DIVE LOG JUNE 2025 issue 412

depending on the brand and where you buy it. Colombo dive operators For experienced recreational divers, the Colombo operators will take you to all the shipwrecks off Colombo to a maximum of 40m. However, there is NO DECO DIVING and usually NO wandering off by yourself. You better not stray from the herd or someone will come with a cattle prod to ensure you all stay together nicely. (No Colombo operator will currently take you to the SS Worcestershire which is at 57 meters) The disappointment for Solo and Tec divers is that no operators on the West Coast will Tec dive to 60 meters. They are still years behind the eight ball and not used to dealing with experienced divers. Their market is for training, tourists and occasional experienced recreational divers. If you are an experienced Solo or Tec diver, when planning to come, you must carefully choose your dive operator, clearly outlining precisely what you want to do and how you expect to dive. Make sure you keep a transcript of your conversations. Our first operator pussy-footed around making us believe we could video and record the wrecks at will. But when pressed, he buckled. No, we must stick with the crowd and follow the leader. Panic stations, we leave in two days. After a squillion messages to every known Colombo dive operator, I found a small dive company called “Scuba Ceylon Diving Centre” . I was impressed with their straightforward communication and offer. Especially as there were now only 2 of us (two

others had pulled the pin a day before departure), they promised to give us our own boat, a driver and a divemaster. As it turned out, it couldn’t have been better. Rali, as our divemaster/guide, was terrific. He allowed us to roam the wrecks at will, following and learning from us. Well, he mainly followed Trever, but he couldn’t keep up with me and the scooter! We were left mainly to our own devices, and virtually every dive was a deco dive, keeping in mind the limitation of a 100cf tank (they had no twin setups). Please note: The above drama about deep and deco diving does not apply to the HMS Hermes . Feli on the East Coast in Batticaloa is set up for Tek diving and is used to dealing with experienced divers. I was diving with Trevor Burbridge and Rali, our divemaster. We had a fantastic time exploring the wrecks, especially the SS Perceus , a world-class shipwreck. The Shipwrecks SS Perseus Tuesday the 18th was a magnificent day on the water. Flat as a baby’s bum, we skipped along at a great rate of knots to the wreck of the Perceus , some 25km out to sea. The GPS marks were on the spot and we hooked up to the wreck on the second attempt. The visibility was incredible. The ship was clearly visible at the 13-meter mark, giving us 30 metres plus visibility.

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DIVE LOG Australasia #412 - June 25

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