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SAS BLOEMFONTEIN – 16/12/2011

We had aimed to dive the Gemsbok, but with the weather playing silly buggers, we moved the dive to the False Bay side. We also started really early to avoid any potential wind, however we need not have bothered, as topside the conditions remained very temperate all day. On arrival at the site the water looked aquamarine blue and very inviting. As usual, we had high hopes for the viz, but were cautiously optimistic. The surface temperature was also 18C, which was very ominous.....

We headed down the shot line and although the water was clean, there was a fair amount of stringy, organic matter floating around. At about 25m however, the viz suddenly improved, but we hit a massive thermocline and the temperature plummeted  to 11C – chilly indeed.

The shot had landed on the deck, just aft of midships. This we wrestled off to the starboard side (although the one bottom diver was not his usual helpful self...) and then gently floated off to the stern. We spent a bit of time investigating just how much the wreck has sunk into the sand over the years, which in itself is quite frightening. It was then back onto the deck for a slow cruise up to the bow, where en route we checked out some old toilets and numerous deck fittings. We then drifted back to midships and soon had to start our ascent after our run time of 25 minutes.

The ascent was very predictable and with the warm water being shallow, it was welcomed. The safety divers soon joined us and no sooner has they settled in, when the one bottom diver and a safety diver caught the shadowy glimpse of a ‘man in a grey suit’. The encounter was very quick, but enjoyed by both divers. With various things on our minds (say no more!), the deco was soon over and we finished the dive. Once again a great dive by all accounts.

We are planning to get a final tech dive in for 2011 (hopefully on the MFV Afrikaner), but we will have to watch the weather....