Diving the Spiegel Grove

[Jim Lapenta]

What changes is the current. The SG is one of my favorite dives, It was my first ocean deep wreck dive and 4 days later my 100th dive. I've been on it a few times since. Conditions ranged from mill pond to a current that if you did lose the line or get blown over the rail they'd likely pick you up in Miami if the boat did not know you were off it. Hence the need to do a blue water ascent and why a spool or reel and SMB would be essential gear for a dive on this site. Having those gives you a visual and tactile reference when doing an ascent in blue water. It also let's the boat know where you are. Nice if you surface several hundred yards away. Which is highly possible. The never let go of the line is good advice on entry. One dive I did we were required to giant stride in with the right arm out to the side to make sure we caught the line. And the current can change during the dive.

The SG and Duane are IMO can't miss dives for those who are prepared for them. For those who are not. I'd pick something else.

If you have any doubts don't even go out to the site. While I or others may be ok doing the dive in less than stellar conditions if you are not I'd be upset if the site was changed to accomodate two when the other 4 are ok with the dive. It;s a big deal for me to get to Florida and the Keys. I book my dives based on being able to do them regardless of who else is on the boat. A double dip would have you sitting in the hot sun for a good long time. I would not be ok with thumbing my dive.

 

[billt4sf]

What changes is the current. The SG is one of my favorite dives, It was my first ocean deep wreck dive and 4 days later my 100th dive. I've been on it a few times since. Conditions ranged from mill pond to a current that if you did lose the line or get blown over the rail they'd likely pick you up in Miami if the boat did not know you were off it. Hence the need to do a blue water ascent and why a spool or reel and SMB would be essential gear for a dive on this site. Having those gives you a visual and tactile reference when doing an ascent in blue water. It also let's the boat know where you are. Nice if you surface several hundred yards away. Which is highly possible. The never let go of the line is good advice on entry. One dive I did we were required to giant stride in with the right arm out to the side to make sure we caught the line. And the current can change during the dive.

The SG and Duane are IMO can't miss dives for those who are prepared for them. For those who are not. I'd pick something else.

If you have any doubts don't even go out to the site. While I or others may be ok doing the dive in less than stellar conditions if you are not I'd be upset if the site was changed to accomodate two when the other 4 are ok with the dive. It;s a big deal for me to get to Florida and the Keys. I book my dives based on being able to do them regardless of who else is on the boat. A double dip would have you sitting in the hot sun for a good long time. I would not be ok with thumbing my dive.

Well stated, Jim!

 

[Superlyte27]

If I remember correctly, it's about 15 minutes (give or take) from Silent Worlds dock to Spiegel Grove. Also, you're going to be tied up to the mooring ball, and will drop down on that line, tied to the wreck. Don't think it will be a blue water descent, unless something has changed ?

Haha, not on SW's boat it's not. Try closer to an hour. It's 8 miles out travelling at 12 knots. Not that I've driven that boat or anything....

 

[Peter_C]

Try closer to an hour. It's 8 miles out travelling at 12 knots.

That right there tells me Emily would not be happy, if the seas are at all rough. Keeping the woman happy is the key to continue diving with her

 

[idive2]

I'm going by memory from a few years back but I went out to the spiegel grove on a six pack charter a bit further south and they
claimed to have the shortest and quickest drive out to the wreck. I'm thinking the name was DiveIn or something like that. The turn
off toward the ocean was somewhere near the shell factory place. The fact that it was a six pack lowered the time to ride out and if
I'm remembering correctly it was more directly out from that location to the wreck rather than on an angle. Like any deeper dive
on a good day most adequately trained divers would be okay but on a bad day even the experienced divers can be challanged and the
newer divers can end up with way more than they bargained for.

 

[billt4sf]

That right there tells me Emily would not be happy, if the seas are at all rough. Keeping the woman happy is the key to continue diving with her

No, keeping Emily happy is the key to continue diving -- period!

 

[CajunDiva]

Dove it with scooters in Jan for the first time and had a blast. Listen to your capt and hire a DM if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Dive with an operation that provides dive guides...that will go a long way to making you feel much more comfortable for the first time or two. We did our first dives there in 2004 with Rainbow Reef Dive Center. Jesus was our guide and he explained everything thoroughly and guided us every step of the way. Whatever you do, don't miss diving the Spiegel Grove...it's and AMAZING dive

 

[billt4sf]

We decided to cancel our trip to the Speigel Grove. We're both disappointed, we really wanted to do the dive, but it's clear that if the conditions are not good we could not do it, at least without stressing out and what's the point of doing a dive you don't enjoy?

"Discretion is the better part of valor".

What skills should we practice to develop our confidence that we could do something like this? I am thinking of trying slow ascents (including safety stops at 15') without a line, perhaps first next to a line then without a line nearby. Even though we would likely be able to see the bottom, it should help. We also need to be able to launch an SMB from some depth -- we have seen videos (both good and funny, as long as it's not us). I don't know what can be practiced about swimming in current.

It's (ahem) interesting (ahem) that Silent World mentioned nothing about currents, blue water ascents, etc. Just "If you have AOW, it's fine". We did AOW after maybe 20 dives, it was good but we're in no way "advanced".

Then there's the idea that a DM can save you from yourself if you're not ready. I'm all for diving with those more experienced than I, but some people seem to think you can do anything as long as a DM is nearby. We already learned the hard way on that one.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[scubadada]

Hi Bill,

You are correct to seriously consider diving the Spiegel Grove but it might be a perfectly fine dive for you. You have a modest number of dives but some of them were in Monterey, likey more challenging in the cold water and more restricted visibility compared to your tropical dives. You will be diving with a buddy with whom you have experience and trust. You have the requisite AOWD cert, dive nitrox, and appear to have appropriate safety equipment. Lastly, you say you would be doing the dive with a DM/guide, who can assist you with the surface lines, descent/ascent, and navigation on the wreck. Every dive is a personal choice, your consideration of the Spiegel Grove seems seems reasonably well thought out.

Like Jim L, the Spiegel Grove was my first deep wreck and I did it as my 103rd dive. I had gotten my AOWD cert at dive 84, Deep cert at dive 98 and had been diving nitrox since dive 41. The current was not great and the vis was pretty good on my first dive on the SG but I dived with an unknown buddy assigned on the boat and the wreck was on its starboad side until it was made upright by Hurricane Dennis in 2005, making navigation a bit easier. Needless to say the dive went well and I was hooked on the SG and deep wrecks.

Though I've not been to Key Largo since 2009, I have 20 great dives on the SG. As pointed out, the current and visibility vary considerably. Though no guarantee of actual dive conditions at depth, most operators will abort the dive if current is obviously excessive, like when the mooring balls are under water. In addition to all the helpful hints given in previous posts, I would suggest taking a good look at the termination of your buoy line so that you can easily find your way back to it at the correct time, regardless of current and/or visibility.

If you have a successful dive and are comfortable on the Spiegel Grove, you might want to consider diving the Duane. This is a really fantastic dive but, in my opinion, has the potential for even greater current. As stated above, sometimes the best and easiet way go make this dive is by live drop in front of the bow buoy and pick up at the end from the stern buoy. The wreck is dazzling.

Best of luck on your trip to Key Largo, let us all know how it went.

Good diving, Craig

Whoops, posted before seeing the message from Bill, above. Advice still goes.

As for the request for practice, consider doing some drift dives in SE FL, such as in Boynton Beach or Jupiter. This will give you practice swimming in brisk current, and, unless you have the flag, will allow for practice in free ascent and holding the safety stop. You can practice deploying your SMB with spool or reel too. Maybe this is just what you need to gain skills and confidence.

 

[sportxlh]

What skills should we practice to develop our confidence that we could do something like this?

Bill

Bill: I think scubadada's suggestions are good. Get a few deep drift dives in and you'll feel a lot better about your ascending skill with no reference except your computer. Also, like Bill indicates, don't discount your low vis cold water diving experience: that's stressful in a different way, but you found a way to deal with the stress.

I have a Mantis reel for my SMB and when I dive in Jupiter and WPB and get separated from the in-water DM (which happens often in lobster season or when taking pix), I'll launch the SMB from depth (usually 60-90 feet). Some divers wait until their safety stop, but I like to get the sausage to the surface asap so the dive boat and any other boats can see where I am. My SMB is a Zeagle which has a purge valve like a BCD's valve so if I overfill it at depth, it won't over expand. imho, the practice of launching the SMB at depth is a good technique to learn and is what I'd do if I ever got blown off a wreck in the Keys: it would allow the dive boat to ID a wayward diver plus still give that diver a chance to take a proper safety stop as that diver drifts away.

I did my first dive on the Spiegle Grove at dive 40 (I'm not including I handful of dives in that count I did back in the 1980's), my buddy and I experienced a great thrill and were lucky to find easy conditions that day (it was his 75th dive: with dives spread over 20 years). We both wondered later in the week if we had been premature in diving the site since we were not exactly sure what we would have done if conditions had been as rough as some other divers were telling us about at a tavern that night.

You can still give a trip to the S. Grove a shot and then just decide not to dive it if the current looks nasty.