SINKING a ship off the coast of Guernsey would give recreational divers a safer area to explore. Guernsey Diving Association chairman John Dempster said that the group was closely following developments around HMS Scylla, the former Royal Navy frigate which was sunk at the weekend at Whitsand Bay, near Plymouth, to create the UK’s first purpose-made wreck dive site.

The association is keen to identify a suitable vessel and make a similar reef close to the island.

‘It would without doubt create a fantastic habitat for fish and marine life,’ said Mr Dempster.

Two of Guernsey’s present sites – the cement and ammunition ship wrecks – are on busy shipping routes in the Little Russell, making them dangerous.

Mr Dempster said that it could take two years to get an artificial reef under way – finding an environmentally acceptable, safe and inexpensive vessel, identifying a site and securing permission.

He said that the association had identified a suitable vessel some years ago but was told it was not allowed to sink it due to international maritime agreements.

‘Since that time, many vessels have been sunk to form new marine environments and recreational dive sites,’ said Mr Dempster.

‘It seems that international maritime agreements now permit such carefully-controlled sinkings.’

Divers have been given the all-clear to start exploring HMS Scylla, which lies in 21 metres after explosives were used to sink it.

The Plymouth-based National Marine Aquarium bought the 2,500 tonne vessel for £200,000 and will receive pictures of its development as a reef via live webcams.

Mr Dempster said it was estimated that the new wreck would generate an extra £1m. per year for the region.

Graham Eker, joint owner of Dive Guernsey, which sells and services diving gear and provides instruction, did not foresee that a wreck off the island would attract many visiting divers.

But one was needed in about 20 metres of water, out of the shipping lanes, for divers to train on.

He added that there was no shortage of wrecks for technical and deep-water divers.

He has dived off the coast of Cyprus, where a cargo ship similar to the Commodore Clipper, called Zenobia, had been sunk. That site attracted hundreds every day and had led to the creation of about 20 diving schools and a whole tourism industry.

He did not anticipate similar success for such a site in Guernsey, partly due to the climate.

After Guernsey was refused permission to sink a boat, it was sent to the bottom off Jersey’s north coast.

It is one of three vessels and a pontoon deliberately sunk in the area at depths of between 22 and 32 metres since 1992.

‘It generates more interest from divers, not only locals but visiting divers, and gives more variation and a greater choice of dive sites,’ said Steve Renouf, manager of Apnea, which owns the Bouley Bay dive centre in Jersey.

He said that they were looking at having another site closer to shore as part of the enhancement of the bay.