A Grand Day Out organised by South Bay Scuba, Hartlepool August 15th -16th 2026
A first for the club, diving in Hartlepool Bay. We joined Hartlepool, Fell and Cleveland divers to take part in A Grand Day Out which was organised by Anne Morrison and Paul Crinnion from South Bay Scuba.
Cheshire Cat and Top Cat were prepped on Thursday evening before Doug and Phil towed them to Hartlepool Marina on Friday. Most of us stayed at The Premier Inn. Loz and Alison booked a hotel in Seaton Carew and Nathan stayed in a B&B. Doug, Ruth, Ken, Phil and I ate out at San Antonio’s which is one of many restaurants that overlook The Marina and obviously the place to be on a weekend. We met at 8am to load the boat ready for launching. As Hartlepool Marina and harbour dry out, the Marina has lock gates, and the harbour slip can only be used at certain times of the day. We were lucky with the weather as the sea was calm and there was a slight breeze. We saw Gannets, Terns, Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars, Herring Gulls and the odd seal as we made our way out into the bay.
Dive sites:
Saturday: AM The Harvest -a cargo ship 1881-1889
The Ida Duncan a trawler 1881-1917—2nd wave Phil& Pat, Nathan & Ken.
PM: Victory. – Tug boat 1877- 1897
Phil deployed the BRUV in Hartlepool Bay on the way to the first dive site. The water temperature was 16C and the viz around 4m. The seabed was fine silt and gravel. The metal structures were covered in Deadmens Fingers, Barnacles, Hornwrack, and small patches of Oaten Pipe and Herringbone Hydroid. It was Crustacea City. We spotted Edible Crabs and Common Lobster of every size, Green Shore and Velvet Swimming Crabs, Squat Lobster and Common Prawn. Shoals of
Bib and Poor Cod shone in our torch light.
Best finds: Conger Eel, shoals of juvenile codfish, Butterfish and Dragonets.
Changing cylinders after the first dive was interesting to say the least. Phil waded through the mud in the harbour to get to his car. He then drove to the nearest beach with a car park to meet us with second cylinders. Everyone had the opportunity to use the loos as they swapped cylinders. After the second dive we collected the BRUV and made our way to the marina lock gates. As they opened, we went in, secured the boats to a pontoon, grabbed trolleys and took gear up to our cars. After a quick shower we joined others at Hartlepool’s club house for a BBQ. Nathan won first prize in the raffle –a superb bottle of Malt Whiskey from The Isle of Harris. A grand end to a grand day out.
Sunday
A one dive day as the site was tidal. As the marina dries out, we had to launch at 10am alongside South Bay Scuba on board their club boat Condor. The BRUV was deployed. We arrived at the wreck site known locally as The Heugh. Phil scanned the wreck and shotted it. We then had a very long wait for slack which according to the dive team on Condor was at 1.30pm and about an hour long. With hindsight we should have waited until nearer 2pm. As it was, our first wave of divers followed the Scuba Bay divers into the water with the tide slackening but still running. Phil and I drew the long straw on this occasion. We dived last. We descended with some tide but once at 20m we were able to examine the whole wreck. Marine life was plentiful but similar to Saturday’s dives. Best finds were 2 lobster that were brown with age, a shoal of mature Bib and Dragonets buried in the sand with just an eye visible. (I thought I’d found a Small Cuttlefish at first). The prop, boiler, triple expansion steam engine and the gun on the bow were easily identified. With the diving finished we returned to the harbour and waited for the tide to come in. Will, Tim and Phil squelched through the mud with Top Cat in tow, followed closely by Nathan with Cheshire Cat. The tide didn’t come in any quicker but as soon as it was possible both boats were recovered, de-kitted and made safe to tow back to the club house. (they are now squeaky clean and ready to go out again). From a club perspective the quality of our training was brought sharply into focus when a reel jammed and the diver knew to let it go. A big thank you to all instructors.
Thanks to Phil and Doug for towing, launching and recovering the Rhibs. Thanks to buddies, Will & Anna, Loz & Tim, Doug & Ruth, Ken & Nathan for joining the trip. It really was a Grand Weekend.
