Spiegel Grove current

[Mike]

If you're not sure about it, skip it and try again in a few years.

The world is full of wrecks and you don't need to do any of them until you're ready.

+1 on this

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm an average recreational diver who's dived the Spiegel Grove 5-6 times over the years since it was sunk, and the more I learn about diving the less enthusiastic I am about tackling a large wreck at 80-100 feet in current-prone water with only 80 cf of gas. I know "that's what people do all the time," but I don't think I'm going to be one of them anymore. You want to explore the ship, but your bottom time limits you to a relatively small portion, and you have to be firm with yourself about when to turn around. The ascent up the line takes a long time. There's no room for error.

The first time, I hired a divemaster to accompany me because the dive op required I do so if I hadn't had any recent "deep dive" experience. Well, I THOUGHT I had hired a divemaster. As it turned out, I found myself in a group of four divers and one divemaster. I was too naive at the time to call BS on that one. If you hire a divemaster to accompany you, make sure it's just you and the divemaster and nobody else.

 

[djtimmy77]

This kind of reminds me of a story from the last time we were in KL, diving the Duane.

We had begun our ascent on the line, and down comes three divers on AL80s. One of which was a divemaster. Well, they passed us on the way back up before we got out of the water. One of the divers might have been on the DM's octo. They did not do a nice slow ascent, but then again they weren't down long at all.

Personally I wouldn't consider doing that dive on an 80. I would consider doing it with two 80's though.

 

[EL Pistoffo]

I suggest you take advantage of the provided dive guide/master for your 1st venture on the grove, and or, pay attention to the location of the mooring line pin you descend on (attached to the wreck), keep the mooring line in sight/stay close, have fun and wear gloves!!!!!!!!!!!


reefman
key largo

I believe the S.G is planned as the final dive of our AOW dives.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2014 at 03:43 PM ----------

If you're not sure about it, skip it and try again in a few years.

The world is full of wrecks and you don't need to do any of them until you're ready.

People get blown off the wreck pretty regularly, and if you're in prime heart-attack territory around 45-55, you don't want to find yourself swimming against a stiff current to get back to your boat. Also I'm pretty certain that with 20-something dives you can't reliably shoot a surface marker while drifting and maintaining depth because it takes more dives than that just to be reasonably competent with the skill.

If there's little current, you should be just fine, but you can't count on little current. When you do any dive, you need to be able to save your own bacon even when things go badly.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2014 at 09:01 AM ----------




edit: You've apparenly been diving for a while, but your wife is new. I'd recommend skipping the SG unless you want your wife to never dive again. New divers need quiet water and pretty fish, not a close brush with death. Don't stress out your wife or she'll never dive again.

It's funny you mention scaring the wife. She always talking about how shes scared to see a shark. Shes seen plenty of nurse sharks and is not bothered by them in any way. She talks a lot of stuff yet shes probably braver than myself in some aspects. I've seen a few sharks, not a big deal. I've been looking forward to the day I see her reaction to one....lol.

 

[Capt Gary]

Just a few thoughts on this thread.

• Wearing gloves on the artificial reefs (ie...the wrecks) in the Keys is allowed and highly recommended.
• Most dive shops require an Advanced Open Water certification or higher to dive any of the wrecks. The other qualification is a log book showing you've done 3 deep dives down to 90' in the last 6 months.
• Hiring a guide can be worth-wide. Just ask if you will be the only person with the guide. If not then the operator should give you a multiple person discount.
• When diving a wreck the Captain will make the determination if the currents are too strong for the divers to enter the water. What we look at is how much the ball is being pulled down by the currents, as well as, the tail of the mooring line and how big the ripple is behind it.
  • NOTE:......if ball is underwater then NO DIVE

Hope this helps some.

Everyone please be safe out there and remember Capt Gary's 2nd rule of diving......"It's NO to say no to a dive." This isn't a macho sport and we're all here to have fun.

Good Diving,
Capt Gary

 

[Donnah]

Good advice from everyone. The SG is a wonderful wreck dive, but can be difficult enough so that you aren't enjoying the dive, just trying to survive. Just because the operator decided that the current wasn't dangerous doesn't mean that the dive is going to be easy. It will probably be strenuous and a little frightening if you are not used to current. You are going to go through your air faster, not just because of the depth, but because of the exertion and the stress. If you are not comfortable with the realization that you could end up off the wreck all by yourself, doing your safety stop without anything to hold on to, and waiting at the surface for the boat to come, don't do it. There is always another dive.

 

[fjpatrum]

I'm an average recreational diver who's dived the Spiegel Grove 5-6 times over the years since it was sunk, and the more I learn about diving the less enthusiastic I am about tackling a large wreck at 80-100 feet in current-prone water with only 80 cf of gas. I know "that's what people do all the time," but I don't think I'm going to be one of them anymore. You want to explore the ship, but your bottom time limits you to a relatively small portion, and you have to be firm with yourself about when to turn around. The ascent up the line takes a long time. There's no room for error.

The first time, I hired a divemaster to accompany me because the dive op required I do so if I hadn't had any recent "deep dive" experience. Well, I THOUGHT I had hired a divemaster. As it turned out, I found myself in a group of four divers and one divemaster. I was too naive at the time to call BS on that one. If you hire a divemaster to accompany you, make sure it's just you and the divemaster and nobody else.

I specifically bought some HP100s for doing deep(er) wrecks in FL like the SG and Vandenburg. I haven't dove any of them yet but I have no intention of doing so with an AL80 on my back. Give me more gas and more margin for error any day.

 

[billt4sf]

The current on the SG can be anywhere from ripping to non-existent.

Question: Can you tell what the current will be at depth from the surface once you get out there? I'm guessing not. Thus, to dive the S.G. you best be ready for any of the conditions described -- true?

FWIW, I had 80 dives when we decided last year to not dive the S.G. (We were going to take an instructor with us -- the operator was telling us it will be OK). There's plenty to see out there without risking getting separated, doing blue water ascents in strong currents, or worse. We may never dive the S.G. -- so what?

- Bill

 

[T.C.]

Question: Can you tell what the current will be at depth from the surface once you get out there? I'm guessing not. Thus, to dive the S.G. you best be ready for any of the conditions described -- true?

No, there is no way to tell bottom conditions. I've seen a surface current blow hard, switch directions and blow faster at 40 feet, then be calm on the wreck. Going up it changed again; no current until the safety stop, and it had dropped.

 

[RamblinManta]

Quick update: got Nitrox certified but won't get to dive in the Keys next month. Hope to be able to make it down there in a couple of months. Got some practice by diving the Oriskany this past weekend. Hope to see the SG soon!

Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions.