Wreck

Glenelg Dredge Rating: Novice to Deck, Advanced to penetrate

Location: Glenelg 10kms from Adelaide

The Glenelg Dredge is an old suction dredge built in Holland in 1914 and sailed out to Australia 1920. She was then used to dredge the Port River and Outer Harbour. The wreck was sunk in its current location as an artificial reef by the Department of Fisheries early in 1985. She lays upright 5-6 kms west of Glenelg in 20 metres bow to the south.

She is 35 metres long and 7 metres wide, deck sitting in 15m. The Dredge is home to a wide variety of marine life, with lots of resident Cuttlefish, Strong Fish and Wobbegong Sharks. The wreck is safe to penetrate into the cabin rooms, the main pump hold through the suction crane on the bow but is unsafe to penetrate behind the boilers and the engine room.

The main hazards are rusting metal, silting and strong currents. Recommended bottom time 35 mins. Top

Glenelg BargeRating: Novice to Deck, Advanced to Penetrate

Location: Glenelg 10kms from Adelaide

The Glenelg Barge is a hopper barge used by the Glenelg Dredge to take silt dredged up from the Port River. She was sunk in 1984 as an artificial reef and lies in 20m of water. A star dropper trail has been set up to enable divers to travel from the barge to the dredge and vice versa in times of low current. The barge is a very interesting wreck with a wide variety of fish life including Blue Devilfish, Old Wives and Bullseyes. Divers can swim its 30m with ease, with a small opening at either end where divers can penetrate the work rooms. In these rooms on each side of the hopper is the entrance to the floatation chambers and divers may peer into them. The entrance to each chamber is very restricted and the penetration is not recommended. Divers may be tempted to attempt a penetration and it can be done as long as the divers are properly prepared with lines, torches, etc.

The main hazards are rusting metal, silted, restricted entrances to the penetrations and strong currents. Recommended bottom time 35 mins. Top

The NormaRating: Novice

The Norma was a steel 3 masted vessel that capsized and sank in the main shipping channel of Outer Harbour in the early 1900s. The wreck lies 4 km from North Haven in 16m of water and is subject to strong tidal currents.

When the Norma sank it settled upright on the bottom and had its mast just below the surface. At high tide this caused a shipping hazard and the authorities decided to blow it up.

Now the Norma is spread out over quite a large area and is very difficult to discern as a wreck. It consists of a large area of twisted metal lying on the bottom. The bow area is still recognizable and acts as a haven for fish. The remains are very interesting, although penetration is not recommended. The fish life is quite prolific and the bow area is home to a resident 2.5m Wobbegong Shark. If diving the Norma be aware that is in a shipping channel and it is unwise to leave your dive vessel without surface support as LARGE ships still use the channel. Top

The John RobRating: Advanced

This wreck sank during a storm around 1910 and is in the outer shipping channel to Outer Harbour. The wreck is 15kms offshore from North Haven and lies in 18m. It is now nearly completely broken up with only the bow section recognizable sticking out of the sand pointing west. The wreck is extremely difficult to locate as landmarks are almost impossible to find and a reliable GPS bearing is needed.

Marine life around the wreck varies from prolific to almost barren depending on the day. Visibility is generally fairly good due to the distance offshore but is subject to tidal currents that can be strong.

Top

The LumbRating: Novice

Location: 25km South of Adelaide

The Lumb is a wreck sunk in 1994 specifically as a dive site by the SA dive industry. She lies upright on the bottom in 20 metres of water. She started life as a tug in Tasmania before being used in Port Lincoln where she was refitted as a fishing trawler and used to fish for tuna. At the end of her life she was purchased by the dive industry, cleaned and cut open to be sunk as a dive site. Penetrations are easy and safe because of all the holes, with the main hazards being loose cables and sharp metal.

Recommended bottom tome of 35mins. Top

Stanvac BargeRating: Advanced

Location: 5km west of the old Stanvac Refinery

There are 3 barges at this site, one is 163 x 29 and the other two are 71 x 49. To really see this sight you need to anchor on the right spot, and at 28m it is an advanced dive and bottom time is restricted. It is recommended you use a local dive store to be sure of a great dive, with plenty of fish life. The barges form an artificial reef on an otherwise sandy bottom, and on calm days many a small hammerhead shark can be seen sun baking on the surface. Top

The MV SeawolfRating: Novice

Location: 25km South of Adelaide

One of our newest wrecks, this wreck was purchased, prepared and scuttled by one of our local dive clubs, the Sea wolves. She lies just to the side of the Lumb, and can actually be done in the same dive. She lies on her side in 20m of water and there is now quite a few fish making a home here. Quite an interesting dive, with still a few artifacts remaining on the wreck, the usual hazards of sharp objects and entanglement applies. Recommended bottom time of 35mins. Top

Ex HMAS HobartRating: Advanced/ Wreck for penetration

Location: 90min south from Glenelg

Before being scuttled in Yankalilla Bay, the HMAS Hobart provided 35 years of naval service and toured Vietnam in 1967, 68 and 70. She was built in the US in 1965, is 133.2 metres long and 14.4 metres wide. She now sits in 30 metres of water and has become our newest shipwreck, sunk in November 2002. She has now has plenty of fish life and growth over her and is fast becoming our most popular dive site. The majority of the ship is accessible to divers including the engine room, smoke stacks, missile launcher and gun turrets. Recommended bottom time depends on depth reached during the dive. Top