reefgirl64
Registered
hey, thanks for the info and pics.... can't wait till we can make a trip down there & dive...& the pics look nice, even without the filter!
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The crew that took us out today said the current was the best that they have seen so far. It was 3 knots today....so IMO I would not recommend this dive for a new diver. Most of the things to see are below 60ft....There are a lot more people on this board with a lot more experience, hopefully they will chime in. Good luck.....
I would not recommend this for a newly certified diver unless they had a chaperon.I'm looking for some advice from you experienced divers who know the conditions on the Vandy. My daughter and I are just completing our OW and will be taking our first dive trip to the Keys later this month. We've planned to keep this a simple fun trip to get comfortable in the water and work on skills. We're not looking for challenges right now. It's challenge enough to not be a hazard to ourselves or others.
When I saw the Vandenberg was being sunk and was expected to be appropriate for all levels, I thought it might be fun to dive the new wreck (upper levels) and it would give us something to watch over the years.
So my questions are:
1. How much of it can we see going no deeper than 60 feet?
2. I've seen a couple of mentions of current. How much of a problem do you think it would be for newbies?
3. Do you recommend this dive for novices? I have a fairly low tolerance to call this and stick to simpler and shallower reef dives.
I would not recommend this for a newly certified diver unless they had a chaperon.
1) There is a fair amount around 60', but many people will be drawn down to the 80' range before they know it. If you feel the temperature change (thermocline) you are probably below 60'. There is no need to panic if you go below 60', just signal your buddy and slowly work you way back up. DO NOT rush your ascent just to be at 60'.
2) Expect current that you can barely swim against. If you're lucky it will be less. When there is current use the ship to block it where you can and pull yourself along rather than kicking/swimming. Start the dive by going up current so you can 'drift' back to the line. Use a snorkel on the surface to save gas.
3) Again, I would not recommend this for a newly certified diver unless they were comfortable in the water. Maybe this could be a one of the last dives of the trip, so you can build confidence on easier dives before committing to the Vandenberg.
The Vandenberg isn't going anywhere, she'll be there when you are ready. Wrecks usually get better as they age anyway.
It seemed like it would be cool to see it as a "new" wreck and watch how it changes over the years. We'll still do it but probably on our next dive trip rather than this one when we have some more experience and training. I expect we'll get to the Keys 2 or 3 times a year.
I'm a little surprised that my 16 year old daughter who's a bit of a risk taker is as conscious of staying well within our limits as I am. We'll be quite happy on the reefs and shallower wreck for this trip.