New divers looking for shipwrecks

[ness42114]

Hi

My BF and I are starting our open water class on may 1st and one thing we want to do is dive some ship wrecks, so were looking for wrecks in nor cal with in 60 feet. Can any one help me ?

Thanks
ness

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hi

My BF and I are starting our open water class on may 1st and one thing we want to do is dive some ship wrecks, so were looking for wrecks in nor cal with in 60 feet. Can any one help me ?

Thanks
ness

There really aren't any in tact wrecks up on the North Coast that are recognizable as shipwrecks. The only wreck I know of is the Pomona in Fort Ross cove which sank in the beginning of the 20th century. There really is not much left of it except a big drive shaft and a boiler. The hull is pretty much gone. The same is true with any of the other wrecks up here, many times they are so decomposed you don't even realize you are looking at the remains of a wreck. If you look around you may find some encrusted iron debris but not much else.

ZKY

 

[ness42114]

Ok. Thanks

 

[MCHRISK]

In monterey there is part of a sail boat and a amtrack off Del Monte Beach in about 25-30 ft.


www.garlic.com/~triblet/swell/gps.html

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

In monterey there is part of a sail boat and a amtrack off Del Monte Beach in about 25-30 ft.
www.garlic.com/~triblet/swell/gps.html

It's a WHOLE sailboat. It and the Del Monte Amtrack can be done as a beach dive.

There's also The Barge off the Monterey Breakwater (doable from the beach, but a
LOOOONG swim, boat is easier), and two more Amtracks off Lovers (boat required). See
the above URL for locactions.

The are also several other debris fields that can loosely be called wrecks. And some of
us are working to sink some surplus US Navy ships in Northern California.

Note that wreck penetration requires advanced dive training. And The Barge (63') and
the Lover's Atracks (80ish) are a bit deep for you at this point.

 

[icantdive55]

Look around for a book called California Shipwrecks by Don B. Marshall. The first edition was published in 1978. I don't know if there is a second or third edition.The north coast is full of wrecks but like ZKY said you won't be able to recognize them. Inside Van Dam cove there were several. If you look real hard you might find the ballast rocks and that's about all. Mendocino Headlands, Casper, Russian Gulch all have wrecks. Get the book and have fun looking.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

For the Monterey area:

Shipwrecks and Sea Monsters of California's Central Coast, by Randall A. Reinstedt,
Ghost Town Publications, 1975, ISBN 0-933818-05-X

You can get it in most Monterey tourist traps. Unfortunately, it doesn't have The
Sailboat, The Barge, or any of the Amtracks. It does have most of the debris
field wrecks.

 

[kf6alc]

I'm hoping to do the Barge soon, next few weeks anyway. I also have heard of the Gipsy at McAbee Beach, only 25' or so, but virtually nothing left, I think. Would also like to try Sailboat and Amtrack soon too, but as a mostly shore diver, I think those are all there are anywhere around here.

 

[kosstamogen]

It's a WHOLE sailboat. It and the Del Monte Amtrack can be done as a beach dive.

There's also The Barge off the Monterey Breakwater (doable from the beach, but a
LOOOONG swim, boat is easier), and two more Amtracks off Lovers (boat required). See
the above URL for locactions.

The are also several other debris fields that can loosely be called wrecks. And some of
us are working to sink some surplus US Navy ships in Northern California.

Note that wreck penetration requires advanced dive training. And The Barge (63') and
the Lover's Atracks (80ish) are a bit deep for you at this point.

Chuck your website is great! I hope you don't mind I have shared it with a few other Silicon valley divers already. Many thanks!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Chuck your website is great! I hope you don't mind I have shared it with a few other Silicon valley divers already. Many thanks!

That what's there for.

Glad you like it.