Lundy Island · United Kingdom · Pinnacle · Wall · Sand slope
Knoll Pins
Rock pinnacles walled in jewel anemones, dived on slack water
Photo: Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0
A pair of rock pinnacles on the east side of Lundy, between Tibbett's Point and Brazen Ward, that dry out at low water and drop away to a sandy slope at about 25 metres. The near-vertical exposed walls carry jewel anemones, cup corals and pink sea fans, and the site has to be timed around slack water. Grey seals have been filmed hanging around the Pins.
Also known as The Knoll Pins.
Where it is and how deep
51.1833° N, 4.6667° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The dive starts on the southern side of the outer Pin, with the rock kept on your left hand as you descend. A drop-off runs down to about 15 metres, and following the pinnacle wall below that brings you out onto a sandy slope. Carry on down the slope with the pinnacle still on your left and you are travelling anticlockwise around the site; on the eastern face the base of the rock sits at about 25 metres at its deepest.
Depth is yours to choose here. Most divers settle on a level and spend the dive working around the south, east and northern sides of the pinnacle, then climb slowly back towards the surface for an easy profile. The vertical faces are the reason to come: jewel anemones cover the exposed walls, with cup corals, dead men's fingers, red sea fingers, pink sea fans and sponges alongside them. Spider and edible crabs, lobsters and squat lobsters work the cracks, pollack and wrasse cruise the pinnacle, and shoals of sand eels dart over the adjacent sand.
Marine life and season
- Seals & sea lions
- Macro critters
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Lundy Island: May–Sep is the season, and even then the Bristol Channel's huge tidal range means diving is planned around slack water.
Know before you go
- The eastern face of the pinnacle is the most exposed part and tidal currents can run there, so the Pins are dived during, just before or just after slack water.
- At high water the Pins are submerged and only the kelp on top of them may show, so boats need to approach the area with care.
Photos from Knoll Pins
Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lewis Clarke · CC BY-SA 2.0
Dive videos
Knoll Pins Seal Dive, Lundy Island · Dorset Diving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Knoll Pins dive?+
The drop-off on the southern side runs down to about 15 metres and the base of the pinnacle on the eastern face is at about 25 metres, with 30 metres quoted as the deepest figure for the site. You choose your own depth and work back up the pinnacle towards the end.
Do you see seals at the Knoll Pins?+
Yes. Grey seals turn up on the pinnacle and have been filmed hanging around divers here, although the site is known first for its jewel anemone walls rather than as a dedicated seal dive.
Sources
- Lundy MCZ | Dive Sites — Lundy Marine Conservation Zone
- Lundy Island Knoll Pins Dive Site — Open Water Atlas
- Dive Lundy Information Booklet 2025 — The Landmark Trust
- Knoll Pins Seal Dive, Lundy Island — Dorset Diving (YouTube)
Photo credits
- Rocky pinnacle at Knoll Pins, Lundy, with a grey seal swimming in the water below by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Distant view of the Knoll Pins rock pinnacles off Lundy's east coast by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Coastal view of the Knoll Pins rocks and surrounding cliffs on Lundy by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green cliffs and small rocky islet near the Knoll Pins dive site, Lundy by Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with seals and sea lionsBig animals · 17 min read
- When is slack water? Tides for diversOcean science · 7 min read
- Cold-water diving: is it worth the drysuit?Cold water · 8 min read
More dive sites in Lundy Island
Grey seals that come to your mask, in 12 metres of water
Protected 1863 paddle steamer, licence needed to dive her
Wreck
The island's only intact wreck, on her side in 25 metres
Similar dives elsewhere
Sheer rock stacks, crevices and caves on a far island of the bay
A plumose-covered pinnacle rising from deep water beside the navy wrecks
Pinnacles that widen underwater into a stepped wall of gullies and small caves
Caves and overhangs north, a wall past 60 m east