Dipping a Toe in Tenerife

Just got back from a weeks holiday in Tenerife which was a family holiday but I still managed to squeeze a days diving in. The only problem was on the day I booked up for the diving the weather decided to blow a hooly so my planned trip to the appropriately named Le Meridian wreck was scrapped and I had to make do with the twin wreck site just outside the port of Puerto Colon.

The wrecks are 2 purposely sunk wrecks sitting side by side in 23m. The wrecks themselves are pretty boring but make ideal training sites and provide a home for shoals of grunt and few trumpet fish plus the odd angel shark. My total dive time was 40 minutes water was 23.c and vis around 15m. The dive centre have also sunk a statue of an old lady close to the wreck side as an added attraction.

With the wind still howling the second dive was along the coast in a quiet sheltered cove which looked pretty uninspiring and is mainly used for training and try dives. On entering the water the vis had dropped to a grainy 3-5m and I wasn't hoping for much but guess what? 10 minutes after the dive began and I just as I was starting to get bored I felt something brush my leg, and to my surprise I had a new dive buddy, a large green turtle who was very friendly and joined us for about 5 minutes 10 minutes later a smaller green turtle wanted in on the action and hung around for a while.

Apart from the turtle family there were a few inquisitive cuttle fish who filled up the remaining dive time.

I was diving as a guest of Diversity http://www.diver-sity.com/ based in Puerto Colon a well set up PADI 5 star centre situated right on the quay side, diving from their own 8m rib.

The 2 dives cost me a total of £32 pounds including full kit hire air and 2 boat dives, which I didn't think was too bad.

The dive centre also operate their own apartments so I could see an opportunity for a cheap group trip out there sometime in the future.

Tenerife isn't every ones cup of tea but it seems the local government are doing and have down a lot to change its image and clean up the Island from its boozy Brits abroad image.

Obviously the diving here is not the Red Sea but there should be enough variety to keep a group satisfied and keep the non divers and families happy.


Guess what the weather was perfect for the rest of the week but I had other commitments

Tad