Spiegel Grove - Need Advice

[Boatlawyer]

My brother has planned a dive trip to Spiegel Grove for my 50th birthday next weekend 12/10. I am a new OW diver certified July '04 with about 25 dives, 6 of which were within the last 4 months. Deepest at about 75 feet on Molasses Reef.

The dive boat requires, and I wholeheartedly agree, that I will have a divemaster with a max of 3 divers. My brother is a very experienced diver and he will be my buddy.

I am seeking level headed competent advice on what to expect on the dive, and how challenging it will be given my experience level.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[HowardE]

My brother has planned a dive trip to Spiegel Grove for my 50th birthday next weekend 12/10. I am a new OW diver certified July '04 with about 25 dives, 6 of which were within the last 4 months. Deepest at about 75 feet on Molasses Reef.

The dive boat requires, and I wholeheartedly agree, that I will have a divemaster with a max of 3 divers. My brother is a very experienced diver and he will be my buddy.

I am seeking level headed competent advice on what to expect on the dive, and how challenging it will be given my experience level.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you are only OW, and haven't gone that deep... You should expect a challenge. Most of the time the current is quite strong on the SG, and the shallowest depth is 75'.

If you feel comfortable in current, you should be OK, since you will have a DM with you (becuase of your OW and not having AOW) they will hopefully monitor your performance. There are ropes to pull yourself to the wreck itself, so the descent is easier this way... Many ops will tell you "no free descent" to the grove.

Also... Molasses Reef in Largo is only 30' deep - are you sure you don't mean somepleace else?

 

[Boatlawyer]

I guess I am wrong about Molasses Reef, I know we were drift diving at more or less 70 feet. Wonder where I was?

Thanks for the response. My brother will back up the DM as my buddy, so I feel like I'm belt and suspendered on monitoring. My biggest challenge at the moment is getting mentally set for it. I will err on the side of caution, though. If current is too strong, I'll wait for second dive.

 

[MarkUK]

Don't get yourself too worked up about the dive prior to doing it. Yes, there can be current on the Grove, but not always, and sometimes it isn't very strong, so it isn't an issue.

As was previously said, you will go down to the wreck on a mooring line, do your dive, and then return up the same mooring line to your boat. If there is any current, the DM will no doubt put you into the shelter of the superstructure and you can enjoy the dive.

Yes, it will be a challenge purely because it is going to be the deepest you've been, and it is on a bloody big wreck, but the one thing I always have a major issue with whenever I am on a boat in the Keys is when people are talking about the Grove, or the Duane as well, and they make it sound damn scary. It's not. It isn't ridiculously deep, the vis is generally excellent, and you have an up/down line. I have seen more problems arise from people being freaked out by talk prior to the dive than doing the actual dive itself.

You'll have a blast, and I am sure it will get you hooked on a spot of wreck diving!

Have fun!

Mark

 

[Boatlawyer]

Mark-

Thanks for the "tough love" and positive spin. I am generally very calm once I'm under the water. My brother knows me well enough, as family often does, to know that I needed to get myself set for this, even though it's what I asked for!

I looked at the photo gallery shots of the Spiegel Grove and you are right, the visibility is spectacular. Thanks again for the insight.


Theresa

 

[TheRedHead]

Molasses Reef has a fore reef in the 70-100 foot range. Most dive operators won't go there.

http://www.bluewaterdiver.net/molasses.htm

 

[WicketsMom]

We did the Spiegel Grove in April (before Dennis turned it right-side up) and the visibility was good with no current even though the surface was pretty rough. Also did Molasses Reef and happened to see lots of Eagle Rays there, although the vis wasn't quite as good.

Who are you diving with? The operator we used was Quiescence and they required AOW certification for anyone making that dive.

 

[Boatlawyer]

We did the Spiegel Grove in April (before Dennis turned it right-side up) and the visibility was good with no current even though the surface was pretty rough. Also did Molasses Reef and happened to see lots of Eagle Rays there, although the vis wasn't quite as good.

Who are you diving with? The operator we used was Quiescence and they required AOW certification for anyone making that dive.

I don't know the dive operator, my brother set it up. They are requiring that I dive with a divemaster, which is appropriate and typical, from what I have read on other online diving sites. They require aow, or that you dive with divemaster.

That is good to know that it can be rough on top with no current.

 

[HowardE]

I don't know the dive operator, my brother set it up. They are requiring that I dive with a divemaster, which is appropriate and typical, from what I have read on other online diving sites. They require aow, or that you dive with divemaster.

That is good to know that it can be rough on top with no current.

The AOW or Divemaster rule is pretty common on the SG with most key Largo Ops. Also, I didn't want to scare you. It isn't that tough a dive.

I have a video that you can watch that I just shot there 3 weeks ago. It will probably get you psyched up. Just don't expect to even see 10% of the ship it's so BIG.

Here's where the video lies. http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=120704

 

[RonFrank]

My brother has planned a dive trip to Spiegel Grove for my 50th birthday next weekend 12/10. I am a new OW diver certified July '04 with about 25 dives, 6 of which were within the last 4 months. Deepest at about 75 feet on Molasses Reef.

The dive boat requires, and I wholeheartedly agree, that I will have a divemaster with a max of 3 divers. My brother is a very experienced diver and he will be my buddy.

I am seeking level headed competent advice on what to expect on the dive, and how challenging it will be given my experience level.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I did the Grove last July. The ocean was a pond, but the current was ripping at the surface. Once we were at the wreck, the current was mild. I hit 117fsw so it's easy to get a bit deeper there than the TOP of the wreck.

Focus on breathing normally, stay with your buddy and DM, watch your depth, and psi, and you will be fine. It's not all that hard of a dive, but things can go wrong at depth.