This Is Jersey

Jersey has been a venue for skindiving since the sport was in its infancy. The Jersey Sub-aqua Club, which has its headquarters next to the old La Folie Inn at St Helier Harbour, was founded in the early 1950s before its larger cousin, the British Sub-aqua Club.

In spite of some of the strongest tides in Britain, the Island offers a wide variety of underwater experiences ranging from offshore drift diving and wreck diving to shallow-water snorkelling in safe bays.

Average underwater visibility in summer is good, though it never exceeds 40 ft in coastal waters. This, however, is quite good enough to enjoy the richness of the Island’s marine environment.

The thick kelp forests extending down to a depth of 40 or 50 ft are the home of brightly coloured wrasse and a host of other fish, molluscs and crustaceans. Seals and dolphins are also common, especially near offshore reefs such as the Ecrehous.