Oriskany Vote Taken - Pensacola!

[Genesis]

I know a few operations that will run tech trips. Again, I am sure you may know people that have access to helium, but I don't think any shop in this general area advertises that capability.

There is one SHOP in Destin that has Helium. I don't think they bank it, as there is insufficient call for it, but they can fill you. One of the guys there is an Ozark fanatic, in fact

Heliar is easy for just about anyone, of course. True Trimix is a bit more difficult due to the booster requirement. With Heliair you still need a booster to keep from sending back a LOT of Helium, but you can then "get smart", put in a storage bottle, and decant from the supply to the storage and that solves a LOT of problems, including making turnaround on the Helium bottles easy.

You're right on the Ozark - I grabbed my GPS Utility and did a quick "span" from the pass to the marks I have for it. Roughly 30nm out from the Destin pass. Its in DEEP water

The ~50' of clearance is just plain smart. Less and you risk having the wreck tampered with during storms. They used to let people sink things with less relief, and the result is that we have several wrecks in shallower water with the superstructures ripped off or the wreck itself basically gone.

 

[aue-mike]

Genesis once bubbled...

Heliar is easy for just about anyone, of course. True Trimix is a bit more difficult due to the booster requirement.

no, you don't need a booster. you may end up with a couple hundred psi in the tank that you can't use, but you don't need a booster.

Genesis once bubbled...

You're right on the Ozark - I grabbed my GPS Utility and did a quick "span" from the pass to the marks I have for it. Roughly 30nm out from the Destin pass. Its in DEEP water

It is about 335 to the sand, and 220 to the mast. It is a great dive. The wrecks I have are only a couple miles away. One has been dived once but they aborted after hitting the bottom. It is a schooner that sits in about 350fsw. Should be awesome.
I will send you a PM about possibly doing some dives together. It would be awesome to get out there to shoot some video...

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Genesis]

I PM'd 'ya with contact info.

This time of year is dicey. The water is nice and the traffic low, but the problem you can run into is that there might only be one decent day out of a week or more. I consider "decent" to be 3' seas or less, because around here the seas are short-period, and 4-5s are NOT fun to be out in. We don't get rolling swells - we get a short, 5-second or less period chop which makes boatrides REALLY un-fun.

Seriously, I love boat rides; I'm not qual'd to dive the Ozark at this point, but by God, I'll still go - I love the water, and the way back in gives us a whole bunch of other good spots to dive

 

[jviehe]

Here is a bluechart of the area by the way. I guessed on the position.

http://northfloridadiver.net/or.jpg

 

[Genesis]

You're too far west and not deep enough.

I don't have the coords, but that's too far west. Do you see how the contour of the deep water comes up further north to the east? Its more that way.

My only "Bluechart" is on the boat (its a chip, not the CDROM) so I can look there, but not here; my chart book is on the boat as well.

I've got a pretty good idea where they're talking about from the distances they quoted; I'll run over there and see if I can get approximate coordinates tomorrow if I get the chance.

 

[jviehe]

Try this then.

http://northfloridadiver.net/or2

 

[Genesis]

you placed on there...

 

[aue-mike]

Here is the proposed coordinates for the USS ORISKANY off Pensacola:
30° 02.632' N; 87° 00.416' W

 

[Genesis]

That's real close to a couple of things we fish/dive now.

About 2nm SE from the Chevron rig, and about 6.7 nm ENE from the Antares (which we dive on occasion.) The Avocet is also in that general direction (but a bit further.) It is also about 3nm from the NW edge of the Nipple, as I expected.

That's 32.6nm from the Destin pass on a bearing of ~230 degrees, which is about right.

That set of coordinates is almost exactly where I thought it would be, given the distances and directions they were talking about.

This is a very nice area, and will make for a really nice "long day" out on the water. The Lost Tug, one of my favorite shooting dives, is about 10nm from that location, which is a really nice dive for some food and will make a run to the Oriskany and then stopping at the Lost Tug on the way back in towards Destin very doable.

The Nipple being this close should make for VERY clear water conditions, and exceptional visability, yet it will be far enough away that deep currents should not present a problem. Overall, this siting is EXCELLENT.

Total distance on a run like this for me, dock-to-dock, including the second/third dive stop on the way in, should be right near 100nm, so the fuel burn will be right around 200 gals for me.

Not bad at all.

 

[jviehe]

Ok, here it is.

http://northfloridadiver.net/or2