(April 17) Dorset Gas Divers dives three of Portland's deeper wrecks over this week observing some spectacular visibility ranging up to 10 metres. The Salsette (46m) and the U772 (55m) adopted by MDD/DGD were dived last week alongside the Warrior II (54m).

(Above: DGD members Adam and Liisa with DIS-UK's David Applin set to dive the Salsette. Note: Red wing in foreground not part of the team :-)

(Above: DGD member Joao shares his feelings with a genuine smile just before going down on the Salsette in the first team).

Sea Life:
As conditions around Portland improve the Spring is definitely here with an overwhelming increase in sea life observed around the island's wrecks. The Salsette was crowded with schools of fish and the occasional Bass and lobsters. The Warrior II is once again becoming a haven for lobsters and crabs. The U772 was simply loaded with life (or perhaps we could see more of it). Those that DGD members talked about most were the many congers on the wrecks, a scene of two giant crabs holding claws in what appeared to be a mating seduction and what can only be called "a monster lobster" everyone took a look at but no one dared touch inside the hull of the U772.

Weather and Wind:
Mainly sunny with only one downpour while on the U772 that was accompanied by some surface swell but otherwise optimum.

Equipment & Gases:
All DGD members on the dives wore Hogarthian rigs supported by wing with 55lbs lift capacity. All divers were equipped with reels, spools, SMBs, primary and backup torches as required by the DGD. Only non narcotic gases were used on all of the dives ranging from 15/55 to 18/45 per-preference without any change in decompression procedures. 50% Nitrox was used across the board for deco although some members used the opportunity to practice two stages and employed 100% too.

At least three teams dived on each of the dives with runtimes just under 60 minutes using trimix as bottom gas and 50% for deco. The first dive of the week was on the Salsette where at 45 metres the visibility was approximately 2 to 3 metres yet conditions were "dark". The second dive was on the remains of the wreck of the Warrior II and through DGD member and that day's skipper Jay's skilful shotting, a dive that started off straight from the boilers. Visibility was in excess of 4 metres. The third dive was the best for everyone as conditions were "blue" even at a depth of 55 metres and visibility on the U772 was in the range of 10 metres -- enough for all teams to keep visual contact with each other.

Back this week!...