wreck

Log This Dive

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is one of those wrecks we keep coming back to in Lyme Bay, and for good reason. It’s a fishing vessel, went down back in ‘81 while under tow, and now she sits upright in about 23 metres. We love that upright position; it gives her real character, not just a pile of twisted metal. The wheelhouse is still largely intact, a real draw for a bit of penetration if you're comfortable in overhead environments. You can poke around the hold too, which is usually choked with bib and pollock, sometimes a shy conger. The deck is a carpet of dead man's fingers and anemones, a riot of orange and white in the torch beam. Look closely for those tiny jewel anemones, they're everywhere. Visibility here can be a bit of a lottery, as it often is in Lyme Bay. We've had days where you can see the whole wreck from bow to stern, and others where it's a six-foot crawl. Our advice? Pick your slack water window carefully; the currents can be quite frisky on the pushes. She’s a great dive for experienced wreck divers looking for something a bit more than just a lump on the seabed, offering enough structure to make multiple dives interesting.