Spiegel Grove (Key Largo)

[KeyLargoBrent]

no wetsuit required! The first two (of four) bronze plaques listing the names of 500 (of 1000) "Lifetime Sponsors" of the Upper Keys Artificial Reef Program have been mounted on the port side, near the base of the third mooring line from the bow. For a $250 donation to the cause, you can have your name immortalized on the next set of plaques! Out of the original 1000, I think there are about 300 lifetime sponsorships still available. But don't take my word for it... contact the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and become a lifetime sponsor today!

BTW... marine life is "exploding" on this wreck. Sure she was cleaned prior to sinking (the EPA wouldn't have it any other way), but if you think she's sterile now, you're mistaken. According to recent surveys, the Grove already supports a greater variety of marine life than the Bibb & Duane (down since 1987). Just imagine how she'll look in another fifteen years!

 

[metridium]

KeyLargoBrent wrote...
no wetsuit required! The first two (of four) bronze plaques listing the names of 500 (of 1000) "Lifetime Sponsors" of the Upper Keys Artificial Reef Program have been mounted on the port side, near the base of the third mooring line from the bow. For a $250 donation to the cause, you can have your name immortalized on the next set of plaques! Out of the original 1000, I think there are about 300 lifetime sponsorships still available. But don't take my word for it... contact the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and become a lifetime sponsor today!

BTW... marine life is "exploding" on this wreck. Sure she was cleaned prior to sinking (the EPA wouldn't have it any other way), but if you think she's sterile now, you're mistaken. According to recent surveys, the Grove already supports a greater variety of marine life than the Bibb & Duane (down since 1987). Just imagine how she'll look in another fifteen years!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

 

[Tavi]

metridium once bubbled...
We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Sometimes the commercials are the best part of the show!!

 

[pacogo46]

I will go in the nex 30 days to dive the SG, I make my donation to inmortaliar my name in the SG.

 

[PK]

The Spiegel Grove is my first and only wreck dive. I loved it. The visibility and beautiful life makes me want to go back to see more.

But I am wondering why they chose such a deep location to sink this ship. Does anybody know? You can only be down there such a short time due to the depths. I understand the ship is quite large with varying depths but I believe the highest point is 50 ft deep. Couldn't they pick a spot where the highest point is around 30 ft or so?

Maybe this is such a novice question, but if anyone can clue me I'd really appreciate it.

 

[The Chairman]

the safety of other ships. You don't want two wrecks, now do you?

 

[PK]

Pete,

You might be right but there are plenty of reefs as shallow as 15 feet that I question the major concern for SG location is clearance for ships.

Perhaps the terrain shelf around the land is very shallow (too shallow to submerge a huge ship like the SG) and then it drops quickly to significant depths. I'm not a geologist so I don't know if this is the case around the keys. Does anybody know?

 

[pacogo46]

PK

The reason is because the law need to be at less 40',because is the rute of ships
sorry for my english
Regard
Paco

 

[PinkPADIgal]

Hi Everyone...I am new here so bear with me.

I am a wreck freak. I have dove wrecks in Canada, Califorina, Washington State, Florida and Mexico. I love LARGE wrecks so I made a special trip to Key Largo on my last vacation to dive on the Speigal Grove. I have about 50 or more dives on wrecks and dive cold water. Needless to say, I was extremely EXCITED to dive on the Spegial Grove.

I signed up with a charter called Island Ventures. I was ready to dive... I had paid for 2 boat dives on this wreck. The group I was with was 2 couples from the East Coast, a divemaster and skipper. We started heading out and the "divemaster" informed me he would not buddy up with me because he was a solo diver. I was irritated because I wanted to do some penatration but I was diving the Spegial...just being there would be great! I figured I would just tag a long with one of the other buddy groups.

We get toward the site and the skipper told us we were doing our first dive on the Duane instead. I was disappointed but went down and dove anyway. Then, on the 2nd dive, the other 4 people on the boat were complaining about it being too cold, too choppy and too much current so the skipper changed the 2nd dive to a shallow reef dive.

I was extremely upset. The others on the boat told me I should just come back and "dive it tomorrow". I told them it was my only day in the Keys and they said that "I shouldn't have planned my diving that way" I just wanted to slap them.

We got back in and the skipper solicited for tips (he got none from me) and then, while I didn't ask for a refund, I did ask him to fill my Nitrox tank. He was going to charge me! I was furious.

If you are planning on diving the Spegial, take a buddy with you and do not use Island Ventures in Key Largo. You may not get what you paid for.

So, I hope to make it back to dive the Spegial in October when I am in Miami for DEMA. Can anyone recommend a good charter company in Key Largo?

Amy

 

[The Chairman]

and they were very much into what 'we' wanted as a boat. We all voted to stay. That being said... I am not surprised that the skipper went with the majority. Thats pretty usual.