Exploration week

We had a chance for a week of some shallow exploration dives. There were several projects we wanted to do, so we took the opportunity. Our first target was some cast iron blocks we had previosuly found. We looked around the iron block site, we couldn't find any other evidence of a wreck but there was no way these were dropped by accident. Most likely keel blocks from a small fishing boat, with a keel approxiamtely 6m long. There is a lot of water movement in the area, so any other items may have been washed out to sea.

The next target was a small cave, we entered the cave and swam to where we thought there was an exit in the cave roof. We then realised that the cave continued further on, we progressed. It went very dark then a green blurry window appeared, we headed towards the window and realised it was a small exit, ninety degrees to the cave. In all, the cave is about 30-40m long. Depths range from 10-2m depending on tide and where you are in the cave. A cracking little easy swimthrough.

The next location was a site we have been exploring for various reasons. This time we were looking for some granite cargo/ballast, from a wreck we had believed to be in the area from our research with English Heritage. We did two dives and found some wreckage, it was of the wrong age, it gives us another wreck to ID.

Then we headed to Killigerran Head to look for the Andromeda. This site has been dived in the past but all the GPS marks were wrong. We searched the area and found a rocky outcrop that would look like a wreck on a sounder, we have some excellent visibility but never found the wreck. We were told by an ex-dive boat operator that it was close to Porthmellin Head, hidden in a gully, 250m away from Killigerran Head. As we approached, the water got very shallow. It then dropped off again. Hunting around with the sounder we found a safe way in, which turned out to be where the bow of the Andromeda was, identified by the hawse pipes.
So, during seven days, we had found a swimthrough cave, two new wrecks and one old lost wreck.

We also managed to complete an Open Water course and an Advanced Open Water Course. As well as a couple of commercial dives in the middle.