Moldavia August 2006
I wasn’t going to do a report of my dive today. Just a last quick dive on the Moldavia before I go away with the kids, booked by Mark Emery but when he couldn’t come Mark Powell said he fancied a fun dive.
Mark phoned me last night to check the forecast as it looked dodgy but Steve said come on down. So I picked Mark up in Guildford and we hit Brighton bright and early. Conditions looked good. Erm…. “That is because the wind is coming off the land” said Steve. “It will be different out at sea”. And it was – oh boy it was….. I don’t feel seasick (or at least I haven’t yet) but felt sorry for those who went green.
When we got to the site I didn’t need much encouragement to kit up though and Mark and I hit the water first as we had the longest possible runtime. I managed to get hung up on the trail line from the shot but Mark sorted this out and we descended.
Down, down, down and – there is the wreck. Hang on – we are only at 20 meters – the Mol is at least 40 to the deck….
WOW!!! Welcome to the channel’s version of the red sea – with a better wreck!
I’ve dived the Moldavia twice before but have had poor viz both times and I didn’t really feel that I knew the wreck at all. This time we could see the whole thing stretched out in front of us – and there is enough light to enjoy it all without a torch.. This is why I wanted to do UK trimix diving - better viz and better wrecks deeper but this is the first ‘WOW’ one I had done.
Mark was leading and found a neat but very long swim through which we entered and made our way along – past a toilet which made me think of the Thistlegorm…. To get back into open water we had to swim up vertically through a hole in the roof where I exited – dumping from the front dump of my wing – to find Mark sitting there taking the mick out of my vertical trim at this point. I responded in the appropriate manner!
Past the gun and down towards the bow where I amused Mark by swimming right out beyond the end of the wreck….. in order to turn back and do my ‘gaze and soak up the atmosphere’ bit. I had figured the Mol to be very broken down bu the bow is still very intact and is massive – very impressive moment indeed.
Then in through another swim through – right by the bow. This, again, offered us a rather long penetration but I was reaching minimum gas and indicated to Mark that I would prefer to take an earlier exit a short way in.
Out on to the deck and we are surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of fish which we attack with our light beams as they are getting in the way of the wreck. I’ve lent Mark a Heser light for this dive as his primary had died and I turn to find he has deployed one of his back ups and is comparing the beams of the two. The sign he gave seemed to indicate that his is broken – which was odd as it appeared to be on ;o)
We make it back to the stern – that’s two and a half times the whole wreck in one dive – pretty much half of one length done inside as well. It’s time to go.
I call deco and, having discussed Mark’s views on deep stops, am toying with the idea of calling it slightly shallower than I normally would for his comfort. When we get to 36 metres I pause and realise that I can still see the wreck. That decides it for me – decoing in sight of the wreck after leaving it is to surreal for diving in the UK so I take us up to 33
My deco doesn’t break Mark – although it does bend his computer – and we surface with the sort of post dive grin I haven’t had since leaving Mexico behind. What a fantastic dive. Now we just have to get on the boat.
I figured that having to equalize my ears regularly on the 6 metre hang was we were moved around a great deal meant that the exit would be interesting – but I hadn’t figured on this.
Nauticat is a fair way away and isn’t moving towards us - doesn’t appear to be lifting divers either. I notice a trawler heading towards us and get a little bit concerned. I then realise that it isn’t a trawler – it is a container ship and it is a long way away – but closing fast on the position that Nauticat is in.
Steve is clearly and rightly protecting divers and we will be on our own until he is free to move. We turn and find Spartacat keeping watch on us – turns out Steve is hanging by two of Spartacat’s divers and they are returning the favour. Steve has to radio the ship to change course - wouldn’t want to get much closer than this.
Back on the boat for choccy biscuits for those of us who don’t feed the fish on the way home.
Days like this is what we dive for…. What a wonderful hobby
