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Carraroe, Co. Galway

Carraroe is a peninsula, 40km West of Galway city, on the North side of Galway Bay. Take the L100 Coast road West out of Galway City and turn off at Costelloe. Carraroe offers interesting shallow shore diving. It can also be used as a base for more adventurous inflatable boat diving. It is protected from Northerly and to some extent Westerly winds allowing it to be dived throughout the year. It is an excellent area to bring snorkellers and novice divers, while allowing the more experienced divers do their own thing. Boat launching is from the beach, for the small inflatable, or from a tidal slip to the right after leaving the village for a larger inflatable or Rib.

The Shore Dive
The depth range for the shore dive is between 6 & 10m. access to the dive site is possible from two adjoining points. The first is from the Coral Strand at Dooleen Point, in which case you proceed on the dive heading West past the point, then head North into Greatmans Bay. This dive is best described as a "pottering about" dive. The bottom consists of Sand, Shale and Coral.

There are several small reefs and kelp beds with a variety of fish, crabs etc. and keep your eyes open for several large conger eels that have inhabited the area for several years. the dive can be approached from the Northern side by locating either of the piers on your right after leaving the village. This is preferable during the winter as there is more shelter available when changing. Essentially you dive the same area but from the opposite direction.
Exiting the water is possible along the coast at any place between either entrance point if you experience any difficulty with the current. Don't swim too far out into the channel on an outgoing tide, there are strong North/South currents mid-tide.

The Boat Dive: English Rock
Having launched the boat, load up at the Coral Strand and head SSW out to sea until you have passed the landmass on your right and the Tower on Golam Head opens to the West. Head approximately 1km at WNW until Greatmans Bay closes and you are in the vicinity of English Rock. The Rock uncovers at low tide. If you dive on it's Western side it is possible to follow a kelp covered reef to a boulder strewn bottom at about 20m, with a maximum of 30m achievable to the South West.

Using the Coral Strand as a mooring base some more adventurous dives can be planned for further up along the coast towards Golam Head and even out on the Aran Islands.