Tampa Bay Area Divers, Part 3

[sergeantnic]

Adi Rolf, try Rainbow river if your looking for a spring dive, try the M60 Army tanks if your looking for a Gulf dive. Rainbow river is about 21 +- feet, and the Tanks are in 35 feet of water. Both easy dives. Narcosis divers (no relation) in Tarpon Springs goes out to the tanks, and You can drive up to Rainbow river. If you come on a weekend in June and decide to do Rainbow river contact me and I'll do it with you.

Where are those tanks at? We tried to go out last year and find them but it seems that they weren't marked with a bouy.

I thought they were about 4 miles NW out from Egmont Pass. Is that correct? Or are they farther out.

 

[sergeantnic]

My new boat should be in on Friday. Looking to do some gulf diving. Does anybody have any suggestions. I'm not looking to go way out.

 

[DiveBandit]

Tanks are about 12 - 16 miles out west, north/west of Tarpon Springs. At least thats where the one's I go to are. Supposed to be 10 of them, We've found about 4 or 5. If we wanted to we could probably find the others but were satisfied just being able to relocate them time after time. The GPS numbers have been posted here before.

BTW, I've found that alot of stuff thats suppossed to be "marked" isn't

 

[frogman_5]

Actually, there are several sets of tanks. Every coastal county on the Gulf had the opportunity to apply for a set of 10 for art. reefs. There are also a set off of St. Pete's beach, about 5-6 miles offshore.

As far as marked reefs, the permit to dump mat'ls is also the permit to temporarily mark the location (so they know where to dump). When the permit expires, bye-bye bouy.

Here's the numbers I have on tanks down south:
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #3 27 40.72, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #9 27 40.71, 82 51.84
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #2 27 40.73, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #8 27 40.72, 82 51.82
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #4 27 40.71, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #7 27 40.71, 82 51.82
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #10 27 40.61, 82 51.8
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #5 27 40.69, 82 51.81
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #6 27 40.69, 82 51.82

Rich

BTW, what's the new boat?????

 

[DiveBandit]

Boy, I wish the Pinellas tanks were only 6 miles off shore?!?

 

[Walter]

Why? Closer inshore means poorer viz.

 

[sergeantnic]

There are some tanks supposedely 5 miles out from Egmont Pass. We couldn't find them and the boat I was on didn't have a bottom finder. Just GPS and the vis was about 4 feet so not much luck.

 

[sergeantnic]

Actually, there are several sets of tanks. Every coastal county on the Gulf had the opportunity to apply for a set of 10 for art. reefs. There are also a set off of St. Pete's beach, about 5-6 miles offshore.

As far as marked reefs, the permit to dump mat'ls is also the permit to temporarily mark the location (so they know where to dump). When the permit expires, bye-bye bouy.

Here's the numbers I have on tanks down south:
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #3 27 40.72, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #9 27 40.71, 82 51.84
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #2 27 40.73, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #8 27 40.72, 82 51.82
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #4 27 40.71, 82 51.83
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #7 27 40.71, 82 51.82
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #10 27 40.61, 82 51.8
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #5 27 40.69, 82 51.81
St. Pete Beach Reef M-60 Tank #6 27 40.69, 82 51.82

Rich

BTW, what's the new boat?????

Rich,

I'd love to go diving with you guys sometime. I haven't gone in about a year because my normal dive buddy is lazy and hates the gulf.

The new boat is a 23ft Crownline with a 2ft swim platform on the back. We ordered it a couple months ago and it's going to be delivered on Friday.

It's an open bow pleasure boat with 19 degree deadrise. It's got snap out carpet, a porta potie, and a hand held fresh water shower. My buddy has the same boat and we've used it to dive a few times. Nice setup for 3 or 4 divers at most.

It's powered by a Volvo Penta 5.7 GI duoprop I/O. Can't wait to take delivery.

 

[DiveBandit]

Why? Closer inshore means poorer viz.

Good point!

 

[frogman_5]

Sounds nice. Where are you located? We're headed out Sunday but have a full crew. Maybe we can find you a few volunteers and you could tag along.