Stripping wrecks

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Mouth Breather

Contributor
Messages
313
Reaction score
142
Location
Deerfield Beach, FL
# of dives
200 - 499
I've been diving for almost 2 years now and really, really enjoy it. I got the wreck bug and living in S. Florida there is plenty to see. As a avid diver I'm always eager to speak to a long-time diver and did so recently, he said some things that really annoyed me.

The diver in question has been at it for decades and has some riveting stories that I have enjoyed, he seemed like a decent guy. The last time I spoke to him, I had been on several wrecks that weekend so he related his wreck experience. He went down a long list of wrecks that, as soon as they were in the water, he took his tools with him and stripped them of everything he could. He bragged about all the dishes, hatches, gauges, etc. that he had from various wrecks. He showed me a hatch that he claimed came from the Spiegel. I got the impression that the rest of the stuff was laying about his house somewhere.

He had a nonchalant attitude about it all, said "this is what we do". I have to ask, really? This is common practice? To me it's a selfish way to make everyone else's dive less interesting.
 
I would think it's illegal. Theft is theft. Purpose sunk wrecks were paid for and belong to somebody.
 
Prevalent attitude. The really nice part about it, is all the historical things he's taken will end up thrown out or in a garage sale someday after he dies, forever lost, forever gone from the wreck for anyone else to enjoy. You'll get all the typical replies about how better for someone to steal it than for it to rust away, arguments about salvage rights, etc...
 
Taking stuff off an artificial reef is ridiculous and earns no cool points.

As far as salvaging off natural wrecks, I have no issue with it. The folks that talk about the items being lost after the salvager dies etc. are delusional. How many artifacts are rotting away unpreserved in museums and archives...if they only knew. Could leave it on the bottom and let it rust away...the only things that will survive after a hundred years will be brass etc....and then someone will come along 300 years from now and guess what???? they are going to salvage it.
The folks that don't want these wrecks salvaged surely wouldn't leave a conglomerate of silver coins on the bottom if they were diving the ballast pile of the cabin wreck.
 
We're not talking about priceless artifacts here. Once off the wreck, most of the stuff taken nobody could care about. Are you really going to ooh and Ahh over the porthole window (I called it a hatch for some reason) sitting on his floor? I hope most would, as I did, think "douchebag".
 
We're not talking about priceless artifacts here. Once off the wreck, most of the stuff taken nobody could care about. Are you really going to ooh and Ahh over the porthole window (I called it a hatch for some reason) sitting on his floor? I hope most would, as I did, think "douchebag".

A porthole off the SG..I agree. Douchebag move.

Artifacts from non intentionally scuttled wrecks, I'm all for it.
 
We're not talking about priceless artifacts here. Once off the wreck, most of the stuff taken nobody could care about. Are you really going to ooh and Ahh over the porthole window (I called it a hatch for some reason) sitting on his floor? I hope most would, as I did, think "douchebag".

Porthole? Meh. His china from the Doria? Yup, I will ooh and aah over his first class, second class, and third class china. His Peloris restored to operating condition after being underwater for 100 years? Very ooh/aah worthy. The depth guage from a WWI submarine (not a war grave, but something the Navy disposed of as trash? The ship's chronometer from a sailing vessel that went down in 300 feet of water that only 200 divers will ever see? The deck prisms that allowed light into the cargo holds in the days before electric lights?

Yup, I'm oohing and aahing. And you're welcome to think anything you want to about it.
 
Frank, you must have at least one porthole in your stash.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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