In contrast to our first trip to Bracklesham Bay, our second trip could not have been more different. Taking place on the Sunday of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, the weather forecast was decidedly unsettled all weekend. Saturday was better than promised with sunshine for most of the day but with rising strong winds. When I heard that the dives would take place the following day, I was frankly sceptical but decided to go with it. A very early start proved painful: the heavy rain and fog on the journey to the coast reinforced my impression that I was driving a long way to have a cup of tea whilst watching the stormy waves beat on the beach. However, how wrong can one be! All divers were there early. These were Dave A, Rueben, Rob and me. The sea was visibly calming down and there was clear sky on the horizon. We completed our preparations for the dive: the Rib turned up on time; we clambered aboard, (so much easier this time from this beach) and we were away.
There were only the divers of our party on the Rib and although it can take ten and the driver, there still did’nt seem to be much room, but I guess that’s Rib’s for you. Just a five minute ride took us a mile offshore to our dive site. This was a WW11 landing craft in just 6.5m of water. It was sunk whilst on practise for the invasion of Europe in 1944 by a German E-boat, (a very fast motor gunboat). The wreck is much broken up but whilst only a small wreck, proved of interest with parts recognisable for what they once were. The viz was most acceptable at 5 – 6 metres with a good level of light at such a shallow depth and all of us swam through the open doorway of upturned wreck. When we have tired of this, all used the slight current to drift off the wreck to the nearby reef which was full of life, lots of fish, a lobster, crabs and the first time for me, a live and large cuttlefish. It was a great dive, full of varied interest and of 45 minutes duration. The trip back to shore was less bumpy than on the way out and the sun came out!  [In between dives - well we had the space, why not use it!! Bob looking very fetching in his underpants too] Our surface time was leisurely in the sunshine and we kitted up in good time for our second dive of the day. The Rib was on time waiting for us and only half full. The ride out was longer but the sea calmer. The dive site was The Brigette, the second dive of our last trip where we had experienced such poor viz. This time it was much improved being much lighter and with 3 – 4 metres of visibility. This wreck had been in its present location for a long time and is mostly collapsed with the highest part that Rob and I saw being 2 metres above the seabed. There were perhaps the most fish that we had seen on a UK wreck. We completed, I think? a circular tour of part of the wreck and I’m sure we saw the same lobster twice. Our journey back to shore was faster and smoother than the outward. We packed away our kit for the journey home and even this was blessed with sunshine and little traffic and no jams on the roads; however when approaching London the weather became overcast and noticeably colder.
 [Fantastic weather at Bracklesham - who would have thought it that day?] Photo's courtesy of Rueben Manual
A surprising, interesting and enjoyable day with good companions. Thank you, Rob, Rueben and Dave. Bob |
Scapa Flow 2007 of Lisa Shafe 
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Branch Diving > Trip Reports >
Bracklesham Bay 25th Mayposted 3 Jun 2008 10:42 by David Allen [ updated 5 Jun 2008 15:39 ] |