Oriskany Dive Report

hchoat

Brian and I headed out at 6AM yesterday for a dive on the Oriskany, and had a great time. I thought I would share a few thoughts on the dive with everyone.

We chartered with Dave Mucci on YKnot (my fav. local captain)- which is a fast (if small, 29 footer) dive boat. The ride out to the site took about an hour and fifteen minutes (we had beautiful conditions, winds less than 10 knots and seas 1 foot or less). Once we dropped into the water, the island was clearly visible from the surface, and the water temp was 82 degrees to about 60'. There was a pretty significant thermocline, with a 10 degree temp drop below. We spent 80 minutes on the wreck, during which time we observed very little marine life. The wreck is beginning to be covered in a light brown grassy/ algae looking stuff, and has a fair amount of small life- little crabs, blennies by the dozen, schools of damselfish and small triggerfish, a few pipefish were also present- but that's about it. In contrast with the dive we had made on the previous Friday on the Empire Mica (a 60+ year old wreck also in NW FL) it lacked the huge schools of baitfish which bring larger fish into the neighborhood. It is interesting to note how the reef builds in the same way you stock a saltwater aquarium, but it just seems quite sterile at this point.

Final thoughts:
1. The Oriskany is going to be a great dive- in 6 months or so when some "residents" have moved into the neighborhood.
2. It's impressive because of the sheer size of the wreck.
3. Charter fees are abusive.

If you are thinking of coming down to dive the Oriskany, I would recommend giving it 6 months or a year to develop (unless you are hot to be one of the first divers on her)- and hopefully charter prices will drop as well.

Heather

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rigdiver

Heather;
Nice report. Thanks. We dove the Big O last Th with Scuba Shack. We were held to No D and 130'. Vis was 125'+ and had schools of bonita. Saw one really nice grouper. It was a neat dive and will just get better. I also think the boat fees are too high. However the dive ops are certainly going to exploit it. We were on the Wet Dream that uses bio-diesel. Certainly smelled better than fossil fuel. Seas were like glass.
Texican;
Bill

Genesis

I've binned three dives on her before we left the dock already; two due to sea conditions, the third due to a dive buddy who got sick the night before and binned the dive at that point.

I've not got a big boat anymore - sold her - but my little 23 footer is fast as hell (32kt cruise on nice days @ 2nmpg on fuel) and since she's cheap to run the price of a trip out there is in the neighborhood of $100 or so.

That takes the sting right out of it. Quite honestly, I wouldn't pay the charter fees. I understand they have to make money and all, but this is not a trivial boat run by any means, and there's some definite profiteering going on. The larger boats are getting stupid expensive to run (Gigabite would have cost me somewhere around $500 a trip just to take out there at 18kts!) so I understand the problem - and it isn't going to get better with no end to rising fuel prices in sight.

The options are honestly one of time and money. You want a big, fast boat, you're going to pay - through the nose. Gigabite could run at 9kts all day long at 1nmpg, or at 18-19kts - but at 0.5nmpg. Twice as fast, but four times as much fuel per hour going through her engines. The problem at 9kts is that its a four hour run one way!

Anyway, while charter fees seem "abusive", and they are to some extent, honestly the best option is to find someone with a reasonable-size and SEAWORTHY boat who knows what he's doing (e.g. not the village idiot) to go out there with. This way if you have either three or four divers you can do hot drops as well which works great on a wreck that size, and avoids the parking lot problems - especially if you have scooters (you can drop off a bit from the other boats on the wreck)

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Chardy

Thanks for the report, I was thinking of driving up for a weekend but maybe I'll wait until early 2007 till some residents have taken up residence

Paul

Skipbreather

Heather-

Great report, but don't see any reference to actual fees. What IS the current going rate?

Thanx,
Ken

Benthic

The current fee for a standard 1/2 day recreational charter is $150 per person. If you want a full day 'tech' charter then the price will vary depending on which boat you hire.

Brian

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debersole

$150 for a 1/2 day recreational charter -- Ouch! That's about the going rate in Bora Bora!

Thanks for the trip report. I think I'll wait 6 months or so before going.

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shell-back

I have knowledge of two other charters planning to relocate for a year to get in on the big O cash , another Yknot ( capt Ralph ,RLT DIVERS) he has so good pricing for live-aboard deals.

sounds like a bit of a wait will be a good idea. Thanks for the report Heather.

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