Deep Wreck Diver

Today marks the anniversary of the loss of the Belgian fishing vessel MFV L’Ébauche (O.66), which was lost on 6 February 1996 after taking on water in poor conditions. All four crew members were safely rescued, which is the most important part of the story.

One aspect I have always found interesting is that the wreck’s position was never firmly established at the time. Despite being a relatively modern vessel, its exact location remained unknown for many years.

When we finally encountered the wreck in 2023, it was entirely unexpected. The Gasperados team were actually searching for the wreck of the USCG Tampa, so finding a modern fishing vessel instead came as a genuine surprise. The vessel lies on the seabed in 92 m of water in the Celtic Deep, approximately 45 nm from Newquay off the north Cornish coast.

During that dive, Rick Ayrton became briefly tangled in the shot line. He remained calm and it was resolved quickly, but it was a useful illustration of how small issues can arise even on well planned dives and why having a buddy close by really matters.

Since posting about the dive, a former Irish crew member has been in touch to tell me what a good vessel L’Ébauche was to work on. That kind of personal connection adds another layer to what might otherwise just be some old photos and rusty metal.

It is a quiet reminder that even in the era of GPS and electronic navigation, ships can still be lost without a precise position ever being recorded.

A small piece of recent maritime history, rediscovered many years later.

#DeepWreckDiver #WreckDiving #MaritimeHistory #TechnicalDiving

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22 hours ago | [YT] | 120

Deep Wreck Diver

My invoice arrived today after a routine pre dive check where my low oxygen audio alarm did not sound.

It is an example of a hidden cost of CCR ownership that often gets overlooked. We tend to focus on the purchase price, but the real cost shows up quietly over time.

I have been diving this head for over ten years. Like any complex piece of equipment, things wear and age, especially in salt water.

This is also the time of year when I dive less, which makes it the right moment to deal with issues properly. I have a busy year ahead with UK diving and overseas expeditions, including Britannic, so I want everything in top condition.

I am fortunate to live close to the factory and to be surrounded by others diving the same unit. That kind of local support and shared platform is rarely discussed when choosing a CCR, but it matters.

Credit to AP Diving for turning it around quickly as always. Given the work involved, the cost is reasonable.

#CCR #TechnicalDiving #DiveSafety #Rebreather #LifeSupport

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1 week ago | [YT] | 86

Deep Wreck Diver

Does the term “technical” still have any real meaning to you?

Many dives we now label as technical were once simply called diving. Deep air, mandatory decompression, wreck penetration, long run times and complex planning all existed before the term appeared in the early 1990s, when Michael Menduno popularised it through aquaCORPS.

Even then, it was never clearly defined. There has never been a single depth, gas, or equipment setup that cleanly separates technical from non technical diving. Over time the label has stretched, and today it is often applied to almost anything beyond basic open water.

Different agencies draw the lines in very different places. Mandatory decompression, nitrox, gas planning and equipment choices can all be considered mainstream or advanced depending on where you trained. The same dive can be called technical or not, purely based on background rather than actual risk.

Much of the kit now marketed as “technical” was being used long before the term existed at all.

So does “technical diving” still tell us anything useful, or has it become so broad that it has lost its value. And did it ever really define something distinct in the first place.

#TechnicalDiving #ScubaTraining #DiveIndustry #ScubaMarketin

1 week ago | [YT] | 59

Deep Wreck Diver

On 26 January 2022, we dived an unknown mark in seventy two metres and discovered a small rear engined wreck carrying a cargo of pig iron. Based on the size, location and cargo, we assessed that this was the wreck of SS Thorgny.

Thorgny was a Norwegian steamer built in 1908 by Porsgrund Mekaniske Verksted at Porsgrunn and owned at the time of her loss by C H F Jensen of Christiania. She was a 734 ton merchant ship powered by a triple expansion engine, trading bulk cargo around northern Europe.

On 18 February 1917, while sailing from Grimsby to Hennebont with pig iron, she was sunk fifteen miles southwest of Start Point by the German submarine UC-17 under the command of Ralf Wenninger. There were no casualties.

Diving the wreck revealed a final detail of her loss. The pig iron had broken free during the sinking and smashed into the bow area, damage that is still clearly visible and helps explain how she came to rest on the seabed.

A short time later, a diver who had visited the wreck many years earlier sent us a photo of the Builder's plate which confirmed that our assessment of the identity was correct.

#Deepwreckdiver #WreckDiving #technicaldiving #closedcircuitrebreather

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1 week ago | [YT] | 154

Deep Wreck Diver

I remember the shock in September 2021 when the news broke that divers had died on HMS Scylla.

The Syclla was familiar and shallow - it was deliberately sunk for divers, with access points cut and dangerous areas sealed. We'd all dived it many times.

That day, three experienced divers went for an evening dive that included wreck penetration. Conditions were good and the dive began normally. Once inside the wreck things changed. Visibility was lost, orientation broke down, and the team were unable to find a way back out.

Two divers never surfaced.

What followed were headlines, speculation, and shock across the diving community. What has been missing is a clear, first hand account of what actually happened inside the wreck that night.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with Adam, the sole survivor of that dive, and together we’ve made a video that carefully documents his account of what happened. Adam is honest, direct, and matter of fact in the way he talks about the incident. There is no drama or embellishment, just a clear description of decisions, events, and consequences from the person who lived through it.

It’s a difficult watch in places, but an important one for anyone who dives wrecks, especially those we think we know well.

The video will be released at 1800 hrs on Sunday 25 Jan.

#wreckdiving #technicaldiving #divingsafety #divingcommunity #hmscylla

Thanks to the The SHIPS Project for the image of Scylla being sunk in 2004

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 189

Deep Wreck Diver

£350 for a shipwreck BARGAIN!!

Twelve months ago I did the first dive on my new possession the wreck of the SS Almond Branch which cost me the princely sum of £35.

She was a British merchant ship lost during the First World War, one of thousands of ordinary working vessels caught up in an extraordinary period of history. Today she lies quietly on the seabed, part time capsule, part artificial reef.

Although ships like this were privately owned when they were lost, the government often became the owner after paying out the insurance. Decades later some of those wrecks were sold on, which is how it is possible to legally own certain historic shipwrecks today.

Ownership does not mean exclusive access. Other divers can still dive the wreck and anything recovered must be declared to the Receiver of Wreck. What ownership really gives is the right to any legally recovered salvage and the responsibility to act properly within the law.

Diving her for the first time as owner was a strange and humbling experience. The idea of possession quickly faded underwater, replaced by the feeling that I had become a custodian of a very ordinary ship whose story now stretches into the present.

I documented that first dive on video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19PAw...

#shipwreck #wreckdiving #maritimehistory #ww1 #merchantnavy #underwaterheritage #technicaldiving #rebreatherdiving

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 174

Deep Wreck Diver

This image shows one of my favourite details on the wreck of SMS Brummer. The shattered remains of her searchlight iris, lying open on the seabed more than a century after it last saw service.

Searchlights like this were absolutely critical in First World War naval combat. During the Battle of Jutland, they were used to identify ships at night, illuminate targets, signal to friendly vessels, and coordinate manoeuvres in the chaos of close range fighting. When fleets met in darkness or poor visibility, a few seconds of light could decide who fired first, who was recognised as friend or foe, and who survived.


Seeing the iris mechanism still recognisable on the wreck really brings home how complex and deliberate these ships were. This was not just armour and guns, but a carefully integrated fighting system designed for fleet action at sea.

I will be releasing a video later today that looks more closely at Brummer, including features like this and why they matter when you are trying to understand how these ships actually fought. Keep an eye out if you want to see this wreck in more detail.


Photo by Bob Anderson of MV Clasina


#SMSBrummer #ScapaFlow #WreckDiving

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 178

Deep Wreck Diver

Something that often surprises people when they see 12 pounder ammunition on a wreck is that each round was made up of two separate parts.



First was the cartridge case. This was made of brass and held the propellant charge. Brass was used because it sealed the breech properly when fired and could withstand the heat and pressure of repeated use. On wrecks, these cases often survive extremely well and are usually the first thing divers recognise.



The second part was the projectile itself, sometimes called the head. This was made of steel and carried the explosive charge. It was fitted into the mouth of the brass case before loading, creating a complete round ready to be fired.



Seeing these components separated on the seabed tells its own story. Brass cases may lie scattered or stacked where they were stored, while steel projectiles corrode more heavily and can be harder to spot. Together they are a clear reminder of how these guns were worked in practice, and how merchant ships were armed and prepared to defend themselves during wartime.



It is a small technical detail, but one that adds a lot of context when you come across this kind of ammunition underwater.



#12pdr

#NavalAmmunition

#WreckDiving

#TechnicalDiving

#DeepWreck

#UKDiving

#MaritimeHistory

#WW1

#Shipwreck

#UnderwaterHistory

#DeepWreckDiver

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1 month ago | [YT] | 75

Deep Wreck Diver

Welcome to 2026!



A new year always feels like a chance to reset and look ahead, so I would love to know what you are most looking forward to over the next twelve months.



For me, there are already a few exciting things on the horizon. A return to Britannic in April is right at the top of the list. There is also another hopeful attempt to dive HMS Victory, which has been unfinished business for a while now. Fingers firmly crossed that Darkstar will be operating again this year, as that opens up some big possibilities. Add to that plenty of trips to the South West, and a few projects that I cannot share just yet, and it is shaping up to be an interesting year.



Over to you. What are you hoping 2026 has in store?



#newyear #2026 #diving #technicaldiving #wreckdiving #deepwreckdiver #adventure #lookingahead

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1 month ago | [YT] | 176