The first day of the trip, August 2025, was blown out, but Rob, Jamie, Alana, and I opted to head down early. So while we waited for the others to arrive, Rob and I went for a swim in the sea at Bovisand Bay. It felt colder than in Portland the month before, but we were surprisingly invigorated! Once Graham and John arrived, we headed into town for dinner.
The next day, we dived the wreck of the SS Skaala, a 1,129-ton Norwegian steamer. The ship was built by Bergens Mekaniske Verksted in 1906 and, on Boxing Day 1917, was on a voyage from Port Talbot to Rouen with a cargo of 1,515 tons of ‘patent fuel’—coal briquettes, stamped Cardiff and with the Royal crown—when the German submarine UB-35 sank it. One person died.
Today, the ship lies upright in 49 metres of water. The superstructure is collapsing into the engine room, but still has an iron propeller, winches and two anchors. There is torpedo damage to the starboard side. Coal briquettes fill each of the four holds, exposed by the wooden deck being largely gone.
On the last diving day, the target was the SS Eastfield, a British collier of 2,145 tons. The ship was built by Osbourne, Graham & Co. in 1901 and, on 27 November 1917, was on a voyage from Newport to deliver a cargo of coal to Dieppe when the German submarine UB-57 sank it. One man, John Camanda, the ship’s Fireman and Trimmer, died. Today, the ship lies upright in 52 metres of water. Although reportedly commercially salvaged, it has an anchor, a large iron propeller and rudder, a triple expansion engine, and dual steam boilers. Located forward of the central boilers is a dome-topped donkey boiler. Just off the stern is the gun mount, although the 90 mm gun has reportedly been recovered.
Visibility on both days was very good, perhaps ten metres, and the water temperature was 17°C. All divers were breathing trimix, with only one not using a rebreather. Run times were 90 minutes, with 35–40 minutes on the bottom.
The wrecks are home to many conger eels, and both had a resident John Dory, which is not often seen. An octopus was also seen on the Skaala, and a cuttlefish on the Eastfield.
| Fact file | |
| Dive charter and gas | In Deep Dive Centre |
| Accommodation | The Lake House |
| Food | Turtle Bay Caribbean Restaurant Clovelly Bay Inn Hotel Mount Batten McDonalds (breakfast!) |
| Drink | The Ship The Borringdon Arms (also does food) The Royal Oak |