Portmellon Beach
Close to the harbour town of Mevagissey, lies one of Scuba 2000’s favourite beach dives on the south Cornish coast. Portmellon is popular with our divers, as it provides easy access to the water, excellent quality diving and is a fun dive for all levels.
Scuba 2000 have run several trips here and it’s also an ideal location for our entry level training programmes.
There are several dives you can do here. The left and right sides are generally best, with plenty of interesting fish life and even (occasionally) a resident seal can be sighted!
Scuba 2000 Trip – May 2021
Check out this short reel from our trip back in May 2021. We were blessed with good visibility, although a slight bloom in the water.
When to Dive Portmellon
Due to the fact Portmellon is a fairly sheltered cove, it can often be dived when some of the more exposed sites are ‘blown out’. However, divers should check local forecasts and avoid diving during high winds. The left side can sometimes be a little better after rough weather.
The site is also best dived on a high tide, when the water comes right in to the wall and slipway. This makes for easy entry and exits. Depth can vary with the tide but on average, is around 2 metres until you get a little way out. An average depth of between 6 – 10 metres can be achieved a little way out but still within the bay.
On a low tide, there is a large sandy beach that becomes exposed. Although it’s possible to dive Portmellon on a low tide, it makes for a very shallow dive.
What to See at Portmellon
There’s always something to see at Portmellon. We’ve seen everything from wrasse, gobies, spider crabs, compass and moon jellyfish, pipefish, starfish and different types of anemones. There’s usually quite a lot of fish life, although this can reduce in the cooler months.
Facilities at Portmellon
There is a car park conveniently located immediately opposite the beach. A small fee applies for all day parking. The Snack Shack which serves the best pasties, along with a variety of cakes, coffee, tea, snacks and small gifts. However, it usually closes from November – April.
There’s also a port-a-loo in the car park (not the best facility but better than nothing!). The Rising Sun pub is also located next the car park.
If you’re into paddle boarding or would like to learn, there’s a small paddle boarding centre here too.
Scuba 2000 Dives
This is one of our favourite spots, so we’re often diving here ourselves, running courses or guiding pleasure dives. If you’d like to dive with us, why not get in touch. We can arrange private 1:1 / small group trips on request too.
Here’s a few photos from previous dives at Portmellon.
