Whose been to the VA Fogg?

[Toecutter]

My dive buddy has a 21' Boston Whaler Dauntless with a 200hp OB. We want to take it out to the VA Fogg and do some diving maybe spearfishing too. Does this sound like a safe enough craft to go out there and back. We have calc'd the range to be 120nm on a full tank including 20% as a reserve. Thanks for any advice. Also, any old salts interested could join if/when we make the trip. We are shooting for mid May.

Thanks,

Toe

 

[texangal]

I have fished this wreck, but never dived it. It is very reachable in that size boat from Freeport Harbor. We have been there and back in a 20' boat with similar capacity to your Whaler. No problem. Single engine may be your only worry, but if you have your radio and safety equipment it shouldn't be too risky. Don't go if seas are 3 foot or more, you will not enjoy the ride in that small of a boat.

I haven't dove there, but here are some speculations:

It is a very heavily fished location, so expect company. Take a knife as I am sure there is lots of fishing line down below.

The current is almost always running in the Gulf, so someone should stay in the boat at all times to chase you down if you drift off the wreck. Make sure you have a safety sausage. I dove a rig further out last summer and two divers drifted away once they got out of the rig. I was amazed that the boat hand was stupid enough to dive in after them (without any floatation), but he was lucky enough to retrieve them.

Finally, the vis isn't that good when you are that close to shore. This is especially true in late spring/early summer because the rivers are still pumping silty water in from all parts of Texas. The water gets a lot clearer in the late summer. The waves get smaller too.

Let us know what you see.

 

[archman]

I would be more comfortable with a 1/3 reserve, but you should be fine, assuming you have nice weather. I'm sure you're as well aware as I am that even moderate weather can significantly impair your fuel range. I certainly wouldn't go out that far any earlier than mid-May in a boat that small.
I too would like to know what the current status of that wreck is.

 

[Cudabait]

Toecutter,

A dive on the Fog at this point would seem to be beyond your experience and training. (OW/less than 10 dives) That wreck is not one hulk, rather numerous pieces of a blown up ship which is scattered all over the place. Also there are other hulks right there also. It is also a rather deep dive, usually with some curreent (quite strong at times) Viz is a crap shoot on the bottom. Entanglement is a possibility. It would not seem you are qualified yet for this stuff.

Regards,

 

[Toecutter]

Toecutter,

A dive on the Fog at this point would seem to be beyond your experience and training. (OW/less than 10 dives) That wreck is not one hulk, rather numerous pieces of a blown up ship which is scattered all over the place. Also there are other hulks right there also. It is also a rather deep dive, usually with some curreent (quite strong at times) Viz is a crap shoot on the bottom. Entanglement is a possibility. It would not seem you are qualified yet for this stuff.

Regards,

I appreciate and agree with your asessment. I would not go into a situation like this without proper supervision or experience. I will be going through AdvOW training and PADI UW Hunter training before I attempt this and even then I have a seasoned PADI Instructor and long time spear fisherman who is going to join us for the free ride on our first few times out. I can swim like a dolphin and breathe like a falcon but I will not step outside of my realm of experience without a guide.

 

[archman]

but I agree with cudabait. The Fogg is definitely an advanced dive, certainly more than a Flower Gardens one. I would be very wary of diving that wreck, and wouldn't even attempt it without an entire experienced team in the water, plus a good support crew with heaps of spare oxygen (you're a long way from land, after all).
Plus, at those depths you're going to have very little bottom time. That's a long long ways to go to spend a piddly couple dozen minutes diving. It would be much safer, practical, and rewarding to dive nearby oil platforms, especially with less than 10 dives under your belt. I'd still heartily recommend taking the advanced class and getting more experience before even doing THAT sort of dive. Rigs are tricky too.

 

[LVX]

Can anyone give me the name of a charter who takes divers out to the VA Fogg.

thanks

LVX

 

[Cudabait]

Can anyone give me the name of a charter who takes divers out to the VA Fogg.

thanks

LVX

Check out www.fatboyscuba.com he has a number of good links that will probably answer a lot of your questions.

Regards,