UKDIVING
Pictured ( l-r ) are divers Toyah Dyer , Jared Brooks , Luke Evans , Cenydd Griffiths , Sarah Cross , Miles Preece and Hywel Dyer
Lay it on the line
A group of divers gained permission from Milford Haven Port Authority to fix permanent shot lines on local wrecks . Welsh Regional coach Steve Slater reports
As with many diving-related projects , the Haven Wrecks Project started with an off-the-cuff conversation between me and another BSAC diver , Hywel Dyer . “ Wouldn ’ t it be good to help promote some of the fantastic local wreck diving ?” And so our project was born . As the conversation flowed , our project aims were quickly identified .
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■ To promote safe diving within the Milford Haven waterway .
■ To encourage diving clubs to visit , and to provide information to help prospective dive managers organise and plan their trips .
■ To promote the importance of protecting our maritime heritage and help facilitate sustainable diving .
Now we had some aims , we needed to decide how best to meet them . Queue further conversations , and the rummaging around in a shed !
One of our first tasks was to place seasonal shot lines on the three most popular wrecks in Milford Haven : the Dakotian , Behar and Thor . On a busy day , the Dakotian and Behar can be visited by multiple dive boats ; over the course of a weekend 10 or more shots can be dropped by dive boats . As we all know , numerous shots landing on a wreck will cause damage . The wrecks are getting old and structures are collapsing . We believe having permanent shots will help limit some of this damage . We also picked the Thor as it makes for a brilliant dive , but is visited much less than either the Dakotian or Behar . Partly due to its relative proximity to the main shipping lane , and in part due to it being more difficult to locate than some of the other wrecks in the Haven .