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Tony's Crack
Ireland · reef · intermediate
0–18 mintermediateOWboat entry
MEDIA4 items
Tony's Crack
A narrow rock canyon west of Kilkee worked at about 15 m, with kelp on the rim for the safety stop.
Max depth0–18 m
Required levelintermediate
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Tony's Crack is a canyon in the rock on the cliff coast west of Kilkee, dived from a boat out of the East End pier. Kilkee Dive Centre, which runs it, places it a short distance from the Diamond Rocks at the Kilkee West End and gives the profile plainly: a maximum of 18 m, averaging around 15 m for most of the dive, with walls on both sides full of life and gaps and crevices to work along. Kelp forest sits on top of the crack, and that is where the safety stop happens.
That depth is the whole character of the dive. At 18 m maximum it sits exactly at the recreational Open Water limit, so it is one of the few pieces of real Kilkee structure that does not require a deep qualification, and the narrow, high-sided profile means you spend the dive in the same 3 or 4 m band rather than chasing a wall down. The neighbouring Diamond Rocks dive, which Dublin University Sub-Aqua Club describe as an underwater canyon with sheer walls, runs about 30 m and warns of wave surge over the rocks during the ascent; Tony's Crack is a shallower relative in the same stretch of coast.
The species list published by the dive centre is unusually specific and matches the occurrence records at this pin closely, which is a good sign that someone wrote it in the water rather than at a desk. They call out nudibranchs all over the site, candy-striped worms, sponges and anemones, and fish including cuckoo wrasse and tompot blennies. The records around the pin add goldsinny and rock cook wrasse, ballan wrasse, pollack, conger eel, leopard-spotted goby, spiny squat lobster, brown crab, European lobster, cotton-spinner sea cucumbers and the sea lemon and orange-clubbed sea slug among the nudibranchs.
One caution about the position. The dive centre calls it a stone's throw from the Diamond Rocks, while the catalogue pin sits further west along the cliffs. We could not find a published position, so treat the pin as approximate and take the boat's word for where it actually is.
- Rock canyon worked at an average of about 15 m
- Both walls covered in sponges, anemones and nudibranchs
- Cuckoo wrasse and tompot blennies in the crevices
- Kelp on the rim of the crack for the safety stop
Please note before you go
- Surge over the rocks: DUSAC record it as the thing to watch on the ascent at the neighbouring Diamond Rocks canyon, on the same stretch of coast
- Narrow, high-sided ground — a canyon leaves fewer easy exits and less room to manoeuvre than open reef
- Boat only on an exposed Atlantic coast, with no shore exit
- The published maximum of 18 m sits exactly at the Open Water limit, leaving no depth margin for a mistake
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat only, out of the East End pier in Kilkee where Oceanlife runs the dive centre, shop and café; DUSAC put the local boat runs at five to ten minutes from the slip. The dive centre places the site a short distance from the Diamond Rocks at the Kilkee West End, whereas the catalogue pin sits further west along the cliff coast — no published position exists, so the pin is approximate. Clubs bringing their own RIB should note DUSAC's warnings: the slip is tidal and best used within about three hours of low water on springs, there are no public moorings, local by-laws forbid compressing at the pier, and the car park has a 2.1 m height barrier.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Season
Oceanlife on Kilkee's East Pier opens May to September, seven days a week, and Kilkee Sub Aqua Club is most active March to October. Diver footage of Tony's Crack posted publicly dates from July, which fits the same window. As everywhere on this coast the limit is Atlantic swell rather than the calendar.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentlight
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range0–18 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsquiet
Cold Atlantic water on the exposed cliff coast west of Kilkee Bay. DUSAC's summary of the area is that it is very weather-dependent but usually extremely clear when you do get out, and they flag surge over the rocks at the adjacent Diamond Rocks canyon. No source publishes visibility or a water temperature for Tony's Crack, so both are left blank. Expect a shallow, narrow, well-lit dive in the same depth band throughout.
On current: DUSAC record the Kilkee sites as non-tidal, with the dive boats working in and out all day, so there is no slack window to time here. The dive centre gives no current note for Tony's Crack. What is documented on this stretch of coast is surge rather than current: on the neighbouring Diamond Rocks dive, DUSAC specifically warn that the area they surfaced in was affected by waves surging over the rocks, and to be careful of that on the ascent. Depths come from one source only, the dive centre.
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Dives & underwater footage
Questions & answers
How deep is Tony's Crack?
Kilkee Dive Centre publishes a maximum of 18 m, with the dive averaging about 15 m for most of its length. That is the only published figure we could find, so it comes from a single source. It puts the site right at the recreational Open Water depth limit with very little margin above it.
Where is Tony's Crack?
On the cliff coast west of Kilkee Bay, dived by boat from the East End pier. The dive centre describes it as a stone's throw from the Diamond Rocks at the Kilkee West End, while the catalogue pin sits further west along the cliffs. No source publishes a position, so treat the coordinates as approximate and follow the boat.
Is Tony's Crack good for beginners?
It is the most beginner-accessible piece of real structure in the Kilkee group, at a maximum of 18 m with no overhead and no deep section. That said, 18 m is exactly the Open Water limit, the ground is a narrow canyon with high walls, and the neighbouring Diamond Rocks dive is noted for surge over the rocks on the ascent. Dive it with a guide who knows the site.
What will I see at Tony's Crack?
The dive centre calls out nudibranchs all over the site, candy-striped worms, sponges and anemones on both walls, and fish including cuckoo wrasse and tompot blennies. Occurrence records around the pin corroborate that closely and add goldsinny and rock cook wrasse, ballan wrasse, pollack, conger eel, leopard-spotted goby, spiny squat lobster, brown crab and European lobster.
Is there current at Tony's Crack?
No source reports current here, and DUSAC record the Kilkee sites generally as non-tidal, with the dive boats running in and out all day rather than working slack. Surge is the documented issue on this stretch of coast: at the adjacent Diamond Rocks canyon DUSAC warn about waves surging over the rocks where they ascended.
Can you snorkel Tony's Crack?
No. The canyon runs at 15 to 18 m, it is reached only by boat, and there is no shore access on that stretch of cliff. A snorkeller on the surface would see kelp on the rim and none of the walls that are the point of the dive. Use the Pollock Holes in Kilkee instead, at low water in calm conditions.
When is the best time to dive Tony's Crack?
May to September, when Oceanlife on Kilkee's East Pier is open seven days a week; the local club runs March to October. The publicly posted diver footage of the site was filmed in July, which fits. As everywhere here, the deciding factor is the Atlantic swell on the day rather than the month.
Life recorded at Tony's Crack
60 species within 1.5 km · OBISAsterias rubensoccasional · 17 records
Echinus esculentusoccasional · 13 records
Holothuria forskalioccasional · 12 records
Marthasterias glacialisoccasional · 11 records
Patella pellucidaoccasional · 10 records
Obelia geniculataoccasional · 9 records
All 60 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Asterias rubens | occasional | 17 |
| Echinus esculentus | occasional | 13 |
| Holothuria forskali | occasional | 12 |
| Marthasterias glacialis | occasional | 11 |
| Patella pellucida | occasional | 10 |
| Obelia geniculata | occasional | 9 |
| Cancer pagurus | occasional | 9 |
| Patella vulgata | occasional | 9 |
| Pomatoschistus flavescens | occasional | 9 |
| Mytilus edulis | occasional | 8 |
| Steromphala cineraria | occasional | 7 |
| Steromphala umbilicalis | occasional | 7 |
| Cliona celata | occasional | 6 |
| Luidia ciliaris | occasional | 6 |
| Pollachius pollachius | occasional | 6 |
| Labrus bergylta | occasional | 6 |
| Labrus mixtus | occasional | 6 |
| Dysidea fragilis | occasional | 6 |
| Pachymatisma johnstonia | occasional | 6 |
| Limacia clavigera | occasional | 6 |
| Galathea strigosa | occasional | 5 |
| Clavelina lepadiformis | occasional | 5 |
| Carcinus maenas | occasional | 5 |
| Necora puber | occasional | 5 |
| Palaemon serratus | occasional | 5 |
| Parablennius gattorugine | occasional | 5 |
| Taurulus bubalis | occasional | 5 |
| Elysia viridis | occasional | 5 |
| Calliostoma zizyphinum | occasional | 5 |
| Facelina auriculata | occasional | 5 |
| Ctenolabrus rupestris | rare | 4 |
| Centrolabrus exoletus | rare | 4 |
| Botryllus schlosseri | rare | 4 |
| Homarus gammarus | rare | 4 |
| Thorogobius ephippiatus | rare | 4 |
| Axinella dissimilis | rare | 3 |
| Polymastia boletiformis | rare | 3 |
| Archidoris pseudoargus | rare | 3 |
| Cadlina laevis | rare | 3 |
| Littorina littorea | rare | 3 |
| Nucella lapillus | rare | 3 |
| Patella ulyssiponensis | rare | 3 |
| Trivia arctica | rare | 3 |
| Haliclona (Rhizoniera) viscosa | rare | 3 |
| Halichondria (Halichondria) panicea | rare | 3 |
| Diplosoma listerianum | rare | 3 |
| Tubularia indivisa | rare | 3 |
| Conger conger | rare | 3 |
| Parablennius ruber | rare | 3 |
| Idotea granulosa | rare | 2 |
| Aslia lefevrei | rare | 2 |
| Aplidium punctum | rare | 2 |
| Paracentrotus lividus | rare | 2 |
| Ascidia mentula | rare | 2 |
| Stolonica socialis | rare | 2 |
| Cetorhinus maximus | rare | 2 |
| Porcellana platycheles | rare | 2 |
| Maja squinado | rare | 2 |
| Dynamena pumila | rare | 2 |
| Asterina gibbosa | rare | 2 |
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