wreck hms hermes in sri lanka end of the season

[sport.diving]

Hi divers,
My dive yesterday 27.09.09 on the wreck of Hermes was the 50th hermes dive. We usually leave from the Giant Batticaloa Lagoon. (the largest lagoon of Sri lanka) Every year during the months of September and October the mouth of the lagoon gets blocked.
We had to pull and push the boat to the sea. It was a 21ft fiber glass boat with a 25hp out board motor. Four tec divers and the boatman. It worth the trouble. We found the 2nd Propeller (port side prop) partially buried in sand but still connected to the shaft at 56m. Excellent visibility, great marine life. The season to dive the hermes will come to and end in a couple of weeks. It's a bit inconvenient to dive the hermes in September and October. We used a 25 hp out board engine for the first time after three decades.
Divers need to plan their dives next year during the months of March and August.
Happy diving
Felician
Diving in Sri Lanka - For PADI diving courses, Vacation, trips, diving holidays in Sri Lanka - Home

 

[sport.diving]

HI Divers,

The 2011 season to dive the hermes will commence in mid March. Every year the lagoon mouth the entry point to the ocean get blocked by sand to to low levels of water in the lagoon. This year we had a lot of rainy days and the water levels of the Batticaloa lagoon was sufficient. The lagoon mouth didn't get blocked. It is still open. It is expected to close down this year in the months of June or July. The we will not be able to launch our boats from the deep sea resort boat point by the lagoon. We intend to use a 4wd jeep to transport the heavy diving gear to the Beach just 200m and launch the boats from there. Anotbher challenge that we are going to face.
At present it's raining very heavily in the entire Country.
Happy diving
Feli

 

[sport.diving]

Hi divers,

The diving season of the wreck hermes is supposed to be from Mid March to end of October. The sea is calm during this period. The sea condition in the West coast (Negombo) and the south coast is rough. But the entire month of November we had a lot of rainy days, floods etc. The divers in the south and the west coast were land locked.

I went to the East coast of Batticaloa where the Wreck HMS Hermes has found her final place to rest. We found the sea very calm and conditions were excellent to dive.

We were ready and launched one boat with some dive tour operators.
As usually in the briefing I use to say, "If the current is not strong it is not the wreck Hermes" It was once again proved.

We rolled down, actually jumped into the strong current. Anchor was steady.

Out of the three of us, one diver aborted the dive. The other some how used the line and we managed to town him to the anchor line. I have previously got caught to such strong currents.
We descended about 20 m vis was excellent on the surface more than 25m
25 m onwards the current was not very strong.

25 to about 40 m Vis was bad just about 10 m. Beyond that the vis was less than that and there was no current. The marine life was as usual. We saw the largest travillies, Groupers, fussiliers etc .

Just spent about 30 mins and max depth 53m. We explored the aft of the wreck.

Another successful dive. In future I am sure that we will have a one U.S operator
arranging dive trips to the Hermes.

Happy diving
feli
Diving in Sri Lanka - For PADI diving courses, Vacation, trips, diving holidays in Sri Lanka - Home

 

[sport.diving]

hi Divers

The distance from the International air port of Colombo Sri Lanka and Negombo to Batticaloa is about 300 km. Now the entire road is excellent according to our standards. We do not have high ways. The present elapse time is about five hours.
We are expecting a lot of dive groups from Australia and few other countries.
Here is the route plan.
Distances
Negombo to Kurunegala = 70 km
Kurunegala to Dambulla = 56 km (Dambulla is the Geographical center of Sri Lanka)
Dambulla to Habarana = 25 km (Half way) done.
Habarana to Polonnaruwa = 42 km
Polonnaruwa to Batticaloa = 100 km

We encounter heavy traffic from Kurunegala to Dambulla.

Pure driving time to be just little more than five hours.
I will prepare another route report from Batticaloa to Trincomalee in a couple of days.
this will bve useful for divers when they extend their stay and visit Trincomalee.
The coastal route is a Thrilling adventure. That is the ferry routge.

Happy diving
Feli

 

[sport.diving]

Hi divers,

The sea condition in the east coast (Batticaloa and Trincomalee) has become very rough.
It is expected to be rough till the end of Feb'2011.
Happy diving
Diving in Sri Lanka - For PADI diving courses, Vacation, trips, diving holidays in Sri Lanka - Home

 

[secretcompass]

Hi, I am looking at diving HMS Hermes in April 2012 with a team, thanks for all the info, very usefull.