Last Video from U-352 Before Hurricane Irene

[Drewski]

Hi All:

I'm getting reports from dive operators in North Carolina that a number of wrecks in the Morehead City area were significantly impacted by Hurricane Irene. They are just now starting to dive the wrecks with good visibility. At least one artificial, the Spar, was moved by about 200 FT across the bottom and now has a 45 degree list, when it was flat before.

Additionally, I've heard the U-352 was broken open and an interior section is now exposed. Keep in mind, this was only a Cat 1 Hurricane. Sure glad it didn't come in as a Cat 3.

Just a few weeks before the storm, I happened to be in the area and dived the U-352. Water quality and conditions were pretty good, so I produced a "tour" video of the wreck. To stay "on-topic" for this forum, the dive was an advanced nitrox dive, with deco, the next step up from recreational. The diver shown is diving a high capacity single with a 50% O2 mix for decompression gas, allowing for extended bottom time. Many recreational divers enjoy this wreck as well, it's one of the most dived and photographed wreck in US waters, except for the newer artificial Florida wrecks.

This is probably the last video of the U-352 in the condition that we knew it. Enjoy!

[vimeo]28804624[/vimeo]

 

[Scuba_Noob]

So a Cat 1 Hurricane broke open a submarine that was 100ft deep in sea water? Damn. I wonder what Hurricane Irene did to reefs and marine wildlife along the coast and in the Caribbean. Nice that you got to see it before it got split. I enjoyed the video.

 

[ScubaSam]

Drewski -

I wished we had the viz you had on U-352 when our group dove the sub on Sept 11, 2011 . We had 0-3 ft viz on the sub. When I surfaced from that dive, I told the Captain that he could have dropped us on the Indra and told it was the sub, and we would have believed him cause of the poor viz.

I dove the sub last year and had the same viz as in your video. I did enjoy reliving that dive through your video. Coincidentally, we also used Tortuga Charters for our Sept 10th & Sept 11th trip, great op and the Skipper is extremely accommodating. He knows the seas well.

Thanks for posting your video,

 

[davetowz]

Hope to see a vid of her as she is now also, that would be an awesome comparison.

 

[Drewski]

Hope to see a vid of her as she is now also, that would be an awesome comparison.

Consider it done... Soon.

 

[davetowz]

Thanks, I am hoping to put 1 more trip to Morehead City together this year, if it doesn't work another awesome vid would have me jonesing all winter! need something to keep me warm at night !

 

[deepair]

Great video! I've dove this sub a lot with Olympus. We tried to get out to her in August before Irene. I can't wait to see her now.