Severnside ’ s RIB powers across the Sound of Mull close to Lochaline , the scene framed by a rainbow . Lochaline has one of the UK ’ s deepest shore dives , with a wall that plunges to depths of 100 metres .
Chasing the rainbow
PHOTO : LEON R SMITH
Severnside in Scotland
Overcoming unprecedented logistical challenges , divers from Severnside Sub-Aqua Club managed a week of great British diving on the classic wrecks of Oban and Mull late last season . Leon R Smith reports
Despite the distance from Bristol , the Sound of Mull has been a regular destination for club trips for decades . Many of the wrecks along the South West coast of England and Wales were mainly sunk by enemy action in busy open water during the First and Second World Wars , so the largely intact wrecks and sheltered conditions of the Sound of Mull make a welcome change of dive site and conditions .
Face masks being de rigour for this trip , the club had some made especially for the exped
PHOTO : LEON R SMITH
Our trip in October last year was supposed to be our first big UK expedition since our club RIB , Seabiscuit , underwent a major refit and plans were set out some time in advance . With the impact of Covid-19 , these plans were thrown into repeated disarray and subject to continual review and revision . Throughout the summer , we had regularly monitored all of the government ’ s guidelines and lockdown restrictions for both England and Scotland to check if , and if so how , the trip could go ahead safely .
Thankfully , BSAC published regular updates and further guidance , which gave us assistance and reassurance that the trip could still go ahead subject to reduced numbers and social-distancing measures . These included organising each boat into a separate ‘ bubble ’ for the whole week , physical distancing , and mask-wearing ( for which we even had custom trip SSAC ‘ merch ’).
Over the course of a week , dive sites visited included the wrecks of the Hispania , the Rondo , and the Shuna , as well as the deep wall at Lochaline and the coastline around Tobermory . Almost all of the sites are tidal , which requires some careful time management to arrange two waves of divers either side
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