Museums & Galleries · Isle of Wight
The Diving Museum
📍 PO12 2QX
Photo: Colin Babb (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Wide range of diving equipment including diving bells and chambers
- Prototype diving helmet used by the Deane brothers on display
- Exhibits covering recreational, military, scientific and commercial diving
- Learning Zone with puzzles and facts for children
- Located in a Victorian military battery on the Solent shore
The Diving Museum sits in a Victorian military battery on the shores of the Solent in Gosport, and is the UK's only museum dedicated entirely to diving. Inside you'll find diving bells, chambers, atmospheric diving suits and the prototype helmet used by the Deane brothers, alongside displays covering recreational, military, scientific and commercial diving from ancient times to the present. There's a Learning Zone with puzzles and activities to keep children entertained, making it a good family day out. The museum is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm. It's based in Gosport, with Stokes Bay beach just a mile away and Portsmouth Harbour station around 2.7 miles off, and there are 96 bookable places to stay within 5 miles if you fancy making a stay of it.
Practical details
- Open
- Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am-4pm
- Best for
- Families looking for an educational day out
From the attraction's own website on 20 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Gift Shop
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet — been here? Be the first to share what it's like.
Log in or create a free account to write a review.
Do you own or manage The Diving Museum?
Claim this listing to respond to reviews and keep your information up to date. Verification is free — see why owners claim their listing.
Create a free account to claimPlaces to stay near The Diving Museum
Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.1 mi
0.2 mi
0.3 mi
0.8 mi
1.1 mi
Anglesey Hotel
✓ Georgian-era hotel on the Solent with coastal views
🏖️ 0.42 miles from Stokes Bay (Good water quality)
Gosport
1.7 mi
Number 1 Admiralty Cottages
🏖️ 0.88 miles from Stokes Bay (Good water quality)
Portsmouth, Southern England
Sleeps 4
£747 per break
Check availability🎪 What's on near The Diving Museum
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Portsmouth Audio Tour: Legends, Landmarks, and Legacy
HMS M33, Portsmouth · 2.7 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
![Late Night Brunch [BOOK VIA WEBSITE]](https://d31fr2pwly4c4s.cloudfront.net/e/3/f/2249839_8ce54031_late-night-brunch-book-via-website-.jpg)
Fri 13 Nov · 18:00
Late Night Brunch [BOOK VIA WEBSITE]
Medbar Southampton, Southampton · 12.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
The Vintage Explosion
EngineRooms, Southampton · 13.2 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
The Big Indie Fest | Portsmouth
The Gaiety Southsea, Southsea · 4.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to The Diving Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in the Isle of Wight: an accessible itinerary →
A weekend in the Isle of Wight with the kids →
A weekend in the Isle of Wight →
🗺️ Plan the drive to The Diving Museum
🚆 Or come by train
- Portsmouth Harbour 2.7 miles
- Ryde Pier Head 3.3 miles
- Portsmouth & Southsea 3.5 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page