The Elusive Spiegel Grove

[tomfcrist]

So was the dive worth the wait?

The first time I actually made it to the wreck it was cool to survey the outside. Got boring after the 3rd time on it, so I spent the next 4 dives there inside the sub. It's tight and silty, but a cool penetration if you have the experience to pull it off.

 

[shoredivr]

Huh, I must have been lucky then, Speigel Grove first time.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I was trying to teach an Advanced Nitrox & TriOx class and couldn't get off the darn thing for a week. Boat just kept going to the Speigel ... and going to the Speigel ... and going to the Speigel. It was educational for the students to dive air then repeat the dives on 21/35. I have nevr been blown out of the Grove. Dove it a bunch when it was on its side and too many times upright inside and out.

Nemrod, that is the BEST freaking picture! Something about a double hose without being attached to a huge refrigergurgitator makes diving as classy as James Bond in a suit by Anthony Sinclair.

 

[rmh84]

Dad and I dove the Spiegel back in September last year. Gorgeous wreck - well worth it (we dove with Silent World when we went - super laid back guys, smaller boat which was nice since the previous day diving had been a bit of a "party boat" situation with another dive op) Sounds like you've had some crappy luck.

 

[boulderjohn]

No, , it is there, nearly beyond sport diving limits. The deck is 140 plus feet, the tower is rather interesting, maybe once or twice. More interesting were the schools of fish and a few bull sharks about. It is really too deep for anything other than "technical" diving such or whatever that is. I think I have made seven trips on it also best I recollect. And the current has ripped every time even more so than anything I have been on in the Keys, I mean ripping current.

In order to actually dive the Big O you have to be okay with, oh, let us say, 160 feet give or take.

Oh, I am ready and willing to do those dives. The first time I went to Pensacola to dive it, I had my doubles all ready to go with tons of helium in them. There was not a cloud in the sky, and I did not feel a whisper of wind. They said the weather was too bad out where the O is, though, so we could not go. That went on for a couple of days, and I ended up wasting all that helium in Morrison Springs. The next couple of times I planned trips there, I checked in time to cancel because of the weather. The next few times I was in the area, I wisely planned to do cave dives inland with the option to go on the Oriskany on any day there was someone willing to go. The last time I was in the area, I was staying in nearby Gulf Shores for a week, ready to go any day. I learned that most of the boats that claim they go to the O were not even in the water.

Over the years, I have been physically in the Pensacola area 11 days with the hope of diving it, and I have canceled two trips in advance. That is why I don't believe it actually exists, and anyone who says it does and writes trip reports is being paid to perpetrate this fraud.

(OK, I hope everyone realizes I am kidding about the conspiracy theory, but everything else I wrote is true.)

 

[ianr33]

Oh, I am ready and willing to do those dives. The first time I went to Pensacola to dive it, I had my doubles all ready to go with tons of helium in them. There was not a cloud in the sky, and I did not feel a whisper of wind. They said the weather was too bad out where the O is, though, so we could not go. That went on for a couple of days, and I ended up wasting all that helium in Morrison Springs.

Hah! At least I got to use my Oriskany mix at JB.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hah! At least I got to use my Oriskany mix at JB.

Yeah, that is where I have been on subsequent trips. It's a much farther trip from Pensacola, but much better diving. Morrison Springs has been closed a lot anyway--fecal matter.

 

[Slamfire]

I got to the Spiegel on my first attempt. It was also my first dive ever in Florida. On the day of the trip I discovered that instead of paying the regular full rate for the charter, I was to pay only $35 because of an ongoing promo. I wrote down a review of that and my second dive in Florida here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-diving/317114-review-canadian-diver-diving-fl-1st-time.html

On the other hand, it's already been almost six months since I've been trying to get in some deep (250' +) wreck dive(s) around WA state. Trips have been postponed for weather at least 3 times. There's also been some boat issues and other inconveniences. The last reason for postponement came from my side because a recent expansion of my business that has left me without weekends for the time being. Eventually things should stabilize at work and I should one day go back to diving in WA waters -- I hope.

 

[scububa]

Yeah, my luck has been of the good kind. The trip to the SG, my daughter and I flew in and two of our four bags didn't make it and it was obvious the airline had little clue where they were. I had my gear and no clothes, my daughter didn't have her gear. She was missing some things that were in her gear bag. She decided we didn't have to miss a whole day and that I should dive. A restless night in Islamarado and we headed to the boat in the morning to tell our sad tale. Then just as the battery was dying on my phone (charger with clothes), the airline called and was in route. I setup with them that I would meet them in Key Largo as they had other stuff to drop off and that made it quicker to get the gear and on my last bar called the boat and ask if they could possibly delay 20 minutes. Mike (of Tavernier Divers) said sure, he had a few regulars that weren't in a hurry. We got the gear and came bat sliding into the parking lot.

Now, we were suppose to go to a reef where I suppose they were going to check us out. I was diving a BP with a single wing but otherwise a tech set up. My daughter a back inflate BC. As they got ready to leave dock, we began setting our gear up. As he watched he ask, "So, you guys comfortable with going out to the Spiegel?" I looked at my daughter (AOW and cavern) and she smiled and we said, "Sure". Absolutely no current and great vis. We had two dives and two days later, we did two more, but the current had picked up on the second dive. We were flags in the breeze at the safety stop. So, we got to see several aspects. She was on her side then.

And, my first trip to Morehead City, we went out to the U352 on the first day my group got there (I arrived early and dove the day before.) We pulled up and tied in to the mooring ball and it was so calm and flat, the mooring balls were reflected in the water. Great dive, then as we came up, we paid for those beautiful conditions. It had just started blowing up, it was a little dicey getting back on the boat and the captain was hurrying everyone to get squared away. We went back on a looping course to avoid lightening which was more to prevent damage to the electronics than to protect passengers ;-) We did dive, the Indra, I think on the way back in... And, they we got blown out for two days. I was able to shift my arrangements and still dive another two days before heading home.

 

[Nemrod]

Oh, I am ready and willing to do those dives. The first time I went to Pensacola to dive it, I had my doubles all ready to go with tons of helium in them. There was not a cloud in the sky, and I did not feel a whisper of wind. They said the weather was too bad out where the O is, though, so we could not go. That went on for a couple of days, and I ended up wasting all that helium in Morrison Springs. The next couple of times I planned trips there, I checked in time to cancel because of the weather. The next few times I was in the area, I wisely planned to do cave dives inland with the option to go on the Oriskany on any day there was someone willing to go. The last time I was in the area, I was staying in nearby Gulf Shores for a week, ready to go any day. I learned that most of the boats that claim they go to the O were not even in the water.

Over the years, I have been physically in the Pensacola area 11 days with the hope of diving it, and I have canceled two trips in advance. That is why I don't believe it actually exists, and anyone who says it does and writes trip reports is being paid to perpetrate this fraud.

(OK, I hope everyone realizes I am kidding about the conspiracy theory, but everything else I wrote is true.)

Yes, dive ops along the Emerald Coast have a long history of not going out further than the inlet jetty or the nearest bridge rubble. I have called to get a dive and been told it was too rough, went out in my Boston Whaler to find dead calm and perfect conditions (not at the O, just about, that is a bit of a run in a 19 foot Whaler). The ops in Destin are even worse.

Have you tried MBT? They have been pretty serious about diving when I have used them.

Thing is that all three of the inlets there can get really rough, diesel is expensive and the O is a long ways out there. The northern Gulf can be really rough when things go bad but I agree, I have had similar issues over the years to the point, I bring my own boat if we are vacationing anywhere from Panama City to Orange Beach.

N