wreck

Log This Dive

CAMBERWELL

Camberwell, down in Cornwall, is one of those wrecks that really sticks with you. She's a big old steamship, 112 metres of her, sitting upright and mostly intact on a sandy seabed at 27 metres. We love that you can still make out her original shape – the bow points north, and her stern is home to three massive boilers, still standing proud. Dropping down, you feel the sheer scale of her, the way the light filters through the structure. This isn’t a rummage wreck; it's an exploration. We like to start at the bow, poking around the mast and the foredeck, often finding conger eels peering out from gaps. Midships, the cargo holds are open, a little dark, but the beams of your torch pick out schooling bib and pollack darting through. The triple-expansion engine is also a highlight, a really impressive piece of industrial history. Our favourite part has to be the stern, though. Those three boilers are like apartment blocks for critters, covered in jewel anemones and dead man’s fingers. Visibility can be a bit of a gamble, but on a good day, it's easily 10-15 metres, and the current is usually manageable. It’s a dive for those who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of a deeper profile.