Wrecks of Puerto Del Carmen

Dive Shop: mojo dive
Dive Site: wrecks of puerto del carmen

Somehow the video did not workout. The media below I’ve pieced together from some scraps of time-lapse.

We started by taking a boat from the Puerto del Carmen beach, same location as dives 16-17, south. Along the coast the water was calm and we moored the outside barrier wall of a harbor. Substituting nature for mass of concrete was a change. Felt post apocalyptic.

I went to hard with my rear entry and after popping up to the surface I was missing my snorkel. Holding my breath and looking down I saw it slowly sinking toward the field of concrete blocks below. Being in scuba gear I could have descended and grabbed it but in that second I judged staying at the surface with the group and waiting for the okay to descend better.

Snorkels are a non essential piece of dive equipment. After talking with the dive masters I requested we hunt for it for 30 sec and them move on. Diving in someways is a team sport an there is no use in holding up the group for a 15 EUR snorkel.

The scale of the wall and blocks bellow created feeling of miniaturization. The feeling off a 12m deep swimming pool is something I’ll remember a long time.

As detailed in the map after descending to the base of the wall we went out over a series of deeper wrecks. In order to stay within our no deco time limits and keep air consumption reasonable we swarm ~5m over them.

Masha and I, accompanied by a dive master, brought up the rear of a ~13 member diver party. Flashes of an expensive dive camera and the scene of divers spreading out over the wrecks filled my view. Slowly I swam on practicing the sort of waking meditation that leaves plenty off air in the tank. While everyone seemed to focused on what was bellow us I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling of something above. Turning over my right shoulder I saw it.

The huge wreck above stood cantilevered out over a cliff creating a dramatic setting. We continued our dive underneath it to the end of the deeper wrecks and back around / up.

Normally divers of our certification level are not advised to penetrate wrecks. In this case for several reasons we deemed it okay:

• entrance and exit openings were large
• would be in eye line of dive master the entire time
• the spot is frequently visited and is free is surprise sharp edges
• we briefed on the possibility to enter with the dive masters ahead of time
• got to get experience somehow

We started at the bow of ship were an octopus was hiding among the planks. After approaching he wiggle walked to a different position before I could get a photo.

When the rest of the group was finished in the area Masha and I with the dive master waiting outside did our penetration.

In 17 dives I’ve gotten comfortable controlling my buoyancy, luckily. The openings in the ship may look big in the photos but swimming though them without touching anything felt like threading a needle. I can’t imagine the much smaller openings common in more complex wreck penetrations.

Once inside my fins did bump the hull, but for my first time I think its a pass. It was cool looking into the darkness towards the stern. Exploring sunken wrecks is definitely something I could get into.

This dive turned out to be my favorite of the entire trip. If you get the chance to do it when you are in Puerto del Carmen I can’t recommend it enough.