Le Polynesien wreck (Malta)

[Pierre Farrugia]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hello all,

As promised yesterday I will write a report on this wreck. This wreck is called 'Le Polynesien', mostly known as plate ship due to large quantities of plates found in this ship. This ship is 152m long and launched in 1890. This ship sank in 1918 by a german torpedo 3 miles off Zonqor Point, M'Scala. And now lies in 60+m of water, slightly listing to starport side.

To dive this site we contacted a local boat owner and as he already had customers, he agreed to take us along. Other divers were going to conduct normal dives on it so we were asked not to stay in water more than 1 hrs. So we filled twins. get deco cylinders and went at meeting point 10 min before. We were first there.As other divers came, a school owner with customers, complained that he hired the boat and did not want us on the boat, as he said did not want to be resonsable to us. As I heard that I confronted him, and told him how can you say that, when you are going to take customers to a 55m dive on single cylinde and no back up and we had twin 12's and a stage each, also knowing that this place have strong currents. Then boat owner as a gentleman he offerd to take us after this group me and buddy alone at no exra cost and we agreed.
The boat came back with these divers and told us that there were strong currents and due to this and because skipper did not shot good they did not find wreck. Also told us better not to dive due to current but we agreed to have a try and if worst happens we can the dive. On site Skipper showed us shot and also wreck on his depth sounder so he was wright shot was ok. We kit up and jumped about 10m from shot so current will take us directly to shot and then stright down. From 30m we were seeing the wreck. It's deck are at 50m one side and 56m on the other. Apart from it's age it's still in a very good shape. undewater current was nearly none. We droped exactly on the bow, which is very stream lined like that of Titanic   . As we finned you can see big shafts with grates going down to ship bottom and plates every where and even glasses. Also marine life is very good with big groupers. Then w found an opening leading to a room with a hole in the pavements. There were small blocks of black concrete like 10cm*25cm*8cm. Also on it's deck I found a ventilator fan with 4 blades of that time wow! As we had 20min bottom time, time ran very quickly and had to go up shot line. Deco passed quickly as we had only 20min at 6m last stop and were happly that we did a very good dive on thais special wreck. Next planned dive would be using trimix and a decent bottom time.
NB. that dives that didn't want us on this boat were still waiting for the baot for second boat dive and from our big smile they quickly knew that we found the wreck and did a good dive on it.

Dive profile

Depth      Mix       Time      RT
55           21         20        20
34           21           1        23
23           21           1        25
15           60           1        27
12           60           1        28
9            60           4        33
6            60          20       53+5mis safety stop
3            60           3 sfety stop

The above profile was cut from proplanner with 10% safety and 25% micrbubble formation and taking into accont that were where deco in 28'c adding extr time is no problem

[Adrian Kelland]

Pierre

Good write up. I have mostly done shallow (less than 40m) dives in Malta and Gozo, mostly the usually tourist sites. It was good to read about one that I doubt is visited by holiday divers. I will have to grow my dive skills to do such a wreck though.

I would have like to hear the school owner's reasons for only using single cyliners on such a dive.

Adrian

[Pierre Farrugia]

<font color='#0000FF'>Thanks Adrian,

Here tech diving is at it's start. It's not normal you see divers with twins &nbsp;. The common rule here is single 15's or 18's. Also have to add that 3 weeks ago about 6 local divers using single 12's lost a LOT of deco ( i heard 60min) as they didn't find shot, of which had their deco cylinders. We take everything with us as you are never sure to go to shot line again.

Pierrre

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Pierre Farrugia @ Aug. 24 2003,11:51)]Here tech diving is at it's start. It's not normal you see divers with twins  . The common rule here is single 15's or 18's. Also have to add that 3 weeks ago about 6 local divers using single 12's lost a LOT of deco ( i heard 60min) as they didn't find shot, of which had their deco cylinders. We take everything with us as you are never sure to go to shot line again.

Pierre

Sounds like a couple of incidents are due to happen unless the schools get their act together quickly. The 6 that missed a lot of deco must have been badly bent, or very, very lucky.

I don't know what the legal situation is in Malta, but that must be very close to negligence on the part of the dive planners.

Adrian

[Pierre Farrugia]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hello,

Here in Malta technical diving is still not legal nor illegal, there is no law about it. Here if you dive deeper that 40m due to old rules what ever is your qualification you are in wrong. Hopefully dive schools and Gov are working on new rules about Nitrox and trimix..hopefully. Also on this wreck already died 2 divers in differnt situation and aother bend. Some divers do not realise that this dive is not a game and nor they build up accordingly.

Those guys who got bent went to chamber and only one was half paralysed but after chamber everything was ok.

Also one thing I forgot to write it was also a reord dive for my DIY canister light.......strong light....no flooding

Regards

Pierre

[Mark Chase]

Nice one Pierre

Top Report

I want to try to convince AndyP to come with me over to Malta next year. I want to do the deep wrecks on Trimix if possable.

What month do you recommend fro best chance of calm sea?
My last two atempts at the sub wer October and March and they were both blown out

ATB

Mark Chase

[Pierre Farrugia]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hello Mark,

Here best is Jun, Jul and Aug. I think you will notice the difference while on deco with 28'c water temp. If you will be comming let me know and I will help you out for dive sites, boats and wrecks. Hopefully this time we meet and dive. I can get you in contact with a school for trimix fills. Hopefully by next year I will start mix my own. Also plate ship is 100% better dive than sub, sub is nice but not comparable to plate ship. There is even Soutwald blow in half with guns still pointing upwards.

Regards

Pierre