Ten divers set off on 14 May for a Dacorum Scuba club trip to explore the Elena R wreck located off Portland, in Dorset, alongside the promise of a later drift.
With seas flat and weather expected to be sunny, those arriving at Portland Marina that morning were somewhat surprised to see mist hanging over the harbour. Most expected it to burn off later in the day. But by the time the boat charter with Jurassic Aqua Sports reached the Elena R dive site, conditions were decidedly foggy … our skipper noted we’d better keep our torches to hand at the surface for signalling.
It was a delight to all on jumping in to find the viz seemed far better than expected, pushing into the 6-8m range. This allowed for some great views over the wreck. Combined with a short but pleasant slack everyone had a relaxed explore of the wreck, peering under the numerous plates to see crabs and plentiful wrasse and shoals of bib. Most divers left the shot to see the boilers amidships before heading to the stern and heading back to the bow, launching DSMBs for the ascent. With max depth around 30m, this meant a safety stop on way up.
Delicious pasties onboard were a welcome surprise from the skipper. The second dive was a scalloping drift in Balaclava Bay. For many it was their first such dive. In flat seas “drift” seemed a bit of a misnomer.
