salty
Contributor
This was with out a doubt one of my best weekends of diving ever, and that is out of 15 years of Northeast wreck diving. Saturday and Sunday were spent diving off the Sea turtle out of Montauk. The weather for the weekend was perfect, bright skys and not to hot or too cold its hard to ask for much more but we also were blessed with moderate water temps on the bottom and nice warm hangs in 68 to 70 degree surface temps. The visibility for the weekend was above par for the Block Island area, Bottom vis was 10 feet on one wreck but the other 3 had 20 to 30 foot of visibility. Surface conditions were unbelievable, off shore we had close to if not more than 100 feet. Closer to shore 50 foot of visibility above the thermocline was average. Now on to the good part, the dives
4:00 AM Saturday morning came quick as my alarm went off and I dragged my *** out of bed, luckily I had packed up everything for the weekend the night before. I was on the road for the hour and fifteen minuet drive to Montauk by 4:30, the morning drive is always an enjoyable experience with almost no traffic. I arrived at the boat by 5:45 and loaded up my gear for the day, as I was loading the rest of the gang arrived and we all got busy ferrying various bags, tanks, and gear aboard for the day. Capt. Chuck arrived followed shortly after by Ted, the crew for the day. In addition to myself there were four other passengers on board, this was basically a privet charter as we all knew each other and had been planning this trip for a while. Because of the caliber of divers we had assembled Chuck treated us to a treat very few wreck divers will ever get to experience, a virgin wreck.
Chuck had a set of numbers that he had wanted to check out for a few years but the opportunity to dive them had been elusive, lucky for us this weekend proved to be the weekend. Due to weather our original dive plans were abandoned if favor of checking out the unknown. Some were off Block Island; in 190 feet of water lay a mass that rose 10 to 15 feet off the bottom, could it be a long lost schooner, a turn of the century steamer, a barge, a fishing trawler, or perhaps a big rock? There was only one way to find out and we were on our way!
As we approached the intersecting lines of the GPS numbers, or the modern-day X that marked the treasure that all wreck divers hope for Ted and Andrea got geared up to complete the tie in. The rest of us hovered around the depth recorder eagerly anticipation the sudden change in depth that would signal our arrival at the site. We were soon greeted with exactly what we had wanted a solid return and the nice high profile outline of a wreck. Soon we were grappled in and Ted and Andrea were on their way to finish securing us to the unknown that lay below.
As always I was diving with my friend and buddy Joe, we were diving 18/45 in double 104s with 50% and O2 for deco. We planed a dive of 20 minuets if the wreck turned out to be a dud and 25 if it was good we had also discussed a 30 minuet schedule if it was real good! Shortly after we got the signal that the tie in was complete Joe and I were geared up and ready to go. Splashing into the water was a welcome relief from the 80 degree air temps and as soon as the turbulence from my giant stride entry cleared I was greeted by gin clear 100 foot visibility, WOW! After a quick equipment check Joe and I were on our way down. At 50 foot the thermocline kicked in and the visibility dropped down. On our way we passed Ted and Andrea on their way up OK signals were passed and Ted motioned to me what I thought was a single that a reel might be needed for the dive, Later this signal would become more clear. As we got to 175 the bottom started to materialize and our eyes started to adjust, soon the tie in point popped out of the murk What the hell is that I remember asking myself. The tie in point was a jumble of steal but I didnt spend too much time trying to figure out what it was. We were soon hovering a few feet off the sand and as our eyes finally adjusted and with the help of 18 and 21 watt HIDs the shape of a fully intact fishing trawler came into shape, So that what the reel signal Ted gave my meant! The growth on the trawler showed that it had been down awhile based on the construction we guessed that it sank in the late 60s to early 80s. It was obvious that it had never been dived before as the large wood and brass helm was still in place as was the compass. Joe and I took two slow laps around the boat that is about 80 foot in length, several large cod and a mass of ling were hanging around and at least two large lobsters had made the wreck their home, one of which an excellent 8 pound specimen joined us for the trip back to the Sea turtle. At 25 minutes we ended the dive and began our uneventful decompression. Back on deck the conversation turned to the wrecks age and what we should name it until the actual name could be discovered after more dives and some research. Being that Andrea and Ted were the first to dive the wreck we soon came up with The Andrea Ted (Andrea Doria / Andrea Ted, get it
) yea its kind of corny but we were having fun.
After the thrill of diving a virgin ship wreck we figured a simple dive was in order so we headed to the Bass, a US sub sunk in the waning days of WW2 in a weapons test the Bass is a fairly intact sub sunk at a depth of 155 feet. Joe and I had a leisurely dive on the wreck with a 20 minute bottom time, I was diving double 80s and a stage with 21/35 and we would be decoing on O2. We were able to add a few more lobsters to keep the big one we had gotten on the last dive company. As soon as every one was back aboard we headed to the dock the adrenalin of the days diving soon wore off and I had a nice little nap during the ride in.
After removing used tanks and doing a quick gear clean up we all got out of the way to allow Ted and Chuck to clean up the boat. Once all the mandatory chores were completed we all met up at the West Lake for a few beers to celebrate the days accomplishments. In order to be ready for the following day of diving we soon headed over to Lennys for some more liquid refreshment and a hearty dinner.
Sunday morning was here before we knew it and we were on the road back to Montauk, Several of us crashed at Andreas house and several divers crashed on the boat with Chuck and Ted. Soon we were off to dive the Oil wreck, this barge was hauling asphalt and supposedly extra care is necessary when diving to keep off the bottom or you could end up with thick oil all over yourself or more importantly all over the Sea turtle so as we each splashed in we were reminded of the consequences for fouling the boat by Captain Chuck! The barge lay's in 150 feet but rises about 15 to 20 feet off the bottom. Joe and I were diving 104s with 21/35 and O2 for deco. The visibility on the bottom was a bit dismal as compared to the day before, a hazy 10 feet or so. We found our way to the crews quarters and apparently the galley, as I entered the space dishes silverware and cups were lying in the silt. This might not be Doria china but Im not picky so in addition to the brass lamp I grabbed on the way in I was able to get a nice dish, coffee cup, salt and pepper shakers, medicine bottle, and a shot glass. The dish had a mid 40s date on the back. Despite the dismal visibility and the fact the wreck is only a barge it is defiantly worth another dive.
For the last dive of the weekend we decided to do something where we could spend more time on the wreck than on deco so we headed to the Heroine, a steel ship that had been down long enough to be fairly opened up with only the bow intact. This wreck sits in 70 foot of water so we planed for a nice long 40 minuet dive; the double 80s and 32% mix were a nice way to end the weekend on a light note. The wreck was alive with life and the biggest blackfish and sea bass were making the wreck their home. After several laps around the wreck checking out all the nooks and crannies we called the dive and headed up.
As always the weekend of diving with Captain Chuck off the Sea turtle was a blast. The added pleasure of good weather and great diving conditions were equally matched by the huge rush of diving a virgin wreck as well as the excellent time had on the other destinations for the weekend. I can not say enough good things about the captain and crew of the Sea turtle, if you ever find yourself with the opportunity to dive off the east end of Long Island head directly for Montauk, because your sure to have a good time and the diversity and quality of wrecks in this area are not easily matched.
Sea Turtle dive charters
4:00 AM Saturday morning came quick as my alarm went off and I dragged my *** out of bed, luckily I had packed up everything for the weekend the night before. I was on the road for the hour and fifteen minuet drive to Montauk by 4:30, the morning drive is always an enjoyable experience with almost no traffic. I arrived at the boat by 5:45 and loaded up my gear for the day, as I was loading the rest of the gang arrived and we all got busy ferrying various bags, tanks, and gear aboard for the day. Capt. Chuck arrived followed shortly after by Ted, the crew for the day. In addition to myself there were four other passengers on board, this was basically a privet charter as we all knew each other and had been planning this trip for a while. Because of the caliber of divers we had assembled Chuck treated us to a treat very few wreck divers will ever get to experience, a virgin wreck.
Chuck had a set of numbers that he had wanted to check out for a few years but the opportunity to dive them had been elusive, lucky for us this weekend proved to be the weekend. Due to weather our original dive plans were abandoned if favor of checking out the unknown. Some were off Block Island; in 190 feet of water lay a mass that rose 10 to 15 feet off the bottom, could it be a long lost schooner, a turn of the century steamer, a barge, a fishing trawler, or perhaps a big rock? There was only one way to find out and we were on our way!
As we approached the intersecting lines of the GPS numbers, or the modern-day X that marked the treasure that all wreck divers hope for Ted and Andrea got geared up to complete the tie in. The rest of us hovered around the depth recorder eagerly anticipation the sudden change in depth that would signal our arrival at the site. We were soon greeted with exactly what we had wanted a solid return and the nice high profile outline of a wreck. Soon we were grappled in and Ted and Andrea were on their way to finish securing us to the unknown that lay below.
As always I was diving with my friend and buddy Joe, we were diving 18/45 in double 104s with 50% and O2 for deco. We planed a dive of 20 minuets if the wreck turned out to be a dud and 25 if it was good we had also discussed a 30 minuet schedule if it was real good! Shortly after we got the signal that the tie in was complete Joe and I were geared up and ready to go. Splashing into the water was a welcome relief from the 80 degree air temps and as soon as the turbulence from my giant stride entry cleared I was greeted by gin clear 100 foot visibility, WOW! After a quick equipment check Joe and I were on our way down. At 50 foot the thermocline kicked in and the visibility dropped down. On our way we passed Ted and Andrea on their way up OK signals were passed and Ted motioned to me what I thought was a single that a reel might be needed for the dive, Later this signal would become more clear. As we got to 175 the bottom started to materialize and our eyes started to adjust, soon the tie in point popped out of the murk What the hell is that I remember asking myself. The tie in point was a jumble of steal but I didnt spend too much time trying to figure out what it was. We were soon hovering a few feet off the sand and as our eyes finally adjusted and with the help of 18 and 21 watt HIDs the shape of a fully intact fishing trawler came into shape, So that what the reel signal Ted gave my meant! The growth on the trawler showed that it had been down awhile based on the construction we guessed that it sank in the late 60s to early 80s. It was obvious that it had never been dived before as the large wood and brass helm was still in place as was the compass. Joe and I took two slow laps around the boat that is about 80 foot in length, several large cod and a mass of ling were hanging around and at least two large lobsters had made the wreck their home, one of which an excellent 8 pound specimen joined us for the trip back to the Sea turtle. At 25 minutes we ended the dive and began our uneventful decompression. Back on deck the conversation turned to the wrecks age and what we should name it until the actual name could be discovered after more dives and some research. Being that Andrea and Ted were the first to dive the wreck we soon came up with The Andrea Ted (Andrea Doria / Andrea Ted, get it
) yea its kind of corny but we were having fun.After the thrill of diving a virgin ship wreck we figured a simple dive was in order so we headed to the Bass, a US sub sunk in the waning days of WW2 in a weapons test the Bass is a fairly intact sub sunk at a depth of 155 feet. Joe and I had a leisurely dive on the wreck with a 20 minute bottom time, I was diving double 80s and a stage with 21/35 and we would be decoing on O2. We were able to add a few more lobsters to keep the big one we had gotten on the last dive company. As soon as every one was back aboard we headed to the dock the adrenalin of the days diving soon wore off and I had a nice little nap during the ride in.
After removing used tanks and doing a quick gear clean up we all got out of the way to allow Ted and Chuck to clean up the boat. Once all the mandatory chores were completed we all met up at the West Lake for a few beers to celebrate the days accomplishments. In order to be ready for the following day of diving we soon headed over to Lennys for some more liquid refreshment and a hearty dinner.
Sunday morning was here before we knew it and we were on the road back to Montauk, Several of us crashed at Andreas house and several divers crashed on the boat with Chuck and Ted. Soon we were off to dive the Oil wreck, this barge was hauling asphalt and supposedly extra care is necessary when diving to keep off the bottom or you could end up with thick oil all over yourself or more importantly all over the Sea turtle so as we each splashed in we were reminded of the consequences for fouling the boat by Captain Chuck! The barge lay's in 150 feet but rises about 15 to 20 feet off the bottom. Joe and I were diving 104s with 21/35 and O2 for deco. The visibility on the bottom was a bit dismal as compared to the day before, a hazy 10 feet or so. We found our way to the crews quarters and apparently the galley, as I entered the space dishes silverware and cups were lying in the silt. This might not be Doria china but Im not picky so in addition to the brass lamp I grabbed on the way in I was able to get a nice dish, coffee cup, salt and pepper shakers, medicine bottle, and a shot glass. The dish had a mid 40s date on the back. Despite the dismal visibility and the fact the wreck is only a barge it is defiantly worth another dive.
For the last dive of the weekend we decided to do something where we could spend more time on the wreck than on deco so we headed to the Heroine, a steel ship that had been down long enough to be fairly opened up with only the bow intact. This wreck sits in 70 foot of water so we planed for a nice long 40 minuet dive; the double 80s and 32% mix were a nice way to end the weekend on a light note. The wreck was alive with life and the biggest blackfish and sea bass were making the wreck their home. After several laps around the wreck checking out all the nooks and crannies we called the dive and headed up.
As always the weekend of diving with Captain Chuck off the Sea turtle was a blast. The added pleasure of good weather and great diving conditions were equally matched by the huge rush of diving a virgin wreck as well as the excellent time had on the other destinations for the weekend. I can not say enough good things about the captain and crew of the Sea turtle, if you ever find yourself with the opportunity to dive off the east end of Long Island head directly for Montauk, because your sure to have a good time and the diversity and quality of wrecks in this area are not easily matched.
Sea Turtle dive charters
