Diving breaks on the Dorset coastDivers accommodation at Ulwell Holiday Park

Diving Holidays in Swanage

Swanage is widely considered one of the premier diving destinations in the UK. There’s an extensive selection of dives sites in the local area, with something to suit all interests and abilities.

The town is geared up for dive visitors with plenty of accommodation available and excellent places to eat and drink. Divers can make use of a range of facilities close to the pier, including toilets, showers, trolleys, car parking and refreshments.

Diving off Swanage Pier

The historic wooden pier is popular among novice divers looking for a shallow site with easy access. Water clarity is fantastic, so you can expect to see a variety of sea creatures hidden amongst the framework. These can include sand eels, crabs, blenny’s, wrasse, lobsters, cuttlefish, bream, pollock and more.

There’s a mixture of sand, pebbles and sea grass to explore beneath the pier structure. It’s extremely sheltered and just 5m deep, making it the ideal choice for beginners and newly qualified divers. There’s also a designated safer Diver Training Zone adjacent to the pier, which is marked by buoys for added safety.

 

Reef and Wreck Dives

If you plan on venturing offshore during your diving holiday in Swanage, there is well regarded fleet of dive charter boats offering transport and expert instruction. They can take you to reefs along the Jurassic Coast as well as WW1 and WW2 wrecks in deeper water.

The spacious catamarans offer a comfortable and spacious platform for all of your dive gear. During the steam to your dive site, you can enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding coast.

 

Dive Schools and Charters

Divers Down

Divers Down was established in 1958 and is Britain’s oldest dive school. They have two spacious catamarans with lifts to help experienced divers enter and exit the water safely. They’re based next to Swanage Pier with onsite parking for cars and vans. There’s a dive gear shop as well as equipment hire and air, if you don’t fancy transporting your own gear.

If you’re new to diving, Divers Down offer a number of PADI dive courses, designed to teach you the necessary skills to dive safely. The experienced instructors will familiarise you with equipment and boost your confidence in the water. Courses are open to individuals aged 12 and over. There’s even a 3-hour beginners experience in the safe water’s underneath Swanage Pier.

Swanage Boat Charters

Skipper Bryan, offers a range of dive experiences aboard his boats Mary Jo and Viper. You can charter the boat for your group or book individual spaces. Swanage Boat Charters run an action-packed schedule throughout the year, with dives planned at some of the area’s best loved wrecks. Bryan also offers Drift Dives and Scenic Dives.

 

Holiday Park in Swanage

Ulwell Holiday Park is ideally suited for divers in Swanage*. We have a range of accommodation available to book for short breaks and week-long stays throughout much of the year. Bring your own caravan and campervan or stay in one of our modern self-catering units. We have a range of luxury caravan holiday homes to choose from as well as a camping pod and self-contained studio with garden.

Our popular camping and caravan site is just a short drive from Swanage Pier, so you won’t have to travel far before you head off in the mornings. We have a bar and restaurant on-site, where you can refuel and socialise at the end of the day.

If you’re visiting with non-diving family members, there’s children’s facilities available. These include an adventure play park and indoor swimming pool.

To book, please contact reception to speak to one of our friendly team. Alternatively, you can use our online booking system to search availability and reserve your accommodation in Swanage 24/7.

Photo credit: Nick Long and Brendan Herbert, Flickr

 

*Please note – if you plan on bringing your own dive boat with you, you will need to speak to reception at the time of booking. It is sometimes possible to bring a small boat, but this will depend on a number of factors including the boat size, number of people on park and rental caravan location. Please call us on 01929 422823 to discuss your requirements.

What our guests say

  • A lovely quiet site

    Andy Blackwell

    A lovely quiet site, nice warm amenities with good sized shower cubicles, shop not open yet as it’s too early but the local pub is ideal. Staff were very friendly and helpful. If you’re reasonably fit you can walk into Swanage but the bus service is great so why would you want to. Overall a very nice break, we will be back.

  • Super swimming pool

    Joseph Molford

    Fantastic site, we have had a brilliant holiday. Super swimming pool and changing facilities. Site really handy to get to Swanage and Studland. Will definitely return. Thanks to all the staff for a lovely holiday.

  • Excellent quality caravan site

    Peter Skrobacz

    Excellent quality caravan site, top quality, small and friendly, location fantastic. Been visiting Ulwell for over 25 years now and every year is special.

  • An amazing week at Ulwell

    Jenny H

    We have just returned back from our weeks stay at Ulwell Holiday Park with our 2 small children and dog. It was an absolute brilliant week! The site has everything you need, and more! A lovely comfy pub on site for drinks and a bowl of chips, a small shop, swimming pool, large play are with park, and the bus stops right outside.. what more could you want

  • Easter break

    Mit

    We have just returned after a brilliant Easter break. Couldn’t fault anything at all and we didn’t want to leave. We didn’t visit the pub but the shop is stocked with local produce and essentials. The facilities are great and the location convenient. Our van was spotless and had everything we needed. We will definitely be back

All reviews

4.5

We are currently at an amazing 4.5 score at TripAdvisor, based upon 200+ reviews from verified guests.

Latest reviews

Proudly associated

Over the years the family has developed the park to award-winning standards and in a style which compliments its surroundings.

  • Camping and caravanning
  • British Holiday & Home Parks assocation
  • Poole Tourism
  • Visit Britain
  • ulwell holiday park 5 star rating
  • premier parks 2025

Finding us

BY ROAD

From Bournemouth via the Sandbanks chain ferry and following the B3351 into Swanage.

From Wareham using the A351 into Swanage, turn left along the seafront towards Studland.

BY BUS

The park is situated on the main bus route from Bournemouth to Swanage.

GPS

1 ° 58’ 16” West, 50° 37’ 34” North

WHAT3WORDS

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