Sky Cliff 2-2

[Shcubasteve]

What a dive. The Sky Cliff is a 320' freighter that sits upright in 200' off Boynton Beach. Conditions were challenging today and made for a really exciting dive. The current on the surface was 2-3 knots and even stronger on the bottom- like being a flag in the wind. It's amazing how a 200' water column interacts with a 300+ foot immoveable object wrapped in anchor ropes, monofilament and fishing tackle. The video does not due the currents justice- The design of the ship allows strong currents to create vortex-like downdrafts that flow through the wreck and out to open water. This creates POWERFUL flows of water that change within seconds. I have never seen exhaust bubbles flow DOWN towards the sand. We send up a bag for the 30 minute ascent and covered three miles. We surfaced to find our charterboat WAY inshore almost out of sight and drifted for 30 minutes before they found us. Nautilus lifeline preformed great and will now be standard equipment for every tec dive.

Sky Cliff Technical Wreck Diving - YouTube

 

[dumpsterDiver]

What a dive. The Sky Cliff is a 320' freighter that sits upright in 200' off Boynton Beach. Conditions were challenging today and made for a really exciting dive. The current on the surface was 2-3 knots and even stronger on the bottom- like being a flag in the wind. It's amazing how a 200' water column interacts with a 300+ foot immoveable object wrapped in anchor ropes, monofilament and fishing tackle. The video does not due the currents justice- The design of the ship allows strong currents to create vortex-like downdrafts that flow through the wreck and out to open water. This creates POWERFUL flows of water that change within seconds. I have never seen exhaust bubbles flow DOWN towards the sand. We send up a bag for the 30 minute ascent and covered three miles. We surfaced to find our charterboat WAY inshore almost out of sight and drifted for 30 minutes before they found us. Nautilus lifeline preformed great and will now be standard equipment for every tec dive.

Sky Cliff Technical Wreck Diving - YouTube

I haven't dove that wreck for like 10 years, never seem to find many fish on it..

Was that video shot on the day when the bottom current was over 3 knots?

 

[pjohnson]

Very cool Steve. Just curious...what did use for back gas? Video looks like you had your head together pretty good.

 

[Shcubasteve]

Very cool Steve. Just curious...what did use for back gas? Video looks like you had your head together pretty good.

19/35.

 

[HowardE]

It's actually SKYCLIFFE. In Mike Barnette's Encyclopedia of Florida Shipwrecks Volume 1, you can see the words written on the side of the ship, in a picture on page 224.

I also saw a lot of fish on it, and a lot of sharks. A huge snapper, and large hogfish.

 

[aue-mike]

It's actually SKYCLIFFE.

There is an extra "E" - it's SKYECLIFFE...

 

[HowardE]

There is an extra "E" - it's SKYECLIFFE...

Missed that... whoops.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

19/35.

SO.... Are you telling us that the video depicts currents in excess of 3 kts on the bottom adjacent to the wreck?

 

[Reck Diver]

Just curious, when you're at the surface, do you deploy a dive flag? Seems strange your Charter was MIA. What was his excuse?

 

[Shcubasteve]

SO.... Are you telling us that the video depicts currents in excess of 3 kts on the bottom adjacent to the wreck?

Yes, the current was SMOKIN all the way to the bottom. kinda like the helldiver BUT- the video does not depict that and doesnt do the current justice. It was crazy to have it shift within seconds.

Just curious, when you're at the surface, do you deploy a dive flag? Seems strange your Charter was MIA. What was his excuse?

At the surface, Ive got a 6' red SMB with a 20x24" diveflag aquasealed to the seam- even the slightest breeze is enough to keep the flag flying. We were well marked.