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Aerial view of flat rock reefs in deep blue water below green fields and layered sea cliffs, with a sea stack offshore — Diamond Rocks, Kilkee & the Clare Coast

Kilkee & the Clare Coast · Ireland · Reef

Diamond Rocks

Quartz crystals that sparkle in the rocks around the entry

Photo: Matteo.mazza.91 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Diamond Rocks is a shore dive on the Kilkee coast, named for the quartz crystals that sparkle in the rocks around the water when the sun is out. The site is sheltered from the full force of the Atlantic and teems with invertebrates, and on the fair-weather days when it is dived the water runs clear.

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Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Diamond Rocks: typical dive 6–30 m (20–100 ft), deepest point 40 m (130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit6 m30 m40 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

52.6808° N, 9.6771° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

After the scramble over the rocks, the first feature is a reef about 6 to 9 m below the surface. It shelters a deep valley that bottoms out at around 30 m. On the sea-facing side the reef drops off in steps, starting at about 20 m and continuing past 40 m.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Diamond Rocks
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimeFairFairFair

Season follows Kilkee & the Clare Coast: The dive centre opens May to September; late August and September bring the warmest water and the triggerfish.

Know before you go

  • Getting in means clambering over rocks in full kit, an awkward entry before the dive begins.
  • A fair-weather dive only; it is not dived when conditions turn.

Dive videos

DR orginal diamond rock dive · UNDERWATER IRELAND on YouTube

Questions divers ask

Is Diamond Rocks in Kilkee a shore or boat dive?+

A shore dive: divers climb down over the rocks fully kitted to get in, then reach a reef at about 6 to 9 m that shelters a valley at around 30 m.

Sources

  1. Top diving spots on the island of Ireland — Tourism Ireland
  2. Top 4 Dive Sites In Ireland — DeeperBlue
  3. OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap

Photo credits

More dive sites in Kilkee & the Clare Coast

Wall

Donegal Point

An airy cavern on the swim back to the anchored boat

7–30 mintermediate

Reef

Middle Rock

Swim-throughs and small caverns cut through the rock

5–45 madvanced

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