Scenic Dives
Where do we begin? The opportunities in the area for reef and drift diving are endless. Our local knowledge of the area is unrivalled. Woody has been there, done it and got the tee shirt.
Most clubs like to dive a wreck and follow it up with a second shallower dive which makes for safe diving practice but often restricts the second dive to one of 25 metres or less.
There are some magnificent dives in these depths but once into the 30 metre range it opens up a whole new world such as the mussel beds inside the famous shambles bank. Here deep undercut ledges are festooned with curtains of mussel which when pushed aside reveal crabs and lobsters aplenty. This area is also blessed with many plaice that just sit on the mussel digesting their meal, not having to move as food is plentiful, after all they are lying on it.
The Shambles themselves make an interesting drift with huge waves of sand rising off the seabed and coming to the finest point as if sculpted by hand. Many flat fish such as turbot and brill lie almost buried in the shifting sands and a keen eye is required to spot them.
Portland Ledgesis another excellent site – huge drop offs ten metres high running down to the west and into the famous deep hole which bottoms out at almost 100 metres, shell fish life is abundant and the vis often spectacular. No-one has done the 100 metre bit yet but for sure it’s going to happen!
To the west of Portland is Stenis Ledges generally in the 30 metre range and a real Aladdin’s cave. There are the remains of several wartime aircraft spread across the area and the ledges have claimed many a fine sailing ship the skeletons of which come and go with storms and tide.
To the east of the Island Lulworth Banks make for an ideal second dive with scallops being the main attraction, however the area just off the banks again in the 30 metre range is wonderfully scenic and in particular the corals are fascinating. A strange feature on the edge of the bank is an area of natural gas seeps where bubbles erupt from the seabed and in times of high activity put on a spectacular show. These are just a few of the many sites which really add up to a best kept secret as so often all this natural beauty is overlooked by the wreck divers
