A diving trip to Ireland. A project that had been at the top of my bucket list for years. Where did I get this idea from? I truly can’t remember. But the thought of drift dives along Ireland’s stunning cliffs, plunging straight down into the ocean, fascinated me. To be honest, dry suit diving in wild, cold, and rather unknown dive destinations has been the kind of trip that makes my heart beat faster since I first started dry suit diving. Add to that the faint hope of spotting basking sharks (in my opinion a majestic animal much cooler than a whale shark could ever be), and this idea didn’t leave my mind for years.
The planning for this trip began already back in 2021. Random brainstorming sessions with Patrik, the managing director of Dive & Travel, ignited a fire in him as well. He set off in June 2022 to scout the dive school on site. He soon after returned as enthusiastic as I had hoped, confirming my bold destination choice. However, it wasn't until the end of November 2023 that we managed to shape this idea into a TSK group trip that I could officially announce the date of my dream trip. The first week of June 2024 was set as the trips date and the anticipation began to rise quickly. Apparently, I’m not the only one with an unusual dive destination bucket list, because not soon after uploading the trip, it was already fully booked. Ten divers would accompany me on this adventure. The fact that we were not more people was only limited by the charming local dive schools capacity rather than my weird destination choice.
But where would one want to dive when visiting Ireland?
The Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, specifically the picturesque island of Inis Mór, would be our final destination. To get there we had to fly to Dublin and then take a bus across the island to Galway, the lively cultural capital in the west of Ireland, where we spent a night in a local hotel near the docks.
One can imagine that all this traveling had made us thirsty. So thirsty indeed, that four of the participants hastily went looking for an Irish pub right after checking in at the hotel. However, their mission was promptly interrupted by the slightly aged hotel elevator unexpectedly trapping them inside. This led to the activation of the emergency button in the elevator and an improvised rescue by the hotel staff. Unaware of all the drama, I later found the group distressed in the lobby. Fortunately, the shock was quickly washed away with a large Guinness at the well recommended Monroe’s Pub.
The next morning, our caravan, heavily loaded with diving gear, marched to the ferry that would take us to the final stop on our journey. Bathing in bright sunshine, the island of Inis Mór presented itself to us. Even though Irish weather can be unpredictable and sprinkled with rain, thankfully, the island would quite often show itself in this light during our stay. After disembarking the ferry, we reached the dive school "Dive Academy Aran Islands Ireland" within a few walking minutes, where its owner Darek, his family and his lovely crew were already waiting for us. Their warm welcome made us feel at home from the very first moment on. The island also only has about 800 inhabitants, so we quickly felt like part of the inventory anyway.
We would be spending the nights at the "Aran Islands Glamping", which for those who are not familiar with the term, translates to Glamour Camping. And indeed it was glamorous! In pairs of two we shared a sweet, little, semi-circular hut with a breathtaking view of the ocean and direct access to the beach.
What awaited us in the coming days above and below the water was even more remarkable. We got to enjoy picture-perfect Irish landscapes and world-class dive sites. Lorna, our wonderful guide with British charm, Irish drinking stamina, and the language of a sailor, lovingly referred to it as "some of the most pristine diving in the world", and I would most definitely agree with her statement.
Due to luckily great conditions of both the weather and the sea, we got to visit the Wormhole on our first dive, a cavern dive into what is probably Ireland’s most famous natural cliff hole. To give a little more reference to the Wormhole: This is the most perfectly rectangular wash out in the rocky shorelines of the island, supposedly created by mother nature herself. Also, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has already taken place there twice. However, by the end of the week our group was still unsure how such a "perfectly rectangular rectangle" could indeed be a work of nature – we continue to consider its natural formation a rumor and a marketing stunt by Red Bull.
The diving you ask? Well, beyond stunning. The underwater world for example gifted us with numerous encounters with not-so-shy shy sharks including sightings of their eggs (also called Mermaid’s Purse) casually hanging off of kelp. Did you know: Because these eggs are almost transparent, you can see the baby shark inside very early on.
We also saw beautiful compass jellyfish, giant spider crabs, lobsters, the occasional seal, kelp forests, random rock formations, schools of fish, and much more. The dives were marked by currents, and the sea greeted us with a constant cold temperature of 11°C. Only Lorna managed to do all dives in a barely 5mm thick neoprene suit without a hood or gloves, which left us all in awe. But the intense colors underwater quickly made us forget the cold.
Even the fact that we didn’t see a basking shark was soon forgotten by the beauty of the dive sites. Also, opposite to Lorna, we were all diving in comfy dry suits anyway.
The diving week was rounded off with an exciting snorkeling trip to see the local seal colony, where we got to experience the seals, who now were very curious. I highly recommend this tour to both diver and non-diver; it is truly an island’s must-do!
Overall, it really wasn’t just the diving that thrilled us. On land, we found great bike routes across the island, historical ruins, and long jogging trails along the coast. The crystal-clear and icy blue ocean tempted us to morning polar plunges despite windy 12-15°C air temperatures. After two scuba dives a day, our group ventured around the island daily on their own and partook in whatever activity excited them most. The days usually ended together in our favorite pub, Joe Watty’s, where apparently everyone on the island seemed to gather.
The week went by too quickly and soon it was already time to say goodbye. This was harder than expected. The island has a magic that ropes you in quite unexpectedly. So, we set off wistfully from the unspoiled island back to our everyday lifes. After a short stop in Dublin, including the obligatory visit to the Guinness Storehouse, the plane took us back to Zurich. The memories remain, and with them my warmest recommendation to put this dive destination on your own bucket list.
