Swanage Pier

Swanage Pier is a shore dive site located at Swanage, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Entry is directly from the shore, with divers entering the water to explore beneath and around the pier structure itself. The maximum depth reaches 13 m, with shallower areas under 6 m, and the bottom type is reef, including the pier footings.

Marine life around the pier pilings and footings is modest: crabs and pipefish have been recorded, and visibility is generally poor, recorded at below 1 m at depth during at least one dive. Water temperature can be cold, with an recorded example of 8°C in winter conditions.

Swanage Pier is well suited to beginner divers and is regularly used as a training and novice-escorting dive, making it a practical site for newly qualified or student divers to practise skills such as air management in a sheltered, accessible setting.