Farewell to the Mighty "O"

ObliqueApproach · 05-27-2006, 07:46

The WWI vintage Essex class aircraft carrier USS Oriskany was scuttled on 17 May 2006 in the Gulf of Mexico. The photos are outstanding and the write up is also worth the read.

http://www.irishmansoftware.com/Oriskany.htm

mugwump · 05-27-2006, 08:59

Can't wait to dive it!

Sdiver · 05-27-2006, 09:14

Now I have another reason to go back to FWB and the PH of FL.

**Peregrino** · 05-27-2006, 09:22

OA - It is actually a KW/VN era carrier. The largest artificial reef ever "deliberately" placed. My dive shop sent me a couple links with great pictures that I've already deleted. I'll have to see if I can fnd them again. I'm looking forward to diving it myself. It'll make a great Tech Dive. I just hope the Rec divers stay within their limits. With the main deck sitting at 130 +/- there's a lot of fascinating stuff just out of reach to tempt the untrained. That and Panama City sounds like a good place to decompress after a day's diving.

Peregrino

longrange1947 · 05-27-2006, 09:46

If the Main deck is at 130 feet then all but the upper superstructure is out of normal dive limits for the regular recreation diver.

Peregino, you'r right, the temptation to go on an excursion could get the wreck placed off limits period due to an unfortunate, but preventable, dive accident.

Soft Target · 05-28-2006, 08:47

With the bottom at 212', the hangar deck at 150' and the flight deck at 130'. I guarantee some, or more, "Bent" sport divers.

Dave, PADI OWSI (Emeritus)

MtnGoat · 05-28-2006, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

OA - The largest artificial reef ever "deliberately" placed. My dive shop sent me a couple links with great pictures that I've already deleted. I'll have to see if I can fnd them again. I'm looking forward to diving it myself. It'll make a great Tech Dive. I just hope the Rec divers stay within their limits. With the main deck sitting at 130 +/- there's a lot of fascinating stuff just out of reach to tempt the untrained. That and Panama City sounds like a good place to decompress after a day's diving.

Peregrino

I had thought what a great dive, an Aircraft Carrier!! But, now. Why did they scuttled at 130FT - Keep it out of reach of REC Dives? That's my guess - but that would have been a damn nice dive.

Did a ship before and that was fun, I had a guide, played it safe. But I guess "they" figured others wouldn't be safe.

7th Groups new play ground for the dive teams!!

**Peregrino** · 05-28-2006, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

I had thought what a great dive, an Aircraft Carrier!! But, now. Why did they scuttled at 130FT - Keep it out of reach of REC Dives? That's my guess - but that would have been a damn nice dive.

Did a ship before and that was fun, I had a guide, played it safe. But I guess "they" figured others wouldn't be safe.

7th Groups new play ground for the dive teams!!

MG - They scuttled it in 212', that's a BIG ship down there. FWIW, there's a lot of superstructure within reach of rec divers. All of the "island" is above the 130' floor. Unfortunately that's a pretty small percentage of the whole structure. I would love to do a tech dive into the hanger deck. Wonder what the currents are like? (Hopefully better than my one dive on the Spiegel Grove.) Mugwump - why did you promise your daughter "no more deco dives"? And sadly SF diving limits are the same as rec limits unless you want to get special waivers (not worth the effort) so it's not going to do 7th Gp much good. It's not really a good day trip from Eglin and they'll probably have to charter a commercial boat (or maybe NEDU). It's supposed to be 25 miles off-shore. I'm hoping to tech dive it next summer. Peregrino

Sdiver · 05-28-2006, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

I would love to do a tech dive into the hanger deck. Wonder what the currents are like? (Hopefully better than my one dive on the Spiegel Grove.)

Currents around Pensacola/Destin/Panama City are generally light. Sometimes none at all. Nothing like the currents that run down by the Keys and the East side of FL, like over the Duanne and Bibb and Goodyear. Just depends on the time of year and what's brewing out in the Gulf.

Viz is usually great mid July to end of Sept. 100' plus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

It's not really a good day trip from Eglin and they'll probably have to charter a commercial boat (or maybe NEDU). It's supposed to be 25 miles off-shore. I'm hoping to tech dive it next summer. Peregrino

At my old shop down in Destin, we used to take out the guys from the 23rd on Hurbbie, and a few times we'd take out guys from the Hill. Just 4 or 6 hour trips. Just enough for them to get a couple of good dives in.

I can see why they dropped her that deep. To keep the untrained from doing penetrations and getting FUBARed. Hopefully the title "Tech" dive will help in keeping the fatalities down. Even the best Tech divers end up as "statistics". I lost a good buddy, who used to dive the Andrea Dora. He used to dive her during the off season, to supplement his income. He knew were the wine locker was and would do several dives and come up with wine, plates, cups, anything with the Dora name on it and sell it to collectors.

The one concern that I have is, I think they dropped her too soon. Right at the BEGINING of hurricane season, instead of after. Won't really give her time to settle. Also wondering which way her keel is resting....North/South or East/West.

TitratetoEffect · 05-29-2006, 08:28

Just a few small stories on the Oriskany. When I was in the other Service, I had a buddy whose dad was a pretty big legend in the fighter community. Anyway, he served on the O and smoked 3 MIGs flying F-8's. Two of the MIG's were with sidewinders and I think one was with guns. If anyone knows anything about the F-8 it isn't known as the nimblest dogfighter in the inventory so it was a big feat. Also, John McCain served on the Oriskany following the Forestal disaster. I think they were on the carrier at the same time but different squadrons. Sen. McCain flew A-4's.

Too bad they sunk her so deep. I would like to get out there and dive her sometime. Maybe if I move down there in the distant future.

Phil

mugwump · 05-29-2006, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

Mugwump - why did you promise your daughter "no more deco dives"?

Years back I had a little issue that left me w/ a very slight stagger on infrequent occasions; only my daughter notices. There was no breach of deco plan, which was pretty long but conservative, and it was carefully dissected after-the-fact and found to be OK. Just "one of those things." I was cold and tired and my cath fell off at the first hang (go ahead, try to come up with a new one, I've heard them all twice

) so I was not drinking like I probably should have.

My daughter has been my dive partner since she was 13. Her very intelligent position is that tropical diving w/ her twice a year is better than nothing. In fact we always have a blast on those trips and I wouldn't miss one for anything.

I now dive nitrox as if it's air and very very rarely go below 30-35m. It was wishful thinking, I will most likely never dive the Oriskany.

**Peregrino** · 05-29-2006, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugwump

Years back I had a little issue that left me w/ a very slight stagger on infrequent occasions; only my daughter notices. There was no breach of deco plan, which was pretty long but conservative, and it was carefully dissected after-the-fact and found to be OK. Just "one of those things." I was cold and tired and my cath fell off at the first hang (go ahead, try to come up with a new one, I've heard them all twice

) so I was not drinking like I probably should have.

My daughter has been my dive partner since she was 13. Her very intelligent position is that tropical diving w/ her twice a year is better than nothing. In fact we always have a blast on those trips and I wouldn't miss one for anything.

I now dive nitrox as if it's air and very very rarely go below 30-35m. It was wishful thinking, I will most likely never dive the Oriskany.

MW - I thought you seemed like a pretty sensible guy. My sympathies, I understand perfectly. I was trying to explain "luck of the draw" DCS hits to some friends we had over for a Memorial Day get together this afternoon. It helped make my point when I got out the dive medicine books with all the cool pictures. (The ones the major training agencies don't want anybody showing potential victi --- ooops ---- customers.) Peregrino

mugwump · 05-30-2006, 07:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrino

MW - I thought you seemed like a pretty sensible guy. My sympathies, I understand perfectly. I was trying to explain "luck of the draw" DCS hits to some friends we had over for a Memorial Day get together this afternoon. It helped make my point when I got out the dive medicine books with all the cool pictures. (The ones the major training agencies don't want anybody showing potential victi --- ooops ---- customers.) Peregrino

[rant]
Yep, all deco plans (computers and tables included) are statistical -- most people will be OK most of the time if they follow them. You, I and my daughter know that, but it's a real shocker how few others do. I was amazed at the things I saw on my first tropical dive trip -- newbies pushing the limits. "Ever consider how your life changes without bladder control?" Blank looks. Our strategy now is "one plane further", i.e. take that one additional plane ride (to Grand Turk in the T&C, Dominica, Tobago, etc.) to weed out the Barneys.

Major training agencies <shudder>. It took me 3 months to get certified in 1969 (granted, that was overkill). I took the basic course with my daughter just to see what she was learning. It 'basically' took a weekend. Gawd. I had a huge fight w/ the instructor (a friend and a square-nuts ex-Navy Master Diver, my partner when I got the vestibular hit actually). He whipped out the course syllabus and showed me how it had been dumbed-down. She started the course knowing a fair amount of dive medicine and being able to clear her mask, ditch and don, buddy breath, plan a dive from tables, calculate partial pressures, etc. Only the dive plan turned out to be a graduation requirement and that was because it was on the written test. The open-water dives were a joke. Runaway BC inflator? Need to shoot a bag in boat traffic? You're SOL.

More than once during the classroom sessions she loooked at me with the "WTF eyebrows" when BS was being spouted.

My friend finally quit teaching. He couldn't do it right and still compete with the guy down the road. I still think it's possible to do it correctly with the right marketing and the right demographics, but I'll certainly concede it's a tough row to hoe.

mugwump
[/rant]

**Peregrino** · 05-30-2006, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugwump

[rant]
My friend finally quit teaching. He couldn't do it right and still compete with the guy down the road. I still think it's possible to do it correctly with the right marketing and the right demographics, but I'll certainly concede it's a tough row to hoe.

mugwump
[/rant]

Now you've got a fair idea of why I've decided to stop instructing. Any diving I do from this point on will be for my enjoyment. I'm already at the point where the only cert I carry/show is my Nitrox one. Peregrino

**Roguish Lawyer** · 05-30-2006, 14:30

Hmmm, sounds like a good ps.com outing . . .