Weekend Offshore Report - Panama City

Saturday, I took some Adventure Students out to dive some wrecks off Panama City. We booked through Dive Locker and went out on the Downtime. Weather was great at 70-80f, and sunny. Seas were calm. We headed straight for the USS Strength, a WW2 minesweeper sunk for salvage and demo training by the navy in the 70s. Upon arrival we were greeted with about 20 fins on the surface, as the sharks were in a feeding frenzy. Ok, they were pourpoises, but it was still cool as they swam around the boat and checked us out before moving on. Next, we all geared up and headed down to 50ft, where the anchor was tied off. Visibility was about 20ft, and water temp 71deg. The wreck is in two pieces about 10ft apart in a line, with the stern half upright and the bow half listing to the left at about 45deg. This makes for a cool dive as you can swim between the two pieces.

The usual tropicals were on the wreck as well as a school of spadefish patrolling above the thermocline. We did a couple of rounds of the wreck, checked out some wreckage off to the side, and then headed up for a surface interval. Second dive was also on the Strength, and much the same as the first with a bit more focus on areas we had just become familiar with. Some penetration and swim through is possible, but dangerous as everything is torn up from salvage practice. Otherwise this is one of the better dives off PC.

Sunday, I headed back to the Panama City Jetties for some OW checkouts, and we did two dives there to 60ft. Viz was about 20ft, but bluer water than a few weeks ago, and we saw plenty of life, including SuprBugMan!

The Strength sounds like a fun dive to drop in on, especially with it being broken - makes them seem like authentic wrecks, sorta. The jetties were fun, we made our second dive well after high tide(3:15PM or so) and got treated to some real current and low vis! Great times!

Sounds like fun. Sorry I missed out. Thanks for the report.

SuPrBuGmAn:

The Strength sounds like a fun dive to drop in on, especially with it being broken - makes them seem like authentic wrecks, sorta. The jetties were fun, we made our second dive well after high tide(3:15PM or so) and got treated to some real current and low vis! Great times!

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Yeah, on our first dive a couple hours before high tide, as we got to the south end it was pumping and we werent going anywhere. They drift back took us fast way past the exit, and we had to huff it to get out. Im tempted to put a sign under water where the cuthrough is.

I don't recommend penetrating the Strength. She's been down long enough that the hull is rusting away & getting very soft in places.

Yeah, the hull plating is falling apart in many places on that ship. I got slightly tangled in all the wiring and tubing that is hanging down on the inside of the bow one of my last time diving her. Decided not to go back in after that... ;-)

But it is still a great wreck to dive. One of my favorites even though it is falling apart.

jviehe:

Yeah, on our first dive a couple hours before high tide, as we got to the south end it was pumping and we werent going anywhere. They drift back took us fast way past the exit, and we had to huff it to get out. Im tempted to put a sign under water where the cuthrough is.

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Ever think about just rounding the point and huffing it back over the sand(west side of jetties)? Atleast then you can do all the work(walking through sand with gear) at your own pace. This is what we do at Alabama Point Jetties when the same circumstances arrise, I've heard of it being done in St. Andrews as well.

SuPrBuGmAn:

Ever think about just rounding the point and huffing it back over the sand(west side of jetties)? Atleast then you can do all the work(walking through sand with gear) at your own pace. This is what we do at Alabama Point Jetties when the same circumstances arrise, I've heard of it being done in St. Andrews as well.

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It was the other way, actually. We got pushed towards the bay. Wasnt a big deal. Just came up about 50 yards past the cut. Had to swim back to it. I dont like to round the point unless Im with experienced buddies. Its a long drift for newbies and they run out of air quick.

jviehe:

Yeah, on our first dive a couple hours before high tide, as we got to the south end it was pumping and we werent going anywhere. They drift back took us fast way past the exit, and we had to huff it to get out. Im tempted to put a sign under water where the cuthrough is.

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Good idea with the sign. (all those boulders look the same after a while.).

Put a sign at both ends perhaps?

jviehe:

Yeah, on our first dive a couple hours before high tide, as we got to the south end it was pumping and we werent going anywhere. They drift back took us fast way past the exit, and we had to huff it to get out. Im tempted to put a sign under water where the cuthrough is.

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Which exit? You mean the north end cut through that connects the kiddie pool to the pass where the rocks allow you to swim through??

I typcially just check the depth. From what I remember, the exit is near the 20' mark on the pass side... There always seem to be a couple people snorkleing at the exit as well...