wreck

Log This Dive

OCEAN SEARCHER

The *Ocean Searcher* isn't a deep dive, which is part of its charm. This old trawler, just 26 metres long, went down in a gale in 1975 and ended up on Tramore Strand. We love that it’s right there, accessible, a great option when the weather kicks up and forces us off the deeper stuff. When the tide is right, you're looking at a shallow dive, sometimes only a few metres. The wreck itself is broken, twisted metal, a testament to the storm that put it there. You can still make out the bow, the stern, and parts of the wheelhouse structure, now heavily encrusted. The light penetration is excellent, so colours pop, particularly the vivid greens of the kelp and anemones that cling to every surface. We've seen some surprisingly large pollack sheltering in the ribs of the hull, and schools of juvenile coalfish darting through the wreckage. It’s a site that changes with the seasons and the shifting sands. We’d suggest a dive at high slack tide for the calmest conditions, giving you more time to pick through the debris and imagine the trawler in its working life. It's a dive that tells a story, perfect for those who appreciate maritime history and don't mind a bit of a rumble with the surge.