be 'as you were' over the weekend but looking like the Bank Holiday weekend may be special |
| 15-Aug | 8m | - | Beadnell | The bad weather is due soon | Boats will be fine at the islands but I fear shore diving may be blown out |
| 12-Aug | 8m | - | Beadnell | Great forecast until Monday for shore diving | Great for the weekend |
| 08-Aug | 3m | - | Howick | Due to improve | Should be better soon and certainly better at Beadnell, its always poor at Howick |
| 31-Jul | 2m | - | Beadnell | A bit up and down for the next week | Boats will be fine at the islands but I fear shore diving will be poor for a while |
| 28-Jul | 8m | - | Beadnell | Great……until Saturday! | Should be great from the boats but due for some weather at the weekend which is unfortunate |
| 24-Jul | 6m | - | Beadnell | Some rollers due in the next days but ok | A little wishy washy but not too much crap in the water column so should ease off through the week |
| 19-Jul | 10m + | - | Beadnell | Still calm | Looking good for the next while |
| 17-Jul | 10m | - | Harcarrs | Flat as the proverbial and looking set for a while | Looking good for the next while |
| 11-Jul | 6m | - | Beadnell | Swell should be easing off again as its up to about 2m today | Looking good for the next while |
| 03-Jul | 2m | - | Beadnell | Still easing until a short sharp blast on Tuesday | It's goner backwards a bit and wishy washy in North/South direction |
| 02-Jul | 3/4m | - | Beadnell | Easing until a short sharp blast on Tuesday | Ok at the moment but a bit milky, maybe palnkton from the recent run off |
| 29-Jun | 2m | - | Beadnell | Blowing up but easing for the weekend | The weekend could be 'ok' |
| 24-Jun | 9m | - | SS Coryton | Due to blow up on Friday | Saturday looks nasty but flat again by Sunday night is the forecast |
| 23-Jun | 3m | - | Howick | Due to blow up on Friday | The weekend may well be wiped out, that said it’s a northerly |
| 20-Jun | 10m+ | - | Somali | MSW thinks it will blow up next weekend | Looking good for the next days |
| 14-Jun | 8m | - | Beadnell Point | Flat, flat, flat | MSW says it might blow up fri/sat then steady again….. |
| 12-Jun | 8m | - | Powderhouse | Flat, flat, flat | MSW says we might be back to grot next weekend |
| 06-Jun | 8m | - | Beadnell Point | Flat, flat, flat | MSW says flat for the forseeable! |
| 05-Jun | 6m | - | Powderhouse | Flat, flat, flat | Only improving over the next days |
| 04-Jun | 5m | - | Beadnell | Flat, flat, flat | Only improving over the next days |
| 31-May | 6m | - | Beadnell | Due to blow up a tad on Thursday but should be great for the weekend | A bit of a blip but improving |
| 21-May | nil | - | Beadnell | Damn unseasonable and horribly grotty for a while | Horrid |
| 27-Apr | nil | - | Beadnell | Getting worse | Looking horrible for a while |
| 24-Apr | 1m | - | Beadnell | Supposed to stay 'as is' for a while so not good vis | Looking horrible for a while |
| 20-Apr | 1m | - | Beadnell | Improving for the weekend then away again mid-next week | May improve for the weekend if the forecast is right, the problem for the forseeable is this layer of fine silt, its horrible and everywhere |
| 18-Apr | 3m | - | Beadnell | All up and down | Due to blow up later in the week and with so much silt on the bootom it could be horrible |
| 15-Apr | nil | - | Beadnell | Horrible but settling | Must get better soon! |
| 09-Apr | nil | - | Beadnell | Horrible but settling | Must get better soon! |
| 20-Mar | 2m | - | Beadnell | Not good | Still vey seasonal but must improve soon |
| 13-Mar | milky | - | Beadnell | Not good | Still vey seasonal but must improve soon |
| 13-Feb | nil | - | Beadnell | Horrible | Seasonal |
| 10-Jan | 1m | - | Beadnell | All up and down | Don’t hold your breath, fresh water seems the best option |
| 01-Jan | nil | - | North East Coast | Horrid | Happy new year and keep poishing your kit |
Historical Data (2020)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| 23-Dec | 1m | - | Beadnell | Due to blow again | Fresh water is the way forward |
| 16-Dec | 1m | - | Beadnell | Bouncy all the way out | It looks 'brown' all the way past the islands so no point even driving up |
| 29-Nov | 3m | - | Beadnell | Due to blow up for a short time on Tuesday, combined with ahorrible surge surely its done now. | Start looking for fresh water sites, Ullswater is always great and free! |
| 18-Nov | nil | - | Beadnell | Due to blow up for a short time, it may 'settle' for March | Start looking for fresh water sites, Ullswater is always great and free! |
| 11-Nov | 2m | - | Beadnell | Due to blow up for a short time, it may 'settle' for the weekend | Distinctly iffy with no boats running and the shore vis limited…… |
| 07-Nov | 3m max | - | Beadnell | Looking settled for a few days…… | Possibly a quick dip or two but it is milky |
| 25-Oct | 4m | - | Beadnell | Looking settled for a few days so maybe get in! | Possibly a quick dip or two in the week to Halloween! |
| 03-Oct | 2m | - | Beadnell | A short gap between fronts but hours rather than days | Think its it for the year, unless |
| 22-Sep | 1m - 3m | - | Howick | It was horrible! | Don't go into the shore to dive! |
| 15-Sep | 5m | - | Howick | Due to blow up pre the weekend then flatten off again, boats ok, shore maybe not | Good for the weekend on boats but shore diving will be hit |
| 14-Sep | 5m -3m | - | Howick | Due to blow up pre the weekend then flatten off again, boats ok, shore maybe not | Good for the weekend on boats but shore diving will be hit |
| 12-Sep | 5m | - | Howick | Due to blow up pre the weekend then flatten off again, ok for the next few days | Good for the shore diving for a couple of days, boats unaffected |
| 10-Sep | 4m | - | Beadnell | Staying settled for the forseeable so getting better | Still showing as settled |
| 05-Sep | 7m | - | Beadnell | Staying settled for the forseeable so getting better | Good for the weekend and beyond although it can't last forever |
| 03-Sep | 4m | - | Beadnell | Staying settled for the forseeable so getting better | Good for the weekend and beyond although it can't last forever |
| 28-Aug | nil | - | Beadnell | Settling by start of September | Should be ok for the weekend of 5/6th September |
| 23-Aug | 7m | - | SS Coryton | Due to be horrible very soon | Wait until September… |
| 22-Aug | 3m | - | Beadnell | Very wishy-washy | Looking distinctly poor for the next week |
| 18-Aug | 5m | - | Beadnell | A bit of snot in the water but this is due to recent rains and will go soon | Ok for a week or so |
| 13-Aug | 5m | - | Beadnell | A bit of surge | Should be ok |
| 06-Aug | 8m | - | Beadnell | The snot is going so should be fine | Ok for the forseeable |
| 05-Aug | 6m | - | Beadnell | A bit of snot in the water but this is due to recent rains and will go soon | Should improve for the weekend |
| 18-Jul | 12m | - | SS St Andre | Looking settled | Should be ok for a while |
| 17-Jul | 8m | - | Beadnell | Looking settled | Will improve as the silt settles back on top of the kelp |
| 14-Jul | 9m | - | Beadnell | Looking settled | Very good for a while I reckon |
| 10-Jul | 4m | - | Beadnell | Should improve | Will only get better in the settled conditions |
| 07-Jul | nil | - | Beadnell | It shouldn't take too long to drop out as the muck looks sandy | Give it three or four days |
| 30-Jun | 6m | - | Beadnell | A bit wishy-washy and an unsettled forecast | Probably out of action for a while |
| 27-Jun | 5m | - | Beadnell | Lots of surge | Its rather unsettled I'm afraid |
| 25-Jun | 10m + | - | Beadnell | Forecast looking iffy but good today | Get there damn quick! |
| 17-Jun | 5m | - | Beadnell | Looking very promising | A nice window of opportunity for divers to have some great viz |
| 09-Jun | 2m | - | Beadnell | Should improve | Lots of grot in the water from run-off so expect snot as things clear |
| 05-Jun | nil | - | Beadnell | Crap for a while | The forecast is bad to 08/06, if it stays flat then the w/e of 13th should be okay |
| 02-Jun | 10m+ | - | Beadnell | Going iffy from Weds 3/06 | The forecast is bad to 08/06, if it stays flat then the w/e of 13th should be okay |
| 30-May | 10m+ | - | Beadnell | Going iffy from Weds 3/06 | The forecast is bad from 03/06 to 07/06 so not sure when shore diving will re-start |
| 28-May | 10m+ | - | Beadnell | Going iffy from Weds 3/06 | Great at the moment but after this next blow lets see |
Historical Data (2019)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| 08-Nov | nil | - | Beadnell | All over the place | I fear 'that's yer whack' for 2019 |
| 20-Oct | nil | - | Beadnell | Up and down I'm afraid | Suspect, very suspect |
| 19-Oct | 4m | Noticeably chilly | Beadnell | Its blowing up so no boats out on Sunday | The sea is away as forecast and probably no more shore diving this year |
| 13-Oct | nil | Noticeably chilly | Beadnell | The mid-week blow might just totally bugger the job, fingers crossed it wont | If the mid-weeker isnt too bad then the shore should be ok w/e 19/10 but the water is taking that milky hue… |
| 12-Oct | 5m | - | Longstone End | Good apart from a mid-week blow so the Islands should be ok w/e 19/10 | Islands should be ok for a while yet! |
| 06-Oct | nil | - | Beadnell | Improving and maybe, just maybe it'll be ok for a late shore dive next weekend? | It has been horrible but if everything flattens off the Islands will be ok for the weekend, ditto the shore, that said there will be smashed weed everywhere |
| 29-Sep | 4m | - | Brownsman | Seasonal! That's to say a 6 -> 9ft sea forecast | Islands will be iffy at the weekend, fine for seal interaction maybe but that might be it if the mid-week blow arrives; Shore diving wiped out! |
| 22-Sep | 9m+ | - | Megstone | Seasonal! That's to say a 3 -> 5ft sea forecast | Islands should be ok, it was 'gin' at Longstone Edge and the rolling swell should be little issue, shore diving, well that is different! |
| 21-Sep | 3m | - | Lady Hole | Seasonal! That's to say a 3 -> 5ft sea forecast | Not sure if it will be worth going in from the shore, certainly grotty today |
| 18-Sep | 6m | - | Little Harcar | Seasonal! However it is flat calm so much better than forecast | Variable, only 6m at Little Harcar but closer to 10m on Longtsone edge, Islands should be ok |
| 15-Sep | 3m | - | Lady Hole | Yukky, there is some swell due and combined with this big groundswell…. | Islands should be 'ok' although reports suggested the vis was reduced. Shore diving, well don't hold your breath |
| 13-Sep | 6m | - | Knacker Hole | Hmmmn, flat but a bit of groundswell | Islands ok, although the shore will worsen, especially with all of the weed being stirred up |
| 12-Sep | 8m | - | Hopper | Due to be flat until the weekend so the shore diving should be ok | Islands good and shore should be ok but may be suspect towards the end of the weekend |
| 08-Sep | 8m | - | Blue Caps | Due to be flat until the weekend so the shore diving, which was wiped out should be ok. | Islands good and shore should be ok by say Wednesday |
| 01-Sep | 6m | - | Hopper | Due to blow up mid week but not too bad, these springs are easing so the vis will be improving | Should be 'better' for the weekend and the shore might be ok too! |
| 26-Aug | 9m+ | - | Beadnell | Blowing up late Sunday so the weekend should still be outstanding, after that… | Great for this week and the coming weekend |
| 25-Aug | 15m | - | Crumstone | Flat | Great |
| 21-Aug | 6m | - | Islands | Looking flat for the bank holiday weekend so should be good from shore and boat | At last after a ghastly August we might get some nice and settled weather |
| 11-Aug | Horrible | - | Beadnell | Well it all came a bit quick! It's a bit unsettled looking at the forecast, Islands should be ok but shore diving, hmmmn | Islands should be ok, shore probably iffy although the vis looked about 1.5m on Saturday so it will clean up quickly |
| 06-Aug | 6m | - | Beadnell | A bit of swell expected for late Saturday and Sunday but shore should be ok til then, Islands will be fine. | Ok 'til Sunday pm from the shore, Islands remain ok. |
| 28-Jul | 2m | 12°C | Beadnell | A bit of a battering from Saturday night, should be up to about 4m by the weekend, Islands fine | Shore a bit iffy but the islands are ok for those lucky enough to be heading out. |
| 21-Jul | 5m | 12°C | Beadnell | The bloom should die off by mid-week and back to great at the weekend | Looking good! |
| 19-Jul | 10m+ | 12°C | Knivestone | Should be ok out at the islands but inshore there has been a cloudburst so expect run-off and bloom | The Islands will be good but expect a double hiccup inshore over the next week or so |
| 14-Jul | 10m+ | 12°C | Longstone End | Ok for the islands but a bit of swell has kicked up meaning shore diving iffy until Thursday | Horizontal vis better, Islands should be set fair for the summer I hope! |
| 13-Jul | 8m | 12°C | Beadnell | Ok for the islands but a bit of bad weather from Sunday for a couple of days | Lovely conditions, great vis and lots of fish |
| 09-Jul | 8m | 12°C | Outer Farnes | Should be good for a while now | Should be a good weekend, tidal heights easing and settled weather, 10m vis anyone? |
| 07-Jul | 8m | 12°C | Harcars | Should be good for the Islands for a while now | As per my mid-week thoughts |
| 03-Jul | 8m | 12°C | Blue Caps | Should be good for the Islands for a while now | Shore diving is up and down but the vis will be ok for a while now, there was the last knockings of plankton from the storms on the Islands |
| 30-Jun | 5m | 12°C | Beadnell | Okay, although a bit of colour due to a choppy little south westerly sea | Should be shore diveable by the weekend, Islands are what they are and looked fine yestaerday on my blast over |
| 25-Jun | nil | 12°C | Beadnell | Well,currently Sunday might be your best chance of diving | It's a bit 'yellow' with the vis at nil or thereabouts, seems to be some clean stuff further out so Islands 'might' be 'ok'ish |
| 23-Jun | 3m | 12°C | Beadnell | The fresh water and associated nitrates have caused a bit of a spike in nutrients so we are suffereing a bit of a bloom | Iffty during the week but hopefully ok by the weekend, it’s the bloom that is more a risk than the sea state to be honest |
| 18-Jun | 8m | 12°C | Beadnell | Due to have a bit of an 'off-day' on Tueday 26th but a great weekend, get out! | Looking good, the Ancient Diver said SS Coryton had 'spectacular vis' yesterday. |
| 16-Jun | 4-5m | 12°C | Beadnell | Improving, maybe some great conditions if the forecast is right | Looking good, a slight 'tinge' in the water due to the flooding but no worse than West Coast diving in Scotland |
| 11-Jun | nil | 12°C | Beadnell | Supposed to be improving from Friday onwards and may be divable from the shore at the weekend | Should be settling down now, touch wood! |
| 07-Jun | 8m | 12°C | Beadnell | Going to hell for shore diving over the weekend then improving | Up and down, I wish it would just settle a bit for the shore side of things |
| 21-May | 7m | 12°C | Beadnell | Going to hell for shore diving over the weekend then improving | Its up and down again, boat diving will be ok at the weekend, the shore may be wiped out, but ok mid next week |
| 19-May | 5m | 12°C | Knivestone | Getting better for mid-week and then degrading….again! | Its up and down again, boat diving will be ok at the weekend, the shore may be wiped out. |
| 14-May | 7m | 12°C | Beadnell | Poor for the weekend but ok until end of play Friday | The plankton bloom is happeneing 'now' so give it a week and it will have died back, so we will be hoping for good weather for good diving conditions |
| 06-Apr | 3m | 8°C | Longstone End | Crap again | If the projected swell arrives forget it for a couple of weeks |
| 02-Apr | 3m | 8°C | Beadnell | Iffy for shore diving but ok for the Islands | The shore viz will probably be unchanged, so fine if you know the site and are diving for 'something', islands will be ok |
| 10-Mar | nil | 6°C | Beadnell | Up and down | The Islands may be diveable but it is back to business as usual from the shore |
| 03-Mar | 6m | 6°C | Beadnell | Storm Freya will blow things out by 5/3 | Probably only today and tomorrow for shore diving although the islands may be ok |
| 02-Mar | 4m | 6°C | Beadnell | Ok in the short term but due to blow over | Get out tomorrow or Monday or play the waiting game. Islands should be okay |
| 24-Feb | 2m | 8°C | Beadnell | Looking 'settled' for the week which just may be long enough… | Possible to be out at the Islands at the weekend and who knows there may be about 3m from the shore! |
Historical Data (2018)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| 04-Nov | 2m | 11°C | Harcars | Pretty bad but easing up on Sunday, not that the vis will be anything but horrible | Poor, the spray was bashing up to the top of the Pinnacles and a couple of boats were out and with this weatehr it cant be long… |
| 21-Oct | 5m | 11.5°C | Blue Caps | Not nice | It was 'ok' but there was a bit of mashed up weed in the water, due to be horrid mid-week |
| 14-Oct | nil | ? | Beadnell | Grotty | The islands were a bit mashed up with only the 'needy or greedy' taking out unsuspecting divers! |
| You can officially forget about shore diving now! | |||||
| 06-Oct | 1.5m | 13°C | Beadnell | ok' but a bit suspect for Friday | I suspect that shore diving for 2018 is done and dusted |
| 16-Sep | 8m | 13.6°C | Harcars | Suspect with a bit of a blow on Tuesday | The islands will be ok at the weekend, not sure about the shore |
| 11-Sep | 2m | 14°C | Beadnell | Flattening off and quite good | Should improve for next weekend and be quite good |
| 10-Sep | 6m | 14°C | Beadnell | Flattening off after Sunday | Not bad today but threatening to be wiped out by tomorrow late morning from the shore |
| 04-Sep | - | 14°C | Harcars | A bit up and down | yuk, the boats which run from Seahouses are knocked on the head |
| 01-Sep | 8m | 14°C | Harcars | Seems to be blowing up during the week | A bit of a blow earlier this week but rapidly picking up |
| 24-Aug | 8m+ | 14°C | Beadnell | Suspect on 26th but ok after then | The islands should continue great, inshore may be crappy for Bank Holiday Monday |
| 19-Aug | 10m+ | 14°C | Beadnell | Set again | go go go!! |
| 15-Aug | 4m | 14°C | Beadnell | Looks set fair for a while yet | A bit of a blow earlier this week but rapiodly picking up |
| 08-Aug | 15m+ | 14°C | Holy Island | Looks set fair for a while yet | Brilliant! |
| 07-Aug | 10m | 14°C | Seahouses | Looks set fair for a while yet | Its absolutely great, get out there! |
| Hiatus due to spinal surgery….ouch and sorry! | |||||
| 23rd July | 12m | ? | Harcars | Looking good ….finally! | Its been a late start but looking great |
| 17th June | 8m | 10°C | Beadnell | A bit up and down with the forecast for Friday particularly bad | The islands will only get better and the shore looks emminently diveable at the moment |
| 20th May | 6m | 9°C | Beadnell | A bit up and down but the inshore vis is holding up | The islands will only get better and the shore looks emminently diveable at the moment |
| 13th May | 6m | 8.2°C | Harcars | Looking quite good after the blow | The islands will only get better and the shore looks emminently diveable for the weekend |
| 7th May | 8m | 8.2°C | Harcars | Looking quite good and flattening off | The islands will only get better and the shore looks eminently diveable this weekend |
| 1st May | 2m | - | Beadnell | Looking quite good and flattening off | The islands are probably 'unchanged' however the shore dives have been wiped out by the wish-washy, should be ok at the weekend |
| 25th April | 4m | 8.2°C | Beadnell | Flattening off, and about bloody time! | Not bad viz and its warmed up a tad, should be improving thru the week, and then going to hell Monday |
| 21st April | 4m | 7.8°C | Beadnell | Flattening off, and about bloody time! | Not bad viz and its warmed up a tad, should be improving thru the week, might stay 'milky' a while |
| 15th April | 1-2m | 7°C | Harcars | Flattening off, and about bloody time! | It was dark and 'orrid at the islands at the weekend but with flat conditions I have everything crossed for this weekend |
| 8th April | 0.5-1m | 7°C | Beadnell | Blowing up again, the islands were horrible so don't hurry! | No chance of diving as it's still all over the place |
| 2nd April | nil | ? | Beadnell | Blowing up again, might be ok at the islands but doubt it | No chance of shore diving as it's still all over the place |
| 25th Mar | 1m | ? | Beadnell | Blowing up again, might be ok at the islands but forget shore dives | You might get about 4m at the Islands forget shore diving over Easter |
| 18th Mar | nil | ? | Beadnell | Easing off on Thursday but building up again within a week | Might be ok Monday/Tuesday but still iffy for Easter weekend |
| 11th Mar | nil | ? | Beadnell | Steady horrible weather for the next ~10 days | The viz in Seahouses harbour was around 1m and the sea looks full of sand so given a spell of flat weather the viz should rapidly increase |
| 1st Mar | nil | ? | Beadnell | Steady horrible weather for the next ~10 days | None, nil, zip…… |
| 20th Feb | 5m | 7°C | Harcars | Blowing up after the weekend | The forcast looks good for some diving Friday and Saturday but gets bad after that, might be possible to have ashore splash on those days? |
| 28th Jan | 3m | 7°C | Beadnell | Blowing up for midweek | The forecast looks good apart from a blip on Thursday, if the forecast holds true the vis might make 4m on Sunday for shore diving, around the islands will continue fine. |
| 21st Jan | 4m | 7°C | Beadnell | Blowing up for the weekend | Really nice forecast all of the way to Friday when it blows up, probably making shore diving impractical but if you have atrip out planned that would be a goer |
| 18th Jan | 2m | 6°C | Beadnell | Settling now | It looks a bit settled and there is the potential if the forecast is 'right' to be in on the weekend of 20th. |
| 7th Jan | 0m | 6°C | Beadnell | Settling now | Protein foam everywhere and spray to the top of the Peel tower on inner Farne, forget it! |
| 1st Jan | 2m | 8°C | Beadnell | Settling | For those bold enough you might be able to get to the islands tomorrow |
Historical Data (2017)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| All boats out and its 'brown' all the way out to the islands! | |||||
| You can officially forget about shore diving now! | |||||
| 11th Nov | nil | - | Beadnell | Sea conditions improving towards the weekend | This last big blow could well have ended the season up here, you might get out Saturday but the vis will be lacking! |
| 5th Nov | 6m | 12°C | Harcars | Gradually improving but going to hell for the weekend | You might be lucky during the back end of the week but it's due to go to hell from Saturday |
| 4th Nov | 3m | 12°C | Beadnell | Worsening for tomorrow | A lucky shore dip, due to worsen on Sunday before improving |
| 29th Oct | nil | - | Beadnell | Gradually improving | This weekend may be possible at the Isalnds, although I guess the vis will be poor |
| 28th Oct | 6m | 12°C | Beadnell | Looking bad from tomorrow | A lucky shore dip, due to go to hell tomorrow |
| 15th Oct | 12m | 12.6°C | Harcars | Looking bad from Tuesday, thanks Ophelia | The blow might slow things down a tad but we have dives planned until mid-november |
| 14th Oct | 6m | 12.9°C | Beadnell | Looking bad from Tuesday, thanks Ophelia | The regular shore diving season is just about over, keep your eyes open and you might get the odd sly dip |
| 30th Sept | 10m | 13.2°C | Harcars | Looking bad mid-week | The blow shouldn't impact too much on the viz around the Islands, but as the water cools we will get another algae bloom |
| 29th Sept | 3m | 13.2°C | Beadnell | Looking bad mid-week | This forecast blow will probbaly puit paid to shore diving unless you get lucky, but nothing to plan |
| 13th Sept | 10m | 13.6°C | Harcars | Imminenetly shitty! | After this blow things are forecast to pick up for 22nd onwards, shore diving may be about done though! |
| 9th Sept | 15m+ | 13.6°C | Beadnell | Forecast looking 'iffy' midweek | Good for after the weekend and forecast beyond on the islands, shore diving will be badly impacted |
| 7th Sept | 8m | 13.1°C | Hopper | Forecast looking 'iffy' midweek | Good for the weekend and forecast beyond on the islands, shore diving will be badly impacted |
| 28th Aug | 10m | 14.4°C | Beadnell | Looking good for the forseeable | Good for the weekend and forecast beyond |
| 26th Aug | 15m+ | 14°C | Longstone | Looking good for the forseeable | Good for the weekend and forecast beyond |
| 13th Aug | 10m | 14.5°C | Beadnell | Looking good for the forseeable | Good for the weekend and beyond, iffy mid-week |
| 8th Aug | 12m | 14°C | Beadnell | Mid week blow due (apparently) | Good for the weekend and beyond, iffy mid-week |
| 6th Aug | 10m | 14°C | Beadnell | Mid week blow due | Good for the weekend, iffy mid-week |
| 4th Aug | 12m | 14°C | Beadnell | The mid-week blow didn't happen | Good for the forecast future |
| 31st July | 10m | 15°C | Beadnell | Mid week blow 'downgraded a touch' | Good for the forecast future |
| 29th July | 9m | 14°C | Hopper | A blowy mid week but nothing too bad | Good for the forecast future |
| 23rd July | 8m | 13°C | Harcars | A bit iffy Tuesday | Should be ok by the weekend of 29/30th |
| 22nd July | nil | 14°C | Beadnell | Getting better | A horrible spell of weather but due to get better |
| A bit of a hiatus due to health issues! | |||||
| 21st May | 8m | 10°C | Beadnell | Getting better | After some 'iffy' weather on Sunday it looks like it is set fair for the next week or so |
| 14th May | 3m | 10°C | Beadnell | Getting better | Should be great for the weekend, that said supposed to go downhill from 22nd May |
| 6th May | 4m | 10°C | Beadnell | Iffy but getting better | It's going to be horrible for the next week but improving at the weekend |
| 28th Apr | 4m | 9°C | Beadnell | Ok for now but iffy | It's going to be horrible for the next week or so inshore… |
| 19th Apr | 10m | 9°C | SS Somali | Ok for this week but dodgy from 24th onwards | Still great inshore, and the ancient diver sez 'Spectacular' on Somali |
| 16th Apr | 7m | 9°C | Beadnell | Ok for this week but dodgy from 24th onwards | Still great inshore, no news from the islands |
| 9th Apr | 3m | 8°C | Harcars | Iffy for the Easter weekend | Bloody awful and dark with an algae bloom causing the issue (green) It usually only lasts days. |
| 8th Apr | 5m | 8°C | Beadnell | Changeable | A bit of milkyness |
| 4th Apr | 5m | 8°C | Beadnell | Changeable | A bit of milkyness and some serious groundswell starting to turn things over. |
| 2nd Apr | 8m | 8°C | Beadnell | Changeable | Lovely viz, problem is that it's due to go to hell mid-week so stick to sites sheltered from a northerly swell |
| 28th Mar | 7m | 8°C | Beadnell | Changeable | It's a bit iffy with serious surge but should be ok for the weekend. |
| 26th Mar | 7m | 8°C | Beadnell | Settled | The bad weather didn't materialise, so the viz is good, it should be ok at the weekend despite the forecast midweek blip |
| 17th Mar | 6m | 8°C | Beadnell | Settled | Blowing over as I write but possibly a window on Tuesday or the week after next |
| 14th Mar | 4m | 8°C | Beadnell | Settling | Should be ok at the back end of the week then iffy |
Historical Data (2016)
| Date | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Location | Forecast | Dive outlook |
| With the spray on 23rd reaching the top of Pinnacles………. | |||||
| 22nd Oct | 3m | 13°C | Harcars | Horrid but possibly flattening off at the weekend | Poor |
| 16th Oct | nil | 13.5°C | Seahouses | Not very good, I suppose you'd say 'Seasonal' | Forget it, 6m swell from South East smashing everything up |
| You can officially forget about shore diving now! | |||||
| 9th Oct | 5m | 13.5°C | Harcars | Not very good, I suppose you'd say 'Seasonal' | Poor |
| 25th Sept | 8m | 14°C | Wamses | Looking ok and a reasonable forecast | The vis should improve a bit over the week and you might have 10m again at the weekend |
| 24th Sept | 5m | 14°C | Knacker Hole | Yuk, not settled enough | Forget shore diving in the immediate future or even rest of the year, boat diving remains great |
| 18th Sept | 6m | 14°C | Knifestone | Looking ok and a good forecast | It's been a bit dirty with the big spring tides mixing things up, it will rapidly improve and looks good for the weekend |
| 12th Sept | 10m | 14°C | Beadnell Point | Looking ok and a relatively settled forecast | Boat diving fine if you can get to the islands and shore diving at Beadnell and Howick is great |
| 31st August | 8m | 14°C | Beadnell Point | Looking ok and a relatively settled forecast | Boat diving fine if you can get to the islands and shore diving at Beadnell and Howick is ok now |
| 20th August | 12m | 13°C | Wamses | Looking ok and a relatively settled forecast | Boat diving fine if you can get to the islands and shore diving at Beadnell is ok now, Howick should be 'better' mid week |
| 14th August | 12m | 14°C | Pinnacles | Looking ok and relatively settled | Boat diving fine if you can get to the islands and shore diving at Beadnell is good now, Howick should be 'better' mid week |
| 7th August | 9m | 13.5°C | Hopper | Due to be bad on 9th then easing | Boat diving fine if you can get to the islands although the shore diving is wiped out |
| 31st July | 8m | 14.5°C | Howick | Some poor weather due on 2nd August | Not sure how the bad weather on 2nd will impact shore dips, it gets better quickly though. Boat diving unaffected |
| 26th July | 8m | 14.5°C | Howick | Some poor weather due on 2nd August | Looking good for shore diving this weekend but will be iffy from 2nd |
| 17th July | 9.5m | 13.5°C | Harcars | A big surge on, should improve for the weekend | Looking good fordiving until late on this week |
| 13th July | 6m | 13.5°C | Beadnell | A big surge on, should improve for the weekend | Looking good for boat diving for the forecastable future, the shore's a bit iffy but still diveable |
| 11th July | 8m + | 13°C | Beadnell | Iffy on Wednesday then improving | Looking good for boat diving for the forecastable future, the shore might be iffy mid-week |
| 7th July | 10.5m | 13°C | Blue Caps | Staying good for a week plus! | Looking good for diving for the forecastable future |
| 2nd July | 12.5m | 13°C | Hopper | Staying good for a week plus! | A bit exact, measured by two divers with a spool on the bottom! |
| 1st July | 10m | 13°C | Beadnell | Staying good for a week plus! | Looking good, shore and boat diving A1 at the moment |
| 27th June | 9.5m | 12°C | Hopper | Staying good for a week plus! | Looking good, shore and boat diving A1 at the moment |
| 19th June | 5m | 11°C | Harcars | Getting much better very quickly | Looking good, the water is not to dirty and the air should drop out quickly meaning shore diving by Wednesday is a distinct possibility |
| 16th June | 6m | 11°C | SS Coryton | Iffy at the weekend then improving | The blip is looking a bit worse, it shouldn’t impact on diving on the islands though! |
| 16th June | 10m | 11°C | Longstone | Iffy at the weekend then improving | The blip is looking a bit worse, it shouldn’t impact on diving on the islands though! |
| 11th June | 8m | 11°C | Harcars | Iffy at the weekend then improving | The blip is looking a bit worse, it shouldn’t impact on diving on the islands though! |
| 8th June | 6m | 11°C | Beadnell | Getting better! | Good, the 'blip' on Saturday will be a minor inconvienience at worst. |
| 5th June | 6m | 10°C | Gun Rock / Longstone | Getting better! | Picking up gradually although there is a blip at the back end of next week, looking better! |
| 2nd June | Nil | 10°C | Beadnell | Looking horrible | Don't bother from the shore until the middle to end of next week, it's technically whats known as buggered! |
| 29th May | 3m | 10°C | Beadnell | Looking horrible | Quite good vis with the forecast not really matching reality, if things diverge it will be 'orrid |
| 21st May | 10m | 10°C | Longstone | Looking good up to mid-week | Excellent vis on the islands which will stay for a while, a SW might make some shore sites a bit wishy washy |
| 18th May | 4m | 10°C | Beadnell | Looking good for the next couple of weeks | Shore diving vis will improve with every tide for the next couple of weeks, islands will be good too! |
| 9th May | 2m | 9.5°C | Beadnell | A bit iffy for shore diving for the next 10 days | It will be ok out on the islands but shore diving will be wiped out for a while, there is a slot next Wednesday but… |
| 4th May | 8-10m | 9°C | Beadnell | Should be ok to Sunday 8th | The snot has disappeared and the vis is really, really good! |
| 2nd May | 6m | 9°C | Beadnell | Not bad at all should improve and be ok at the weekend before degrading | A bit of 'snot' in the water from plankton bloom and more life arriving or waking up |
| 28th April | 2.4m | 8.5°C | Seahouses | All over the place! Improving Sunday onwards | Is there a shitty spell late Friday, early Saturday? If so then the shore diving will remain all to hell. If not get in Sunday onwards |
| 23rd April | 2m | 8.5°C | Seahouses | Should pick up again towards the end of next week | Shore diving wiped out but the Islands will be ok |
| 22nd April | 8m | 8.5°C | Beadnell | It's really 'surgie' so its going to get 'bad' | Good shore diving but it will be brown! |
| 17th April | 5m | 8°C | Blue Caps | Sunday 24th its due to be bad | Due to start improving before a really bad day on Sunday, but this may change |
| 16th April | 1.6m | 8°C | Seahouses | With some big swell hold fire | Due to start improving but by how much? |
| 13th April | 1.4m | 8°C | Seahouses | With some big swell hold fire | I wouldn't plan to get wet this weekend, the big swell is making it very wishy washy |
| 10th April | 2m | 8°C | Beadnell | Best of the week Wednesday 13th | The weekend doesn't look great so check up before you travel! |
| 6th April | 6m | 8°C | Beadnell | Worsening on Monday 11th | The weekend should be ok, apparently you could see every grain of sand at 6m when moored in the Kettle |
| 3rd April | 3m | 8°C | Beadnell | Worsening on 9th | Should get better during the week with Friday being the best of the weekend |
| 29th Mar | 1.4m | 7.5°C | Seahouses | Settling | Looking at Magic Seaweed, should be 'better' by 2/3rd April |
| 29th Mar | 1.4m | 7.5°C | Seahouses | Settling | Looking at Magic Seaweed, should be 'better' by 2/3rd April |
| 26th Mar | 6m-1m | 7.5°C | Beadnell | Settling | The viz went to nothing during a shore dive, it might settle durin the week. |
| 24th Mar | 8m | 7.5°C | Beadnell | Bad on 26th | If you don't get in now it will be wiped out! |
| 19th Mar | 3m | 7.5°C | Beadnell | Settled | A northerly on friday buggered the job, should be ok from shore until 25th. |
| 17th Mar | 5m | 8°C | Seahouses | Settled | Time to get out there boys and girls |
| 12th Mar | 2.2m | 8°C | Seahouses | Settled | Possible shore diving towards the end of the week. I will be out at the islands on 19th |
| 8th Mar | Nil | 8°C | Beadnell | Settling | Farnes on 12/13th possible, forget shore diving! |
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