Trip report - Team Chaos dive with Delta out of Littlehampton - A superb day out

[Janos]

I've just got back from a great days diving with Delta, diving from Paul Child's boat Voyager out of Littlehampton.

The day began well when I answered the door to Chasey in my pants - at 0515 he was a little earlier than expected. As I popped up to get changed I thought he'd carry my kit to his car but sadly not.

We arrived at Littlehampton, but it was a little bit breezy. Apparently it had been very breezy the day before, and so we decided to do something closer inshore - around 20 miles out or so. We decided to do what Delta call 'the brass wreck'. I was a bit worried here, because you never see sharks in a foreign dive site called shark bay or something, so I wasn't expecting any brass on the Brass wreck but we'll see.

A couple of hours out and I try and get some sleep, but we're soon on site and then it's time to get in. Chasey and I are second wave in, and it's our job to tie in the deco station. We do this, then bubble check and head to the bottom. As we're going down the viz is fantastic and I'm getting more and more excited.

The wreck itself is upright, and old. She's pretty flat above where the waterline would have been, but there's lots and lots of interesting bits and bobs on her. Chasey is laying the line. I find a lobster and point it out to him. At this point his excitement overcomes him and he fluffs the lobster, which sheds it's claws. I pick it up for him and bag it up. I spot another lobster, and in best BSAC instructor 'Demo-Do' tradition let him have a go.

We wander off down the wreck, there's lots of wierd stuff on here, a huge upturned copper bowl which I've no idea what it is, and lots of brass pipe fittings and so on. Plenty of old ink bottles too. I spot another lobster, and am pleased to see that Chasey is getting the hang of catching them cleanly. Oh, and there are scallops too.

We work our way through the debris of the wreck, then after 40 minutes or so we're back at the shot. We have time for a quick shufty up to the bow, where there's some nice china, but nothing entire, then back to the shot and on towards the stern, where we spot another couple of large lobbies, and I find a square tiled plate of some sort. I try and work out what it is, as there are some painted marks on it, but it's almost entirely obscured by glue. I hand it to chasey for a better look, and he points out that the 'glue' is actually some sort of picture of cherubs! Doh!

Back to the shot I allow Chasey the honour of carrying my goody bags up, and we sit out an uneventful couple of hours of deco.

Back on board I'm very pleased with my plate, and here are a couple of photos. Chasey is also very pleased as he's got enough lobsters to make Missus Chase very happy. And we all know what happens then (wink wink).

So all in all a top day out. The only downside was when I tried to stop two lobster from fighting each other (I am an Honoury Prince of the Lobster Realm) and got a nip on my finger for my trouble.


Thanks to Mark for buddying me and the Delta boys and girls for letting me come along.

Janos

[Buoyant Babe]

Great report Janos, but you don't want to let Chasey in your pants

[Janos]

And here are a couple of piccies

[milldog]

Excellent report mate

Graham

[purple vonny]

How old are your cherubs? Ancient or Woolies circa 1970?

Sounds like an exciting dive and you will both be in for a tasty tea tonight!

Nice report.

[Janos]

Originally Posted by purple vonny

How old are your cherubs? Ancient or Woolies circa 1970?

Sounds like an exciting dive and you will both be in for a tasty tea tonight!

Nice report.

I'm lead to believe it's a very old wreck, so I think they are definitely old. There's a signature underneath the crud, but I'm going to be very patient with this one.

Janos

[stevechesh]

nice one Janos....Looking at the second picture, i am pretty sure that white socks and brown footwear whilst wearing shorts is a definate fashion no-no

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by Janos

... The only downside was when I tried to stop two lobster from fighting each other (I am an Honoury Prince of the Lobster Realm) and got a nip on my finger for my trouble.

Janos

The only time this has happened to me is after diving with you...

The tile may well have maker stamps, part numbers or year codes on the rear.

Great report.

Adrian

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by stevechesh

nice one Janos....Looking at the second picture, i am pretty sure that white socks and brown footwear whilst wearing shorts is a definate fashion no-no

F### me???? fashion critics on YD?? Are you a GUE diver


T,was a cracking dive. I am very grateful to Janos on the lesson on how to catch lobsters. Mind you I did think it odd that I had to pull both claws off before he would catch the little fella. I made a mess of the two big ones by leaving the claws on. Ill try and do better next time.

The dive was a classic rummage on a badly broken wreck. Lots of wood around and the engine design suggests that this was indeed a very old steam ship. The pic of the tile Janos found doesn't do it justice its a stunning piece and has to rank high in the best spidge ever contest. Aside from this we got some china with a Barcelona print on it and bottles of strange blue mercury looking stuff which turned out to be printers ink

The tide got us in the end but it was a good neep and wonderful to have the best part of an hour on the bottom at 50-55 or something m.

Thursdays dive was on a Dutch ship known in error as German1. Its upside down in 70m and we were greeted with 10m+ viz. Highlight of the dive was penetrating the wreck just behind the engine room and being in a cavernous space with four massive free swimming conga. I know water magnifies things but id say 2.5m+ long and 400mm across. The biggest conga i have seen free swimming. Two were lazily cruising around and the others were almost stationary on the ceiling.

Exiting this area we headed for the stern where the 4m diameter prop was still in place which is always an exciting find for me.

40mins on the bottom and sadly the deco was getting silly so we left. I had dived this wreck before with Delta but my suit flooded so it was a very quick look. This time i got a really good feel for the wreck and it was a great dive.

ATB

Mark

[PeeBee]

Nice spidge Janos, shame about the baby lobbies couldn't you two handle grown up ones?