Oriskany skill level

[HIGHwing]

About 215, but there's usually a pretty dense silt cloud well before you get to them (or so I am told).

Can anyone confirm this silt situation? I'm planning a dive later in the year on the Mighty O and have less interest in a zero-vis fun dive.

 

[Hetland]

Can anyone confirm this silt situation? I'm planning a dive later in the year on the Mighty O and have less interest in a zero-vis fun dive.

low viz near the bottom at 215fsw where the ship hits the sand.

The tower has 50ft of relief in the recreational zone, and if you're a technical diver, we're talking about a 900ft+ long ship with another 80 or 90 feet of interior and exterior ship to explore. It's almost 160ft wide at the flight deck, and the tower itself is larger than most wrecks in the area.

Minimum viz on the tower section is more like 40ft, with 60-80 being common.

http://www.ussoriskanydiver.com/oriskany.htm

http://www.niuhidivecharters.com/oriskany.html

 

[Teller]

There is plenty to see within rec limits but IMO all the good stuff is beyond rec limits.

 

[Tessunderwater]

There is plenty to see within rec limits but IMO all the good stuff is beyond rec limits.

Do tell . I haven't dove the oriskany yet, this summer yes I will. I am curious can you elaborate?


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[scubamiller]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2538234431226.70895.1714613633&type=1&l=a2cc3cd7f3 Here are some pictures from our Oriskany dive last fall; We had a blast! This is all within recreational limits, we never went below 130'.

 

[Tessunderwater]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2538234431226.70895.1714613633&type=1&l=a2cc3cd7f3 Here are some pictures from our Oriskany dive last fall; We had a blast! This is all within recreational limits, we never went below 130'.

I love the close up of the AJ you got. Nice pictures.


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[DocCarl]

To the OP:


First, let me say that I commend the fact that your asking this question!


As has been said already, there is plenty to see within recreational limits on the Oriskanny. It's a fantastic dive. I hope to be able to go out there again soon.

With that being said, I'll go ahead and be 'that guy': Don't go just yet.

It's not that you "can't" do it, so much as it is that you'll get more out of the dive if you wait until you have some other NGOM dives under your belt.


Here's the reasoning:

As far as recreational profiles go, it's pretty deep. Most divers are AMAZED to see how fast quickly their gas goes at 100' - 120' (yes, even when compared to 80'). The will cut the dive time by a noticeable bit. . .especially for a newer diver. Narcosis will be a factor as well. With experience, consumption rates will come down significantly, and the diver will be better prepared to deal with narcosis

As far as trips in the panhandle run, It's a decent ways out there. You'll spend more time in transit for considerably less time in the water.

It's an expensive trip. Most charters run about $150 for the boat ride only vs. an average of maybe $85 for sites closer in.


I've talked to folks (and witnessed a few) that headed to the 'O' early in their log book. Although they all enjoyed the dive, their dive times were (generally) much shorter due to their gas consumption. Their recollection of the dive was *cool* but in some cases a little foggy . . . maybe due to the excitement of doing such a 'big' dive without much experience in those conditions.


Long story short:

It's a great dive, but doing it to early can get you a dive that costs twice as much for half as much time in the water.


If you do decide to go, I do highly recommend the DM guide!



See ya on the water!

 

[Garth]

I had a dive with planned 40 minutes of deco for one dive while recreational divers did two. Out of the recreational group one diver wasn't allowed to make the second dive because he came up without any air left. Another diver on the second dive ran out of air at the surface while a third had less than 250psi. A forth diver racked up 30 minutes of deco on his second dive due to depth and ran out of air 25 minutes before it cleared requiring the first mate to being down extra gas and a deco cylinder. I guess it could easily be safe depending on how you plan your dives but it most certainly could get out of hand if you don't follow any of the principles of recreational safe diving...

Dive the plan and you should be good, listen to the captain and you will have fun.

 

[Tessunderwater]

Hey guys. Fairly new diver here. OW Certified last May and about to go for AOW in a week or so. Was wondering what the general consensus was regarding the skill level required to dive the Mighty O?

I plan to dive in May and use a dive master to accompany me and my dive buddy. I will have almost 20 total dives by then also. I'm very comfortable in the water and have been below 80 feet a few times. Is the O just too much for my level of experience?

Thanks in advance.

If your getting your AOW or have gotten it by now do as many dives as you can between now and may. You should be fine if you feel comfortable and definitely hire a DM and just go over the plan with the DM. Niuhi is a charter out of Pensacola that makes regular trips to the oriskany and has an excellent crew. Only you can decide if your ready for the dive.


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[evensplit]

Can anyone confirm this silt situation? I'm planning a dive later in the year on the Mighty O and have less interest in a zero-vis fun dive.

Depth to the sand under the props is around 225. The vis is usually not that bad, and may seem worse than it actually is because it's dark under the ship. Only the forward props (1&4) remain.