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I'm surprised that no one has posted anything on the forums about the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany being offered by the Navy to be used as an artifical reef. There are many states fighting for it due to the obvious draw for divers and fishermen. The Oriskany is a late WWII carrier that is over 800 feet long and would be the largest ship deliberately sunk for the purpose of being an artificial reef. Besides the length and overall mass - the height from the keel to the top of the mast is over 140 feet making this one heck of a tall reef. The Navy is putting up the nearly $3 milion to strip it clean of contaminants, make it safe for divers, and to sink her.
My county in Florida, Escambia, has just won the state-wide competition for her - mainly due to some nostalgia for the Navy. However, this part of the gulf is absent of the rich natural reefs in South Florida and this would not only be an economic boost but also an ecologial one. The site designated, if we get it, is 24 miles south east of the Pensacola Pass in 200 feet of water. If this baby sinks upright, there will only be 50-60 of clearance from the surface to the top of the mast. I can only imagine the schools of giant amberjack, tuna, king mackerel, etc. that would thrive there.
If we do win this ship, I guarantee you that my boat will be among the armada of vessels going out to see the sinking. I only hope that they sink her in early fall when the seas are more calm and predictable. This would be the sight of a lifetime.
Pcola
A bad day on the water beats any good day at the office!
200' thats really deep for a recreational diver only the advanced reach that depth.Got a brother who is a instructor.I would think 100' would be about the max depth for a good diving site so the average diver could reach it.But that will be one heck of a reef 800 feet of pure fishing pleasure.Hope you get it might be able to make it one day..
We can only hope that Pensacola and the northern Gulf Coast can prevail and score this ship. Capt. Robert Turpin, chief of Escambia County Marine Resources has done an incredible job of research and public relations in order to get us this far. Edwin Roberts, head of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has also contributed substantially.
It only makes sense that this area receives the ship, based on the rich local history of naval aviation, as well as the lack of any significant, accessible natural reef system.
I promise if we get it, we'll share it with all you guys on The Hull Truth-please support us.
Two things, if they sink this thing at 200', there's going to be more divers killed by that thing than zeros shot down by it. It's the lure, the siren of the deep. I've been diving for 25 years and I just believe this to be true for many reasons. Narcosis, curiousity, poor judgement, you name it. If they sink it at 200', they ought to keep it a secret.
Secondly, I'm somewhat amused by the "sharing" statement. I think we'll share Yosemite with you. Maybe let you use the Pacific Ocean even. (I'm just ribbin' ya. It just sounded funny)
When I was in the Navy I saw a training film that featured the Oriskany, the Forestall, and the Enterprise. Each had a flight-deck misshap that killed about a dozen folks, except the Forstall that had a fire that killed over a hundred people.
When I was on the Nimitz in '81 we had a crash that killed 11 people (I think) and I wonder if they've made a film about that yet.
Bluefin and Chip are right....divers are not the the primary reason my county is seeking the wreck. However, the wreck has to be sunk in at least 200' to meet USCG safe navigation requirements in an area of large commercial vessel traffic. The superstructure comes within 50-60 feet of the surface and 75% of the explorable areas on the ship are within 120 feet. Therefore, if divers get hurt it is most likely going to be due their poor decision making placing themselves into situations that they do not have the training or equipment for. I'm also a regular scuba diver and would not even think of considering a dive on something like this without a Nitrox certification and equipment.
No one has ever said that this reef was soley to be a playground for divers. One reason Escambia County was selected was due to the significant ecological benefit that a reef of this size would be for our sandy bottom.
A bad day on the water beats any good day at the office!
And I guarantee that many rec divers will explore the upper reaches of this ship... i hope they get it....
FWIW.. I got my diving cert out of Myrtle Beach... deep water dives on a wreck...name escapes me but parts of the ship were in 150' while the bow sat in 80-90'... it was an awesome wreck to dive...
I wouldn't expect us to get it for off LI, by time you get to 200' of water in most spots it's pretty far out and there's a lot of shipping traffic. I'd be happy if we get the LIRR cars being retired and not have them sent to some other state at our cost like the subway cars. Anyone heard anything new on that?
USS Oriskany Artificial Reef 
