Today was the day! After 3 years of planning, training and waiting, Bobby, Trey and I were finally able to dive the E. M. Clark. Often considered the pinnacle dive for North Carolina wreck diving, the Clark was sunk by the U-124 in March of 1942, a deadly time for WWII merchant ships on the east coast. She now sits mostly intact on her side in 245ft of water.
After loading JT Barker's dive boat, the Under Pressure, we left Hatteras Inlet shortly after dawn, driving The 23 miles to the wreck in 3 to 4ft seas. Trey threw the hook and In a few minutes each of us was geared up in doubles and two stage bottles. We used a 17% oxygen and 45% helium bottom mixture, with 50% and 80% oxygen mixtures for decompression.
As I descended the anchor line, warm and azure blue water surrounded me. I could see the wreck as I passed 100 ft, the vastness of her hull easily visible. But, as we approached the hull at 170 ft, green darker water came into view. The temp dropped to 65 and I began to worry the viz would be bad. I touched down on the hull at 190ft, and looking over the edge I could see the anchor line running downward. Trey pulled the hook upward to tie it in so Bobby and I dropped over the side to begin the tour. Suddenly, the viz opened up, extending to the limit of visible light in each direction!
The E. M. Clark is visually stunning. 6 stories high and sitting on it's side, it runs more than 400 ft in length. We touched down dead center on the wreck. Calling the Clark just another wreck would be like saying Notre Dame is just another church. Each of us was stunned and awed by the immensity of it's size. The conditions were perfect - no current and 70 to 100 ft or more of viz. We began swimming to the bow, dropping below 230 ft in depth, the wreck towering over us. Near the bow, a cavernous hole opened where the house used to be, allowing us to see all the way through the wreck. We soon reached our turn pressures and began the trip back to the hook. After 20 minutes of bottom time, we started our ascent and could see the Under Pressure on the surface from 160 ft. One hour later we climbed back on board to smiles and congratulations all around.
To me, the Clark was the best dive I've ever done. Without a doubt, each of us will be back...
After loading JT Barker's dive boat, the Under Pressure, we left Hatteras Inlet shortly after dawn, driving The 23 miles to the wreck in 3 to 4ft seas. Trey threw the hook and In a few minutes each of us was geared up in doubles and two stage bottles. We used a 17% oxygen and 45% helium bottom mixture, with 50% and 80% oxygen mixtures for decompression.
As I descended the anchor line, warm and azure blue water surrounded me. I could see the wreck as I passed 100 ft, the vastness of her hull easily visible. But, as we approached the hull at 170 ft, green darker water came into view. The temp dropped to 65 and I began to worry the viz would be bad. I touched down on the hull at 190ft, and looking over the edge I could see the anchor line running downward. Trey pulled the hook upward to tie it in so Bobby and I dropped over the side to begin the tour. Suddenly, the viz opened up, extending to the limit of visible light in each direction!
The E. M. Clark is visually stunning. 6 stories high and sitting on it's side, it runs more than 400 ft in length. We touched down dead center on the wreck. Calling the Clark just another wreck would be like saying Notre Dame is just another church. Each of us was stunned and awed by the immensity of it's size. The conditions were perfect - no current and 70 to 100 ft or more of viz. We began swimming to the bow, dropping below 230 ft in depth, the wreck towering over us. Near the bow, a cavernous hole opened where the house used to be, allowing us to see all the way through the wreck. We soon reached our turn pressures and began the trip back to the hook. After 20 minutes of bottom time, we started our ascent and could see the Under Pressure on the surface from 160 ft. One hour later we climbed back on board to smiles and congratulations all around.
To me, the Clark was the best dive I've ever done. Without a doubt, each of us will be back...
:cool3:
