Kimmeridge in Dorset is a fantastic place for a snorkel novices first ever taste of open water and certainly a favourite with the Oxford snorkelling team.

With its snorkel trail marked out by 5 buoys it allows focus and an aim, making the experience safe and controlled. For those newbie’s it is amazing underwater garden with plenty to see but the added bonus that you can stop and touch the bottom at any time.

The trail is 400 metres long and gently guides you through a variety of seabeds including sandy, rocky and a Japanese seaweed garden. The first buoy can easily be found just out from the concrete pill box on the beach. The trail is in place between May and September each year.

The day we went, I took out a mixture of experienced snorkellers and open water first timers. It was a great place to complete the first two lessons of the advanced snorkel diver course, although finding somewhere deep enough to do a surface dive takes a bit of time.

During the afternoon as the tide came in over the sun baked rocks the water temperature, for the first time this year, was warm enough for no hood and gloves and an hour in the water without anyone saying they felt cold.

For someone who has snorkelled at Kimmeridge a fair bit, the delights of the sun dappling through the sea weed, the multitudes of fish and great visibility it never fails to please.

The highlight of the day for the younger snorkellers was getting to see their first spider crab.

Debbie White
Snorkel officer
Oxford BSAC