Houat and Hoëdic are two small car-free islands in the Atlantic off southern Brittany, reached by boat from Quiberon or Arzon. The eight sites are all boat-access dives covering reefs, walls, drop-offs, drift dives, and two wrecks, The France Wreck and the Angers Wreck. Depths range from ten to forty metres, and the water stays cold throughout the year, making a drysuit or thick wetsuit essential on most dives. Currents vary from mild to strong depending on the site and state of the tide; La Jument in particular demands careful planning around tidal flow. Visibility is typically between five and thirty metres. Species include common octopus, gorgonians, nudibranchs, dogfish, and harbour seal.
Monthly water temperature across Houat and Hoëdic's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures remain low throughout the year, rising modestly in summer but rarely reaching levels where a wetsuit alone is sufficient for longer dives. Currents are the main planning variable, with some sites requiring slack-water timing; drift diving is a feature rather than an exception at the more exposed locations.
1 operator
Arzon, France
Water temperature around Houat and Hoëdic ranges from about 10°C in January to 16°C in August, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 16°C) a 7mm or semi-dry suit is comfortable in Houat and Hoëdic; in the coldest months (about 10°C) step up to a drysuit.
Fin maps 8 sites in Houat and Hoëdic (8 scuba diving sites).
5 more sites to explore
