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Our Easter weekend started with
a buzz on the M2 sub friday 14th April 2006. We dived with Dive
Dorset in Portland and used the shuttle service they have and
stayed in the Aqua Hotel, and other local B&B's. Where you
book one dive at a time and the boat returns after each dive.
This way you can mix and match your dives all day/weekend. The
bad side of it is you have to remove your kit off the boat and
then back again for the second dive on a different boat. Unless
you cunningly boot the same boat each day. If the dives are what
you want this is one way of lessening the stress effects on your
lower back. On the M2 the visability was the best I have ever
seen it, a staggering 10m+. Quite a site when you have such fantastic
clear water when looking at such an impressive wreck. The water
was 8c and a little plankton was building in the 6m range. Managed
to complete a 34m dive with run time of 47mins using 31% back
gas and 70% deco.
M2
Submarine - Fri 14th April
on
'Top Gun'
Map
and info link of wreck
34m
One of the
most popular boat dives from Portland this submarine is an official
War Grave. She was built in 1918 as a K-boat and in 1927 she
was converted to carry a light sea plane in a hangar in front
of the conning tower. It is generally accepted that she sunk
after diving with the hangar doors open (as they are today).
The M2 is not far west round the Bill, is about 300' and all
hands were lost on her when she sunk in January 1932.
Our second dive of the
weekend was the Pomeranian lying in 34m of water on Saturday
15th April. We had a mixed bunch of recreational and technical
divers for this and subsuquent dives. The viz was not as good
as the M2 but still a pleasureable 6m. The mid section is broken
and falt but bow section quite intersting. Dive profiles included
20mins at 35m and some of us had was 34m with a run time of 47mins
with back gas 20% and deco 70%.
Pomeranian
- Sat 15th April
on
''Top Gun'
Link
info of wreck
36m.
A British steamship of 4200 tons she was requisitioned by the
government during WWI and was torpedoed and sunk on April 15,
1918 en route from London to Newfoundland with a loss of fifty
lives. The wreck, carrying a general government cargo, sits upright
on the bottom.
We booked the good old
Countess of Erne for training purposes and for some divers to
practice certain skills and fee comfortable with tomorrows UB74
dive. The Countess is quite a nice little dive. But remember
if you are using it as a platform for student evaluation, make
sure you kneel on the deck area not infront of the bow where
the viz gets kicked up. I am not saying any more than that. Lots
of fish usually gongregate around her. Good dive to practice
skills on or take new sea divers on as she is only 14m deep.
Countess
of Erne - Sat 15th April
on
'Maverick'
14m
7 to 14m. This passenger liner paddle steamer was later converted
to a coal hulk but in 1935 broke loose from her moorings and
sank against the breakwater. She was built in the early 1880s
and the conversion took place 1889. She is approximately 240'
long and with a 29' beam she lies upright on the bottom making
an excellent dive for novice and experienced alike. The Countess
has three holds that are open on either side, a number of attractions
from a large rudder to ladders and even a toilet bowl! The Red
Band Fish and Lumpsuckers that visit the Countess seasonally
are occasionally even joined by seals. This is definitely one
dive you could do over and over again!...
This was a great Submarine
and we had another good viz dive with 8m. Well worth doing. Dive
profiles included 25mins at 34m and some of us had 36m with a
run time of 53m with 31% back gas and 70% deco.
UB74
Submarine - Sun 16th April
on
'Top Gun'
34m
This
German submarine sank in May 1918. She measures 182' by 19' and
was subnk with depth charges dropped off the yacht Lorna. She
is broken up and difficult to locate.
These are the boat we
used in Portland. A very good choice of boats.
GOOSE - New for 2005. Harboat, Divers Lift,
Onboard toilet
GOOSE - is the most recent
addition to the fleet and was launched end of March 2005. Goose
is an Evolution 38 approx 12m long and is powered by a single
Cummins QSC8.3 Diesel engine producing just under 500 HP with
a single 4 HP bow thruster to help in tight spaces. We expect
to cruise with 12 twin set divers and stage cylinders at around
18 knots minimum hopefully 20 knots. |
Maverick - Harboat, Divers lift, Onboard toilet
MAVERICK - is an Offshore
105 Ultra with a short wheelhouse giving divers plenty of room
to kit up and a diver recovery lift. It is powered by a single
large diesel giving cruising speeds with 12 divers at around
14 knots making travelling time to most of the offshore wrecks
around 45- 50 minutes.
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TOP GUN - Harboat, Divers Lift, Onboard toilet
TOP GUN - is a (Portland
10)10 metre hard boat with a hydraulic diver recovery lift. It
is powered by two large Perkins Sabre diesels and cruises with
twelve divers on board at around twenty knots making travelling
time to most of the offshore wrecks around 30-45 minutes. Top
Gun operates under an MCA Category two (yellow) certificate (up
to 60 miles offshore). |
How
to find Breakwater Diving and Hotel.
Breakwater Diving Centre/Aqua
Hotel
PADI, BSAC & TDI Centre of Excellence
Dives, Gas, B&B, Classrooms, Boats and Facilities
Castletown, Portland, Dorset DT5 1BD
Tel: 01305 860269 or 860670
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