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 & 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 seabed.
Lots to see including the three boilers, 8ft anchor, prop shaft tunnel and other
'ship-shaped' bits (the three guns & prop have been salvaged). Lots of life
again, pollack and sea fans especially.
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 seabed in 33m to within 8m of the surface. Masses of life, once below
20m the kelp gives way to walls of jewel & plumrose anemones, dead men's
fingers, crabs, lobsters, pollack and wrasse etc.
Click
below to view other dives
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