Capernwray & the Lake District · United Kingdom · Freshwater
Wast Water
England's deepest lake, kept for the last stages of technical training
England's deepest lake, a remote freshwater dive in the western Lake District whose bed falls to 79 m. Clubs use it for the final phases of advanced technical training, valuing the depth and the clear water near the bottom rather than anything to look at.
Also known as Wastwater.
Where it is and how deep
54.4392° N, 3.2986° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Wast Water is a deep, cold lake dive with little to see. Visibility tends to be quite clear near the bottom. A gnome garden, picket fence included, was placed at 48 m as a point of interest, but police divers removed it after three divers died in the late 1990s. The lake bed continues down to 79 m (258 ft), depths that put it firmly in technical diving territory.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Capernwray & the Lake District: Training weekends run every month of the year; winter brings very cold water and fewer opening days.
Know before you go
- Three divers died in the late 1990s, thought to have spent too long too deep searching for the gnome garden.
- The remote location and limited surface access put the lake a long way from help.
- The water rarely rises above 10 °C even in summer, colder than the smaller tarns nearby.
Dive videos
Diving Wastwater | The Pinnacles, Lake District Dive Site Guide · Andy Clark | Stunt Performer | Professional Diver on YouTube
Sources
- Diving in the United Kingdom – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Wast Water – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Top 5 Dive Sites in Greater Manchester for Beginners — Van Overbeek Technical
- Eskdale Scuba Diving and Wild Swimming — eskdale.info
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A minesweeper, a yellow Wessex helicopter and garden gnomes in one quarry
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