Wight Spirit Diving Charters

Dive/vis reports 2025

The season started with long spells of sunshine, clear skies – and unwanted episodes of north to north-easterly winds. The extended sunshine has produced a proliferation in plankton which has come earlier, lasted longer and has been denser than usual. All April dives were lost to strong winds but the season got going in early May. On Thursday 1, Friday 2 and Saturday 3 May we dived a newly installed artificial reef at Hengistbury Head. It’s close inshore so vis was not expected to be anything special, but at about a metre it was adequate for survey purposes. Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May were lost to strong winds.

On Tuesday 6 May the winds had died and we dived one of the protected wreck sites on the north-east Shingles. The intention was to conduct photogrammetry in order to obtain a fuller view of the site, but with vis of only 1-2 metres conditions weren’t good enough, so we’ll have to wait until better conditions arrive.

On Saturday 16 May, in flat seas and bright sunshine, we headed for a first, shallow dive on the wreck of the War Knight. Unfortunately, vis was very poor and the dive was aborted. Usually at this time of May vis is good, but the plankton has, unusually, been very thick. For the main dive we had a look at the Spyros, where vis was better at about 2 metres. Next day, Sunday 17 May, we did a first dive across Christchurch Ledge, where vis showed signs of improvement at 2-3 metres. However, when we ventured out into the bay to dive the wreck of the Clan Macvey, vis proved to be poor again.

With a neap tide coming on, and with marine archaeologists on board, on Tuesday 20 May we had a look at the protected Yarmouth Roads wreck in about 7 metres. Weather was fine and sunny. Diving on low water vis wasn’t expected to be good but it was sufficient for some photography to take place. Later we dived the bow section of HMS Pomone in Alum Bay. Vis on the surface looked OK but as the plankton is now beginning to die off, the seabed was silty, but the dive was completed. On Wednesday 21 May, in grey skies and rain, we dived the stern section of the steamer Serrana with the intention of producing photogrammetry, but vis wasn’t good at about a metre and a half. Neverthless, one of the howitzer guns was fully surveyed and assessed, and this will eventually produce a good 3-D image. Following this we returned to HMS Pomone to clear away sand etc in order to conduct photogrammetry of the site, which had not been done before. Finally, on Thursday 22 May, once again in fine weather, we firstly examined a seabed anomaly in 10 metres. Three objects are there, obviously man-made, one of which is a huge stockless anchor. The site needs further investigation. On slack water at the Needles a survey was conducted on what is thought to be one of the masts from HMS Pomone, measured at 13 metres in length. When this was concluded, two more dives were done, first on HMS Pomone again, and also on the wreck known as Alum Bay II, which is an area of rounded planking, indicating an uptured wooden wreck. Water temperature is now up to around 14 degrees.

The May BH weekend of Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 was blown out, but the wind moderated on Sunday 31 May and we were able to head south to dive the wreck of the clipper ship Smyrna in 54 metres. Although the forecast wasn’t great, with a strong wind warning in force for later in the day, seas were largely flat, though thick fog was a constant risk, especially heading down the Solent in 100 metres visibility. Visibility wasn’t as good as we usually experience on this wreck at 4-5 metres in ambient light, when double that is normal. At least the plankton is dying back and settling on the bottom. Sea state on the way back gradually deteriorated as the breeze picked up. Next day, Sunday 1 June, the official start of summer, was again blown out by strong winds. Perhaps a blessing in disguise as the inshore vis is still affected by plankton.

On Monday 2 June there was a weather window, with sunshine and light winds, and we were able to dive one of the protected wreck sites on the north-east Shingles. On the LW slack, visibility was around 2 metres, at last showing signs that water clarity is improving. Samples were taken to establish whether forensic marking had survived on the bronze guns. Tuesday 3 June was blown out by strong winds.

Dive/vis reports: On Wednesday 4 June and Thursday 5 June, we were diving with marine archaeologists in the western Solent. The first day was fine and sunny though breezy, and at long last visibility is improving, with vis of 2-3 metres on low water. Sediment samples, taken for analysis, were obtained, and the site at Bouldnor cliff photogrammetried to assess the rate of erosion. The second day was grey and gloomy, still breezy, but water clarity is definitely improving now, much later than usual. The weekend of Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June have all been blown out by strong winds.

Dive/vis reports: Thursday 12 June, and it’s out first evening dive of the season. In bright, fine weather, we headed south west to dive the wreck of the Dutch schooner Fenna in 23 metres. Although we were diving on low water springs, when we don’t expect the best water clarity, vis has finally improved (about a month late), now giving around 3 metres in ambient light. Masses of shellfish and congers on this wreck. Next day, Friday 13 June, our target was the wreck of HMS Swordfish in 40 metres, south of St Catherine’s Point. Diving the high water slack, vis was an easy 6 metres in ambient light. And good news – a lone crawfish was spotted on the hull, showing they’re spreading east, in few numbers so far but they could establish themselves to a resident species – let’s hope so. A second dive was on the wreck of the Greeke steamer Joannis Millas, where the ebb tide had reduced the vis to about a metre. The weekend of Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June was, you’ve guessed it, blown out by strong winds.

Dive/vis reports: Tuesday 17 June, running out of Haslar, we headed south to dive the German U-boat, U-1195. Calm seas, no wind and bright sunshine – just ideal. We dived the afternoon slack. The shot went in and everyone dived the wreck, which is a large WWII era submarine. Vis wasn’t quite as good as it was on the Swordfish a few days earlier, but still a good 5 metres in ambient light. For the next two days, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 June, we were berthed in Sparkes Marina, Hayling Island, in order for marine archaeologist trainees to dive a number of sites assosiated with the wrecking of HMS Hazardous in 1706. Divers examined recently exposed barrels, large cannons and parts of the gun deck. Vis was great at an easy 6 metres, and with the water temperature creeping up to 15 or 16 degrees, everyone enjoyed some good diving. Friday 20 June, where were again due to dive HMS Hazardous, was blown out by strong easterly winds.

Dive/vis reports: Saturday 21 June was another day blown out, but on Sunday 22 June, despite continuing strong winds, we were able to dive in shelter in the western Solent. The first dive was a drift off Gurnard Head, followed by the main dive on slack water in a depression on Hamstead Ledge. Although it was low water, vis was 2-3 metres in ambient light, and various species were recorded including numerous sea urchins. Water temperature has increased inshore to around 18°. The next two days, Monday 23 June and Tuesday 24 June was spent on the River Itchen at Southampton, surveying the bridge supports of the Itchen Brisdge and Northam Bridge. At Northam, the river bed was competely covered in a dense layer of oysters, and also covering the bridge supports. When our anchor dragged in the breeze and was pulled up, it had snagged in a rusty old bicycle someone had thrown off the bridge in the past.

Dive/vis reports: What a windy season it’s been – just one complete weekend’s diving so far, the rest having been blown out by strong winds. Saturday 28 June was blown out, but on Sunday 29 June, the wind died and the seas flattened right off, and we headed south-east of the Needles to dive the WWII wreck of the Empire Crusader in 30 metres. Divers described the vis in the upper 25 metres as being good, but the bottom 15 metres still has the remnants of dead and dying plankton, which reduced the vis to around 3 metres. Not great but not too bad, and a torch was needed. Nice gun at the stern, and the boilers were prominent, but the engine still remains hidden under plating.

Dive/vis reports: On Tuesday 1 July we were filming in the western Solent for a forthcoming Channel 5 programme, following which we headed for Hayling Island for an overnight berth, before taking out SeaSearch on Wednesday 2 July. That day divers explored Utopia Reef to record flaura and fauna, followed by a second dive inshore in Bracklesham Bay. Vis on the first dive was 3-4 metres. On Friday 4 July, once again with marine archaeologists on board, we dived various sites on Bouldnor Cliff. The current neap tide has improved water clarity close inshore, with vis of 3-4 metres. Unsurprisingly, the weekend of Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July has been blown out by strong winds, as was Monday 8 July.

Dive/vis reports: It’s Wednesday 8 July and Thursday 9 July, and we’re back in the water on Bouldnor Cliff with marine archaeologists. Vis wasn’t bad, considering we’re close inshore in the Solent, but around 2-3 metres. On Thursday 10 July for an evening dive, a drift dive on the flood tide in a north-easterly direcvtion was done. Never put divers in this area before so it was very much an unknown. Vis wasn’t great, but drifting in a fast current across gravel gullies was an intersting experience! On Friday 11 July we decided to investigate an anomaly off St Catherine’s Point. I’d had a good magnetometer reading and something showed on the sonar, so the site was dived. It turned out to be a fairly large iron mast and iron spar, complete with blocks and pulleys. No other wreckage was see on the flat seabed of stones and gravel. Various theories were put forward as to what this site is – possible wreacge dragged and deposited by a trawler, or the remanants of a sailing ship swept by wire in the First World War. As the site was within a few miles of the iron barquentine Rose Hill, it was conjectured that the new site comprised one of her masts and spars, but how it came to be in its current position will remain unknown. On Saturday 12 July the weather continued to be reasonable and we’re off St Catherine’s again, this time on the wreck of the WW1 steamer Tweed. This is a good dive and though dark-ish on the wreck, it was possible to explore in ambient light, with vis around 3-4 metres on the wreck, despite the upper water column being silty. Next day, Sunday 13 July, we headed once again towards St Catherine’s, but there was a south-easterly breeze which was very uncomfortable, producing a steep sea with short intervals between waves. Despite this, the shot was placed directly on the target site, HMS Upstart, and everyone jumped in on slack. This is another good dive, with vis holding up to 3-4 metres. Monday 14, Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 July were blown out but the winds moderated for Thursday 17 July, when we headed south-west to dive the WW1 Steamer Britannia in 38 metres. Divers reported significant silt in the upper 7 or 8 metres. Quite what this is remains a mystery, since rainfall is far below average. Possibly persistent rough weather may be responsible. In any case everyone dives but later reported vis was poor at about 2 metres. Conditions improved for the next dive on Friday 18 July, when we visited a wreck believed to be the Gallia in 38 metres. Heading for the site in clear weather, we headed into a fog bank where visibility reduced to 1-2 miles, and then deteriorated further to, at times, about 100 yards. Fortunatley we headed through this into clear skies, which remained bright and sunny throughout the dive. One of the tasks was to try to establish whether or not the ship was armed with a stern gun, as this might help to identify the wreck. Gallia was an armed steamer – and there, at the stern, divers photographed an inverted gun pedestal, confirming the the wreck was defensively armed. Vis had improved to, at 4-5 metres, with the bonus of a couple of crawfish see in the wreckage. Finally on Saturday 19 July in fine weather and a flat sea, we headed south-west again to dive the steamer Vera in 46 metres. Vis had improved further, at 5-6 metres, but still with the silty water in the upper water column. And another crawfish was spotted. Sunday 19, Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 July were all blown out.

Dive/vis reports: Thursday 24 July, and we’re back in the water for an evening dive, this time drifting with the flood tide from the Needles. Divers firstly came across debris and wreckage, such as steel plating, washed from the Bridge Reef from the wreck of the Varvassi. Soon after, drifting across rough ground, divers came across a huge Admiralty pattern anchor, sticking up diagonally. Described as massive, it may have come from HMS Pomone, wrecked in 1811, or HMS Assurance, wrecked in 1759, both on the Needles. Vis was about 2 metres. On Friday 25 July we headed for St Catherine’s, to dive the 1884 wreck of the Simla in 40 metres. Vis again was about 2 metres, far short of what we’d usually expectg at this time of year. However, there’s so much to see on this wreck that low vis isn’t a problem, especially as it’s quite a safe wreck to dive. A second dive in Alum Bay rounded off the day. On Saturday 26 July we headed west to Poole Bay to dive the wreck of the Betsy Anna in 24 metres. Vis was better here at around 3 metres with ambient light. A second dive on the recently completed pier in Totland Bay finished the day. Finally on Sunday 27 July we steamed south-west to dive the WW1 steamer Venezuela in 27 metres. Vis wasn’t quite as good as the previous day, but everyone stayed down for the dive, later reporting masses of fish and some huge edible crabs. A second dive across Christchurch Ledge in low vis of about a metre rounded off the weekend. Water temperature is slightly above normal, at around 18° at depth.

Dive/vis reports: On Saturday 2 August, with SeaSearch divers on board, we took advantage of a very good neap tide to dive the Bridge Reef close to the Needles. For those who don’t know, it’s a chalk ridge which extends westwards as far as Old Harry Rocks near Swanage. The UK has a high proportion of the world’s chalk habitats. Divers were expecting to see a great deal of chalk but found the reef heavily colonised with Ross coral and tube worms, their calcium casings building up to create parts of the reef. Lots of other life to see – various crustaceans, sea anemones, dead men’s fingers, pollack etc. This dive was followed with another close to Old Pepper Rock, in very rough ground characterised by gullies, holes and overhangs. The variety of life here was different in the slightly deeper water as the chalk gives way to mudstone, but both dives were of particular importance because previously there was only limited knowledge about what life forms existed there. Vis was around 5 metres inshore. Sunday 3 August was another day blown out by strong winds.

Dive/vis reports: Monday 4 August and Tuesday 5 August were blown out thanks to Storm Floris, but one of those dates was rearranged for Wednesday 6 August when marine archaeologists returned to Bouldnor Cliff for further exploraration, and then to the bow section of HMS Pomone in Alum Bay. Vis at Bouldnor was good at 4 metres despite the previous strong winds which tend to destroy the vis. The evening dive planned for Thursday 7 August was also blown out – this must be the windiest summer we’ve had in many years. However, the forecast for Friday 8 August indicated that the wind would die and the sun would shine, so we set off for the WW1 wreck of the minecarrier Eleanor in 38 metres. Grey skies and a westerly force 4, neither of which featured in the forecast the day before, made for an unpleasant sea state, but vis was quite good at 4-5 metres in ambient light. Typically at this time of year, corresponding to the first neap in August, vis is usually excellent, but this year, despite warm and sunny weather, we’ve been plagued by these strong winds. A second dive on the western side of Christchurch Ledge ended the day. Saturday 9 August, due to go mid Channel, and guess what – we’ve been blown out.

Dive/vis reports. The wind died away completely for Sunday 10 August and with bright sunshine we headed south-east to the mid-Channel wreck of the steamer Dungrange, torpedoed by E-boat in 1944. Now lying in 65 metres, the wreck is upright with the boiler and engine fitted about as far aft as possible. Vis wasn’t quite as good as it ought to be in this position at this time of year, but around 4-5 metres and somewhat dark it was quite acceptable. We drifted with the ebb tide while decompressing, covering more than 2.5 miles.

Dive/vis reports: With no bookings between 11 and 15 August, and with an ominous forecast for fresh easterly winds, we nevertheless went out on Saturday 16 August with divers from SeaSearch. The wall-to-wall sunshine forecast failed to materialise and instead we had overcast skies. For the first dive we continued to survey the sea grass east of Yarmouth, but though we were on a flooding tide, vis was poor. Clearer water began to arrive afterwards as we headed towards the Needles. Wind against tide made life slightly uncomfortable but this eased as the tide slackened, and we dived the western end of the Bridge Reef. There’s an astonishing amount and variety of life here, that it was a pleasant surprise considering it’s such a dynamic site, especially as I was expecting clean, bare chalk, knowing how hard the tide runs here. Vis was better here at 3-4 metres.

Forthcoming dive spaces: There are spaces to dive the wreck of the Spyros in 30 metres on Friday 22 August. Meet 0845 to leave 0915. Second dive included – either a shallow wreck or reef/drift dive. Anyone who would like a space please contact Jaki on wilson.jaki19@sky.com

Dive/vis reports: Sunday 17 August was another day blown out, but for the following four days operating in the eastern Solent and beyond, was successfully concluded. Firstly, on Monday 18 August, in a fresh easterly breeze, trainee marine archaeologists dived on the 1759 wreck of HMS Invincible on the Horse Tail Sands off Portsmouth. Conditions topside were uncomfortable but just about do-able. We returned to the site the next day, Tuesday 18 August, where the sea state had improved somewhat, but still less than ideal. Vis was around 3-4 metres. Steaming out of Hayling Island on Wednesday 19 August, the weather settled down in a north easterly breeze to give calm seas and sunny skies, as we dived the 1706 wreck of HMS Hazardous in Bracklesham Bay. Vis improved dramatiacally to a minimum of 8 metres, the water was crystal clear. Divers could be seen from the boat swimming over the wreck. A final day on Thursday 20 August saw us again on the Hazardous, where the vis had held up to be extremely good. A significant find was in the recovery of a brass hand-held sundial. Returning to my home port for Friday 21 August, and we returned to a favourite site, the steamer Spyros in 30 metres. Despite calm seas and sunny skies, vis was a disappointing 3-4 metre, though everyone enjoyed the dive. A second dive on the inshore wreck of the War Knight followed, with vis in the region of 1-2 metres. I can offer no explanation for the poor vis this year – we’ve had fine weather, hardly any rain, but lots of wind and higher temperatures.

On Saturday 23 August the wind continued to be virtually non-existant and we headed south-east to dive the wreck of the steamer Daylesford in 46 metres. Expecting vis to be better, in fact it wasn’t, being in the region of 2-3 metres and dark. Nevertheless, everyone stayed down for the duration. Sunday 24 August and we were due to go mid-Channel, but with a south-east breeze forecast decided against it – it’s no fun steaming over 20 miles in a south-easter. Also, due to go off St Catherine’s on Monday 25 August, decided against that one as the inshore vis has become so poor. Can’t win this year!

Dive/vis reports: Nothing to report except we’re blown out again on the weekend of Saturday 30 August and Sunday 31 August, courtesy of a low pressure system affecting the country. More dives blown out for Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 September, with south-westerly gales blowing.

Dive reports: No diving so far in September – all blown out.

Dive/vis reports: The weekend of Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September – the first dive trips of the month, which helps to illustrate just how windy the season has been. Everything else was blown out. However, for Saturday 27th we headed south-east of the Needles to an offshore wreck, the Danish steamer Inger in 55 metres. The trip to the site was most uncomfortable, with a southerly breeze with accompanying swell. That, together with a grey, overcast sky, made for less than pleasant conditions. However, diving on slack, the breeze died away and the wreck was shotted between the engine and boilers. Vis was reported at 3-5 metres but dark, but fine with a torch. Next day, Sunday 28th, with divers from SeaSearch, we dived the western end of Alum Bay, where there was a mild westerly swell, but everyone did the dive OK. A grey, rainy, miserable day, we had intended to dive the wreck of the Irex in Scratchells Bay but there was too much swell so decided to seek shelter in Alum Bay instead. On slack water in the afternoon, the grey skies cleared and we had bright sunshine, perfect for diving the Bridge Reef. This chalk ridge, which once extended to Old Harry Rocks, is a great dive, with numerous gullies in the chalk, and with the rock largely covered in white anemonies. Vis wasn’t great – we are at the end of the season, after all, and just coming off springs, but everyone was delighted with the amount of life they could see and record.

Dive/vis reports: Thursday 2 October, and we finally manage to dive one of the protected wrecks on the north-east Shingles, in order to conduct surveys and produce photogrammetry of the site. In fine weather, with very good vis (for here) of around 4 metres, some excellent images were taken which has led to the production of a much more comprehensive image of the entire site. Bronze and ron cannons and associated debris are clearly shown. Next day, Friday 3 October, with storm Amy on the way, we dived Bouldnor Cliff. A wet, gray day with a strong south-westerly wind, we were able to dive in shelter for what is probably the last dive of the season. Marine archaeologists wrapped up the site until 2026. The weekend of Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October was wiped out by the arrival of storm Amy. That’s the story of this windy season – 50% of all dives cancelled due to strong winds, the third windy season in a row. Can 2026 be any worse?

The season has kicked off – slightly later than usual during this cold and unsettled spring. The first two dives for late March and mid-April were lost to strong winds. However, the weekend of 29 and 30 April were ideal. With probably the smallest neap of the year, giving long slack water, good vis was anticipated but in the event it wasn’t fantastic – around 2-3 metres with a torch, but slightly better than usual for april in this area. Firstly, on Saturday 29 April we dived the wreck of the Spyros in 30 metres. There was a slightly uncomfortable south-eastlery breeze but the weather otherwise was fair and bright. Everyone entered the water and completed the dive without incident. We followed this with a shallow dive on the 1811 wreck, or at least, part of it which is not protected, in Alum Bay, where the vis was similar but being shallow at 8 metres, much brighter. Next day, Sunday 30 April, we headed south of the Needles to dive the 1885 wreck of the Victorian steamer Clarinda in 40 metres. Vis was similar to the day before, though we had cloudy skies and rain, but as a shake-down dive, pretty good.

Forthcoming dive spaces: There are spaces available on Sunday 28 May and BH Monday 29 May, maximum depth 35 metres. Plenty of choice for wrecks. Second dive included either shallow wreck, drift or reef dive. Excellent neap tide which ought to give good vis. Civilised meet/leave times. Ping me an email for details.

Dive/vis reports: Another good neap tide on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May, but strong winds and unreliable inshore vis meant it was prudent to scrub the Saturday. However, Sunday was another day, with no wind, flat seas and an anticipation that the clear May water had reached us. Indeed, within a couple of miles of the Needles the water went from green/brown to black, an indication of its excellent clarity. We headed south-west to the WW1 wreck of the large steamer Fluent in 40 metres. Despite a grey, overcast sky, vis was around 6 metres though divers reported that descending at 30 metres, torchlight could be seen on the wreck 10 metres below. There’s some stringy plankton in the water column but it hasn’t really bloomed just yet. Water temperature is hovering around 11/12°. If only we’d had bright sunlight. On Wednesday 17 May we had an early start in order to dive HW slack at the Bouldnor site east of Yarmouth. Vis was 2-3 metres in bright sunshine, a little lower than we’d normally expect for this time of year.

Weekend of Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May was blown out due to strong winds but we were able to conduct sea grass surveys on various sites from Yarmouth to Beaulieu on Thursday 25 May. Vis has come good inshore and though the plankton has bloomed outside the Needles, Solent water was quite clear. Saturday 27 May has been blown out by fresh easterly winds, a most uncomfortable direction.

Dive/vis reports: With a lull in the wind, we headed out to the wreck of the steam coaster Braedale on Sunday 28 May. Bright sunshine, clear skies and no wind! Vis was an excellent 7-8 metres in ambient light, with the water temperature now around 13°. We followed this with a dip on the War Knight. Inshore was more breezy but vis on the wreck was nearly as good as it gets at around 4-5 metres. On BH Monday 29 May we were ready to dive the Serrana in the Needles Channel, but this had to be aborted due to the skipper being injured. Winds now have continued from the north-east, and it looks like it will wipe out diving until mid-June.

Dive/vis reports: After 3 weeks of north-easterly winds, which pretty much blew out all dive trips in late May/early June, the weather finally came good and on Saturday 10 June we headed off to dive the wreck of the ocean-going tug Witte Zee in 30 metres. This is a good dive, upright and full of life. Vis was pretty good at around 6 metres. A second dive on the inshore wreck of the War Knight also had good vis, which is not often experienced so close inshore. With flat seas and no wind, at last we’re back into the diving. Next day, Sunday 11 June, the weather was somewhat gloomy with thick clod and rain, but with SeaSearch divers on board this wasn’t a concern as we explored a reef formation south-east of Freshwater Bay, followed by a survey of the sea grass to the east of Yarmouth. Vis continues to hold up well. From Monday 12 June to Friday 16 June. we were operating out of Haslar Marina and Southsea Marina respectively, searching for and attempting to identify numerous seabed anomalies. The first 2 dives were south of Portsmouth Harbour, where a feature in 25 metres was explored. Large magnetometer hits indicated something ferrous and divers used probes to search through the mud, the upper layer of which had the considtency of sloppy blancmange. During a number of dives, several holes were excavated and a large intact pulley block was recovered, in excellent condition. The type of block was in use by the Royal Navy in the late 1600’s onwards so we’re confident we’ve located a missing wooden warship from the early 1700’s. Running out of Southsea later in the week, we began ground-truthing a number of magnetic anomalies in the Bracklesham Bay area. Most turned out to be modern rubbish or remnants from D-Day preparations, but during circular searched wooden timbers studded with copper and brass rivets and nails were seen. We need to return to do more work on the site. We also searched inside Chichester Harbour to investigate a site where a medieval cannon was pulled up by a fisherman years ago. A strong magnetometer hit was registered, but diving revealed a fallen navigation pole ad well as more modern rubbish – but no more cannons. Vis all week was around 4-5 metres.

Dive/vis reports: The weekend of Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June was another excellent weekend for diving. Despite an iffy forecast midweek, the predicted easterly winds failed to materialise and we had calm seas and bright skies. Steaming offshore to the south-east, we explored an unknown, unidentified steamer in about 64 metres. From its location and description it is highly likely to be the WW2 victim Dungrange, torpedoed by e-boat in the days following D-Day in 1944. A single boiler plus donkey boiler and a triple expansion engine, plus damage at the stern, suggests this is the Dungrange, a small steamer of about 600 tons, but more diving is need to confirm. A good dive, the wreck is upright and with vis of 6 metres in ambient light, a memorable one. Next day we again headed to the south-east, this time to one of our favourites, the Daylesford in 46 metres. If anything, the vis was even better at 6-8 metres in ambient light, (well, it is nearly 20 metres shallower) with the water temperature up around 14-15°. Finally, and for something completely different, we headed to Langstone Harbour on an oyster project in the upper reaches of the harbour on Monday 19 June. Around 8 sites were surveyed and though the harbour is muddy, vis was around 2 metres at a depth of 6-7 metres,

Dive/vis reports: Friday 23 June and we’re heading offshore to investigate a potential new site. Fine weather, calm seas, and vis of 8 metres. The anomaly, wreck shaped and of similar size, gave a huge magnetometer hit, but turned out to be an isolated, well defined reef of magnetic rock. Such anomalies have to be dived, or ‘ground-truthed’ in order to be sure of what’s there. Next, on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 June, with SeaSearch divers on board, we remained within the western Solent. To begin with, we dived the Long Rock in Alum Bay and followed this with a dive on Bouldnor Cliff on slack water, beginning in 10 metres and ascending the slope to the sea grass in 3 metres. Vis was around 4-5 metres and the inshore water temperature has increased quite markedly, to around 17 or 18°. On Tuesday 27 June and Wednesday 28 June, taking advantage of a very good neap tide, this time with marine archaeologists on board, we continued work on Bouldnor Cliff and Pitts Deep. The weather wasn’t too kind, with a brisk westerly breeze and sloppy sea, but vis was good at 4-5 metres. Finally on Friday 29 June, with a light boat, a few of us headed to Cowes to investigate a possible aircraft wreck. Being Cowes, vis was never going to be good, and it wasn’t, which made identification difficult, but the uncharted wreck was photographed and surveyed. Covered in thick, fluffy brown weed, more diving is needed to identify what it is. The weekend of Saturday 1 July and Sunday 2 July has been blown out by strong winds.

Dive/vis reports. Not much to report due to poor weather. The entire week of Monday 10 to Sunday 16 July was lost to strong winds, but we were able to get out on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 July in the Solent, with members of Ocean Conservation, harvesting sea grass seeds for laboratory cultivation and, ultimately, replanting in areas where habitat has been lost or destroyed. We dived in Thorness Bay and Bouldnor, where vis ranged from poor to an acceptable 3 metres. Inshore water temperature is now up around 19°.

Forthcoming dive spaces: There are spaces available as follows: Saturday 5 August. Diving the wreck of the Spyros in 30 metres (31 or 32 metres in the scour). Upright and still fairly intact after more than 100 years. Second dive on the wreck of the War Knight in 12 metres. Friday 11 August. Diving the wreck of the ocean-going tug Witte Zee in 33 metres, upright and still ship-shape, followed by shallow inshore wreck or drift. Friday 8 September. Diving the armed WWII trawler in 36 metres (seabed depth). Wreck stands 4 metres. Second dive an inshore wreck or drift. Friday 22 September. diving the WWII wreck of HMS Swordfish, a British submarine blown in two. Bridge still attached, propellers in place, gun on foredeck. Depth 40 metres. Second dive probably a drift across Atherfield Ledge where there are numerous bits of assorted wreckage. For all these dives, please contact the organiser, Jaki, on wilson.jaki19@sky.com

Dive/vis reports: The dreary July continues – we’ve managed 5 trips out in July, all in the Solent, with 17 days lost to strong winds. It’s a re-run of 2012! That was a wet and windy summer too. We did manage to get out on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 July, diving Bouldnor cliff with marine archaeologists. The first day began in glorious sunshine, dead flat seas and no wind, but by the afternoon the cloud had increased, the breeze picked up and we had rain. Next day, strong winds were in, but we were diving in the lee of the Island and got the day in OK. Vis on the low water was as expected – poor – but much improved on the high water. Water temperature has probably peaked at 19°.

Forthcoming dive spaces: Ever optimistic that the jet stream will return to its normal summer position and we can get diving again, there are dive spaces available to dive the wreck of the ocean-going tug Witte Zee in 33 metres, on BH Monday 28 August. Due to tide times, it’ll be a reverse profile day, diving a shallow wreck in the morning followed by the main dive in mid-afternoon. Anyone wanting to dive please contact the organiser, Mike, on mikeharper541@gmail.com

The dismal weather continues – the weekend of Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July was blown out by strong winds, as was Monday 31st. Similarly, the weekend of Saturday 5 August and Sunday 6 August also fell victim to the weather. Never known a year like it!

Forthcoming dive spaces: There are spaces on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September. Nothing too ambitious – depth about 30 metres on one of the following wrecks: Spyros, Borgny, Venezuela, New Dawn. Second dive included. Names to Jaki on wilson.jaki19@sky.com

Dive/vis reports: Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any, given the relentless run of strong winds, preventing us from leaving port. I haven’t been outside the Needles for 7 weeks so far. Dives planned for Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 August were all blown out.

Dive/vis reports: Monday 14 August – and we’re out! We’re running out of Southsea with marine archaeologists to investigate a cannon site thought to be associated with the wreck of HMS Invincible, lost in 1759. The site lies some distance from the main body of the wreck, and potentially is evidence that these 9′ long experimental guns were jettisoned to lighten the ship and to bring it upright. They must have had some success as the ship bounced away before finally coming to rest on the Horse Tail Sands. The weather wasn’t great, with a relentless southerly slop, but cleaning the site prior to photogrammetry was done. Next day Tuesday 15 August we returned to the site to continue preparations for a full survey. Vis was not bad at 2-3 metres. Later in the day we returned to the WW1 wreck of HMS Boxer in order to complete photogrammetry which had commenced some years previously, but visibility on the low water slack was poor, and the dive was aborted after a short dive. Finally on Wednesday 16 August, the survey and photogrammetry on the cannon site was successfully completed. There are six large guns, lying pretty much side by side, muzzles all pointing in the same direction. Further exploratory work is needed here. Water temperature is around 19°. On Thursday 17 August, despite an increasing easterly breeze, different divers were aboard and we headed to the northern part of Langstone Harbour to continue with an oyster survey. Thousands of immature oysters had been places here and the object was to see how they had fared. Few live ones were found, which begs the question – what’s killing them? Vis here was better than outside the harbour, at about 4 metres. Friday 18 August and Saturday 19 August were both blown out. We managed to get out on Sunday 20 August to dive the clipper ship Smyrna. Flat seas and blue skies – at last. Vis on the way out looked indifferent and only improved when we were a mile or two from the wreck – so 17 or 18 miles of not-so-good vis. On the wreck vis was – for here – fairly low at 5 metres in ambient light but nevertheless this is a great dive.

Dive/vis reports: Hooray! Four days of continuous diving! Friday 25 August and we’re back surveying Bouldnor Cliff just to the east of Yarmouth with marine archaeologists. The low slack vis was, as expected, somewhat poor but not so bad as to prevent work. On the flood tide vis improved dramatically at around 3-5 metres. Next day, Saturday 26 August, with the promise of reasonable weather and a brilliant neap tide, we’d intended to dive the stern section of the Serrana in the Needles Channel. however, with a brisk south-westerly wind opposing an ebb tide, sea conditions were pretty awful, to the extent that it was too much to carry out diving here. Accordingly we pressed on through the waves to dive the Fenna instead, where conditions were slightly better. Vis was in the region of 3-4 metres. This was followed by a second wreck dive on HMS Pomone in Alum Bay, and then a drift dive in the western Solent from Hatherwood Point. Next day, Sunday 27 August, the weather and sea conditions had improved, but still less than ideal, and this time we did manage to dive the Serrana. Vis of around 4 metres was not bad considering the constant run of unsettled weather this summer, and as the afternoon breeze picked up we headed for sheltered water and for the second dive, drifted along Bouldnor Cliff. Finally on Bank Holiday Monday 28 August both weather and sea conditions were ideal. Mainly fair, with blue skies and sunny intervals and no wind, we did reverse profile dives due to the awkward times of slack water. Diving the wreck of the steamer Joannis Millas in the morning, the water was slightly milky – no doubt due to the westerly winds of the past 2 or 3 days – but vis varied from 2-5 metres. For the afternoon slack we headed to the wreck of the ocean-going tug Witte Zee in 33 metres. Vis was a pretty good 5-6 metres in ambient light and with the water temperature still hovering around 18° to 19°, this was another enjoyable dive.

Dive/vis reports: Huge spring tides for the weekend of Saturday 2 September and Sunday 3 September but we dived both days in glorious sunshine, flat seas and – for a change – no wind. First we dived the WW1 wreck of the Admiralty steam drifter New Dawn in 33 metres. Vis was, as expected, quite low at around 1.5 to 2 metres, and this was followed by a very quick but exhilarating drift dive across Christchurch Ledge. Next day, in attempting to find better conditions but still with a huge tide, we dived the Fenna in 24 metres. Despite slack being later and shorter than usual due to the tide, vis was a little better at 2 metres, but the outstanding highlight was the amount of life on the wreck. Following the advice for low vis – go slow and look at what’s right in front of you – lots of fish, crabs, lobsters and other creatures were spotted. We ended the day in the still waters of Alum Bay, diving the 1811 wreck of HMS Pomone in 8-9 metres.

Dive/vis reports: On Friday 8 September, just as the effects of that huge spring tide eased off and the neap tide came on, we ventured out in fine, clear weather to dive the armed trawler Warwick Deeping. Vis had improved considerably from the previous weekend to about 4 metres. This was followed by a dip on the Greek steamer Joannis Millas off Chilton, where a long, lazy swell from the Channel made diving a bit more interesting. On Saturday 9 September, with the sea dead flat, bright skies and absolutely no wind, we headed mid-Channel to dive the 1928 wreck of the Greek steamer Ioannis Fafalios. Considering the brilliant neap tide, vis wasn’t as good as usual at around 7 metres in ambient light, where normally 15 metres would be expected. Next day, Sunday 10 September, we again headed south to mid-Channel to dive the British steamer Luxor. Thick grey cloud and occasional rain affected ambient light on the wreck, where unbelievably vis was reduced to about 4 metres. Despite that, this is a good dive on a big wreck. Mature crawfish were spotted – a good sign their numbers are recovering. On Monday 11 September, diving the late slack at the end of the current run of neaps, we dived inshore on the wreck of the Belgian steamer Espagne. With wind against tide, sea conditions were somewhat disagreeable! Vis wasn’t great here either at around 2 metres, but everyone had a good dive. Finally on Tuesday 12 September we switched over the the early, high water, slack, to explore an unknown mark. I’d run over it with the magnetometer and had a good reading so expected it to be some sort of wreck. As it turned out, this is almost certainly the remains of the WW1 British schooner Florence Louisa, stopped by a U-boat in 1917. The Germans placed a bomb on the outside of the schooner below the water line and after it exploded she quickly sank. A substantial pile of steel plating, a main feature of the site, is probably the cargo of scrap steel she was carrying. Deadeyes, pulley blocks, lots of 2′ long copper rivets, Admiralty pattern anchors etc, were all seen on the wreck. Particularly nosey, inquisitive congers emerged from their hiding places, surely a sign they’d never seen divers before. Vis was much better than yesterday and the dive was done in ambient light – a good end to a 5 day run.

Dive/vis reports: Good weather allowed us to head towards St Catherine’s on Saturday 16 September, specifically just off Rocken End, with divers from SeaSearch. Data on the flora and fauna of this area is extremely sparse but some rare species were found and recorded. Vis was around 4 metres in ambient light at depths up to 18 metres. In amongst the gullies was found a huge iron anchor, 3 or 4 metres long, of a type in use by the Admiralty in the late 17th/early 18th centuries. Since there have been numerous wrecks along this part of the coast it’s not a surprise to find something like this. Whether the ship it was attached to survived or not, we’ll never know. A second dive in rough ground off Compton Bay found the seabed slightly silty and accordingly, vis was reduced to about 2 metres during the ebb tide. Sunday 17 September, when we were due to go offshore, was blown out by strong easterlies.

Dive/vis reports: Friday 22 September was cancelled due to strong winds and poor inshore vis – due to the gales earlier in the week. However, we took advantage of a weather window on Saturday 23 September to venture offshore to dive the wreck of the steamer El Kahira in 60 metres. On the way out there was a steady swell from the west and wind against tide, but the breeze was light and with sunny skies we reached the site and dived. Vis was a good 8-10 metres in ambient light. Water temperature at depth is beginning to decline but at 17° no-one was complaining. We returned to port as the wind began to pick up from the south-west, and became too much to dive on Sunday 24 September, which was, accordingly, scrubbed.

Dive spaces: There may be spaces on Friday 13 October to dive the WW1 wreck of the Borgny in 30 metres. Contact me and i’ll put you in touch with the organiser.

Dive/vis reports: Despite dire warnings concerning the approach of Storm Agnes, on Wednesday 27 September we managed to dive the Solent with divers from SeaSearch in good conditions. Outside the Island winds were south-east 4-6 which would have blown us out if we were attempting to dive there, but heading for the north coast of the Isle of Wight, seas were flat and vis was quite good. Firstly we dived just off Bouldnor, close inshore, to assess how the sea grass had fared over the summer, now that it is beginning to die back. Vis was 3-4 metres. Following this we decided to try a new site, and chose the southern side of Warden Ledge, fairly close inshore, as we had no data on what lives there. Vis held up very well and in pretty much slack water numerous species were identified. The bonus was divers came across an uncharted wreck which is probably a steel barge or something similar.

Forthcoming dive spaces. There are spaces available to dive the WW1 wreck of the Norwegian steamer Borgny in 30 metres on Friday 13 October. Meet 0815 to leave around 0845. Second dive included. Contact the organiser, Jaki, on wilson.jaki19@sky.com

Oops – website’s been down for a while but now back up and running. Dive/vis reports: In between continuous low pressure systems, we managed to get out on to the Shingles, near Hurst Castle, Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October, surveying a historic wreck site. The first day was sunny and warm with flat seas with unexpectedly good vis of 3-5 metres. The next day was somewhat bumpy but the dives were completed with similar vis. Water temperature is now declining, as expected. The following weekend’s dives were all blown out but what may be the last dive of the 2023 season was done on Wednesday 25 October, with a series of dives on the wreck of HMS Invincible off Portsmouth. Even though we’d had rough weather, the dives were concluded in vis of 2-3 metres.

Dive/vis reports: Well, is this the last of 2023? We were out on Wednesday 22 November off Beaulieu, in the western Solent, with divers doing more sea grass work. It was the first day in weeks with light winds and bright skies. Working in very shallow water, on occasions less than 2 metres deep, vis was up to a metre. Not great but it was low water, following weeks of stormy weather and heavy rain, but more than enough for the work in hand. Water temperature inshore has plummeted to a cool 11°.