SwanageFEST11

FOUR great wrecks ONE beautiful weekend

Saturday 23 July – Kyarra 09.00 & Warwick Deeping 15.00

Sunday 24 July – Aeolian Sky 09.45 & Betsy Anna 16.20

The wrecks from left to right:

1. S S Kyarra twin-screw passenger & cargo liner torpedoed by German submarine UB-57 on 5 May 1918, depth 23M to 30M.  

2. Warwick Deeping sunk by gunfire in night action by German E-boats on 11 October 1940, depth 30M to 34M.  

3. Aeolian Sky sunk on 4 November 1979, depth 18M to 32M.  

4. Betsy Anna floundered Poole Bay whilst being towed to Cowes for repairs after tearing plates in Devon, depth 21M to 25M.

The bustling Victorian seaside town of Swanage, on the South Coast in Dorset, has much to offer with its rolling green hills to one side of the Bay and Peveril Point to the other. But the main attraction for divers is the variety of wrecks that lie in deeper water outside the bay.

Ideally situated on Swanage Pier to the South of the town is Divers Down, Britain’s oldest dive centre (established in 1958), with an underwater world of wonder lying directly beneath it, attracted by the confines of the wooden pier framework and highly recommended for a FREE leisurely shore dive between the wreck dives! Check out Swanage Pier, it’s listed in Anita Sherwood’s book ‘Top 100 British Shore Dives’ or click on the link below.

The above dive schedule is confirmed (sea conditions permitting) and we’ll be diving from  ‘SKUA’ & ‘Swanage Diver’ – both excellent boats with highly experienced skippers, diver lifts   and all the safety equipment you would expect from a professionally run dive operation.

At weekends, Divers Down air filling station opens at 08.00 and closes between 17.00 and 20.00 depending on demand and YES, Nitrox is available. I’ll set-up a group tab with the shop and everyone will get an itemised bill for the gas they use and any shop purchases at the end. The boats operate a shuttle service to the wrecks and come back to the pier after each dive. If you are a single tank diver, you will only need one cylinder all weekend and get refills between dives. After dive hot drinks: tea, coffee & hot chocolate are served FOC.

More information about what’s under Swanage Pier can be found here:

http://www.divernet.com/UK_Diving/uk_dive_sites/461349/pier_but_no_pressure.html

Detailed tours of all four wrecks can be found here:

http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/default.aspx?p=kyarra_wreck

http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/wreck_tours/159422/wreck_tour_56_the_warwick_deeping.html

http://www.diversdownswanage.co.uk/default.aspx?p=aeolian_sky

http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/wreck_tours/159506/wreck_tour_109_the_betsy_anna.html

Full UK dive kit is essential, including a dry suit or suitable wetsuit, DSMB, reel and a good torch. If you plan to dive on a single cylinder, I recommend you carry a redundant air supply, such as a 3 litre pony bottle. Minimum diver qualification is PADI Advance Open Water, the ability to deploy an DSMB and previous UK boat diving experience. Having your PADI Nitrox and Deep Specialities will help you get the most out of this weekend, as will ensuring you are well ‘dived-up’ before the trip. For additional training or equipment hire, please contact Roger and the Dive Wimbledon team on 020 8540 6874

Accomodation  We’ll be staying at ‘Little Gem’ and ‘At Sea’, two comfortable guest houses in Cecil Road in the heart of the residential area and about 10 minutes walk from the town centre - both do wicked fry-ups and have ample street parking. The B&B cost is based on a two night stay (Friday 22 and Saturday 23 July) with two persons sharing a double room or three persons sharing a family room, both with on-suite facilities. Single rooms are also available at extra cost, so let me know if you prefer not to share a room.

General plan, is to sort out the finer details like buddy pairs and car sharing nearer the time, driving down Friday afternoon or evening after work. We’ll meet up at a local pub for a few drinks and a bite to eat after checking into our respective B&Bs. As we will be arriving at different times, it is best everyone makes their own meal arrangements on Friday evening and I’ll book a table for us all at a reasonably priced restaurant in down town Swanage for Saturday evening – let me know if you have any special requests, likes or dislikes etc.

TRIP COST four dives as detailed and two nights B&B accommodation £180 (Non club members £199) Breathing gas, equipment, other meals, snacks and general spending money are all extra. There are only 12 places available and an £80 deposit is required to secure a place – so don’t delay, speak to Roger and sign-up today. The balance is required eight weeks before the trip, 31 May 2011.

The Warwick Deeping & Aeolian Sky are longish boat rides over to the south-west side of the Isle of Wight. There’s a reverse profile we’ll have to work with on Saturday but we need to hit the second dive, the Warwick Deeping at high water. This is a neaps weekend, so the water will be moving slower, giving us a longer dive window on all the wrecks.

To reserve a place, speak to Roger at Dive Wimbledon

Any questions, call or txt ken powell on 07989 387792 email kennygt3@yahoo.co.uk

Please note: Recreational sport diving exposes you to both known and unknown risks. Agreeing to come on this trip confirms you accept full responsibility for your own safety and that you have adequate medical, travel and equipment insurance, the relevant diver training and open water experience. Other meals, drinks and spending money are all extra.