Thistlegorm - the best wreck dive?

[jankarel]

Hi,

I just came back from egypt and three day's ago we did the thristlegorm wreck, under according to our local dive guide (who visits the site regulary) under super conditions 15-20 m visibility and almost no current both of wich are really rare for the site. According to many people there is almost always a
firm current up to very strong on day's and most of the time a visibility of 5m or so.

If this is "the best" wreck, i wouldn't know and how can anybody? there's so much wrecks out there most of them still undiscovered or never dived at..
Therefore i think it's a non -discussion.. there's no such thing as the best wreck i think.

It certainly is a very well known wreck,and unique in many ways.therefore you could say that its a very popular wreck.

Popular it is:6-20 or more dive boats on the spot is common... together with the current, visibility and the tour through the boat ...it's not for beginners.

That said it was one of my best wreck dive's`:lots to see ,around and inside,lots of fish and very varied. you could dive this site many times and still discover new things.

My other favorite is the Bianca C a big cruiseship that went down in the 60's in grenada (carribean island) deep though..the deck starts at 45 meters and the bottom is at 60-70 m...

Happy bubbles!
Jan Karel.

 

[Diversauras]

I have dived it a couple of years ago and thought it was great, but I think it isn't the best. Truk (Chuuk) is better as is Palau and I even like the NC wrecks at least as well. I also think that the three wrecks across the Red Sea at Sha'ab Abu Huhaus are awesome, especially the Carnatic.

 

[Tecbabe]

but there is better wrecks..

I can name a few.. Giannis D - Red sea; Ingrid Horn - Baltic Sea; Najade - Baltic Sea; Stråssa - Narvik, Norway; Romanby - Narvik, Norway; Neunfeldt, Wilhelm Heidkampf, Anton Schmitt Narvik - Norway...

Things I would like to dive are the wrecks in Scottland and of course the bikini atoll.. That would probobly be the best wreck dive in the world..

So you coctail divers.. Thistlegorm is way to easy...

 

[Kev Martin]

I have dived the Thistlegorm a number of times over successive years and it is sad to see how quickly the wreck is degrading. Anywhere up to 20 dive boats a day are tying off on the superstructure of the wreck and pulling it apart. Uncaring divers are taking things from the wreck and generally, the once pristine wreck, has now become a scrapyard.

As far as "the best wreck", I have to go with jankarel's view that who can tell? There are so many wrecks out there still to find.

My personal favourites have got to be:

West Coast of Scotland - the Breda, the Rhondo, the Shuna and the Hispania.
Scapa Flow - WWI German fleet all concentrated in one area - amazing.
The Pilsudski - a Polish passenger liner over 400' long sunk during the Second World War. Lying on its side in just 28 metres of water it makes an absolutely stunning sight.
The M2 - a First World War submarine sunk just off Dorset.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, feel the need to a quick wreck fix.

Will be in Malta at the end of this week. Will be diving the Maori - a WWII New Zealand Navy wreck. Hope it becomes a personal favourite.

Dive safely, all.

 

[Malacoda]

I lived at the MFO camp outside of Sharm for two years, from 97-99, and dove at least a dozen times on the Thistlegorm. During that period, it was a magnificent wreck...I'm truly sad to hear of its deterioration. But even then, there was a problem with inexperienced/irresponsible divers looting the wreck. On one trip an Italian gentleman even rolled an artillery shell across the deck of the dive boat that he had brought up with him!

Most of the captains were fairly scrupulous about not allowing "treasure" to stay aboard the boat, though.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that a short distance away you can dive on the German bomber that sank the Thistlegorm...it was shot down after dropping its bomb...

 

[grazie42]

Having dived it 6 times on 2 different occassions, I´d say it´s a good wreck and one of my faves. Both times the live-aboard I´ve been on has been able to manage it so that we were the only divers in the water. Current has been bad on almost all the dives. Whoever voted for Giannis D has a good idea.

Also just having returned from Florida I´d recommend the Miller Light and Rodeo 25 (not rec dives). Hoping to get to Narvik, Norway someday soon to see what I think of those wrecks...Norway is very expensive though...