Lord Combermere Wreck – West Coast – Wrecks

18m Max

18-32m Vis

boat

Site Overview

The Lord Combermere is one of Barbados' earliest deliberately sunk artificial reefs and remains one of its seldom-dived secrets - an 18-metre former water carrier resting off Prospect on the sheltered west coast, her intact, utilitarian hull colonising steadily into proper fish habitat. Her open superstructure and holds have become a daytime refuge for dense, shimmering shoals of copper sweepers that pack the shaded recesses and spill into the blue as you approach, patrolled by curious barracuda and guarded by bold morays in the deck-line. Because she is off the beaten tourist track and not dived as heavily as the Carlisle Bay wrecks, the Lord Combermere has a quiet, undiscovered feel - a genuine local wreck for divers who love a peaceful swim-around and the mesmeric silver clouds of sweepers. Depths run from about 9 m at the shallowest point to 18 m at the deepest, with most of the dive spent near 15 m. Barbados is the easternmost Caribbean island, sitting where the Atlantic sweeps in to meet the calm Caribbean, and that convergence keeps its waters clear, warm and rich - the sheltered west and south coasts hold healthy reefs and a famed cluster of wrecks, turtles cruise the shallows year-round, and the deeper walls can turn up pelagics and the occasional shark.

Dive Briefing

“This is a relaxed, low-traffic wreck - descend the mooring onto the sand and swim her intact length at your leisure, working the shaded recesses where the copper sweepers gather in their thousands. Hold still near the structure and let the sweeper shoals swirl around you for spectacular wide-angle shots, and torch the deck-line crevices for morays. Any penetration of the holds is for wreck-trained divers with a line; the exterior and the sweeper shoals alone are worth the trip. The divemaster sets the entry, mooring and ascent plan at the briefing - agree buddy signals, DSMB routine and safety-stop depth before you splash, and start the dive slowly to let the reef or wreck come into focus. Run a three-minute safety stop on the ascent, position clear of the boat if there is any drift, and signal your position with a DSMB on the way up. Conditions around Barbados vary with the season and tide, so confirm the day's plan with your local dive operator before you go”

Location

Lord Combermere Wreck and 4 nearby dive sites in Barbados.