After last year’s trip was cut short by the weather, our long weekend expedition to Dieppe (23rd–27th July) more than made up for it. Five days in Dieppe, six fascinating wreck dives and nine divers from Bermondsey BSAC and other clubs added up to an unforgettable trip. Throw in fantastic marine life, countless snacks and excellent French food, and we couldn’t have asked for more.
We began bright and early on Thursday morning, casting off from Eastbourne in near-perfect conditions. The English Channel was unusually kind to us, with calm seas and sunshine making for a smooth crossing to France. The journey gave everyone a chance to relax, catch up on a little sleep and make those final tweaks to kit before the first dive.
Our opening dive was on the Yagatan, a Japanese cargo vessel that sank after a collision in 1982. Lying in around 30 metres of water, the wreck is well broken but still offers plenty to explore, with scattered wreckage providing a home for an abundance of marine life, which was a perfect first taster of the dives to come. After arriving in port that evening, there was just enough time to rinse the saltwater off before sampling our first taste of French cuisine at Le New Haven, where the three course dinner was a must.
Friday brought one of the highlights of the entire trip: HMS Daffodil. Originally built as a cross-Channel ferry before being requisitioned during the Second World War, she later served as a landing ship and was sunk off Dieppe in March 1945 after striking a mine. Remarkably intact, the wreck offers excellent swim-throughs and plenty to discover, making it a firm favourite among the group.
Our second dive of the day was on the Beijerland. Originally a Dutch merchant vessel, she was requisitioned by the German Navy during the war and converted into a “Sperrbrecher 144” (mine-clearing ship). Today, the wreck is much more broken open, creating an entirely different style of dive with twisted steelwork, scattered debris and countless places for marine life to thrive.
After this excellent day’s diving, we headed to Le Petit Bouchon for another evening enjoying Normandy’s excellent food and hospitality.
Saturday greeted us with slightly choppier seas, but nothing that stopped us reaching two more fascinating wrecks.
Our first dive was the Gauss, also known as 178, a substantial wreck with dramatic steel structures and plenty to explore beneath the surface. We followed that with the Frankin Wreck, another site with its own unique character, ensuring that no two dives during the weekend felt the same.
Back ashore, however, it became increasingly clear that Sunday’s forecast was not going to cooperate. With strong winds expected, we accepted that our planned dives would have to be cancelled. Of course, divers are adaptable. The unexpected day ashore gave us the perfect excuse to sample some local Calvados before exploring Dieppe’s rich wartime history.
We visited two Commonwealth war cemeteries, including the Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery at Hautot-sur-Mer, where many of those who lost their lives during the Dieppe Raid are buried. The cemeteries serve as a reminder of the heavy losses suffered during the raid of 19 August 1942, when Allied forces, predominantly Canadian troops, launched an assault on the occupied port. Although the operation failed to achieve its objectives and resulted in significant casualties, many of the lessons learned were later applied during the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944.
We also visited Dieppe’s “Mémorial du 19 Août 1942” and learned more about the town’s pivotal role during the Second World War, adding an extra dimension to diving wrecks whose stories are so closely connected with the history of the city.
After a little shopping, an afternoon nap for some, and plenty of sightseeing, we gathered one last time for dinner at Café des Tribunaux.
Fortunately, Monday morning brought sunshine and much lighter winds. We were able to fit in one last dive before heading home, visiting the impressive Oijfeld. Blessed with excellent visibility, it provided a fitting finale to the trip.
Like every wreck we visited, it was absolutely teeming with life, making it difficult at times to see the impressive wreck. Across the week we encountered conger eels peering from the wreckage, numerous lobsters, spider crabs, shoals of bass and other fish, along with mussels and countless smaller marine creatures that have made these historic wrecks their home.
Although the return crossing was considerably more “sportif” than our outward journey, our fantastic skippers, Steve and Caroline, got us safely back to Eastbourne with their usual calm professionalism and good humour. A huge thank you to them for not only getting us safely to and from some fantastic dive sites, but also for making every day on board fun, relaxed and memorable.
With four out of five days delivering excellent diving, six fascinating wrecks explored, plenty of wildlife encounters, delicious French cuisine and the opportunity to learn more about Dieppe’s remarkable history, this year’s July trip was an outstanding success.
We’re already looking forward to the next one.
