P38 Lightning

The wreck lies at the mouth of the Saint-Cyr/Les Lecques bay, open to the Mediterranean through the southern arc. The main exposed window is the S-SSW-SW sector, which faces the open gulf and takes the full fetch of a Libeccio (SW) blow — the wind and swell direction most likely to build waves here and force the dive off. The northern sectors are blocked by the bay's own coastline, with Les Lecques beach only about 1.6 km due north and the Saint-Cyr shore wrapping around to the NE, so a Mistral (NW-N) blows offshore and generates little wave energy at the site even when the surface is choppy. To the east, Pointe Grenier and the headland toward Bandol shade the E-ESE, and the La Madrague/Port d'Alon peninsula about 3.8 km to the SE partly shades the SE sector as well, leaving the truly open fetch concentrated on S through SW. The Bec de l'Aigle and La Ciotat cape some 5 km to the west partly shelter the W-WNW. As a deep site it is calm in most summer conditions, but a southerly wind or distant S-SW swell is the thing that stirs the surface and clouds the water.