Dive 1 | |||
| Date : | 20th Aug | Time : | 10:07 |
| Place : | Larnaca | ||
| Visibility : | 25m | ||
| Temp: Air : | 36 C | Water : | 21 C |
Time for my annual trip to visit ma mum in Cyprus which means I'll have to suffer another bunch of dives with Dive In on the Zen.
Did the same as last year, booked a 10 dive package hiring a wet-suit and pony bottle. Took all my own kit including torches this time. Flew from Manchester to Larnaca with XL as they give divers an extra 10kg on-top of the 22kg hold luggage (and yes my case way 32kg).
I arrived on Saturday and had booked my dive days for Mon, Wed, Fri the following week with the final two days on Mon and Wed the week after. Lots of chilling out with mumsy on the beach in between (it was a holiday afterall).
I arrived at the dive center bright and early knowing I had to setup my kit. After saying hello to Chris and the team again I got the paperwork out the way before meeting Scott my guide for the week. He asked me when I'd last dived, I replied "2 weeks ago", "bottom dive it is then!" he replied. Works for me.
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For my first dive I was also joined by Nigel and Steve. Nigel was sneeking a couple dives in while on holiday and Steve was getting a dive in every morning that week (max let from his missus).
This was also the first of 3 dives I ended up filming this time.
The dive was a bow to stern route via the accommodation. We rolled in as a team of 4 on the stern and descended down onto the prop shaft. We then dropped down between the prop and the hull looking down to the 2nd one below before making our way round the back of the Zen.
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The back is where the huge loading ramps are, this is like a Wall Dive with 20m of steel on your right. As we pass them we continue descending down to our max depth of 36m over the lorries on the seabed.
From these we turn and head back up along the wreck towards the enterance of the upper-car deck and then enter the accommodation structure through a door at about 22m.
This part I remembered vividly from the previous year. We slowly made our way through the collapsed rooms, some more passable than others, all in the light-zone from windows above. We finally exit the corridor and enter the restaurant where we ascend out a window near the life-boats.
Here we start to weave our way up onto the side of the hull at around 18m before making our way towards our exit up the bow line.
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Due to lots of twinset divers there that week and a trimix course, we ended up having an extended surface interval on day 1. By the time we were on our way back out the wind had picked up quite a bit and as a result, it was pretty choppy to say the least.
Armed with my camera again, in we rolled as a 3, this time on the bow after dropping the twinset guys off mid-ship.
Entry this time was through a large side window into the restaurant. This is a great way to enter the wreck as you get to see things as they should be as you face downwards through the window.
A short trip through the restaurant and we exit out a door at the front to go take a good look on the deck of the ship. Here there's loads of impressive rigging including huge anchors chained to the ship.
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Our route back took us into the bridge as we ascended up towards the life-boats. Here a quick game of follow-my-leader ensued with quite a tight swimthrough. Scott had a twiset, so if he could get through it would be pretty embaressing if I got stuck with a pony.
All was well on our way up the bow line until we reached 6m. Then the current really ran across us. The site of the trimix guys holding onto the line at 90 degrees should have given it away.
I've never held onto the tail line so hard before while waiting for my turn to board the boat, that's for sure.
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The 2nd days diving was much easier as all my kit was there and a suit was sorted. Arriving at 8am I met Steve again and today we were joined by Nic who had managed to squeeze in 2 days diving in on a family holiday.
Scott leading again, we drop in on the bow line and continue all the way down to the side of the hull just above the bow thruster. Here we enter the chain locker.
A first for me as I'd not seen this part of the wreck before. Pretty cramped in there as you weave your way through. The large grease barrels used to lube the chains are still there too.
The exit was up (or rather, down) a staircase exiting onto the deck of the ship at about 37m.
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We then turn and go straight into a window of the restaurant, this time pretty deep. As we make a slow ascent all the way up the restaurant we pass the drinks machines and coffee stand.
At 22m we enter the accommodation corridor and head aft all the way through exiting out the rear near the upper-car-deck.
Here we head out towards the lorries hanging off the rear deck of the ship before finally turning the dive and heading back upwards along the side.
By the time we reach our exit up the bow line the yellow submarine is buzzing around. This time it had lost its buoy and was trailing a long line which came pretty close to the deco trapeze.
As we sat out our stop a free-diver dove all the way down to the sub which at this point must have been around 16m. Nic was clearly impressed by his introduction to the Zen.
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Another long surface interfal and we're back down to a 3 again for dive 2.
This time its down the bow line and into the upper-car deck via the front door which is like a letterbox due to its orientation.
The car-deck is pitch black as soon as you enter with only the light from your torches and the ever decreasing size of the blue letterbox you came through.
Taking my D4 was definitely a good idea this year as the high-beam did me proud on the trucks below.
As we continued through the vast space of the car deck over the lorries that looked as if they were tonka toys slung into a box by a child, a faint blue glow starts to appear at the other end. This is the large exit we were heading for.
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Lying at the bottom of the opening is the bone lorry I'd seen last year full of animal bones after the fish had enjoyed a feast.
We then turned and headed for the bridge. This time through a rear window which was definitely a bit of a squeeze. Scotts twins just made it but he had to wiggle a little to get his wing through. I, of course made a graceful entry as I glided through (not!). After heaving, clanking my tanks and elbowing my way in, I was finally through the window.
A good mooch around the bridge this time as suddenly I notice a decent sized box fall gracefully at the other side all the way to the bottom with a thump as it landed. Looks like Nic had accidentally knocked something loose and away it came. Good job I wasn't under it at the time.
The usual exit route out the side, up through the life-boats and back to the bow line ended another great dive.
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For this dive I was joined by Tom who was working at Dive-In with Scott leading as before.
This dive was another first for me, a mooch through the middle-car-deck entering via the emergency shaft at the stern of the ship. Last year I did this deck via a stair-case towards the bow.
We all descend from the stern and meet up at the top of the deck at 20m outside the emergency shaft. This was a small hole about the size of 4 patio tiles. As there was a ladder running down one side (below us), we were briefed to keep all our kit tidy on the way in.
The trimix divers all made it in (they were doing skills in the engine room) with their twins and stages, so I figured it couldn't be that bad.
Scott lead the way and as soon as his fins were out the way, I followed. Only getting about 3/4 of the way in before I was stuck, dam!
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Something was holding me back, so I stopped, reversed a bit and tried again. Still no luck, fealing round (coz I couldn't look back) I checked my guages and kit. All seemed fine but I still couldn't go. Finally I reached down my right leg to feel a taught hose, BOLLOX, my octo had come loose and was trapped on the rung of the ladder, oops.
After sorting out the problem I finally continued in. A quick shuffle to the right you carry on down the shaft until you reach an opening below which takes you to the middle-car-deck.
Just like last year, black as a witches tit in there. This is why I'd brought a backup torch too.
As we descend down into the deck I spot the fork-lift I only had a brief chance to see the year before. Passing through a whole in the piled up vehicles we pass the enterance to the engine room. Porch lights flickering from the trimix guys inside.
We continue through and out a large hole in the side just like I'd done the previous year when visiting the engine room.
Due to our depth, we didn't have too much time outside on the way back up towards the bow but did get a good look at the rigging again.
As we slowly made or way up the line we were entertained by some more students playing with their DSMB's on the side of the wreck.
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The afternoon dive was just Scott and me for a look through the crews cabins and captains quarters.
Down from the bow we head for the enterance under the life-boats. The wreck is covered in divers at this point, probably from the Queen who all seem to be bumping into eachother and generally suffering from being in a group that size.
Scott and me quietly sneak past the chaos and enter the quiet of the interior. As soon as I'd got in there was no sight of Scott, "bollox". So like a numpty I just sat there and waited to see where he showed himself.
This may sound odd but as soon as you get in, there's a corridor one way, the same in the opposite direction, another one running parallel below and so on. Finally a light flickers on the wall below me and I realise Scott is round a corner above me out of site. That'll teach me to not pay attention to where he's heading when I enter the wreck.
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The route through the crews cabins is much more of a maze than the accommodation. As the accommodation was pretty much a straight through swim, this time we went up and down, left and right, stopped and turned back on occasion. I'm glad Scott knew where he was coz I didn't have a clue.
Eventually we made our way back out and headed for the bridge through that same tight window as before. This time once in, we dropped down a little and turned back into another corridor for the captains quarters. This wasn't that far in and as bottom time was against us, it was only a brief visit.
With my last few mintes of bottom time remaining we head out and meet the others on the bow line to end another cracking dive.
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Today I met up with Nic again for his 2nd days diving. I had Sherie as my guide and could do any route I wanted. Nic had been put with some others from Paphos who were doing an AOW course which he wasn't too impressed about. After his first dives on the Zen the week before, this would definitely have been a let down.
Since I had free run of the wreck on my dive, he joined Sherie and me and I chose the figure 8 as the plan since Nic hadn't seen the lift-shaft yet.
This dive is a bit of a roller-coaster rather than a sight seeing trip due to the route and time you have to do it.
We drop in on the bow and enter the upper-car-deck via the letter-box, then descend into blackness about half way through until we reach the lift-shaft on the wall to our right at about 30m.
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Once in the shaft you take an immediate right then ascend up to about 26m before turning under a stair-case to join the accommodation corridor. You then move aft exiting out the back before making a u-turn and going back into the upper-car-deck again, this time from the large opening.
Again, we swim into the center of the deck heading for the lift shaft where we make the same route right and up towards the stair-case, only this time we turn the other way and head forwards through the accommodation corridor exiting into the restaurant.
The usual exit was made out a large side window and with little mooching around outside we exit up the line since Nic wasn't on Nitrox. Definitely more fun that hanging around on an AOW course!
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The 2nd dive that day was more of a nice bimble along the outside, so I took the opportunity for some more filming.
As Nic hadn't seen the props yet, we did the stern to bow route along the outside, similar to my first dive.
He also had a stills camera and Sherie agreed to let us do our thing just keeping track on progress and time during the dive which was great.
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We dropped on the props, had a good look round then headed past the loading ramps, over the lorries on the bottom before turning and coming up between the ramps among the rigging that controlls them.
Then we make our way forward along the wreck under the funnel taking a quick peek inside the doors at the top. Continuing forward we head all the way to the bow using every opportunity to use our cameras.
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Already I was on my last days diving and not only that, I had a guide to myself on both dives! Sherie on the first and Tracey on the 2nd.
The choice of dives again was mine and as I'd mentioned getting down among the lorries on the bottom previously, Sherie recommended we go take a look on dive 1.
Dropped in on stern we head over the side of the wreck towards the loading ramps still at 18m before dropping all the way down to the bottom at 42m (giving us maximum bottom time).
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In no time at all (getting down is the easy bit, anyone can sink like a stone) we were at 42m swimming between the two lorries wheels together under the loading ramps on the seabed.
It's amazing how different everything looks when you're not 10m above it. Just as we exit the cap between them we're ontop of the egg lorry. Very few eggs left now which is a real shame. Why anyone would want to take a 30-year-old egg is beyond me.
As time is against us we're soon weaving our way up between the lorries all stacked up the side of the wreck. The chains holding some of them in place looking all too rusty for my liking but soon we're above them again heading back towards the bow.
A lovely bimble with the fishes near the life-boats ends a great dive before exiting up the bow line. My deepest dive yet.
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My final dive was with Tracey and once again the plan was up to me, and since my previous dive was along the outside, I figured a final mooch through the Zens innards was in order.
We droped in on mid-ship this time and headed forward towards the letter-box of the upper-car-deck. Since we were passing the bridge Tracey signalled to go in and I thought, hay, why not. So a quick visit into the bridge through a side window and then out through the front was made.
Then we headed round and up towards the letter-box to enter that car deck again. The plan was to hold 30m through the middle which gave us a good look over the tops of the lorries. This has to have been the slowest pace I'd made through the deck yet, it gave us a good chance to shine our torches in every nook and cranny.
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When we exited the car deck out the back a quick air check revealed I still had 150bar left, so we headed out towards the mast structure which I've not yet been to. A quick mosey round it and we turn back towards the wreck. This was the first time I'd been that far off the wreck in open water trying to hold depth at about 24m. It sure did look a long way down to the wreckage below.
In an almost perfect line we meet the enterance to the accommodation corridor where we take a very relaxed pass through. Stopping at almost every section for a good look round.
Finally we enter the restaurant and take a graceful ascent up through a side window before a long drift along the outside of the wreck.
This time we seen to have big shoals of fish following us. This continued until my last 2 minutes of bottom time remained and we headed up the line. Gotta make the most of the last dive, and I certainly did!
Another great visit to the Zen. Even though I'd done 12 dives on her the previous year there was still loads more to see.
It was great to see the team at Dive-In again too and as long as they'll keep putting up with me, I'm sure I'll be back again each year for more.
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