wreck

Log This Dive

HIXIE 49

HIXIE 49. The name sounds like a coded message, and diving this wreck often feels like uncovering a secret. We love this site not just for the wreck itself, but for the journey to get there, usually a choppy, invigorating boat ride out from Oban or Mull. This isn’t a warm water drift, it's proper Scottish diving, cold and atmospheric. Dropping down, the visibility on a good day gives you plenty of time for the shape of the coaster to emerge from the green gloom. She sits upright, pretty intact, and while she's not dangerous, we’d suggest good buoyancy for exploring the cargo holds. Sunlight filters through the kelp forest that dances on her upper decks, and that’s where you’ll find the real action. Fat plumose anemones, like alien flowers, cover almost every surface, along with nudibranchs in surprising bursts of colour. Look for the wolfish that often lurk in the shadowed nooks, their toothy grins a perfect photo opportunity. It’s a site that rewards multiple dives; you always spot something new. For divers who appreciate history, a bit of chill, and wrecks that are slowly being reclaimed by the sea, HIXIE 49 is a fantastic afternoon.