The Best UK Wreck Dive.

[peter k]

Hispania and Thesis in the Sound of Mull, Maninas just outside Scapa and Verona in the Moray Firth. Any one of these will whip any paltry offerings mentioned previously......

Peter
PS-Hi Adrian. What you doing on this side of the pond?????

 

[Adrian Kelland]

peter k once bubbled...
PS-Hi Adrian. What you doing on this side of the pond?????

Hi Peter

I nip over every now and again to see how things are. Maybe even post.

It's been an education to find out that there are instructors in America that are as concerned with diver quality as some back home. The threads re PADI V Diverlink were v. interesting.

Oh, and occaisionally point the un-educated to Yorkshire Divers

Adrian

 

[Conor]

Subtle, adrian.... Subtle




Conor (camdiver)

 

[Adrian Kelland]

Conor once bubbled...
Subtle, adrian.... Subtle




Conor (camdiver)

I thought so to Conor.

Well I hope you are having a good time in the Red Sea.

Because you damn well should be

Adrian

 

[DORSETBOY]

The eagle Layne (off plymouth) has always been a fantastic dive when I've done. Maybe I've been lucky but I've never had a problem there with bad viz / strong current and there's never seemed to be too many divers.

It is quite close to Plymouth though so I guess it can be busy at times, it's just never been that busy when I've been there.

The wreck itself is very much still in 1 piece, it is an old WW2 American Liberty Ship. There also seems to be plenty of shoals of fish there.

 

[turnerjd]

peter k once bubbled...
Hispania and Thesis in the Sound of Mull, Maninas just outside Scapa and Verona in the Moray Firth. Any one of these will whip any paltry offerings mentioned previously......

Peter
PS-Hi Adrian. What you doing on this side of the pond?????

To add to this:

Breda..... (near Oban) very easy dive in about 15-20 m (IIRC) the holds are great to explore and plenty of "stuff" still there
Shuna..... (Sound of Mull, at about 25m)

However, whilst it is not a UK wreck the Donator (mediteranean off the french coast) in 54m is THE best wreck I have done so far.

Personally Thesis, and JEL are well dived but not the best. Hispania (which if I remember rests at a very steep angle, with the deepest part at about 50 m, and the shallowest at about 10) was good, but perhaps Breda and Shuna were better.

The Viscount gets my vote for "best" stoney wreck.... like many people it was the first submerged object I saw.

Jon T

 

[peter k]

Hispania (which if I remember rests at a very steep angle, with the deepest part at about 50 m, and the shallowest at about 10) was good,

That's the Rondo! The Hispania sits directly opposite the Shuna.

but perhaps Breda and Shuna were better.

Horses for courses I suppose. The Shuna is OK, but there isn't much life on her. A few good points to get into her but I'd still prefer the Hispania. The Breda is without a doubt Scotlands most dived wreck. We do a great hunt after a Bank holiday weekend at the bottom of her shotlines to pick up all the torches, cameras, reels, etc. Apart from that she isn't up to much anymore. Diver soup springs to mind!!!!

Peter

 

[turnerjd]

peter k once bubbled...


That's the Rondo! The Hispania sits directly opposite the Shuna.

Horses for courses I suppose. The Shuna is OK, but there isn't much life on her. A few good points to get into her but I'd still prefer the Hispania. The Breda is without a doubt Scotlands most dived wreck. We do a great hunt after a Bank holiday weekend at the bottom of her shotlines to pick up all the torches, cameras, reels, etc. Apart from that she isn't up to much anymore. Diver soup springs to mind!!!!

Peter

I remember the Rondo for the masses of bright blue female wrasse that were there the last time I dived there - the whole wreck was alive with them.

I've also heard horror stories about the Breda, but I have never experienced diver soup there, although we have always tried to dive this during the week whenever I have been there. It is still a very pleasant dive.

Certainly, these wrecks are less well dived than the JEL, which the time I was there had at least 6 boats over her, and almost zero ziv down on the bottom.

Jon T

 

[peter k]

turnerjd once bubbled...


I remember the Rondo for the masses of bright blue female wrasse that were there the last time I dived there - the whole wreck was alive with them.
Jon T

I think you'll find they are Male Cuckoo Wrasse. They are all born Female and are orange with black and white checks near the upper tail fin. The ones that don't get humped within their first year of reaching maturity turn into the bright blue Males.

Male Cuckoo Wrasse

Female Cuckoo Wrasse

I know it's a moot point, but we all need to learn somewhere.

Peter

 

[turnerjd]

Peter,

I couldn't remember whether the blue was the male or female. I did a 50:50 guess, and got it wrong

Jon T