The Enrico Parodi Diver swims past engine block My favourite wreck dive in West Cornwall. The Enrico Parodi was a 3800 ton steamship that sank in 1916. Now she lies on a sandy bottom in about 28m (low water slack) lying West to East. She is well broken but the outline of the ship is easily seen, the two boilers stand proud with quite a bit of wreckage around them leaving a few tight swim throughs (care!) and shelter for small shoals of Bib. Shoal of bib with the boilers in the back ground.  The area from boilers to the bows is quite flat and filled with sand.  The boilers are intact and stand about 5m off the sea bed. Diver examines the crank shaft and con rods. From the boilers you can follow the stern tube .....  ...back to the rudder post, rudder and prop.   What makes this wreck stand out from the rest is that it is so clean. Being on sand, and in a highly tidal area, there is non of the usual silt associated with many wrecks in Cornwall. Perhaps it's due to the contrast between the metal and the sand or perhaps its the 10m + vis that is frequently found here but the wreck seems bright and it always has plenty of marine life on it. Diving must be done on neap tides and slack water. It has been my experience that it is only possible to get one set of diver down per dive (especially at HW). If you try to get divers down, recover a pair and then change over cox before getting a second group down, the second group invariably get a short dive (if any at all). Depth approx 28m (Low water neaps) Rating ***** Caution - Extremely tidal., experienced divers only.
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