England

United Kingdom

Small section of a larger lake great for training and try dives. Silty bottom gets very stirred up when busy so vis is at times almost non existent. A couple of interesting surprises in the water.



Buckland Lake

A new dive site in easy reach of M20/M25. Vis is usually good for a UK lake. Small friendly team running site with free tea/coffee included in entry fee. a few attractions at the time of writing but I believe more are on the way.

Update June 2010 - underwater attractions include, 4 training platforms, large digger tyres for buoyancy practice, large boat with swim through suitable for wreck course, several smaller boats, statues, mopeds and more... They have male and female changing rooms and toilets on the lake edge. Entry to the lake is via a slipway or a floating jetty for deep water entry. Diving at this site is always enjoyable and the staff make you feel really welcome.

Access to the lake is just off the A228, behind the Jet petrol station (and wimpy). You need to travel through the construction site but the road is tarmac and there is parking on the waters edge. If you get lost phone the dive centre on 0750 762 4911 and they will direct you. During the week there is usually a security guard on the gate and you will need to sign in, if the gates are shut call the dive centre and they will open up for you.

Holborough Lake

Good site for practice and to look at the fishes there and also there a few objects to look at as well.

Dive site is accessed through the Leybourne Dive shop because is Key entry to the site it is then a little ledge to gain entry

Leybourne Inland dive site

British Navy Destroyer 'B'-class destroyer built in 1928 by Palmer & Co; and entered service in 1931. Brazen measured 323ft x 32ft with a 34,000 hp steam turbines giving a top speed of 35 knots; she was armed with four 4.7" and 2 anti-aircraft guns, eight 21" torpedo tubes and depth chargers. 

The destroyer Brazen was escorting convoy CW7 in the North Sea when she was attacked by German bombers on July 21st, 1940 as they traveled through the straits of Dover. She shot down three aircraft before she was hit and badly damaged. An attempt was made to tow her but this proved impossible and she was abandoned and sank some hours after the attack. The Brazen was commanded by Lt. Cdr. Sir Michael Culme-Seymour and carried a complement of 138, of whom one stoker petty-officer died of wounds (after he was taken off the ship) and four stokers were wounded. 

Diving: Until a few years ago she was standing 8m proud and reasonably intact but in two halves, about 100m apart, the seabed is sand and gravel. Recently she has become buried in the sand and less of the wreck can be seen, however, torpedo tubes, depth chargers and the guns are still present and together with the excellent visibility it's still worth a visit.


From Dover

HMS Brazen is also known as H80.

HMS Brazen

The dive site is open lake with a few cargo containers and a subway tube sunk for the deep section along with training platforms and the usual cars and boats as well, apparently a helicopter?

Dive site located close to the M25 and is quite easy to find from local roads good parking close to dive site

Wraysbury

A UB Type III boat built by Blomm & Voss, Hamburg.  This is a WW1 Coastal attack sub commissioned in 1917 and sunk by a mine on 19th April 1918 losing all hands from a crew of 35.

She now lies upright and intact on a sandy seabed at 28m she has a list of about 40 degrees to port, but the conning tower, gun and bow are all intact and the blown off stern is close by. There are torpedoes in her bow tubes, the outer hull is now breaking down to reveal the inner pressure hull she is still very intact and easily recognisable.

This makes a fantastic night dive as all the brass shows up and both lobster and edible crab are plentiful.

By boat from Dover marina or Folkestone.

UB-78

The Loanda was a 2702-ton, 253hp triple-expansion engines steamer, measuring 328ft x 39ft, built in 1891. The ship was travelling from Hamburg to West Africa, for the Elder Dempster Line, when she collided with the Russian steamer Junona.

The cargo was hundreds of cases of gin, rum, champagne and barrels of gunpowder. She was badly damaged on port side near engine room, an attempt was made to save her but she sank under tow on the 31 May, 1908.

Diving: Upright and 5m proud at a depth of 17-23m, the top is generally at 18m and if you drop into the holds you will be at 20m or so. Slack can be early so get to the site in plenty of time, must be dived on slack tide. Sweeping and collision damage have exposed the engines. The bell has been recovered. Bottles everywhere, mainly gin and champagne but contents undrinkable. Lots of clay pipes/perfume bottles and trading beads. Prop intact. Tales of thousands of newly minted shillings being carried by the Loanda are not borne out by the manifest.

Lots of Lobsters, Edible Crab and Conger's.

Information from Canterbury Divers website which is extremely informative for wrecks in and around the Dover area.



Loanda Wreck



Good access with beach car park or boat launch from Newhaven marina.

Newhaven West Arm

This is the wreck of the P+O liner built in 1888.  ALthough currents a minor, watch for tidal effects



Oceana is also known as The O.

Oceana

Wreck of armed merchantman. She was 3753 tons and was carrying wheat before being torpedoed on 3 may 1917. She was 243ft long and had a beam of 47ft. 

The hull is relatively intact considering the age. She is broken in the middle, but the bow and stern can be seen. Stern has a large propeller. Sea bed is around 30m with wreck proud,stern is highest point at 24m. 

Nice wreck with good fish life.

Wreck is dived from a boat and lies off Newhaven.

Clodmoor

The wreck is inverted and slightly twisted with her Port side largely on the seabed, the wreck is very clean of silt and although covered in fishing lines and lost hooks and lures is really hazard free as these are easy to avoid.

A maximum depth of 32m, however most of the length the max is only 29-30m with the hull rising up to 22m, the interesting side is the Starboard side which is generally clear of the seabed.

The engine room and stern area are very open and easy to look into and there is a companionway running just inside the starboard side from the break which is roughly amidships.

The stern is quite broken up but the bows are intact and there are plenty of Guns and other fittings to see,

By boat.  Wreck is located approx 8 miles WNW of Calais.

Permission is required to dive this wreck from the French authorities.  However if you contact Canterbury Divers (www.canterburydivers.org.uk) we are happy to pass on the contact details and information requirements. 

You will also be required to book in with Cape Griz Nez when on site diving in accordance with SOLAS5.

Must be dived in slack water only.

Buckland Lake

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Buckland Lake