I’ve been to Plymouth more than any other dive destination. I thought I had done it all – at least 10 times over. Don’t get me wrong, I love Plymouth sites and never tire of JEL, Scylla, Hand Deeps, Eddistone, HMT Elk, Mewstone… but there is something very exciting about diving a site for the first time.
Our dive manager, Bart, accomplished this twice on the fabulous Bank holiday weekend in Plymouth. Whilst we went back to the above listed familiar favorites, we also dived Le Poulmic – which has been on my Plymouth bucket list for ages. In my opinion, easily as good as the Glen Strathallan and a good dive if its too blowy to get round to Cawsand bay for JEL and Scylla. It’s been said Le Poulmic is a coxn’s dream – if you drop divers anywhere in that vicinity they will find metal you can later claim when they climb back about was the poulmic wreck ;-) I had low expectations of it but was pleasantly surprised with larger parts of superstructure. It was covered swarms of bib too.
The second new site was that of the Abelard – as a night dive no less! The debate began over whether we should do the Fort (you couldn’t see much during the day, let alone at night!) where we had a cracking night dive a few years ago or the Glen (which would be better vis but close to channel). On our way out to start a dusk dive (kit up the light, get your bearings in dusky light at the start of the dive and over the course of the dive it will get darker), we bumped into Seeker who said they had left their bouy on the Abelard – was there any chance we could recover it for them. So armed with a mission, we set off to night dive this new site. Another wreckage dive but lots of cuttlefish and large boilers.
With 3 waves, the wonderful dive manager agreed to letting me dive waves 2 and 3 – letting me have a lazy start. For once I was staying on the Barbican side rather than in Turnchapel on the Mountbatten side so I had a wonderful stroll around Plymouth looking at the shops and harbourside area.
A fantastic weekend with something for everyone from ocean divers all the way up the spectrum.
