USS Kittiwake

[Ukmc]

Ok, just have to rant…
For some reason dive operators think it is ok to bring divers with poor skills/poor buoyancy control to this wreck for penetration because it is straightforward and has a lot of cut outs for light and to escape.
I get it. It is fun for them to “try out” wreck diving. I also get it that it could be worse - they could be damaging reef.
But dang it, they are ruining my dive!

 

[Jcp2]

Think of it as a limited visibility training dive.

 

[gmerick]

Kittiwake is the first dive in my log book after my OW class. Yes, I followed the leader through the tank room. I should not have done the dive. I did inform the dive op -- multiple times. Of course nothing happened, and we didn't silt the place up. Not a good lesson for me, though.

 

[-JD-]

Kittiwake is the first dive in my log book after my OW class. Yes, I followed the leader through the tank room. I should not have done the dive. I did inform the dive op -- multiple times. Of course nothing happened, and we didn't silt the place up. Not a good lesson for me, though.

Dive 4 of our OW checkouts ...
Didn't silt things as I recall.
Instructor ribbed me about the rust patina on my shoulder from when I was trying to squeeze myself into the doorway with the monster Goliath Grouper guarding it.
Hindsight, probably not a good idea, but we were chill and just 2 of with the instructor.

 

[mi000ke]

Have dived this site about a dozen times and penetrated the wreck on the first few dives (no interest in going inside again at this point - prefer to just hang out on the reef) but I don't recall ever being silted out. I agree it is not a dive for beginners - you still need good buoyancy control to work through the doors and openings.

 

[Kharon]

The group I went to GC with dove the Kittywake. I have the buoyancy & trim skills but chose not to penetrate. I'm not certified for penetration and really have no desire to put myself into that environment.

 

[scubadada]

I did 3 dives on the Kittiwake in 2018 off the Aggressor, 2 day dives and a night dive. On the 1st dive, I swam through the ship, only took about 15 min, rest of the time spent on the outside. I found the ship modestly interesting, little life on it. For the 2nd dive I did Sand Chute rather than the wreck. I spent about half the night dive on the wreck and the remainder of my time on the reef.

If I were to return to Grand Cayman, I would not choose to dive the Kittiwake.

Trip Report - Cayman Aggressor V, November 24-December 1, 2018

I have been to Grand Cayman 10 times, Little Cayman twice, and Cayman Brac once. When I found myself with a bonus week available for diving, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the time on the new Cayman Aggressor V, especially with the 35% discount they offered for their 35th anniversary. I...

scubaboard.com

 

[tkaelin]

Overrated and not worth the time IMHO. Ok see it once then move on. With all the interesting reef formations, man-made wrecks just don't interest me.

 

[O-ring]

Dove it a couple months ago off the Aggressor. During the day people were all over and inside it like a jungle gym looking for the geocache, etc. There was one student right out of OW doing a wreck specialty class on it that was learning to run a reel inside the bow section. The DM led a night dive on it and everyone got into a line and waddled through it from stem to stern and back again. Seemed like that was SOP for the Kittiwake.

 

[Damselfish]

Given the usual conservative attitudes in Cayman, I was surprised the dive was the penetration it was, and that they apparently took anyone. There was at least one person when we went who was constantly banging into both wreck and divers who shouldn’t have been there. Made the dive kinda suck for me.
I wouldn’t do it again, except I was unaware of the geocache last time…