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Loch Fyne & Loch Long · United Kingdom · Reef · Artificial reef

Finnart / A-Frames

Wreckage of an old dynamited pier on a gentle reef slope

Finnart, also called the A-Frames, is a Loch Long shore dive at the oil terminal the Americans built during the Second World War. A gentle reef slope carries the wreckage of the old pier, with no current to fight. It is a standard training site that also lets deeper divers head out into the loch.

Also known as Finnart, A-Frames, The A Frames, Finnart Oil Terminal.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Finnart / A-Frames: typical dive 8–20 m (26–66 ft), deepest point 40 m (130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit8 m20 m40 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

56.1177° N, 4.8308° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Divers walk down the cleared path to the beach and swim straight out onto a gentle slope with no current. Wreckage from the dynamited pier lies at around 8 to 12 m, and a whole dive can be spent zig-zagging this debris field among squat lobsters, edible crabs and velvet swimming crabs. Below 20 m stand the A-Frames, the remains of the old pier that give the site its name, covered in anemones, starfish and dead man's fingers. Divers who want more depth can carry on out into the loch, where getting past 40 m is easy and fireworks anemones have been seen.

Marine life and season

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

Month-by-month season rating for Finnart / A-Frames
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Loch Fyne & Loch Long: Diving runs all year with no standout month; long spells of rain leave the water dark and murky, and settled weather clears it.

Know before you go

  • Fast cars and motorbikes use the A814 beside the site, so kitting up and crossing need care.
  • Silt cuts the visibility when the site is busy or a ship has just come in.

Dive videos

Finnart Old Pier, Loch Long · Keith Waugh (SeaView Video) on YouTube

Sources

  1. Finnart — Finstrokes
  2. Diving Loch Long — Scubaverse

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Muck & macro

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Small life hiding in the debris under an old pier

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