Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Florida Tec: USS Wilkes-Barre

Key West (Global Adventures): For divers who like deep wrecks, the USS Wilkes-Barre is certainly worth considering. The former Navy Cruiser is split in half and sits 13.5 miles southwest of Summerland Key, Florida.

Named after the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the ship served during the last year of the Second World War in the Pacific Ocean. After receiving four battle stars, the boat made goodwill cruises to England and Norway. The Wilkes-Barre was decommissioned on October 9, 1947 and assigned to the US Reserve Fleet. On January 15, 1971, the USS Wilkes-Barre was removed from the Naval Vessel Register and used for underwater explosive tests. On May 12, 1972, her hulk broke in two. While the after section did sink almost immediately, the forward section was scuttled on the next day.

Today, the bow sits in 253 feet (77 meters) of water on her starboard side. The deck of the stern section awaits divers in 200 feet (61 meters), and other features of the superstructure rise to a depth of 140 feet (43 meters). Machinery and brass gear litters the bottom. Before breaking apart, the shipwreck was 610 feet (186 meters) long and 63 feet (19 meters) wide.

When descending towards the stern section, the stack and later the forward guns are the first structures divers will see. Monofilament lines, nets and weights are almost everywhere. The wreck is usually teaming with marine life, including large groupers, amberjacks, and the occasional shark.

Her railing and cables are covered with large oysters and other invertebrates. Radars, monitors, phones and many other instruments remain on the ship, and the hangar deck (or elevator) still holds furniture including stacks of encrusted bed frames, desks, and drawers. At the mid-ship break, divers can study the unique cross section of the vessel, though many of her bulkheads are twisted and contorted at awkward angles.

Swim-troughs, hatches and portholes invite divers to penetrate the wreck. However, considering the depth, the size of the wreck, and the potential of silt-outs make this an extremely advanced adventure. Lose cables, twisted wires, fishing lines and nets pose the risk of entanglement on and in many parts of the ship. Currents can be strong on the wreck, sometimes close to 5 knots, prohibiting any descend. Visibility is usually around 40 – 60 feet, but occasionally it can be over 100 feet.

To keep a clear head, Trimix should be used on all dives. It is a must if any penetration is planned. Divers using open circuit will usually end up with 60+ minutes of deco after 25 minutes bottom time. Most dive boats ask that divers hang on to the anchor line during decompression and drift with the current. This can be an exhilarating experience, especially over longer periods of time, since no bottom is visible, divers lose their baring in the blue maze, and their minds start playing games.

As with most technical adventures, divers need to plan their dive and dive their plan. The USS Wilkes-Barre can be found at 24'29.094 N, 081'33.202 W (bow section) and 24'29.046 N, 081'33.139 W (stern section). A good video on YouTube gives a feeling of the sheer size of the wreck and shows divers exploring some of the inside compartments.

Summerland Key

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