Five Thistle Divers made the journey to Inverkip on Sunday for another day out on the club boat, with two classic Firth of Clyde wrecks on the dive plan – the Akka and Greenock Dredger.
With good conditions and some excellent visibility by Clyde standards, the team were treated to two very different wreck dives and plenty of marine life along the way.
First up was the Akka, one of the best-known and most impressive wreck dives in the Firth of Clyde.
The Swedish cargo vessel sank in 1956 after striking the Gantocks rocks near Dunoon. Today, she provides an impressive dive, with the wreck offering plenty to explore across a wide range of depths.
The deck starts at approximately 16 metres towards the bow, gradually becoming deeper towards the stern at around 24 metres. The seabed itself ranges from roughly 30 metres at the bow to around 40 metres towards the stern, giving divers plenty of options depending on their experience, qualifications and dive plan.
Conditions were particularly good for the Clyde, with excellent visibility giving the team a great opportunity to take in the scale of the wreck. As is often the case with long-established wrecks, the Akka has also become home to plenty of marine life, adding even more to explore.
After returning to the boat, it was time for a surface interval, some snacks and a chance to swap stories from the first dive before moving on to the day’s second wreck.
The second dive of the day was the Greenock Dredger, another piece of Clyde maritime history lying beneath the water.
The dredger sank in 1902 and today rests in approximately 30 metres of water, with much of the dive taking place around the 27-metre mark.
Although very different from the much larger Akka, the Greenock Dredger provides an interesting wreck to explore in its own right. More than a century underwater has also given marine life plenty of opportunity to make the wreck its home, with the team finding lots to see as they explored.
With two wrecks completed, good visibility and plenty of marine life, it was another successful day out on the Thistle Divers club boat.
Having access to our own boat gives club members the opportunity to explore a huge variety of dive sites around Scotland, from wrecks such as the Akka and Greenock Dredger to walls, reefs and scenic sites.
Whether you’re a newer diver looking to build your experience or an experienced diver looking for more opportunities to get underwater, Thistle Divers welcomes divers from a range of backgrounds and experience levels.
Interested in joining us? Get in touch to find out more about Thistle Divers and come along on a future adventure.
📍 Location: Firth of Clyde, launching from Inverkip ⚓ Dive Sites: Akka & Greenock Dredger 🤿 Dives Completed: 2 wreck dives 👥 Divers: 5 Thistle Divers members 🌊 Conditions: Great visibility for the Clyde 📏 Depths: Akka from approximately 16m, with deeper sections towards 40m; Greenock Dredger approximately 27–30m 🐟 Highlights: Two historic Clyde wrecks, excellent visibility and plenty of marine life 🚤 Diving: Thistle Divers club boat
