Eastbourne Wreck Diving
There are more than 340 wrecks ranging from depths of 14m to 65m within the Eastbourne area and many still waiting to be identified. Sussex organises charters to the big classic dive site wrecks like the Alaunia, Oceana, Duchess, SS Caleb Sprague [+1944] and the Argonaut. Also trips to the protected sites like Pevensey Bay Wreck Site and Holland V (Holland 5) site.
See Sussexshipwrecks Projects Blog for Unknown Wrecks we are trying to identify.
Alaunia
Distance from Eastbourne: 7.5 miles
Sunk: 19/10/1916, on passage New York to London, mined
Details: Steamship, Cunard Liner, 158.6m by 19.5m, 13405 tons
Depth: 13m, seabed 28m LW to 35m HW
Diving: The biggest wreck on East Sussex coast. Lying on port side, bow points to the east, Extensive break up mid sections but still a very impressive site. Highest point from the scours of 3m is charted at 13.1m
Argonaut
Distance from Eastbourne: 19 miles
Sunk: 29/09/1908, on passage London to Lisbon, collision with Kingswell
Details: Luxury steam yacht, 102m by 12.2m
Depth: Wreck 22m, seabed 36m
Diving: Standing 10m proud
HMS Ariadne [+1917]
Distance from Eastbourne: 5 miles
Sunk: 26/07/1917, on passage down the Channel, torpedoed by UC-65
Details: Cruiser, Warship, 132m by 21m, 11,000 tons
Depth: 17m, seabed 20m
Diving: Not worth bothering with after salvage and dispersal, just a pile of scattered plates
Blanefield
Distance from Eastbourne: 8 miles
Sunk: 01/05/1906, on passage Junin to Dover, collision with the Kate Thomas
Details: Steamship, 107m by 14m, 3411 tons
Depth: 30m
Diving: Highlights are the triple expansion engines sitting 6m high, the wreck stands 2m high with a 3m scour at the stern
Broderick
Distance from Eastbourne: 11.5 miles
Sunk: 29/04/1918, on passage London to Puerto Cabello,
torpedoed by UB-57
Details: Steamship, British, 111m by 14.3m, 4321 tons
Depth: 24m
Diving: Extensive blasting took place, very broken up and only stands 4m
Braunton
Distance from Eastbourne: 11 miles
Sunk: 29/04/1918, on passage London to Puerto Cabello,
torpedoed by UB-57
Details: Steamship, British, 111m by 14.3m, 4321 tons
Depth: 24m
Diving: Extensive blasting took place, very broken up and only stands 4m
Caleb Sprague
Distance from Eastbourne: 10 miles
Sunk: 31/01/1944, passage London to Newport, torpedoed by E Boats
Details: Steamship, 76.2m by 13m, 1813 tons
Depth: Wreck is 11m proud, seabed 46m
Diving: Bows to the west
Carlisle Castle
Distance from Eastbourne: 13 miles
Sunk: 14/02/1918, passage Portland USA to London, torpedoed by UB 57
Details: Steamship, Merchantman, 122m by 16.2m, 4325 tons
Depth: 40m
Diving: Bows to the south west upside down standing 14m high
Caterham
Distance from Eastbourne: 19 miles
Sunk: 13/11/1916, passage Rouen to Newcasle-Upon-Tyne, torpedoed by UB 38
Details: Steamship, Merchantman, 84m by 12m, 1777 tons
Depth: 41m to the seabed and 35m to the top of the wreck
Diving: Broken up standing 6m high
Dona Isabela
Distance from Eastbourne: 12 miles
Sunk: 02/11/1943, passage Blyth to Portsmouth, torpedoed by E-Boat
Details: Steamship, 61.3m by 10.6m, 1179 tons
Depth: 18m, seabed 30m
Diving: Intact standing 10m high
Emerald
Distance from Eastbourne: 10 miles
Sunk: 31/01/1944, passage Middlesbrough to Poole, torpedoed by E Boats
Details: Steamship, 59.5m by 9.1m, 806 tons
Depth: Wreck is 10m proud, seabed 48m
Diving: Bows to the west
Fulham VII
Distance from Eastbourne: 10 miles
Sunk: 14/02/1946, passage Barry to London, collision with Alfred Victory
Details: Steamship, 76.2m by 13m, 1813 tons
Depth: Wreck is 14m proud, seabed 59m
Diving: Very deep dive
German Minelaying Sub
Distance from Eastbourne: 19 miles
Sunk: 3/11/1917, torpedoed by Submarine C15
Details: Submarine believed to be UC65, 54m by 6m, 1813 tons
Depth: Wreck is 5m proud, seabed 41m
Diving: Broken in two with gun lying on the seabed
Lisbon
Distance from Eastbourne: 10 miles
Sunk: 30/05/1917 on passage Newhaven to Boulogne, believed hit mine
Details: Steamship, 1203 tons
Depth: 24m to top, general depth of seabed 30m
Diving: Standing 6m proud
Mira
Distance from Eastbourne: 11 miles
Sunk: 11/10/1917, mined by UC 50
Details: British tanker, 105m by 14.5m, 3700 tons
Depth: 30m
Diving: Sitting on her starboard side, decks are vertical, badly corroded so this is a wreck to take care with
Nyon
Distance from Eastbourne: 11 miles
Sunk: 15/06/1962 in collision with Jalazad
Details: Motor vessel, 5364 tons
Depth: 27m top of wreck, seabed 43m
Diving: Stands very proud
SS Oceana [+1912]
Distance from Eastbourne: 6.5 miles
Sunk: 16/03/1912, on passage Tilbury to Bombay, collision with Pisagua
Details: Steamship, P&O Liner, 142.8m by 15.8m, 6610 tons
Depth: 22m to 27m
Diving: Boilers stand 6m high amid tangle of wreckage, sand covers and uncovers some sections
Rundo (St. Emilion)
Distance from Eastbourne: 17 miles
Sunk: 27/07/1917 on passage Skien to Rouen, torpedoed by UC-65
Details: Steamship, 1112 tons
Depth: 30m
Diving: Lying north to east, bell was recovered with name Rundo
Seven Seas
Distance from Eastbourne: 17 miles
Sunk: 01/04/1917, on passage London to Liverpool, torpedoed by UB 37
Details: Steamship, 76m by 10m, 1194 tons
Depth: Generally 48m, but there is a very deep scour on one side
Diving: Always a lot of fish life on it, I’ve had a good-sized turbot off it and generally it produces good size lobsters
The Duchess
Distance from Eastbourne: 7 miles
Sunk: 01/07/1917 on passage Newhaven to France, collision with
HM Destroyer Cossack
Details: Steamship 54m long by 8 m wide, 553 tons
Depth: 11.6m to top, general depth of seabed 15m
Diving: Excellent first wreck dive for trainees as it looks like a wreck and has boilers and isn’t a pile of loose plates like so many other shallow wrecks. Best dived on a high tide as a first dive (deepest depth 19m neap to 22m spring), as this will give plenty of scope for a second drift dive over the Sovereign Shoals.
T. R. Thompson
Distance from Eastbourne: 12.5 miles
Sunk: 29/03/1918, on passage Benisaf to Middlesbrough, torpedoed by UB-57
Details: Steamship, Armed Merchantman, 110m by 14.4m, 3538 tons
Depth: 30m
Diving: Pointing East, the sides of the ship have collapsed, weight of the cargo, but the stern still stands 14m. It should be noted that the cargo is Iron Ore, so if you’re dive starts centrally on the TR in low viz you may think you’re off the wreck, but you’re not, you’re on top of the cargo
U275
Distance from Eastbourne: 20 miles
Sunk: 10/03/1945
Details: Submarine, 87m by 6m, 769 tons
Depth: Wreck 50m, seabed 56m
Diving: Lying northeast to southwest broken in to bows 6m tall
Umba
Distance from Eastbourne: 12 miles
Sunk: 30/04/1918, on passage Dunkirk to Barry Roads, torpedoed by UB-57
Details: Steamship, Merchantman, 89m by 12.55, 2042 tons
Depth: Wreck 14m, seabed 21m
Diving: Lying northeast to southwest broken in to bows 6m tall
Ville De Bordeaux
Distance from Eastbourne: 9.5 miles
Sunk: 25/03/1911 on passage Brest to Dunkirk, collision with Steamship Irisbrook
Details: Steamship 82.4m long by 10.3 m wide, 1393 tons
Depth: 27m to top, general depth of seabed 33m
Diving: This wreck is in a hollow on the seabed, but stands proud