💥 Shipwrecks, Tanks & Tapas – A Scuba Weekend to Remember! 💦

Karl
Jul 14
3 min read

Updated: Aug 10

Friday July 14th, Swanage – the sun was blazing, traffic was crawling, but spirits were sky-high as divers from all corners of the map converged on the charming coastal town for a weekend of underwater adventure.

The mission? Wrecks, reefs, and revelry. The vibe? Think Finding Nemo meets Top Gear with a dash of seaside pub life. 😎

🚗 Getting There: The Journey (and a Breakdown...)

Let’s be honest—getting to Swanage was... an experience. Between the sun turning our cars into mobile saunas and the motorway mayhem, it took some effort. Special mention to Martin, who heroically made it after a breakdown just 50 minutes out. (Not all heroes wear fins!)

Eventually, we all landed at The Limes—our cozy HQ just a short stroll from the pier. Plenty of parking, comfy beds, and a bar to toast our arrival. Cheers to that. 🍻

🌅 Day One: Pier Pressure & Fishy Firsts

Rise and shine! Some early birds among us took one for the team and queued up for those coveted pier parking spots. Big shoutout to the sunrise squad.

And it was worth it—the gatekeeper at Swanage Pier beamed as she told us it was “the best conditions she’d seen in years.” You could practically see the sea life waving us in.

☕ With caffeine from The Hideaway café fueling us, we kitted up and took the plunge beneath Swanage Pier.

Warm, clear water. Sunbeams slicing through the pillars. Marine life everywhere. For many, this was their first-ever UK sea dive—and what a way to start!

The second dive of the day was just as magical, with buddy teams confidently going solo (well, duo). Karl looked like a proud dive dad watching everyone smash their underwater goals. 🐟👏

After two dives, our tanks were empty but our spirits were full—so off we went for food and drinks at Smoke on the Water, a name that couldn’t be more fitting.

⚓ Day Two: Wrecks, Tanks & Conger Eels (Oh My!)

Back on the pier early Sunday, we prepped for a day of boat dives aboard Spike, the legendary catamaran run by Divers Down.

First stop: the wreck of the Fleur de Lys, a charmingly collapsed wooden trawler sitting at 13-14 metres. A short swim later we found a barge full of curious creatures—fish, nudibranchs, and one absolutely chonky lobster.

Between dives, we soaked up some sun, swapped cylinders, and snacked (as divers do). Then it was off again, this time past the iconic Old Harry Rocks, gleaming in the sunlight like something out of a postcard.

Next up: the legendary Valentine Tanks. These WW2 relics, now resting 15 metres down, are connected by a rope like some kind of underwater obstacle course—except instead of mud and tires, there are Conger eels and Spider crabs. One tank even had sandbags piled high, now home to some impressively large and slightly intimidating eels. (Don’t worry—they were friendly...ish.)

Every diver surfaced grinning. That’s the scuba magic.

🥂 The Grand Finale: Tapas, Toasts & Big Milestones

Once our fins were off and gear was rinsed, it was time to celebrate.

We headed into town for some well-earned tapas (a bit slow to arrive, but worth the wait!) and raised our glasses to an unforgettable weekend.

🥳 Special shoutouts:

Suzi & Kaleb hit their 50th dive – legends!
Many divers checked off their first-ever sea and boat dives – huge!
And Kellie deserves a standing ovation (or at least a cold drink) for organizing the whole trip so flawlessly.

🧭 So... Where To Next?

With sunburnt noses, salty smiles, and dive logs full of new memories, we wrapped up an epic weekend that had it all—wrecks, wildlife, firsts, food, and friendship.

Until next time… keep your regs in, your fins up, and your sense of adventure alive.

- The Scuba Libre Diving Team 🌊