Saturday dives: M2 submarine 32m, Grove Point drift 26m
Sunday dives: Eleanor R 26m, Lulworth Banks drift 24m
October can be a great month for UK diving, and this weekend certainly fitted the bill. On Saturday, three divers from Eastcote Sub Aqua Club joined five Dacorum Scuba divers for a late start on a calm, sunny day. At 11am Tango left port heading for the wreck of submarine M2, lost in 1932. The vis wasn’t superb, say a milky 3-4 metres, but this is a fabulous submarine to dive, quite big enough to keep even the rebreather divers busy.
The wreck remains upright and the hull largely intact. On this occasion there were plenty of shoaling bib, some massive congers and a couple of large bass, desperate to get close.
It’s a shame that the jewel anemones were closed. The bow is impressive, and the stern has the rudder and hydroplanes in place. The famous aircraft hangar is no longer very recognisable, but the conning tower stands proud.
A second dive on Grove Point to the east of Portland dive was quite a speedy drift.
On Sunday, an early start, saw the divers arrive at the boat in the dark. The sun rose as we left the harbour. Eleanor R, a freighter sunk in 1939, is quite broken up and is covered and recovered by the Shambles Bank, but there is plenty to see and the wreck is home to a lot of sea life. Again plenty of congers, and even a free swimming one passed by.
After lunch, at brunch time, a second dive on Lulworth Banks provided a bit of scalloping.
Oh, and we saw dolphins from the boat again.
A lovely weekend, thanks for organising us again Kevin.
