Day 25 – Wreckspeditions, Dunoon

26 November

Earlier in The Great Scuba Drive, we were contacted by Jason from Wreckspeditions, who encouraged us to dive some of the lochs and coastal sites around Dunoon on Scotland’s west coast. From the beginning, this journey has been about more than just the diving, it’s also about meeting the people who live and breathe the ocean. Jason was a perfect example of that kind of person: passionate, knowledgeable, and generous with his time.

Yesterday had been cold and bright, but today was what the Scots call a “dreich” day, low cloud, mist, drizzle, and a steady breeze. Not the most inviting conditions, but perfect for seeing a true side of Scottish winter diving.

In the morning, under Jason’s guidance, we completed a shore dive at Brackley Point on Loch Striven, close to Wreckspeditions’ base. Loch Striven is steeped in history as it was used to test the bouncing bombs developed for the Dambusters during World War II. The site included a rocky reef, a sunken barge, and a motor torpedo boat (MTB). As we drove along the lochside toward the entry point, Sophie began to regret fitting her wide-angle lens when she saw the size of the waves, but she soon realised that she had made the right decision.

The air temperature was around 5°C, with the water sitting at 10°C at the surface and 12°C at depth. We reached a maximum depth of 14 metres, averaging 8 metres, and the visibility was about 6–8 metres.

Despite the grey skies above, the underwater world was bursting with colour. Our torches revealed vivid hues from anemones, sponges, and sea squirts, glowing against the darker background. We also spotted urchins, common crabs, and velvet swimming crabs.

While exploring one of the wrecks, we encountered the largest conger eel we’d ever seen. Its head and part of its long body protruding from beneath a railing, eyes gleaming as it watched us. We could see about three metres of it, though it was clearly much longer. Nearby, an enormous orange starfish, around 1.5 metres across, caught our eye, along with a mussel shell the size of a hand.

The morning dive lasted around 50 minutes and was full of colour, character, and surprises, a reminder that the colder the water, the richer the life can sometimes be.

Between dives, Jason shared his passion for Scottish diving. The sheer number of dive sites in the area was impressive, and he explained that no matter what weather Scotland throws at you, there’s almost always a sheltered site to dive nearby.

In the afternoon, Jason took us out on his RHIB, the Starfish Enterprise, for a second dive. It was the first time either of us had dived from a RHIB, and we were both excited to try something new. Jason gave us an exceptionally detailed briefing, his professionalism and enthusiasm shone through every step.

We dropped down a shot line into the bay near Dunoon, where visibility was poorer than the morning, but the life was no less vibrant. The shot line itself was coated in mussels, and at the bottom we explored a small fishing boat wreck, which was alive with brightly coloured anemones and sea squirts. The highlight of this dive was an enormous fire anemone, its orange and pink tentacles reflecting beautifully in our torchlight. Despite the drizzle and grey skies, the colours underwater were spectacular. It was a reminder that some of the brightest, most inspiring moments happen often on the days that look least promising.

When we ascended, Jason was waiting with the RHIB and, to our absolute delight, steaming mugs of hot chocolate piled high with cream, marshmallows and sprinkles. We sat there, still in full dive kit, warming our hands and laughing. It might have been cold and grey, but that hot chocolate was easily the sweetest of the trip so far.

Afterwards, Jason continued to share his local knowledge and suggested other sites we could explore in the area. His generosity, professionalism and enthusiasm left a lasting impression on both of us. We were so glad he’d reached out through social media, today was everything The Great Scuba Drive is meant to be about.