Oriskany early May

[broncobowsher]

Looking to trek across the country in early May and dive the Oriskany. I've been trying to do a little research and figured I would just ask a few questions. It sounds like by May the water should be warming up, but I can't get a good feel for what it will be like. I'm at a toss between a drysuit with some light undergarments or just a 5mm full.

The other is if anyplace has CO2 absorbent for a rebreather. I've emailed a few shops and found a couple that can pump O2 for me, but have not heard back from any on if they carry scrubber material. If I need to ship some in it would be nice to plan that now.

Also open to any other suggestions.

 

[MaxE]

I dove the Oriskany in sept so water temp does not apply. Looking at my log I do have a few mid May dives in the upper gulf, over 100fsw. Temp I have recorded is 80, but my computer always seems a few deg warmer than others. Upper 70’s to 80 is what I would expect for your dives. What boat are you planning on going out with? They may be able to help steer you towards a more tech oriented shop for scrubber material.

 

[soonerwink]

Here is a group on fb that has several rebreather divers in it. I did a dive on the Oriskany a couple of years ago and we had 6 rebreather divers with us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/gcds1/

 

[broncobowsher]

I tried. Closed group and not accepting me.

Sounds nice and warm, probably go 5mm to play it safe. Few things changed and it looks like the rebreather will be sitting at home this time. Not what I was planning.

 

[txgoose]

What boat are you planning on going out with?

Not to hijack, but my family may get to cap off a full diving summer with an August trip to the Oriskany. Do you have any recommendations for charters?

We'll all be 40+ dives and AOW by then. The wife and I would likely stay high on the tower. As this would effectively be our first dive with a bottom out of rec diving range I'd really like to send the two runts with a guide.

 

[MaxE]

There are many good charters in the area, any honestly I’m comfortable with more than a few. All that said try these guys, they have a big boat and may be able to help find you a guide. H20 below H2O Below | Pensacola Scuba Diving & USS Oriskany Charters

 

[txgoose]

Now that is a quick turnaround on information.

Thank you, sir!

 

[Kevrumbo]

Please read this, be advised and prepared:

Need a Chamber in Florida?

A chamber in Gainesville would be great for the cave guys but Mobile would still be closer from the Pensacola area. Obviously Pensacola is not the whole gulf diving scene and I’m not sure if Mobile would be closest for PCB or destin. It’s a shame that FL advertises the Mighty O dive site to get divers there but can’t really support them if they needed it. It is a deep wreck. This does concearn me, much of my diving is done there. I hope I never need it but my plan if I need a chamber is to go to Mobile, and then home to New Orleans for further treatment of it’s needed (Or whatever DAN tells me to do)

 

[MaxE]

“The wife and I would likely stay high on the tower.“
That’s guaranteed, the flight deck is like 200’. It’s amazing in that for such a huge ship, the dive within Rec limits is actually pretty small (and deep).

 

[txgoose]

“The wife and I would likely stay high on the tower.“
That’s guaranteed, the flight deck is like 200’. It’s amazing in that for such a huge ship, the dive within Rec limits is actually pretty small (and deep).

The context of the comment was the arttomedia.com dive plan that basically circled the tower with a max depth of 120ft. (They have the flight deck at 146ft. I have no experience so can't comment on its validity.). Which is why I'd like the boys to go with a guide. While they have yet to disappoint me with any misbehavior, I suspect that the draw of the sirens down by the flight deck might lure them deeper than they intended. "Look at my beautiful flight deck, big boy. Don't you wanna say that you stood here?"

I suspect that the wife will want to stay above 100ft.