Lochaline - Day 1

Not done a post for some time but I'm back but for how long.
A group of 10 of us are here in Lochaline to dive the wrecks of the Sound of Mull. Staying at The Dive Lodge and Diving aboard Sound Diver Charter Boat with Lochaline Dive Centre.

The first dive of the trip and my first sea dive of the year was on the SS Rondo. The dry cargo ship Rondo was driven from her moorings in a fierce winter's storm in 1935 and drifted powerless down the Sound before the wind until she ran aground on a shallow reef running out from the small rocky islet of Dearg Sgeir. She sat there stranded until she was declared a total loss by her insurers. Salvors started scrapping her in situ and she was cut down almost to her water line. Another storm battered her remnants over the edge of the reef and she plunged down the near vertical underwater cliff face of the islet before her bow ploughed into the seabed at the bottom. The wreck stands nearly vertically on her bows in 50msw with her uppermost rudder in just a few metres. She is perhaps the most unusual wreck in Scottish waters.

I headed down the wreck on a solo dive to 43 meters before turning round to head back to the surface. I swam under the hull at 29 meters crossing from the starboard to port side. It was then back over the side and into the wreck for shelter from the current before getting to the start of the rudder at which point I decided to pop a SMB up and leave the wreck to make my way to the surface.

After lunch and a wander around Tobermary it was time to head back out and a dive on the SS Hispania. The SS Hispania sank on 18 December 1954 in 25-30 metres of water. All her crew escaped alive save for her Captain who went down with his ship. The wreck is stunningly intact and in a strongly tidal area it must be dived at slack water. The fierce currents which sweep the wreck have brought an abundance of sealife and the wreck is now almost completely blanketed in a carpet of white and orange plumrose anemones.

This time I had a buddy with me who goes by the name of Gavin. Being the first in the water once the tide had dropped we headed down the shot line and towards the stern of the wreck before having a rummage in the rear cargo holds. We then made our way across the deck to the Bow and then back to the stern before picking up the shot line to the surface.

Tomorrow we are heading towards Oban.