14th-20th August
After lots of planning and a long journey we took our first stride entry of the Crusader into the waters of Scapa Flow. At 10:43 on Sunday the 14th August we were all descending down the shot line of the Brummer, what a great introduction to the diving in Scapa Flow with 10 meters vis and a luke warm 12º in the water a good week was ahead of us.
With a maximum depth of 33 meters the Brummer lay on her starboard side. The old minelayer is still largely intact and provided a very interesting dive for the morning. The afternoon’s dive was a leisurely fin around at 18 meters on the dumping ground. On arriving back at the surface we had enough Scallops to feed an army and all manner of weird and wonderful bottles.
Monday morning we headed for the Dresden, which was one of our favourites, we managed to dive her a second time later in the week. Lying on her port side with anchor chains still out, guns still mounted and loads of life you can understand the attraction. That afternoon we dived the F2 and the Barge, it’s not often you get to dive two wrecks at once and even rarer one being sunk whilst trying to salvage the other.
Descending to 18 meters on Tuesday morning we met the Köln. Lying on her starboard side touching the sea bed at 33 meters with guns pointing astern she was an impressive site, with 15 meters visibility every moment on the wreck was enjoyed. For someone like myself who enjoys spotting as many different species as possible whilst diving the Gobanarda Bories was a choice second dive site. With 15 meters visibility and a ride on the S.M.B of around 5 knots whilst decompressing this dive certainly had the thrill factor.
Wednesday was a little grey and bleak which made the Kronprince Wilhelm a touch dark at 33 meters, once under her decks the light had all but gone. At 177 meters long this wreck is a monster and could be dived all week before you truly knew your way around her. In contrast the V86 was a wee bit smaller and covered in lots of pretty sponges and Anemones with loads of fish life it meant that every bit of the 70 minutes spent on the wreck was immensely enjoyed.
On Thursday we dived the Dresden again only this time being familiar with our surroundings helped us get a little more our dive. The Kruha certainly won the prize for the most fish life on one wreck, and to decompress with a huge Lionsmain jellyfish by your side, (at half a meter across and 3 meters long maybe we shouldn’t have been so close) well it was one to remember.
Who’d of thought the visibility could get any better when on the Friday morning we had 20 meters vis on the UB116, not really recognisable as a sub but with great visibility and plenty of life it proved to be one of the most enjoyable and relaxing dives of the week. Dave had been a great skipper all week tending to let Gavin his right hand man (no pun intended) drop us off at the dive sites whilst he entertained us in deck. It was when Dave himself decided to drop us divers of on the last dive site the S56 we realised why this had been. Ten minutes of fining around we eventually found the wreck Dave had been looking for. He redeemed himself once we were on deck with fresh Mackerel cooked in butter and lemon.
With a belly full of Mackerel and the sighting of Porpoise and Pilot Whales on the journey back to Burray it would have been rude not to pop in and have a few beers with the locals. So on Saturday morning with foggy heads and loads of diving memories to take with us we headed of home. Would we come again? Definitely!
