Visit Date: February 2013

This should probably be entitled Wot I did on me holidays. Carol and I decided with six other people to book an all-inclusive holiday in Stalia near Hersonissoss in Crete. It was intended to be a gluttonous booze-fueled week and it worked out just as planned. However me being the sensible and responsible adult decided that I might need a day off. So what else is there to do in Crete? Well I ain’t into ruins as I just see a reflection of myself. So to the diving websites; reefs and fish are OK if they’re exotic but I was looking for something a bit more – well out of the ordinary. Trawling through the YouTube websites I spotted a dive on a Messerschmitt 109 not 10 minutes out from Hersonissos.

On the Monday after we arrived I espied about 100 metres from the shore one diver towing another and giving RB, so into the water, a swim over to the Dive Master with an unlikely encounter ‘Where’s your dive centre mate?’ His reply was ‘if you turnaround and look at the shore in front of you that’s it’.

So that evening off to the Kreta Maris Dive Center, general inspection of my qualifications and medical fitness to dive, kitted out with all I needed from fins, BCD, regs., mask, two cylinders and wet suit. Cost to include two dives £60-00 good value. I only wanted to dive the ME109 which is at 26m and considered a deep dive. On production of my log book showing lot’s of ‘one dives’ they still considered me ‘dived up’

Reported next day at 9am to meet up with the dive guide Andrich an Hungarian, we were to be a three but for reasons I did not understand the other diver decided this deep dive was not for him. Paul another dive guide gave me the briefing Victor another dive guide joined us for the dive so we were four. Three PADI Dive Masters and little old BSAC me. Now you can probably guess what was going through my head. I’ve got to dive this right or BSAC will be the butt of the jokes in their local bar.

And we can’t have that can we?

So into the fast small hardboat and a scudding ten minute ride to the dive site. Very impressive the site was found by just using transits, I peeked over the side just to make sure you couldn’t see the wreck from the surface, but no the sea was too murky for that. On the way out Paul explained that they have a competition with the other local dive centre as how near they could drop the shot without hitting the plane. Anyone who hit the plane with the shot bought a case of beer!

Down went the shot and then down went us, I was little over weighted, but all to the good it meant my buoyancy could be easily maintained. We dropped off the shot at about 20 metres and swam slowly to the plane looming 15 or so metres away. Swam to the wing and there perfectly placed was the shot a mere metre from the wingtip. So I gave Victor a round of applause and we were set for the dive.

The Messerschmitt was shot down in the invasion of Crete in 1941 during the landing of German parachute forces. The ME109 was hit by British gunfire from promontory of land near Hersonissos and the pilot tried to ditch the aircraft on the water, but alas the plane tipped and broke in three pieces, flipped over and sunk upside down where it is now. The three bladed propeller is stuck in the sand the fuselage behind and some distance behind that is the tail plane. The preservation of the aircraft is quite extraodinary, part of the machine gun is intact, the insiginias are still discernable even after 70 years. If you push your thumb into the retracted undercarriage there is still air in the tyres. Debris from the aircraft is still scattered around and the guides gave me the VIP tour of wheels and ammunition boxes. A final check of my air gauge and signalling 80bar it was time to ascend , though not before my photo opportunity, hanging in the water, by the plane, on the shot the usual poses. A three minute safety stop at five metres (PADI rules), I compromised and did mine at five and half. A swim to the aft of the boat, fins off into the boat and back to the dive centre.

Great bunch of guys, helpful, attentive, a good sense of humour but above all a very professional approach to the skills of SCUBA diving. Thanks Andrich, Paul and Victor of Kreta Maris.

Looking forward to diving with you again in September 2013

Visit Date: June 2012

Two boat dives, of which Amphora Reef was the best I think. It was very windy the past weeks, so the visibility wasn't superb (especially at Lucky Reef). The diving was good as was the company of divemaster Colin and the two other English divers. Due to my flight I couldn't make more dives, which was a pity because the weather was very good the other day. I visit Crete every few years (mostly for a short vacation) and I guess I will dive with Crete Maris again.