Dives: SS Spyros 30m, SS War Knight 13m
Lymington is a great day out. It is quite easy to get to from Hemel Hempstead. We load dive kit onto Wight Spirit from the Bath Road car park, next to Lymington Sea Water Swimming Baths. Under clear blue skies, we headed to the west the Isle of Wight, leaving Lymington River, Hurst Castle and the Needles behind us. Our first dive, the wreck of the small steamer SS Spyros is upright and remarkably intact. We descended on the remains of the rudder and rudder post and had plenty of time to see the twin-expansion compound engine, boiler, holds and bow. The wreck was home to quite a few conger eels. After lunch we dived the extensive wreckage of SS War Knight. Landing near a huge pair of boilers, there is a prop shaft to follow to a jumble of anchors at the bow. We saw some lovingly polished but unattainable brass fittings. Thanks Richard for organising a fab club day out.
Low tide at the public slipway
The dive deck
SS Spyros: the bow stands proud
SS Spyros: the twin compound engine towers above the divers
SS Spyros: exploring amidships
SS Spyros: heading to the bow
SS Spyros: conger eels abound
A battered but polished porthole seen on War Knight
War Knight: A brass tap buried in the sand