Has anyone dived Coast Guard Island in Alameda CA?

[Cthippo]

Has anyone dived or snorkeled Coast Guard Island in Alameda CA? The image is from the NOAA bathymetry surveys of the channel and the bottom there is only about 10 feet. This site is on the western side of the island just south of the point. This is one of those sites that turns my crank HARD, but may be infeasible for a number of reasons.

 

[Chavodel8en]

People dont really scuba or snorkel within the SF Bay - no visibility. And even more than the Bay in general, the channel between Oakland and Alameda is some nasty, muggy water. LOTS of garbage and debris. I imagine the visibility would be next to nothing.

I used to let my dogs swim off the Jack London waterfront not far from there, but stopped bc it was grossing me out.

Lots of folks kayak around there, so if you want to explore the area, maybe thats an option.

 

[Akimbo]

I have jet skied there, I wouldn't dive there unless I was being paid.

 

[Bigbella]

I have jet skied there, I wouldn't dive there unless I was being paid.

We did some environmental testing there, years back; so too, at nearby Oakland Harbor, about three miles away; for Richmond, on the site of the WWII Kaiser Shipyards, somewhat farther off — and, halfway across the Bay Bridge, at Treasure Island, while it was still Navy, back in the 1990s.

It paid well; but it still wasn't worth the filth of that whole East Bay area -- just took forever to eliminate the stench from our suits -- even with the generous use of a harbor fire hose; and we often drove back with windows down, regardless of the temperature or time of year. The visibility was virtually nil and the harbor waters frequently reeked of hydrogen sulfide from the anaerobic mud — even visibly bubbled up in a few noxious spots. There was hazardous rebar and refuse everywhere from decades of the heaviest "dump-it-who-gives-a-crap?" industries; and the sediment had all the texture of a loose chocolate pudding.

One misplaced kick, underwater, and it became black as night. The creepiest thing that I ever found, was a female mannequin’s leg, from hip to foot.

From a related thread:

"While collecting sediment samples in Oakland Harbor . . . something there -- perhaps, some polar solvent, aside from usual the nasty harbor water -- affected the polycarbonate visor of my full face mask. It became softened, crazed, and required an expensive replacement; but I would rather it have damaged that poly visor of the mask, than my skin . . ."

It is not worth your time -- you really don't want to put the "hep" in hepatitis; also, they may no longer even allow diving around the Coast Guard site, post-9/11. We had to carry extensive permits when we were last there; and even then, the "coasties" were none too pleased . . .

 

[Cthippo]

Damn, I guess I will add that one to the "Probably not viable" list. Still, some targets down there worth dragging the side scan over at least.

 

[Akimbo]

Still, some targets down there worth dragging the side scan over at least.

Then what? File a salvage claim? There are easier ways to collect scrap metals.

 

[Cthippo]

Abandoned historic sites and wrecks are my passion. Finding them, identifying them, documenting them, telling their stories. This is the kind of thing that gets me out of bed in the, errr, afternoon.

Piecing together the history of another wreck in Richmond

Several historic hulks used as a breakwater in Tacoma. There are close to a dozen sunken vessels under the ones still afloat...
Another unique and historic wreck in Washington

 

[Jared0425]

Abandoned historic sites and wrecks are my passion. Finding them, identifying them, documenting them, telling their stories.

Amen to that. I've found 27 wrecks here in the lakes.

 

[Cthippo]

Amen to that. I've found 27 wrecks here in the lakes.

Awesome! That is what I aspire to! How did you go about finding other people into that kind of diving?

 

[Jared0425]

Awesome! That is what I aspire to! How did you go about finding other people into that kind of diving?

Other way around. The group I'm with has been active since the early 80s when they purchased a Klein Side Scan and started searching the lake. I had an extensive library of research on lost (and some found) wrecks and we happened to be running with the same crowd. So naturally I joined and 13 years later we have made dozens of discoveries at the bottom of Lake Huron and a few in other lakes.