`Swan' wreck
Dunsborough, Western Australia
12 February 2001
| Max depth | 30.5 m |
| Dive time | 51 min |
| Bottom time | 20 min |
| Multilevel: average depth | 16.8 m |
| Safety stop(s) | 7 min @ 5 m |
Wreck Diver Course
Instructor: Geoff Paynter
Buddy: Berwin Turlach
Wreck Diver Course with Cape Dive,
Dunsborough.
Dive 1: orientation and hazards.
The course was conducted on the prepared dive wreck of the former Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Swan.
Great tour of the wreck, beginning at the bow at top deck level, down
the starboard side, under the propellers
and back up to the funnel and crow's nest.
Dive covered general orientation on a wreck, hazards (all demonstrated)
including entanglement - snagging regulator
hose on a handrail - , sharp objects (with real blood demo!), siltout,
hanging objects, things projecting down from
the ceiling, unstable structures, and air pockets (bad air).
The wreck has a lot more life on it and in it than one year ago. Samson
fish, a lot more batfish, a much larger school
of globefish at the bow (why the bow?) and bullseye (in the superstructure).
Finally spotted a false Tasmanian blenny
in one of the handrail tubes - very cute.
Slow ascent to 5 m, good long pause, swim to boat at 3m, surface.
| temp | 21°C |
| rubber | 5mm titanium wetsuit; hood; cold |
| weight | 17 lb (12 integ + 5 belt); OK |
| tank | Luxfer aluminium 95 cu ft |
| BC | SeaQuest Pro QD |
| air consumed | 168 bar |
| RMV | 14.1 l/min |