Torbay lies on the western arm of the larger Lyme Bay which stretches from Portland in the East to Start Point in the West. The bay itself is semi closed and therefore offers protection from most wind directions except a dead Easterly when heavy surf develops quickly. This protecting influence means that the bay is often full of shipping waiting for bad weather to ease or awaiting orders. Torbay is, in reality, the collective name for the three holiday towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham which spread around the bay and make a living out of the rather dodgy period that passes for a summer in Britain.
In more recent times however, Torbay has started to become a destination for divers of all levels and in particular is beginning to acquire a reputation for the serious Technical diver. This new development has been achieved by an expanding range of services to both local and visiting divers which, only a few years ago, were not available. The area now boasts three full time dive shops, offering the full range of services including Nitrox and Trimix fills and half a dozen training schools. Even more importantly RIB shuttle services and two fully equipped charter boats have opened up the offshore diving and deeper wreck sites to experienced divers. An increasing number of divers who would previously have by-passed Torbay to head for Plymouth or Weymouth are now discovering that there is a wealth of undived territory just waiting to be explored.
The bay itself has a predominantly sandy bottom with the occasional outcrop of rock creating reefs supporting a wide variety of sea life. In the last few years environmentally important beds of eel grass have been discovered and their protection is currently actively being sought. General depths within the bay are no greater than 20 metres which makes it ideal for the training of novices. Two particularly good spots for divers within the confines of the bay are the Ridge and the Pipie Barge.
The ridge lies between the harbours of Brixham and Paignton. It is part of a ridge of rock which runs diagonally across the bay, mainly submerged but occasionally breaking through the sand. Depths vary between 12 and 15 metres and this is a great place for the photographer or the reaper of all edible things. In the past the Ridge has been used as a dumping ground for items trawled up by the large Brixham fishing fleet so you can expect to find almost anything - including a twin-engined aircraft which crashed into the bay in the eighties and was subsequently hauled up and dumped onto the Ridge!
Close by lie two large Admiralty pattern anchors showing that this was a prime holding area for sailing ships in years gone by. Elsewhere on the ridge I have come across bollards and other large items of wreckage that indicate that a ship has broken up somewhere in the vicinity and remains to be found.
On the opposite side of the bay, close to Torquay harbour, lies the remains of the stern section of a Dutch barge which broke its tow and was smashed against the cliffs in the seventies carrying a cargo of large pipes for the oil industry. This wreckage is now home to a substantial population of crabs and lobsters which local divers try to reduce periodically. Depth of water is around 10 metres and the site is easy to find as it lies directly at the bottom of a very prominent landmark known as London Bridge, a natural arch which is very easy to find from land or sea.
For the more serious diver we must move out of the bay itself and into the open stretches of Lyme Bay. For this you require a serious RIB or better still one of the two charter boats whose skippers can take you to any of a veritable fleet of charted and uncharted wrecks that litter the area. Here you can expect a significant improvement in water clarity and very rapid increase in depth. The experienced diver can expect to encounter depths of 30 metres+ inshore and for technical divers depths of 80 to 90 metres are readily found. New wrecks are regularly being turned up and explored by deep divers and there is little doubt that many more uncharted wrecks remain. For those who want to sample a variety of wrecks at differing depths, perhaps the following will whet the appetite as well as give an indication of what to expect.

PERRONE
French cable layer, sunk in 1917. The wreck lies in at least three pieces with the bow on its starboard side being the highest point and quite dramatic to view from the seabed. A gap exists between the bow section and the midships and again between this and the stern section. A stern gun was lifted some years ago but plenty remains. Depth between 33-35 metres.

LORD STEWART
Lying further out into the bay and therefore in better general visibility and condition, this ship was sunk in 1918 and lies upright in 35metres. Bow, midships and stern are all upright, the adjoining sections badly smashed. With the advent of the hard boats this wreck has once again gained in popularity because of the usually good conditions to be found on her.

CITY OF SWANSEA
Further out into the bay this is again a victim of the First World War and was sunk in 1917. This wreck lies on its port side and is intact until the stern section which lies separated from the main wreckage. A more challenging wreck as conditions very greatly and it is often dark. Depth is 42 metres.

CHATEAU YQUEM
This steamer is almost in the middle of the bay between Torbay and Portland which possibly explains why we call her the 'Portland' even though her true name is known. Lying upright, this is a well preserved wreck with much scope for exploration. She has one of the largest foc'sle areas I have seen on any ship and very deep holds. She is a large ship so expect to reach her at around 40 metres with the bottom at around 55 metres.

EMPRESS OF INDIA
Lying not very far from the previous wreck, this is one big ship. Sunk in 1913 as a target, she is unfortunately, upside down. However, one of the experienced skippers will put onto the broken areas of the wreck caused by some salvage work that took place after the wars. Depth to the top of the keel is 30 metres with the bottom at round 43 metres. There is a small scour and some of the best diving is to be had off the wreck and in the debris field that surrounds the wreck. Because of its size and position in the bay strong currents can be experienced so aim for slack water diving only.

All of these wrecks can be reached from Torbay harbours in between one and three hours of travelling time. Moving further Westward around the bay, further wrecks are encountered with less travelling time.

SEVILLA
Almost dead straight out from the centre of Torbay, this steamer was sunk in 1918 and settled on the bottom upright. Since then she has become a very popular wreck due to her easy access and size - she is 260 ft. long and although the target of some half hearted attempts at salvage a few years ago, much still remains. Although often dark, some spectacular visibility can be found on her. Depth to her decks is 35 metres and bottom is around 48 metres.

ROTA
Another First World War victim and again upright on the bottom. This is a large wreck and can be very dark if conditions are not right. Depth to her decks is generally 45 metres and the bottom approaching 60 metres in high tides, so not for the faint hearted. One particular feature I found striking was the way that the decking was parting company with the hull, forming long, very deep chasms that reach right down to the keel.

GLOCLIFFE
Shallower at 42 metres, this 1917 wreck lies, supposedly, on her port side. I'm not sure I can agree with this from what I have seen, but no doubt we will be corrected. The wreck is very intact with masts stretching intact out across the sand. The bell from this wreck was found only this year and this in spite of having been dived for many years previously. This wreck can be dark and silty at times and there are several areas netted so care must be taken.

The wrecks that I have described can only be a selection of the most popular ones. Divers visiting the area, and particularly those well qualified in deeper or technical diving can expect an expanding range of wreck sites, particularly if they are prepared to travel that little bit further off the beaten track. Trimix divers in particular can expect to visit undived and often uncharted wrecks in depths quite moderate by Trimix standards so the potential for extended dives is very good.
For the visiting diver, the range of facilities has grown steadily over the years and now includes Trimix as well as Nitrox. In addition the bay's three shops are well stocked and can provide virtually any piece of kit required. Being one of the premier English holiday destinations, accommodation is available to suit any taste or pocket and if you have to haul the family down as a trade off for that week's diving, then there are plenty of attractions to keep them occupied until you return!

By Vic Bonfante.