Vandenburg

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

RNDIVER

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
84
Reaction score
1
Location
Cabot, AR.
# of dives
200 - 499
Diving the Vandenburg in Key West this morning and the boat next to us had a diver go unresponsive after surfacing. CPR was done for about 30 minutes before they met up with the Coast Guard. Hoping for the best.
 
It can be a difficult dive.
 
So sorry to hear this, thinking of the family at this difficult time.

I have only made one trip to the Vandenberg and the currents were **wicked**, it was the only time I had made peace with myself underwater/actually really thought I wasn't going to survive. It made Barracuda and San Juan in Coz seem like lake diving IMHO. One fellow diver said he had over 50 dives on her and that that day was the worst he'd personally ever seen the currents. Apparently some days are perfectly still and blue and some days are green and ripping. Bad timing I suppose on my part but regardless not a site for the novice diver especially with no guide/DM.
 
Sad to hear. my prayers are with the family.

How is the dive at Vandenburg in Key West compared to Eagle, Duane, or Spiegle Grove up in Key largo?
 
I've been on the Spiegel Grove, the Duane, and the Vandenburg. Three things make the Vandenburg more difficult:

1) In practice, it's a deeper dive than any of the others. The deck is at 95 fsw and there isn't much to see, or much shelter from the current, above that.
2) Because there's nothing else to dive in the area, if you book a dive boat to see the Vandy, you're going to dive the Vandy even if the current is ripping where on the other three there is the possibility of going somewhere else.
3) Currents on the Vandy are generally worse and difficult to anticipate before the day of the dive.
 
I've been on the Spiegel Grove, the Duane, and the Vandenburg. Three things make the Vandenburg more difficult:

1) In practice, it's a deeper dive than any of the others. The deck is at 95 fsw and there isn't much to see, or much shelter from the current, above that.
2) Because there's nothing else to dive in the area, if you book a dive boat to see the Vandy, you're going to dive the Vandy even if the current is ripping where on the other three there is the possibility of going somewhere else.
3) Currents on the Vandy are generally worse and difficult to anticipate before the day of the dive.

Thank you for the feedback. I will open an new thread with my question as not to hi-jack this thread. My apologies to RNDiver
 
So sorry to hear this, thinking of the family at this difficult time.

I have only made one trip to the Vandenberg and the currents were **wicked**, it was the only time I had made peace with myself underwater/actually really thought I wasn't going to survive. It made Barracuda and San Juan in Coz seem like lake diving IMHO. One fellow diver said he had over 50 dives on her and that that day was the worst he'd personally ever seen the currents. Apparently some days are perfectly still and blue and some days are green and ripping. Bad timing I suppose on my part but regardless not a site for the novice diver especially with no guide/DM.
I went there once, on Wookie’s boat. The current was screaming. Three of 24 dived IIRC, and I wasn’t one of them. The briefing was along the line of ‘don’t let of of the line. If by chance you do let go of the line we’ll try to chase you, but I really strongly suggest you do not let go of the line.’

Most of the three that did the dive said it wasn’t worth it as the current went down to the deck.
 
I went there once, on Wookie’s boat. The current was screaming. Three of 24 dived IIRC, and I wasn’t one of them. The briefing was along the line of ‘don’t let of of the line. If by chance you do let go of the line we’ll try to chase you, but I really strongly suggest you do not let go of the line.’

Most of the three that did the dive said it wasn’t worth it as the current went down to the deck.
I was with a dive op and they took us to the Vandy. We'd been on it four times the year before with perfect conditions and great viz. This time the water was green and the aft buoy was submerged. That should have been a clue. The DM had trouble mooring to the second buoy from the bow and was going to pull a current line to the next buoy aft. It didn't work so we relocated to Cayman Salvor. Conditions were marginally better but the aft buoy was submerged there too. My wife opted out and I should have. The vis was horrible the current was murder. When we got the firehose above the turnbuckle I knew I should have been able to see the wreck but I couldn't. I could see it when I was basically on the deck. Made the traverse to the stern, couldn't go up to the stern buoy because we'd get blown off. Ran through a lot of gas pulling our way to the line on the bow and made an ascent. Barely had the gas to get through the safety stop and my arms were like rubber. We got back to the boat in one piece. It was not a fun dive at all. I can fully understand how nasty that dive must have been and I'm glad I survived to learn a lesson, the DM might not know best and there is no shame in bailing on a dive if it's risky...or for any other reason.
 

Back
Top Bottom