New - looking to snorkel on Gower

[Firegirl]

Hi, I am new here. I recently moved to Gower and although I haven't dived for a while, I sea swim and like to snorkel. I'm looking for recommendations for good places to go snorkeling please.
Many thanks

 

[Mr. X]

The Gower is beautiful but you need to careful because of the huge tidal range of the Bristol Channel (2nd largest range in the world). Get a ride timetable booklet and become familiar with it.

A scuba- diver I knew had an epic when his boat anchor got stuck when they needed to get out of the flow and he had to dive to free it. He seemed genuinely shaken and this guy was no stranger to risk as a cave diver and rock climber.

Some climber friends had an epic trying to get back after climbing sea stacks in Pembroke. And they knew the the tides. They abandoned a lot of expensive new gear and felt lucky to escape with their lives.

That said Oxwich Bay can be nice and there is reputedly a wreck near the outside of the bay that people dive. But outside the cove, the current can rip by ferociously at certain states of the tide.

Mumbles and bracelet bay are still on my to-do dive list.

 

[Mr. X]

I wonder if Worms Head might we worth diving too, perhaps the east side? Or under Fall Bay Buttress? Sheltered bays are probably to the safest bet.

 

[Firegirl]

Thanks.
Yes I keep tabs on the tide times even for swimming. I live on the north side, with the estuary, so only swim there on an incoming tide.
I've heard about the rip at Oxwich from a canoeists who got caught recently, lost some fishing gear and had a hard paddle out.
Someone else locally suggested worms head too.
At the moment the vis is very poor but if we get some clear water (as we did a couple of weeks ago) I'll test out some of your suggestions.
Thanks very much for replying.

 

[Mr. X]

North Gower, isn't that renown for its shellfish (cockles/clams?) and saltwater grazed lamb?

 

[Firegirl]

Yes cockles, samphire and salt marsh lamb. We also have a fabulous beach that's pretty quiet because you can't park near it. I'm blessed to live in this little part of heaven.