wreck

Log This Dive

LAPWING (POSSIBLY) OR SOUTH WESTERN

Now, if you like a proper bit of history with your dive, the Lapwing is for you. We’ve done this one a few times, and it always delivers that classic wreck dive feel. Dropping down to 35 metres, you hit the bow first, and the iron plates just loom out of the gloom. It’s a good size wreck, 64 metres long, so there’s plenty to explore. We love nosing around the engine room, where the single boiler is still pretty intact. You can picture the steam rising, the old compound expansion engine chugging away back in 1872. Everywhere you look, the ironwork is encrusted with dead man's fingers and colourful jewel anemones, creating these unexpected splashes of orange and pink. Look closely, and you’ll spot conger eels in the darker recesses and pollack darting through the superstructure. Visibility can be a bit variable, mind, but when it’s good, the sheer scale of the wreck really hits you. It’s a dive that rewards slow exploration and a keen eye for both history and the marine life that now calls this old steamer home.