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CITIZEN FRED

Citizen Fred is one of those wrecks that just makes you smile. Forget the big, deep metal behemoths; this is an intimate dive, a Folkboat, to be precise, grounded on the South Coast. We love how accessible it is, sitting practically in the shallows. You’re not fighting depth or nitrogen, just enjoying a leisurely poke around. The wreck itself is remarkably intact for a boat that's been battered by Irish seas since 1975. You can still make out the lines of the hull, the ghost of its cabin. What really grabs us though is the way life has just exploded all over it. Every crevice seems to host a blenny, and the timbers are fuzzy with anemones and hydroids. We’ve seen small pollack darting through the skeleton of the deck, and crabs scuttling amongst the keel. It’s a photographer’s dream, especially on a bright, calm day when the sun dapples through the water and illuminates the colours. Best dived at slack high tide; otherwise, the surge can make things a bit too lively. It’s a perfect site for newer wreck divers or anyone who appreciates the quiet beauty of a forgotten vessel slowly reclaimed by the sea.