Last Challenging cold dive of the year in Dutch waters.

location: www.de-grevelingen.nl/

Site: LE SERPENT 16A The Netherlands, Zeeland

Le Serpent is a well-known dive wreck in the Netherlands. It is a concrete
towing vessel at a depth of between 19 and 29 meters. Unfortunately,
visibility is often limited to a few meters or less. Swim from the dock to one
of the surface marker buoys (heading 330 °), descend the buoy line and secure
your reel (mandatory). Always take a dive light and at least one spare light
with you. Experienced wreck divers only.

Particularities Le Serpent. Type: Concrete towing vessel. Freight: Coal.
Weight: 525 tons. Year of construction: 1920. Length: 57 m. Beam: 10 m. Depth
deck: 23 m. Depth wheelhouse: 21 m. Deepest point: 29 m. Sunk as a diving
wreck: July 8, 2011.

Warnings. The area around Le Serpent is also used by professional
fishermen. Avoid the dive-free zone and stay clear of the fishing nets. Seals
are spotted in the wreck, don't be alarmed! Paid parking from April to
September

Concrete construction

Because of the shortage of steel in the First World War, the whole ship was
made of reinforced concrete. At the time, a revolutionairy new way of
building.

Diver in the hold

Le Serpent was used to transport coal from England to France. In World War Two
it was confiscated by the Germans. Later it was used by a Dutch contractor and
than abandoned in a costal area called, Schelphoek. Now shells have been
dumped into its holds, as a habitat for marine life.

Diver entering wheelhouse

The wheelhouse or bridge is used to command the ship. However, Le Serpent
didn't sail independently but was pulled by a tug. The roof of the wheelhouse
lies at 21 meter.

Marine life

Marine life on Le Serpent is limited, caused by lack of oxygen and sunlight.
Vegetations, crabs and small fish are common tough. Occasionally a seal visits
the wreck, this can be scary at times.

Almost forgot, but did NOT wear an IWC Aquatimer... the suit (neopreen) was
too thick for the watchstrap. And poor visibility anyways AT 40 mtrs down.

hope you enjoyed diving with me.

yours sincerely.

Really interesting

thanks for posting Bas

Thanks for sharing Bas!!!

Looking forward to when diving opens up again.

Very interesting Bas.

For your aquatimer, visibility was the limiting factor. As this is about
whatches, I have a few questions.

For what circumstances and depths the aquatimer is useful, or the Ocean 2000?

Wat kind of watch did you wear for the Zeeland dive and what were the
advantages wearing that?

Regards,

Adrian,

(alwaysiwc).

This is the equipment I
used.

I find an AT super usefull but only as a Back-up watch. Not even depending on
good or poor visability, I always dive with them.

in Holland, it's not always the best temperature, so you need a thick neopreen
suit. Even the "real"- dive strap does not fit over the sleeve of the suit. So
I wear it on my skin under the suit...

yours sincerely

Thanks Bas,

Is the diving watch a quartz one?

Adrian.

Auch Adrian.....

it's an IWC Aquatimer Automatic IW329004 (so definitely an automatic)

the Zoop has a battery (obviously)

cheers

Thanks Bas,

Of course I know about the aquatimer, but if you ar not a diver, you know
nothing about the modern professional divers watches.

Sorry, for the ignorance(=:

Adrian,

(alwaysiwc).

Nice pictures Bas from our blurry seas ;-)
Thanks for sharing!

Regards, Bob

Thanks for the report and for taking us with you, Bas.
Finally I got to see the Le Serpent. I was diving at that spot with Mark L. in
September, but as I am a dive noob, we just went down on one of the smaller,
shallower wrecks in front of the Le Serpent.

Very bad visibility, but at least I met Mr. Crabs there. :D
I was diving with the IWC Split Minute - but under the wet suit.

Lets hope travelling will be possible again, soon.

SUPERB (!)

Nice to see the SPLIT were it belongs.

staysafe #stayunder

cheers

Very nice Bas, looks like a cool dive. Thanks for the photos!