wreck

Log This Dive

HMS GOSSAMER

The HMS Gossamer, sitting straight up at 59 metres, is one of our top picks for deep wreck diving off the UK coast. She’s an old minelayer, built in ’39, then scuttled as a target in 1970. What you get now is a beautifully intact hull, about 34 metres long, with a really satisfying amount to explore. You can still make out the forward gun mount, and the twin engines are a particular highlight for us – they’re quite impressive, sitting upright and open. We’ve always found a surprising amount of life down there, considering the depth. Conger eels often peek out from under plates, and the wreck itself is fuzzy with colourful jewel anemones and dead man’s fingers. The deep, dark water often gives it a quite eerie, almost reverent feel, especially when the light barely filters down. It’s definitely one for experienced technical divers, given the depth, but the reward is a genuinely absorbing dive on a very characterful wreck. Try to hit it on a slack tide, otherwise, the current can make the descent and ascent a bit of a slog.