U.s.s. Oriskany

[Cave Diver]

I just read an AP report that says different here are the highlights

- Navy divers confirmed she's upright oriented north/south
- 150ft to flight deck
- divers could see tower from the surface
- 100ft viz

Here is the link
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/14612106.htm

Information posted from a source that I trust and who has been on her says that the top of the tower is at 71' and that the flight deck at the base of the tower is at 137'

 

[Focker]

Those were some kick *** rebreathers that those Navy divers were wearing.

 

[Miami_Diver]

Ill wait six month or so before I visit so marine life has time to settle .

 

[del_mo]

I CAN'T wait...I just reserved my spot with MBT for June 3. I'm SOOOO excited.

 

[Doc Harry]

Dang, why did they have to sink it so deep?

130 feet makes for a brief recreational dive.

Any significant current out there?

 

[Sasquatch]

130' feet to the flight deck. I think the island would be a more interesting (and shallower) destination.

I wondered the same thing and why 26 miles off shore?

Sea ya!

 

[robh]

Dang, why did they have to sink it so deep?

130 feet makes for a brief recreational dive.

Any significant current out there?

I believe that any shallower would make it a navigation hazard.

 

[captain]

130' feet to the flight deck. I think the island would be a more interesting (and shallower) destination.

I wondered the same thing and why 26 miles off shore?

Sea ya!

I believe 55 feet clearance over any wreck or obstruction is required to not be considered a hazard to navigation. Anything shallower would have to be marked with lighted bouys or other means and would have to be maintained by some entity along with the expense of doing so. It had to be 26 miles offshore to have suficent depth to get the necessary clearance.

 

[mike_s]

Dang, why did they have to sink it so deep?

130 feet makes for a brief recreational dive.

Any significant current out there?

why so deep? the permit for sinking it required it being that deep and something like 65 feet of clearance on top of the island since it's in the shipping lanes.

another reason, this is being championed by Escambia County. Escambia County is not the "diving meca" of Florida. But it is a huge fishing charter boat operation destination. Charter boats down there outnumber dive boats easily 200 to 1. This wasn't sunk primarily for divers but for fishermen.

Think about it. The average 4 hour 2 tank dive trip a person pays $60-$75 bucks for. For a fishing charter (typically all day) a fisherman pays $200 for (or more).

The "economic impact" of fishermen on Pensacola, Destin, and Orange Beach is so huge compared to the dive industry there, you have to look at the driving factors.

 

[Nemrod]

Thdy could have cut the tower off. At 150 feet this is not going to be a dive for most people. As soon as a few are bent on it that will end recreational charters. Sure, the Tech folks will dive it but even then, 150 feet is deep. You cannot get charters down there to go out to any of the natural bottom or wrecks that are in the 100 foot range because it is "too deep" and "too far" so now they are going to dive a 150 foot plus deep wreck 26 miles from shore---hardly.

There are often surface currents that can be fairly strong, these dissapate rapidly below about ten feet. Should not be a problem.

Maybe we could steal the thing, all go out and hook our lift bags on it and drag it in to shallow water, oops, how did that thing get there! N