I posted this over on Scubadiving.com, but thought this would be a good place for it too.
Well it's rare that I actually get to dive on some of the wrecks here in the Upper Keys, but yesterday was one of those special days. We are hosting Sport Diver TV doing a National Geographic documentary on sinking artifical reefs around the world. We took the Republic VII out to the Spiegel Grove for a day of diving and filming.
In any case we got the the wreck around 10AM and tied up to the bow. Dean, one of our instructors and I took one of the dive team members, Koz, on a tour of the Grove. We hit the calm no current 60' viz water and preceeded to the well deck pentrating a 3rd level hallway and exited midship at the cranes. Once we came out there were 3 huge Jew Fish hovering underneath the port crane arm. What a treat. We then proceeded along the port side well deck to the stern of the ship. We had heard that the props were visible, so once we got the stern we decended down to 140'. Not only could we see the props, but the underside of the ship has been washed out and we were able to go under the entire ship and exit the starboard side. Seems the currents have tunneled a hole all the way under the ship at the stern exposing 1/2 of the entire prop. Side note....whoever lost a force fin, it's still under the ship stern center keel at 142'. We then proceeded back towards the bow.
Time to come up so our accent required for me a 18 min deco as I was on 26% nitrox. Hanging there a school of baracuda came crusing by. What a great dive....58 min total dive time, 18 min deco, average depth 77', with deepest depth 142'.
NOTE: Dean, Koz, and I are both Master, Deep, and Wreck Instructors. Kozs and I are also full cave certified. Wrecks are very different from caves, but some of the skills do apply. My point this is not a dive to be done by most of the divers visiting the Spiegel Grove. Please dive your certifications and dive within those limits.
Thought I'd share this great experience with my fellow diving friends here. Hope you enjoy.
Good Diving,
Well it's rare that I actually get to dive on some of the wrecks here in the Upper Keys, but yesterday was one of those special days. We are hosting Sport Diver TV doing a National Geographic documentary on sinking artifical reefs around the world. We took the Republic VII out to the Spiegel Grove for a day of diving and filming.
In any case we got the the wreck around 10AM and tied up to the bow. Dean, one of our instructors and I took one of the dive team members, Koz, on a tour of the Grove. We hit the calm no current 60' viz water and preceeded to the well deck pentrating a 3rd level hallway and exited midship at the cranes. Once we came out there were 3 huge Jew Fish hovering underneath the port crane arm. What a treat. We then proceeded along the port side well deck to the stern of the ship. We had heard that the props were visible, so once we got the stern we decended down to 140'. Not only could we see the props, but the underside of the ship has been washed out and we were able to go under the entire ship and exit the starboard side. Seems the currents have tunneled a hole all the way under the ship at the stern exposing 1/2 of the entire prop. Side note....whoever lost a force fin, it's still under the ship stern center keel at 142'. We then proceeded back towards the bow.
Time to come up so our accent required for me a 18 min deco as I was on 26% nitrox. Hanging there a school of baracuda came crusing by. What a great dive....58 min total dive time, 18 min deco, average depth 77', with deepest depth 142'.
NOTE: Dean, Koz, and I are both Master, Deep, and Wreck Instructors. Kozs and I are also full cave certified. Wrecks are very different from caves, but some of the skills do apply. My point this is not a dive to be done by most of the divers visiting the Spiegel Grove. Please dive your certifications and dive within those limits.
Thought I'd share this great experience with my fellow diving friends here. Hope you enjoy.
Good Diving,
