USS Oriskany - Preparing for the inevitable

[archman]

I'm sure all the local dive ops will be well supplied with underwater scooters to rent.

 

[Rick Murchison]

The real thrill will be swimming thru the hanger deck from side to side. Proper gear, proper Quals, proper plans, might do it. Stay wet-safe.

Just to put such a dive in perspective:
This is no ordinary swim-through. The elevator doors (those are where the big openings to the hangar bay are - there are three of them, one aft along the starboard side, one approximately amidships at the end of the angle deck on the port side, and one between the bow catapults - don't know if this one will be open anyway - on the flight deck) are about 300 feet from each other, which exceeds the visibility of the Gulf on it's best days. It will be a fairly long, dark swim with little to assist in navigation.
The ceiling of the hangar bay will be in excess of 140' deep, the deck about 160. You use gas at a pretty stout rate at those depths, and incur a not insignificant deco obligation in fairly short order no matter what gas you dive.
So "proper gear" means a lot ... a lot of gas - enough to arrive at the exit door with at least 2/3 remaining plus adequate team deco gas
Proper training means a lot ... overhead, decompression, and at the very minimum, advanced Nitrox (trimix recommended)
Enough experience for the undertaking means a lot ... this isn't a trivial wreck/deco dive. Even those with considerable wreck experience will be awed with the sheer size of this ship, the distances involved and the lack of ready navigational aids.
Y'all be careful out there
Rick

 

[jbisjim]

Just to put such a dive in perspective:
This is no ordinary swim-through. .........
So "proper gear" means a lot ... a lot of gas - enough to arrive at the exit door with at least 2/3 remaining plus adequate team deco gas
Proper training means a lot ... overhead, decompression, and at the very minimum, advanced Nitrox (trimix recommended)
Enough experience for the undertaking means a lot ... this isn't a trivial wreck/deco dive. Even those with considerable wreck experience will be awed with the sheer size of this ship, the distances involved and the lack of ready navigational aids.
.........
Rick

Well said... The most important things you said

Y'all be careful out there and Enough experience for the undertaking means a lot

Just like a lot of you, I am hoping to dive it, Delusions of grandeur aside hitting the deck, while doable, is a major undertaking. Like Rick said be safe

 

[chairmanTARAC]

If you want a good idea of what you will be diving and want a walk thru The USS Lexington is a museum in Corpus Christi Texas and is a sister ship of the Oriskany. Rick is absolutely correct about the size.

 

[divermatt]

Yeah, keep in mind the sailors play football in those bays. We're talking roomy.

 

[archman]

If you want a good idea of what you will be diving and want a walk thru The USS Lexington is a museum in Corpus Christi Texas and is a sister ship of the Oriskany. Rick is absolutely correct about the size.

Yeah, those old Essex-class were too small to stage early-model jet aircraft effectively. Wait'll they sink a supercarrier-sized thing, now THAT will be nuts!

 

[scubamickey]

How long is the drive from Key Largo to Pensacola? I'm wondering how doable it would be to make the drive up from KL just to dive the O when we are there in June.

I assume there will be other shops besides this MBT divers taking charters out. Anybody have any other names of possible shops? I would think the charters are going to fill fast once they get the final details in place.

 

[chickdiver]

How long is the drive from Key Largo to Pensacola? I'm wondering how doable it would be to make the drive up from KL just to dive the O when we are there in June.

I assume there will be other shops besides this MBT divers taking charters out. Anybody have any other names of possible shops? I would think the charters are going to fill fast once they get the final details in place.

10+ hours, depending on traffic.

 

[scubamickey]

10+ hours, depending on traffic.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I had estimated looking on the map :11doh:
Guess we'll have to wait until next year.

Thanks

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

don't forget their increased cost in insurance.

Most charter boats are only insured to operate 'X' many miles offshore. The insurance companies figure the closer they are to shore, the less likely they are to not be able to return in the event of a problem.

Most 6 packs in the area already offer offshore trips that will get you 20-30 miles offshore. The Oriskany isn't out there all by itself, I was looking at a map just the other day and saw 2-3 other sites ~5 miles of it(Tenneco Rig is one that sticks in mind).