SCUBA presents the second set of stories from our writing competition, taking in superpowered drifts, atmospheric wrecks and the emotional nature of UK diving
Michael Bolus contemplates SS Ramsgarth’ s history and legacy
COMPETITION
A Dive to Remember: Your stories
SCUBA presents the second set of stories from our writing competition, taking in superpowered drifts, atmospheric wrecks and the emotional nature of UK diving
Imprint on your soul
Still time to enter!
The final deadline is Friday 27 June. Hopefully the entries published here will spark some last-minute inspiration. For a full set of rules and guidelines, please check out the competition launch in April’ s SCUBA. Thanks again to our sponsor, the prestigious suit manufacturer O’ Three. They are offering the winner an O’ Three 90 Ninety Trilaminate Dry Suit, with three materials to choose from. The suit will be fully customisable by you, to a maximum value of £ 2,500. Manufactured and supported here in the UK, shipping to UK mainland included.
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Worth £ 2500
Michael Bolus contemplates SS Ramsgarth’ s history and legacy
Briefing: Between Christmas and New Year 2024, I organised my very first UK wreck dive on the SS Ramsgarth— a personal milestone I’ ll never forget. Sitting quietly off Shoreham, this special‘ Christmas Dive’ promised a genuine connection to history, perfectly timed to bring the year to a magical close.
The dive: Visibility was typically British— around three metres, murky yet strangely comforting— and seeing the blurred shape of the wreck emerge slowly made my pulse quicken, like finally unwrapping a longawaited gift. Every rusted corner held a quiet promise.
Built in 1910, the Ramsgarth was a humble cargo steamship whose quiet life ended suddenly during wartime. Early one cold November morning in 1916, her captain spotted another ship in distress. In an instant, he chose compassion over safety. As he moved to assist, a German U-boat surfaced without warning, bringing tragedy swiftly. Imagining the captain’ s final, impossible decisions and quiet courage deeply touched me, leaving me with a quiet admiration and respect that still stays with me.
I moved slowly over the broken hull, where war had once left its mark. Marine life had gently reclaimed the wreckage, softening its scars with starfish, lobsters, crabs, and curious tompot blennies peering playfully from shadows. Even a shy conger eel watched silently beneath twisted metal, as if guarding the ship’ s untold stories.
Swimming slowly along the intact wooden deck, I found myself quietly imagining the people who once stood exactly where I was hovering. Winches, boilers, and engines lay scattered, each silently preserving the echoes of everyday life aboard. The wreck didn’ t shout heroic tales— it whispered simpler stories of lives quietly lived, and lost.
Leading this dive during the festive season made it feel profoundly personal and deeply reflective. Sharing my first planned wreck dive with fellow divers felt like passing on a treasured gift, a story worth remembering. There were no grand gestures, only quiet respect for history, joy in discovery, and gentle reassurance that life beneath the waves continues beautifully, even among memories of loss.
Debrief: The SS Ramsgarth is quietly powerful— not because it’ s grand or spectacular, but because it is real, raw, and deeply personal. Rich history and thriving marine life intertwine effortlessly, leaving you deeply moved and reflective. It’ s a dive that speaks softly, yet leaves an imprint on your soul.
Michael Bolus, wired for sound