A typical day of diving with Sunfish Charters
A typical day of diving from Brixham with Sunfish Charters starts with us meeting up at Brixham Breakwater car park at which point the dive leader will ring me on 07968 262421 and I will come and meet up with the team and get to know you a bit.
I will direct you to the Brixham Marina luggage trolleys, give you the security code to the Brixham Marina entry system and show you where Sunfish is moored.
I will then take any outstanding money from all divers whether you are part of a dive team or diving on your own so please make sure you have the correct money with you as this will happen before we get underway.
It is very important that all divers are ready and onboard Sunfish at the arranged time as time and tide wait for no one. After your safety briefing we will head out for the first dive of the day. If it is a wreck we are heading for I will ask the first pair that are going overboard (usually the most experienced) to tie in the shot line and send the shot weight up on a lift bag which I will provide.
This avoids a situation where other divers pull the shot off the wreck and I will therefore leave the shot in place until all divers have ascended the shotline or a DSMB.
Once you have completed your first dive we will then return to Brixham for your surface interval. Here you will have the chance to change cylinders, get hot or cold food and use the toilet facilities.
When everybody is happy we will head out for your second dive and when completed we will head back to Brixham Marina.
Once back on the mooring you can use the freshwater hose to clean off your equipment and there are toilet facilities and showers if needed. I would ask one thing; please leave these facilities in the condition that you would like to find them in.
Please make sure you arrive with enough full cylinders for your days diving.
A typical day of diving from Plymouth with Sunfish Charters starts with us meeting up at Queen Anne's Battery at which point the dive leader will ring me on 07968 262421 and I will come and meet up with the team and get to know you a bit.
I will direct you to the Queen Anne's Battery(QAB) luggage trolleys, give you the security code to the QAB pontoon entry system and show you where Sunfish is moored.
I will then take any outstanding money from all divers whether you are part of a dive team or diving on your own so please make sure you have the correct money with you as this will happen before get underway.
It is very important that all divers are ready and onboard Sunfish at the arranged time as time and tide wait for no one. After your safety briefing we will head out for the first dive of the day. If it is a wreck we are heading for I will ask the first pair that are going overboard (usually the most experienced) to tie in the shot line and send the shot weight up on a lift bag which I will provide.
This avoids a situation where other divers pull the shot off the wreck and I will therefore leave the shot in place until all divers have ascended the shotline or a DSMB.
Once you have completed your first dive we will then head back to QAB where we will have a surface interval and you can re-supply with air or nitrox. You can also get hot or cold food and toilet facilities are available.
When everybody is happy we will head out for your second dive and when completed we will head back to QAB for your second surface interval and re-charge or if this is the final dive of the day we will head back to the mooring.
Once back on the mooring you can use the freshwater hose to clean off your equipment and there are toilet facilities and showers if needed. I would ask one thing; please leave these facilities in the condition that you would like to find them in.
Wreck diving from Brixham
The Bretagne (28m) 232ft long, sunk in 1918 by being rammed by another ship (you can see the gouge in the starboard side). Sits upright and generally intact on a shell bottom. There is some superstructure remaining, its prop & rudder in place, with a spare prop on the stern deck. The holds offer some nice penetrations for divers suitably qualified (but beware snagged fishing line). Lots of life is attracted to this wreck, including; pollack, pouting, wrasse, bass, tompot- blenny, conger, ling, crab and lobster. A first-class dive, indeed Torbay's signature dive.
The Galicia (17m) 400ft long, hit a mine in 1917, then "dispersed" in 1923. As a result she is fairly flat despite coming up to 5m proud of the bottom, but is a large site and a nice dive. Well worth a good rummage, still "ship shaped" bits to see, various things are still on her (although ideally not removed). Lots of congers, pollack, usual pout, wrasse etc.
The Perrone (32m) 320ft long, torpedoed by UC-65 in 1917. An interesting dive as the wreck lies in 2 halves, with the stern section lying alongside the starboard side, can be difficult to see the whole wreck on one dive. Some nice swim-throughs on this wreck.
The Lord Stewart (38m) 248ft long, torpedoed by UB-104 in 1918. Stands 9m proud and has an iron prop and small stern gun. Warning: phosphorous wedges have been found on the wreck, do NOT remove as they ignite on contact with air!!!
The Dudley Rose (37m) 250ft long, sunk by Heinkel 111k stick bombs in 1941. Lies upright and complete, 6m proud of the bottom. Care must be taken as some trawl nets have caught on this wreck.
The Dutch Barge (8m) Locally known as "The Pipes", the barge isn't there but it's cargo of 20ft iron pipes are. A nice scenic/wreck dive, vast varieties of life living in and around the pipes, a great macro photography site. Usually good viz.
The Gefion (35m) 1123 ton steamer, torpedoed amidships by UB-40 in 1917. The wreck comes up nearly 10m from the bottom and is dog-legged and broken amidships. Engines, boilers, ships name on stern and good fish life to be seen.
The Dutch Tug (15m) 75ft steam powered tug boat sitting upright and intact 5m proud of the sea bed with pouting, conger and pollack to be seen.
Scenic diving from Brixham
The Ore Stone (5-20m) Torbay's biggest and most prominent rock. Lots of rocky gullies leading to a muddy bottom, or there is a swim through where you can swim right through the Ore Stone! Fairly high energy site, good for life, lots of crabs (various makes), lobsters, fish, mussels, starfish, anemones, dead men's fingers, nudibranchs etc. congers, wrasse, pollack, pout, bass etc.
Thatcher Rock (5-15m) Torbay's second prominent rock. In contrast to the Ore Stone, Thatcher is a medium/low energy site giving completely different types of life that prefer these conditions. Again rocky gullies leading to a silt/mud sea bed.
Morris Rogue (2-13m) A pinnacle the rises from the mud/silt bottom. A low energy site with good life; plumose anemones, starfish, crabs, plaice, pollack. There is an interesting reef that can be followed to Thatcher Rock.
The Ridge (12m) A large rocky reef with dabs, plaice, crabs, scallops, lobster to see. A very under-rated dive.
Berry Head (5-40m) The headland marking the end of Lyme Bay. 60m cliffs leading down to the water. Here there are huge boulders and ridges leading down to mud/slit slopes to a dark 40m+, although the best life is in less than 20m. This site is a mixture of high to low energy giving a great variety of life. This starts as soon as you hit the water with garfish, mackerel & pollack in mid water, on the rocks various anemones, crabs, lobsters, flat fish, wrasse, congers, etc. This dive can even begin with a great swim through!
Cod Rock (3-25m) Similar in life characteristics to Berry Head. Although some nice drifts can be had, you can also swim around the rock itself (there are various small caves, and a swim through, if you can find it!), or head for "Bastard Rocks" between Cod Rock and the cliffs.
Mudstone Ledges (3-20m) A rocky pinnacle that comes up from the sea bed at 12m up to 3m. The tide will then take you to around 20m on a comfortable drift. Two different dives in one. Starting on the rocky pinnacle with crabs, lobster, wrasse and pollack, then drifting on to the mud ledges with flat fish, dogfish and scallops.
Wreck diving from Plymouth
James Egan Layne (22m to scour) 441ft liberty ship torpedoed by U1195 in 1945. Sitting upright in a sandy bottom, with no superstructure remaining and the stern broken off resting a short distance to the south. You can do an easy penetration all the way through, or swim down either side, then at the break swim to the stern. This is the South Coast's classic wreck dive with so much to see of either the ship itself, the cargo or the life (red and grey mullet, a huge residential shoal of horse mackerel near the bow, bass, pollack, wrasse, congers, pout, pipefish, John Dory, whiting, ling, crabs, lobsters. I even saw my first Sunfish on this wreck!).
HMS Scylla (23m) 400ft Frigate sunk as an artificial reef. A Frigate, whole and upright on the bottom!! This wreck is a wreck-divers paradise. A great dive whether you want to just swim around the outside, explore all four deck levels, or do a wreck penetration course. Marine life is taking a good hold and varies considerably at different times of the year. Expect pout, pollack, wrasse, congers and even trigger fish.
The Rose Hill (28m) 2,788 tons torpedoed in 1917 by U-40, A flattish wreck sitting on a shale bottom. Still has the boilers, prop, rudder, stern gun and other 'ship-shaped' bits. A nice dive with again lots of life, pout, pollack, congers, sea fans, lobsters, jewel anemones etc.
The Persier (30m) 5,382 tons torpedoed in 1945 by U-1017. This wreck is broken but parts sit up to 10m proud of the shale sea bed. Lots to see including the three boilers, 8ft anchor, prop shaft tunnel and other 'ship-shaped' bits (the three guns and prop have been salvaged). Lots of life again, pollack and sea fans especially.
Scenic diving from Plymouth
The Eddystone Reef (3-50m) 12 miles out from Plymouth, this large reef rises from 50m+. A high energy site with lots of rock gullies that are kelp lined above 20m, but once you go below 20m the kelp is replaced with a fantastic tapestry of jewel anemones, dead men's fingers and plumrose anemones. Pollack, wrasse (all makes), bass, edible crabs, lobsters and congers etc. Being so far out, generally it has excellent visibility. The world's best dive site? Yes, it really is that good!
Hands Deep (12-50m) A series of rocky pinnacles in the middle of no where! Like the Eddystone, the kelp disappears once you are below 20m. This a high energy site, that if the tide does pick up it is easy to find an area in the lee to explore. Life is similar to the Eddystone.
The East Rutts (8-33m) Several pinnacles that rise from the sea bed in 33m to within 8m of the surface. Masses of life, once below 20m the kelp gives way to walls of jewel and plumrose anemones, dead men's fingers, crabs, lobsters, pollack and wrasse etc.