Cheers us up with your best dives!

[Decosnapper]

• HMS Royal Oak, Scapa Bay
• Lophelia Pertusa Reef, Trondhiem
• Junkers 52, Hartvig Vannet
• Cannon Site, Chesil
• Belliver, Aland
• Northern Arch, Poor Knights
• German Pinnace, Scapa Flow
• E49, Unst
• Elise Schulte, Narvik

That lot again, in no particular order, would do very nicely.

[snowman]

Thought I'd pop a post in here about a dive I did on Saturday.

Nothing special/deep/noteworthy in most respects as it was just a gentle drift on White Nothe, near Weymouth after a dive on the gloomy, but still enjoyable Elena R in the morning.

The vis was good, with plenty of light, which always helps, if a little snotty, but it was my first sight of what I believe was a Thornback Ray that stands out.

We saw a good number of Dogfish, too, many swimming which is something I've not seen a lot before, they're notoriously lazy creatures in my experience.

Also, what looked like a Scorpion Fish, but I reckon must have been a Gurnard on reflection.

A great second dive, which buoyed my enthusiasm for Portland area drift dives.

M

[MarkP]

...enthusiasm for Portland area drift dives.

Nice. I saw my first thornback round there too. My favourite memory of White Nothe, however, wasn’t a drift. I spent most of that dive above a field of burrowing sea cucumbers, almost mesmerised by their super-smooth hypnotic feeding action. Utterly lovely.

I posted earlier in this thread and said I’d probably remember more… You mentioned drift and I have just kicked myself. How did I miss out the first time I dived the Falls of Lora?

Absolutely cracking dive, sweeping along 3metre wide mussel-lined gullies, watching crabs feeding on the mussels. If a crab became dislodged, it would be tumble along and down, setting off a chain reaction as each crab knocked off several others, which knocked off... Please don't ask my how I know this.

It was a 6kt cruise, apparently, throughout which I was pretty much on the brink of losing control. What a ride!

Nearby, just outside the Dunstafnage Marina, was a site our (dodgy-ish) Scouse skipper Andy called the Small Crack. We were a bit sceptical as it seemed like a site chosen for the skipper’s convenience rather than its marine wonders, but fcuk me, if you like wildlife it is / was awesome. A horizontal crack in a rock face, perhaps 10-15m long, between 10 and 20cm high, who knows how far back it goes, and not very deep at all, perhaps 10m or so. It was crammed with juvenile flat fish, octopus, squat lobsters, eels etc.

I went back a few years later, with Mrs MarkP as my marine biologist buddy. We were with another skipper as Andy had apparently left in a bit of a hurry... Anyway, I’d raved about the site which, from my description, the Silver Swift’s skipper Alan knew as Andy’s Crack. He didn’t know exactly where it was, but I must have been paying attention first time there, as I recognised the drop in spot and was able to give the dive briefing. All the divers found the crack and all raved about it.

If you’re ever up that way I thoroughly recommend both sites, especially if you have a skipper who’ll put you in at the Falls when there’s a decent run going. You just have to be very sure all the divers are up to it. Andy's Crack is suitable for all levels, if you can find it.