Wed, Nov 6 2002 9:33 AM AEDT
Diving community thrilled over sinking of the Hobart
Dive tourism is expected to be the big winner from yesterday's scuttling of the former Navy destroyer Hobart in Yankalilla Bay, south of Adelaide.
The Hobart is now resting on the sea bed 30 metres down and is expected to become a mecca for the scuba diving community.
It is predicted the new dive attraction will bring in millions of tourism dollars.
The scuttling of the Hobart is said to have gone like clockwork and the Scuba Divers Federation, which campaigned for several years to find a ship and gain approval to scuttle it as a much needed dive site in South Australia, could not be happier.
Ten mooring buoys are to be provided around the wreck for commercial and recreational diving groups, and emergency procedures have been put in place in case of any diving accidents on site.
The destroyer HMAS Hobart to be sunk off Rapid Bay. It was specially prepared for divers to swim through and inspect at a depth of about 30 metres, and about 3 nautical miles from Rapid Bay Jetty.
