Simply put, Malta and Gozo have two types of wrecks - those that fell victim to wars and other historic events and those that were sunk deliberately. The MV Cominoland was sunk deliberately off the coast of Gozo, making it easily accessible and having turned it into a favourite for diving courses and guided dives. The ship sits on the sea bottom in 40 m and reaches up to around 32-35 m.
Having been sunk deliberately doesn't mean that the wreck has no history worth knowing. This wreck started life as a minelayer with the British Royal Navy in 1942. After more than 20 years of service with the navy, the ship turned civilian in 1966 and became a ferry running between the Maltese capital of Valletta and the island of Comino.
A few name changes later, the ship became MV Cominoland on 1976 and was later converted into a passenger day boat for tourists around the Grand Harbour of Valletta and Comino.
The MV Cominoland was made safe for the environment and for divers at the beginning of this century and finally scuttled in 2006. Today, there is still plenty to see and explore, including some limited penetration opportunities.
This dive was a bit of a dual-purpose endeavour. The cylinders were new to me, and I wanted to check how they behaved in the water. It had also been some time since I'd done an open circuit sidemount dive, and this was a good opportunity to do just that (equipment adjustments have since followed.
With its depth, this is also a great wreck for initial foundational decompression dives. If you would like to know more about becoming a sidemount diver, wreck diving or tech diving in Malta and Gozo, check out darkhorizondiving.com.
Courses, workshops and guided tech dives are available almost year-round in Gozo.
5 сен 2024
