Whiskey Wreck(beach area) Post Ivan and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Bah...

Once again, no new info on Whiskey Wreck.

We went out there this morning but the surf was running in the 5-6' range with 20+mph winds out of the east. Not a good day for a beach dive, hell, not even a good day to surf with all the chop the wind was causing. Looked like we would have had to endure temper-vis if we entered the water anyway

Drove another 2 hours and dove Vortex Springs in FL.

Morrison Springs is flooded out, nothing but tannick water in the basin

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

This weather is a PITA.

Cold front followed that surf and brought along a buncha rain, but afterwards, the wind started blowing from the North and knocked the surf down to nothing. I'd be out there today, even with the bad visibility, but I can't round up a dive buddy.

I'm scheduled for a boat dive on the 4th, but maybe I can get out there on the 5th...

 

[mike_s]

Yes, Morrison Springs is the same Morrison I was reffering to The state owns it now, but you can still dive it. You just show up and dive, no entrance fees or anything. The fascilities have been reduced to cold showers and bathrooms - the dive shop is locked up and the compressors are all gone - so bring all of your own gear(or go up to Vortex to pick it up first). I've had 8 dives on it now, all of them since Oct.

How did the state come to own it?

they not pay property taxes or something?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I have no idea. *shrugs*

Some of the FL Conchers might know.

 

[BoulderScubaGuy]

How did the state come to own it?

they not pay property taxes or something?

http://www.floridacaves.com/morrison.htm

http://www.state.fl.us/nwfwmd/lands/lands.htm

hope the above links help.. If I read the second article correctly it makes the state of Florida look like a land developer buying up great tracts of land..


Danny

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Dove Whiskey today.

Visibility was good, in the 10-15' range, and the Gulf looks more like a lake than anything else Cold too, 64º according to my buddies computer, P'Cola surf report is claiming 70º on their beach but it definately feels colder than that.

We swam up and down and east and west of the area where the wreck is located and couldn't find a single piece of relief coming out of the sand. I'm confident the sandbar is sitting dead on top of it now Without a home, all the fish went elsewhere it seems as well. I saw a lizard fish, a couple of blennies guarding holes in the sand, a juvenile sheepshead(guessing) that looked mostly dead, and a smallish southern ray that let us get really really close . Thats pretty much it other than small hermit crabs and some snails.

It was pretty much a moonwalk out there.

I'm glad we made the dive, even though we couldn't dive the wreck, we atleast know its covered now...

I'll try again in Spring.

 

[back40]

Wow, I thought the Whiskey was long gone. The last time I dove it was in 94 and there wasn't much left back then. I will be in Mobile between Christmas and New Years. We used to dive Perdido Pass in the winter and spear nice flounder. I was thinking that if anyone was up for a cold night dive it might be fun.
back40

 

[Quetzal]

Wow, I thought the Whiskey was long gone. The last time I dove it was in 94 and there wasn't much left back then. I will be in Mobile between Christmas and New Years. We used to dive Perdido Pass in the winter and spear nice flounder. I was thinking that if anyone was up for a cold night dive it might be fun.
back40

When I'll be there around the 23rd?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Wow, I thought the Whiskey was long gone. The last time I dove it was in 94 and there wasn't much left back then. I will be in Mobile between Christmas and New Years. We used to dive Perdido Pass in the winter and spear nice flounder. I was thinking that if anyone was up for a cold night dive it might be fun.
back40

It gets covered and uncovered throughout the years apparently. This time last year, both sides of the hull were visible, but by the time spring rolled around, it was back to just a single side of the hull running about 40'.

I'm probably not diving Christmas weekend, I may be up for a New Years weekend dive though...

 

[back40]

I was thinking of diving the Thursday or Friday before New Years, depending on the time of high tide.
back40