The Wreck of the St Paul

A small group of tech qualified Unidivers took the boat out for a great dive on the St Paul in February. Conditions were less than ideal with difficult chop—we almost called it on the way out—and quite a swell at the site. However persistence paid off and conditions underwater were perfect. Very little current and 20 metre visibility made for a brilliant dive.

The St Paul sank in March 1914, after hitting Smiths Rock off Moreton Island. It sank with a full load of chromium ore and 18 souls were lost.

We spent 30 minutes on the wreck with an average depth of 39 metres, checking out the now largely collapsed structure, the boilers, the engine and the myriad of fish. Then leisurely made our way back to the surface with 20 minutes of decompression on 50%.

The trip back was dead calm and pouring rain most of the way with the ghost of a container ship crossing the channel presenting an eerie backdrop.

After a rough start, it turned out to be a really relaxing and enjoyable day and we’re looking forward to running more decompression trips with Unidive.