I think the question on everyone’s mind this year was whether or not the rain would ever stop before we headed down to our club weekend at Porthkerris. With one of the wettest starts of the year I’ve known, it was not easy finding a weather window long enough to get some diving in, let alone have any viz! Despit
But the weather gods were on our side, and a few of the early arrivals managed a shore dive on the dragons back on Friday afternoon. I also managed to get there in time for a quick dip, which was nice as the sea was flat and calm, and the late afternoon sun was out at last!!! Unfortunately, the viz was only about 2-3 snotty metres, but good enough to find plenty of critters. I remember spotting a beautiful nudibranch, which was a highlight of the dive for me.
Ropes off for the first day was slightly early, 8:20 am, and I barely had time to digest my fry up before getting on the boat. Our first dive was a reef dive at the back of the manicals called Carn Du. It’s a favourite site of mine, known for its diverse marine life and unique rock formations. This time, for good reason, we came across a vast monkfish that was big enough to swallow me whole! Possibly exaggerating that, but it was a whopper!! A great start in my book!
Dive 1: Carn Du Reef
Max depth 25 metres
12 degrees
54 minutes
Viz 5-6 metres
By the time our second dive came around, the wind had picked up slightly more, and we decided to get some metal and headed to the wreck of the vonlay. The vonlay can be dived at any state of the tide, and being only a few minutes from the beach, it made a good choice. For Miles Smith, this was his first proper British wreck dive, and he thoroughly enjoyed his experience, which is what it’s all about. We also spotted some interesting marine life around the wreck, including a school of colourful fish and a curious octopus.
Dive 2: Vonlay
Max depth 23 metres
11 degrees
52 minutes
Viz 4-5 metres
Saturday night, we all gathered at the White Hart in St. Kervern for a group meal. It’s always a joyous occasion to get together after the diving day and wonderful to chat with the club members I haven’t met before. Trust me, none of us went hungry that night.
Sunday morning, we had a nice lie-in and a very relaxing start; ropes off at 10:55 as we had a slack dive to wait for. The popular choice was for the wreck of the Mohegan, which lies at 10-30 metres on the magical reef. It is a lovely wreck dive which suits all levels of recreational divers. As usual, skipper Dave dropped the shot on the boilers on mid-ship. Everyone reported a beautiful dive, but the current picked up quite quickly, and we all gathered around the enormous boilers for some end-of-dive shelter from the current.
Dive 3: Mohegan Wreck
Max depth 24 metres
12 degrees
57 mins
Viz 5-6 metres
Again, the wind had picked up during our surface interval, so we opted for a short boat ride to Pancra Head Reef, a horse-shoe-shaped reef with gullies and boulders covered in all the lovely squishy things. Divers reported a lot of sediment on the reefs this year, probably due to the exceptional amount of rain and silt washed out to sea this spring.
Dive 4: Pancra Head Reef
Max depth 24 metres
11 degrees
51 minutes
Viz 5-6 metres
Thanks to all who made the trip. Your presence and enthusiasm made the experience even more memorable. It was truly great to be in the water again with such a fantastic group!
