Spiegel Grove Advice for an Inexperienced Diver

Looks like I'll be going to Key Largo in a few weeks, diving with Pirate Island Divers. Chances are fair to good one of the dives could be on the Spiegel Grove. I'd appreciate some advice.

I'm PADI certified AOW and Nitrox. I know the Spiegel Grove is one of the most popular recreational wreck dives there, and I've done enough reading to know the depths involved.

What I'm confused about is that, given that the ship rests in 130' fsw, how is it possible to get any kind of dive enjoyment with the short no-deco times at those depths, either air or nitrox?

Do people just not go deep, and stay at mid-depths looking around at the superstructure so as to have more time to look around? What's the typical dive protocol there for those here who have done it?

IMHO, you are not ready yet...my wife and I have a few more dives than you, and have rescue on the certs you have and unless you are going to spend your short time at 60-80' you may be pushing your training. There are other sites there. Although we would love to do the dive, also...we (and especially the wife) are not ready for max depth dive like this one.

You may want to check with Pirate Islands as some shops there will NOT even let you on the boat, unless you have sufficient practical, documented dives at depth..One shop we used for other dives, required two or more 80' ocean dives in the 6 months prior to todays dive, required computer and to stay with divemaster, etc, etc. to do the Spiegel Grove. Some shops, yours per their website, don't even put a divemaster in the water with you ...(We do not have a Divemaster in the water, but a dive guide can be hired for an individual or small groups. If you wish to hire a dive guide you should make advanced reservations and pre-pay to ensure availability.

Others will post as well, with a lot more experience than me

Whether you'll have a good time or a near-miss depends quite a bit on conditions and your training. The bottom is @130', while the highest points are around 65'. currents are extremely variable and often unpredictable.

There have been several deaths and a bunch of incidents on the wreck, including a number of people that got blown off and ended up drifting.

My preference would be to dive something shallower with less current.

flots.

You don't need to go to the sand, and you really don't want to unless you find hulls really interesting. Most of the good stuff is at very reasonable depths that will give you decent bottom time, especially with nitrox.

kd3pc:

IMHO, you are not ready yet...my wife and I have a few more dives than you, and have rescue on the certs you have and unless you are going to spend your short time at 60-80' you may be pushing your training. There are other sites there. Although we would love to do the dive, also...we (and especially the wife) are not ready for max depth dive like this one.

You may want to check with Pirate Islands as some shops there will NOT even let you on the boat, unless you have sufficient practical, documented dives at depth..One shop we used for other dives, required two or more 80' ocean dives in the 6 months prior to todays dive, required computer and to stay with divemaster, etc, etc. to do the Spiegel Grove. Some shops, yours per their website, don't even put a divemaster in the water with you ...(We do not have a Divemaster in the water, but a dive guide can be hired for an individual or small groups. If you wish to hire a dive guide you should make advanced reservations and pre-pay to ensure availability.

Others will post as well, with a lot more experience than me

Click to expand...

+1...

I have 20 dives on the Speigel Grove. I dive 32% nitrox with max bottom depth of 100-110 feet, an average depth of 70-75 feet, and an average dive time of about 45 minutes.

OK, thanks for the information. Having dived in Cozumel, I didn't find the current that big a deal - sorta' fun, actually. But the other info here is very useful.

Here's an idea of what you'll see. This dive was 80 something max depth. Good vis (not too uncommon) and no current (not so common). Only you can know for sure if you are ready for something like this. Hire a guide if you have to and enjoy. It will add to your experience.

YouTube - ‪Spiegel Grove Dive, Key Largo‬‏

CriticalMass:

OK, thanks for the information. Having dived in Cozumel, I didn't find the current that big a deal - sorta' fun, actually. But the other info here is very useful.

Click to expand...

@CriticalMass: Doing a drift dive in Cozumel, which consists of allowing yourself to move with the current, is different from fighting to stay on a relatively deep wreck (by recreational standards) in the presence of strong current.

CriticalMass:

OK, thanks for the information. Having dived in Cozumel, I didn't find the current that big a deal - sorta' fun, actually. But the other info here is very useful.

Click to expand...

Please note that this is NOT a drift dive as in Cozumel or West Palm Beach area where the boat drops you, you dive, you ascend, you drift, boat picks you up as divers surface.

To dive the Speigel and the Duane, you must pull yourself from the boat against the current (sometimes mild, sometimes wicked) on a line to the mooring ball, then pull yourself down the mooring line. In rough current this can be exhausting and you will use alot of air. Once you have descended down past 15 or 20 feet, there is usually less (but not always) current. Sometimes you have to stay tucked close to the wreck to evade the current. After your dive you must return to the same mooring line to ascend and do safety stops (many times flying like a flag in the current at 20 ft). Do not let go of the line or you will get blown off the wreck. If this happens, the boat cannot untie from the mooring ball to pick you up until all the divers are back on board.

That being said, they are great dives and with either appropriate experience and training or under the direct supervision of a good guide can be dove safely. Nitrox is recommended. Most local dive ops include these dives in their AOW classes.