We started our 6 days of diving with the wreck I most wanted to do, the conditions were perfect so it was off to the Justicia 30 miles out to sea. The Justicia was a white star liner, she sits in 70m of water upright with her bow being the main attraction. The shot was just behind the Bridge which has collapsed down into the hull. Just forward was the bow sat upright as if it was still ploughing its way through the sea with the anchors in place and the deck hand rails intact. A truly amazing sight. Going back to the shot I travelled across rows of perfect portholes all clinging to the hull, passing these I came to her massive boilers. 30mins done it was time to be heading back to the shot. Hanging at 6m with the rest of the gang we had a visit from a 1.5m Porbeagle shark, it swam behind the guys on the deco station then back towards me. It came to within 2m of me then turned and headed off. It doesn't get better than this.
Day 2 we were of to dive the Empire Heritage she was a freighter nothing special, until you see the cargo that she was carrying. Sherman Tanks, Earth moving Lorries and other war goods. She sits in 66m and the vis was a good 20m like the day before. The shot was just in front of a row of boilers. I could see her mast which looms above the wreck a good 15m and at the base of this I caught a glimpse of my 1st tank. In some places they were piled 3 high like a childs toy box just tossed aside. 30mins gone and time to head up. Decompressing on the deco station I glanced down into the blue and there was a 2m Porbeagle just swimming around beneath us. What are the chances of that 2 cracking dives and sharks on both.
Day 3 The Roscommon another freighter this time the cargo was crockery, Lino and cable. Not quite as glamorous as the Empire Heritage. The selling point of this wreck was another intact bow with anchors in place. She was in 75m and another cracking dive.
Day 4 UB89 a German WW1 submarine. I had watched a video of divers on her the day before and new what to expect. I was not disappointed most of her pressure hull is gone exposing the inner hull which in places has disappeared over time giving you good views inside her torpedo room and engine room. This has to be the best sub dive I have done.
Day 5 HMS Audacious one of HM finest battleships. She is upside down in 65m vis was the poorest of the week at 10m!! We were diving her gun turrets today, these are truly massive and the shells that they fired are bigger than a 15ltr cylinder. You could spend a whole week on this dive and not see all the sites.
Day 6 HMS Audacious the stern. The highlight of this is the propellers and rudders which are all still in place. The hull is broken and entering the wreck is easy some of the other exposed sites are the Clarkson Cases these are about 1.5m tall and .5m wide they were used to carry cordite and are made out of brass. This was a great dive to finish off our week just the sheer size of the wreck makes it a special dive.
I have to say a big thank you to Michael our skipper and Heather his wife who looked after us in the B&B a warmer welcome you would find hard to find. I have booked again for August 2011 for more of the same and to do some of the deeper wrecks.
Cheers
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