Swanage Day Trip August 2024

A group of 6 of us from Mid Herts drove down at a reasonable hour to be in time for our ropes off with Swanage Dive Charters at a leisurely 11.55am for the Old Harry Drift Dive.

The drift dive certainly lived up to its name as the current was fast. We deployed our DSMBs on entry, which is always fun when you are moving sideways as quite a rate. Then it was a case of hover as close to the bottom as you wanted/dared and watch the scenery and sea life pass by. There was barely time to spot and identify interesting things before they had passed underneath and certainly no time to point them out to your buddy!

There were not a huge number of fish about, a few crabs and some spotted rays and dead-men's fingers as well as various man-made objects, including a massive chain. Nevertheless, it was a great fun dive.

Then it was back to shore for lunch and a breather before our second ropes-off at 4pm. This one was to the Valentine Tanks, not far from our first dive location. There are several tanks left over from a practice session before the D-day landings in WW2. The two tanks we dived on are about 60m apart, with a shot line on each and a convenient rope to guide you between them. We were dropped in in pairs at each tank in turn to separate us out as the tanks are not huge sites to explore.

Visibility was about 2-3m, but you could barely see the tanks for the shoals of fish surrounding them! It showed us where all the fish had gone from the morning dive! Plus crabs, lobster and a good number of large Conger Eels in the crevices.

This was a most enjoyable dive, and to see so many fish was a real treat. Then it was back to shore to unpack, enjoy a swift beverage on the pier and head for home. A day trip to be recommended. Thanks to Sue Howes for organising it!