The Solent and Isle of Wight combine saltwater and freshwater diving across seven sites, from sheltered pier and seagrass dives on the Isle of Wight to a World War One submarine wreck, the UB-81, lying in deep water offshore. Inland, Andark Lake and Horsea Island offer controlled freshwater environments suited to training and beginners. The saltwater sites include kelp forest, reef, and seagrass habitats alongside the wrecks, with species such as corkwing wrasse, ballan wrasse, pollack, and European spiny lobster recorded in the area. Water temperatures in the Solent are among the warmer in the database for UK sites, reaching the high teens in late summer, though visibility can be limited by plankton in early summer.
Monthly water temperature across Solent & Isle of Wight's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Sea temperatures in the Solent warm noticeably through summer, reaching the high teens by August and September, and only dropping back to single figures in the coldest winter months. Early summer often sees plankton reduce visibility significantly, while late summer and autumn tend to offer clearer water at the saltwater sites.
7 operators
Water temperature around Solent & Isle of Wight ranges from about 9°C in February to 18°C in August, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 18°C) a 5mm suit is comfortable in Solent & Isle of Wight; in the coldest months (about 9°C) step up to a drysuit.
Fin maps 7 sites in Solent & Isle of Wight (5 scuba diving sites and 2 snorkelling spots).
Across Solent & Isle of Wight's dive sites, May, June, July, August, September and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
6 more sites to explore
