Question Moving to Nola from Ohio

[dive2617]

Experienced diver moving to nola looking for recommendations on where to dive. Pensacola looks like the closest spot and I am itching to dive the oriskany (am tech certified). Are there any local quarries or other places to go diving without driving 3 hours? Any groups do local trips together? Definitely looking for new dive buddies after my relocation in may!

 

[nolatom]

Experienced diver moving to nola looking for recommendations on where to dive. Pensacola looks like the closest spot and I am itching to dive the oriskany (am tech certified). Are there any local quarries or other places to go diving without driving 3 hours? Any groups do local trips together? Definitely looking for new dive buddies after my relocation in may!

Wish it were otherwise but "no". Closest is Gulf Shores, and Pensacola, both about 3-hour drive, but they are vacation beach spots so you could make a weekend or vacation out of it, nice beach towns.

Any farther west and you get Mississippi Delta silt, and nothing to see anyway. No quarries, and one river dive spot way up north in Toledo Bend, about which I know nothing but photos from there look murky.

What's worth driving 6 hours west for, to Freeport, Texas, is the liveaboard from Fling Charters that takes you out to the National Marine Sanctuaries (Stetson Bank and two Flower Garden Banks, 70 and 90 miles offshore, respectively). Good vis, just warm enough to grow coral on the two Banks. The "Redneck Caribbean" Makes a nice 3-day trip over a weekend, and the area shops book them for dive groups.

Also worth noting are the nearest springs in the Florida Panhandle, Vortex and Morrison. They're 280 miles east so it wouldn't be a day trip. And in the summer, nothing special, spring fed, 68F, which is cold. But in winter it's still 68, which for wintertime, is "warm". I did my cert and rescue classes there.

Dive shop I use is Harry's Dive shop, they do some trips. And also have a big pool that's 16' in the middle, so you can test gear in it.

 

[dive2617]

Wish it were otherwise but "no". Closest is Gulf Shores, and Pensacola, both about 3-hour drive, but they are vacation beach spots so you could make a weekend or vacation out of it, nice beach towns.

Any farther west and you get Mississippi Delta silt, and nothing to see anyway. No quarries, and one river dive spot way up north in Toledo Bend, about which I know nothing but photos from there look murky.

What's worth driving 6 hours west for, to Freeport, Texas, is the liveaboard from Fling Charters that takes you out to the National Marine Sanctuaries (Stetson Bank and two Flower Garden Banks, 70 and 90 miles offshore, respectively). Good vis, just warm enough to grow coral on the two Banks. The "Redneck Caribbean" Makes a nice 3-day trip over a weekend, and the area shops book them for dive groups.

Also worth noting are the nearest springs in the Florida Panhandle, Vortex and Morrison. They're 280 miles east so it wouldn't be a day trip. And in the summer, nothing special, spring fed, 68F, which is cold. But in winter it's still 68, which for wintertime, is "warm". I did my cert and rescue classes there.

Dive shop I use is Harry's Dive shop, they do some trips. And also have a big pool that's 16' in the middle, so you can test gear in it.

Appreciate the insight, that is about what I figured but thought I would check. Still better diving opportunities than ohio. Very excited to dive the oriskany!

 

[nolatom]

Appreciate the insight, that is about what I figured but thought I would check. Still better diving opportunities than ohio. Very excited to dive the oriskany!

Here's a blurb you may have already seen re the Big-O:

USS Oriskany

mbtdivers.com

I've been fortunate to have dived her three times as I recall, to see her "evolve". First was a year after she was sunk, so around 2007. She was still a "gray ship" and you could picture her still sailing. top of the tower was around 65' then, so kind of within reach of semi-novice divers. I explored the conning tower as did most divers, and just to say I did it, I descended to the main deck and touched my depth gauge on it, was 132' back then, didn't stay more than a few seconds, then back up to 90-80 level where there were some swim-thru's across the tower, where the nav bridge and admiral's bridge were.

Next was about 3 years later, and she was a "green" ship by then, and had changed attitude and depth from a big hurricane, she was listing to starboard, which made the deck much deeper near the bridge, maybe 145? Too deep for me. Final time was maybe 2015? (I need to check my logbook), and she was truly a "ship of the deep" by then, a big aquatic garden not as easily recognized as a ship. the Admiral's bridge was around 110' so quick swim-thru was sufficient for me as a recreational diver. There was also the navigation bridge, so still plenty to look at and partially swim through. Down on the main deck, and the aircraft elevator deck below, is a tech dive.

I don't know what she looks and feels like now. And I'm not as itchy to go as deep as I used to, as i get older. Maybe you can dive her next, and give us an update. MBT is a good outfit and will be up to date. Several hurricanes have been through there in the past few years, Sally in 2020 was a nasty one.