Matzen Marine Services, East Cowes, Isle of Wight

Scuba diving off the Isle of Wight

Our dive vessel ‘Penetrater’ has a large deck space and is fitted with step a through transom onto a purpose made dive platform and dive ladder with help on hand to make exiting the water easier. The cabin is a dry area and the toilet is accessed from the aft deck. There is a cooker, fridge and microwave and complimentary tea and coffee.

There is plenty of storage for cylinders and kit. The dive sites to the East and West of the Island are the same distances from our berth in Cowes so should the weather set in it can be possible to change the dive sites to save the days diving being cancelled.

The skipper will monitor the weather and make the final decision as to the days diving Going ahead, be aware that the dive sites may change from the East to the West of the Island or visa versa as the weather dictates. A copy of our dive charter conditions are available on request. A £25 deposit secures your place for the days diving.

Wreck diving to the West of the Island

 

Dives include: Venezuela 28mtrs Merchant Steamship 1918
  Fenner 23mtrs Sailing Cargo ship 1881
  Borgny 30mtrs Merchant Steamship 1918
  Albion II 29mtrs Admiralty Trawler 1916
  War Knight 15mtrs Merchant Steamship 1918
  Witte Zee 32mtrs Ocean Going Tug 1964
  HMS Warwick Deeping 36mtrs Submarine Chaser 1943
  Westerville 36mtrs Merchant Steamship 1917
  Molina 33mtrs Norwegian Steamer 1918

Drift dives along the back of the Island between Brook and Chale are always interesting. The wreck of the War Knight lies in 15mtrs close inshore near Freshwater Bay.

The ‘Margaret Smith’ a 300 ton gravel dredger that sank in 1978 lies in 16mtrs just off Yarmouth and can be a satisfying dive when conditions elsewhere are not so good, or for an evening dive.

Alum Bay is virtually non tidal, an ideal area for training at12mtrs max.

Wreck Diving to the East of the Island

Diving to the East is again from our berth in East Cowes.
Mostly two wreck dives are the norm in this area, the second being the large wreck site of the Luis in 17mtrs a steamship 380ft by 53ft, she was torpedoed in 1918.

Dives include: HMS P12 (stern)  22mtrs Naval Patrol 1918
  Camswan 18mtrs Merchant Steamship 1917
  HMS Boxer 20mtrs Destroyer 1918
  U1195 30mtrs Uboat 1945
  Camberwell 30mtrs Merchant Steamship 1917
  Kurland 35mtrs Armed Merchant Steamship 1917
  Leon 35mrts Armed Merchant Steamship 1918
  Highland Brigade 27mtrs Merchant Steamship 1918
  Cuba 32mtrs Troop Ship 1945
  Polo 30mtrs Cargo passenger 1918

An ideal reference book for diving the area is:
A Divers Guide, Dive Wight and Hampshire
By Martin Pritchard & Kendall McDonald.
ISBN 0-946020=30-2  at £14.95

07890 372 958