Wreck- and Caverndiving

Enjoy diving in caverns and wrecks and discover a new world

Gozo and Malta are popular for the variety of wrecks sitting on our seabeds. Natural site attractions have been enhanced by purposefully scuttled vessels creating interesting attractions for divers as well as important breeding grounds for our marine life. The variety is vast starting from a depth of 15 meters i.e. the PASEWALK (P31) at Comino, followed by other wrecks, i.e. Cominoland, Karwela, Boltenhagen (P29) or Rozi, all at an approximate depth of 37 meters.

For Technical Divers the islands boast of other wrecks, such as the Stubborn at 56 meters and the Southwold at a depth of over 70 meters.

The conclusion: The Maltese Islands are a MEKKA for wreck lovers.

The Wrecks

For some, it is just a boring “Scrapheap”, for others it is a fascinating destination, documenting time, an artifact piece, a technical development or an artificial reef. ( development and location of new life )

Enthusiasts encourage projects for disused ships to be scuttled worldwide (at carefully chosen sites) creating an attraction for divers. Artificial reefs are created, offering a new habitat and shelter for marine life.

GOZO/Malta offers a large variety of wrecks, starting from the region of 18 meters to the deeper ones set on a seabed of 38/40 meters. The islands hold opportunities for both – experienced and inexperienced recreational diver.

Courses available are: CMAS / IAC /VDST / PADI Wreck Diver.

We offer services for Groups and Clubs for weekly expeditions focusing mainly on Wreck Diving. Individual group advise is available and further more we cater for your requirements.

Our “repertoir” includes:

Pasewalk

Pasewalk – Was a Kondor I-class minesweeper built in East Germany. After the Volksmarine was disbanded just before the reunification of Germany, she was sold to Malta in 1992 and renamed P31 and was used as a patrol boat. After being decommissioned, she was scuttled as a dive site in 2009 off Comino. It is sitting in an upright position on a sandy seabed.

Average Depth: 12 – 18 meters

Maximum Depth: 18 meters

Boltenhagen

Boltenhagen – The former minesweeper was purchased by Malta on 24th July 1997 and was given the pennant number P29. The P29 became a patrol boat within the Offshore Command of the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta. Since the former minesweepers were purchased unarmed, some light armament was then added by the AFM. The P29 was then used to secure the Maltese coast against smuggling and border control operations. She was decommissioned in 2004 and was bought by the Malta Tourism Authority in September 2005. She was cleaned and then scuttled on 14th August 2007 off the port of Cirkewwa to serve as a diving site and artificial reef. The wreck now lies at a depth of around 35 meters. The highest point is situated only at 17 meters depth.

Average Depth: 32 -37 Meters

Maximum Depth: 38 Meters – Depth of Mast top 17 Meters.

ROZI

ROZI – length approx. 45 mtrs. The MV Rozi was a tugboat, built in Bristol in 1958. She was originally called Rossmore, and was later renamed Rossgarth. She was sold to Tug Malta in 1981 as the Rozi and operated in the Grand Harbour. After being decommissioned, she was scuttled off in Cirkewwa as an artificial reef. It is now one of the most popular dive sites in Malta. The wreck lies upright on a sandy bottom, at a depth of 36 meters (118 ft.). It is intact except for its engines and propeller. The wreck is surrounded by marine life: sea breams, scorpion fish, rainbow wrasse and cardinal fish… It lies upright on a sandy seabed.

Average Depth: 30 meters.

Maximum Depth: 36 meters.

Comino Land

Comino Land – The ferry was scuttled as an artificial reef for scuba divers in Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo along with MV Karwela on the 12th August 2006. The MV Coninoland is probably the second most dived wreck around Gozo. More interesting then the MV Xlendi but further away from shore, smaller then the MV Karwela, she has also some open passageways and swim troughs. In comparison to MV Karwela, the MV Cominoland was stripped off all of her outer paintwork prior to sinking to attract more marine life and growth settlement.

Average Depth: 35 – 39 meters/

Maximum Depth: 39 Meters.

Karwela

Karwela – The MV Karwela was launched as M/S Frisia II in 1957. During 1977 she was named the Nordpalomo and transferred to Malta in 1986. She then sailed for Comino Marina Ltd. until around 2002 under her present name MV Karwela. The MV Karwela ferry measures 50.30 meters by 8.50 meters and was designed to carry 863 passengers. The wreck is now fully populated with an overall coating of algae and marine invertebrates, and the sea firs along the rails are a popular feeding ground for nudibranchs. The largely calm deep water around the wreck also encourages the growth of some very large spiral tube worms (Spirographis spallanzani)

Average Depth: 35 Meters

Maximum Depth: 40 Meters.

Popeyes Barge

Imperial Eagle

Imperial Eagle – Prior to coming to Malta it was registered under other names. When first launched in 1938 until 1947 she was named “New Royal Lady”, than in 1948 as “Royal Lady” and thereafter until 1958 as “Crested Eagle”. Built by J. Crown & Sons Ltd., in Sunderland England and powered by two diesel oil engines manufactured by Crossley Bros Ltd. After 1968 she was used to transport cargo and animals from Gozo to Valletta. She also served for storage. In Malta she was owned by Sunny & Maria Pisani, a family from Gozo, and was sold to the local diving community on the 28th November 1995 to scuttle her as an attraction for divers off Qawra Point and to form the main attraction for an Underwater Marine Park Project. A task coordinated by an action Committee set up for this purpose. It was scuttled on 19th July 1999 in 40 meters of water.

Average Depth: 32 – 42 Meters

Maximum Depth: 42 Meters

Why not explore a new world of diving in Grottos and Caverns?
We offer courses with specialized organisations.

The diving activities will be conducted in a variety of Grottos, Caverns and Caves, while enjoying thrilling experiences for different course levels and demands.

Courses on offer:

Speciality Diving in Cavern - CMAS/IAC

This specialty is for the ambitious sport diver. By the end of this course, one is able to dive safely, with the right amount of knowledge (theory and practical) for small caverns.

Prerequisites:

min. age 16 years
min. CMAS ** or equivalent
min 30 dives and a valid medical certificate

Equipment needed:

normal sport diving equipment
computer
torch

Cost and duration of course:

Euro 195,-
3 dives, 2 days

Cavern Diver - CMAS/IAC – or PADI

Malta; Gozo; Mittelmeer; Mittelmeerinsel; Taucher am Inlandsea, Taucher, Blue Hole

For the ambitious sport diver who wishes to go “deeper” into the area of cave diving.
The Cavern Diver Course is the perfect way to start the CMAS/IAC 3-part cave diving program, which determines with the Full Cave Diver.
The course will be held in Zone 1 and open water. Diving in areas without daylight is not part of this course. Divers will be trained in diving safely in Zone 1 . The entrance into a cavern will always be the exit. Tanks with single valves are sufficient , min 10l ( 2000 bar ) and regulator sets need an octopus.

Prerequisites:

min. age is 17 years
min. CMAS ** or equivalent
min. 35 dives incl. 4 night dives
medical certificate

Equipment needed:

sport diving equipment
computer
torch

Cost and duration of course:

Euro 285,-
4 dives, min 3 Days

Cave-Intro - CMAS/IAC

Malta; Gozo; Mittelmeer; Mittelmeerinsel; Taucher am Inlandsea, Taucher, Blue Hole

The CMAS/IAC Cave Diver ( Cave Intro ) course is a course, held outside the daylight zone ( zone 2 without possibility to surface ) Penetration of up to 500 meters is possible.
There should be enough space for 2 divers to dive next to each other. During this course, twin-tank diving is essential and a min. tank configuration of a twin- 7ltr is needed.
During the course, one will learn different diving techniques which apply to cave diving. Nitrox is not a must. If used, the participant has to be in possession of a Nitrox certificate.
If decompression gas is needed, the participant must be in possession of a Nitrox Advanced Certificate of equivalent.
The instructor/student ratio cannot excess 1:2

Prerequisites:

min. age of 18 years
min. CMAS ** or equivalent, IAC Cavern or equivalent
min. 75 logged dives and 5 night dives
min. 4 logged cavern dives since the completion of this course
medical certificate
Nitrox User Certificate, Rescue Course and safe handling of equipment is recommended

Equipment neede:

Twinset
2 complete regulator sets EN 250
one regulator with a long hose of min. 1.8 mtrs
dry suit – depending on water conditions
back plate and wing with a min of 20 ltrs volume
main torch
2 backup torches
compass ( fluorescent )
computer
spare mask
helmet ( optional )
cutter or equivalent
gap and safety reel
cookies and markers
sufficient spare parts

Cost and duration of course:

Euro 560,-
6 dives, 4-5 days

Wreck Diving for ambitious recreational divers and uw-photographers.

On many occasions we face the problem that our no-decompression time is just too short! Sometimes we still wish to explore and see more and how about THE PHOTO that we still need to take!? How can I safely stay that extra bit longer without any risks of decompression?

Further education in moderate TECHNICAL Diving offers extended possibilities. At this stage, we do not speak about D12 using different gas-mixtures – we speak about the utilisation of a Stage Bottle, for a safer ascend with an upgraded oxygen level.

Courses, such as IAC TEC or TDI Fundamental & Advanced offer a safe entry level to the handling.

Wreckdiving for Technical Divers

Trimix-Dive at the: Submarine Stubborn

It was an S-class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on 11 November 1942. The submarine operated initially in the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. Later, the Navy suspended the Stubborn. The HMS Stubborn was sunk on April 30, 1946 against Malta before Qawra Point as sonar exercise goal. It lies at a depth of about 55 m.

Schnellboot S – 31 – at approx. 70 mtrs of depth

HMS-St. Angelo – The tug HMS St. Angelo acted as transport ship for the Royal Navy officers of the Port St. Angelo to other places and ports. During the war, the tug was used for rescue and minesweeping. It collided with a sea mine and sank in 54 meters depth.

HMS Southwold – Was ordered on 20 December 1939, and was built by J. Samuel White and Company of East Cowes as part of the 1939 emergency program, the ship was launched on 29 May of the following year. The ship was tried at Scapa Flow, after which she joined the Mediterranean Fleet. On 16 November 1941 Southwold joined convoy WS12Z at the ocean escort Clyde Assembly point. The ship detached from the convoy on 14 December and made an independent passage from Mombasa to Alexandria. The wreck of Southwold lies in two sections about 1.5 miles of Marsaskala Bay, Malta. The bow is the largest piece, about 40 metres in length. It lies on its starboard side at a depth of 70 metres. The stern, which is located about 300 metres away from the bow, is about 28 metres long and it lies upright in 72 metres of water.

Luciston, Collier – at approx. 104 mtrs depth

Le Polynesian – launched its service in 1891 and ran between France and Australia as a passenger ship before she went to New Caledonia in 1914. It is an impressive size of 152 meters with a total of 586 passenger seats, making it an interesting dive site for technical divers. A strong current is often expected. The engine room was destroyed by a torpedo launched from the UC22 submarine which consequently sank the ship to a maximum depth of 63 meters. Overall. The wreck is well preserved.

The HMS Drifter EDDY was built by A. Half and was used as a transporter on August 6, 1918 and after hitting a mine on May 26, 1942, off Grand Harbour countersunk. The wreckage was found at a depth of 56 meters. Not much maritime history of this vessel is known, except that she transported UK port material. Before the 2nd World War she sailed to Malta, where she continued the same tasks in Grand Harbour for the Royal Navy.

and lot more…

Nautic Team Gozo 2. December 2014 Diving, General, Homepage

Wreck- and Caverndiving

Wreck Diving

The Wrecks

Pasewalk

Boltenhagen

ROZI

Comino Land

Karwela

Popeyes Barge

Imperial Eagle

Cavern Diving

Speciality Diving in Cavern - CMAS/IAC

Cavern Diver - CMAS/IAC – or PADI

Cave-Intro - CMAS/IAC

Wreck Diving for ambitious recreational divers and uw-photographers.

Wreckdiving for Technical Divers