She is the 2 nd largest artificial reef, measuring in at 522 long and 11 stories tall. A collection of shots i bagged while diving the 520ft uss vandenberg off key west on aug, 2009. Aug 22, 2009 hd video clips of diving the uss vandenberg on aug, 2009. If youve got a passion for deep wrecks, the 650footlong ss president. A living art gallery andreas franke, renowned artist and diver, visited the vandenberg for a dive no one could have guessed the outcome.
Dive marathons most popular wreck, thunderbolt scuba diving. If you and everyone in your dive group is relatively new to diving, you may want to pick up a little additional training before heading out. Someone just sent me this link about a death last friday on a vandenberg dive. The 520ft uss vandenberg was sunk in june 2009 as an artificial reef in 140 feet of water off key west. Vandenberg tagm10 originally named uss general harry taylor ap145 was a general g. This dive is not suitable for beginners or for training and certification purposes. Built shortly after world war ii, the mighty o served primarily in the pacific, earning two battle stars for service in the korean war and ten battle stars for service in the vietnam war. Uss vandenberg united states, florida keys, straits of. Dec 09, 2010 im going to be diving the vandenberg this december and am looking for a dive profilemap.
I was sent the link because i dove it on thursday the day before. This patch reef features sea fans, sponges, brain coral, finger coral and star coral. If you are an eager open water certified diver and want to dive the vandenberg, lost reef adventures require everyone to have dove within the last 6 months to a year, have 1015 logged dives outside of your certification dives, and hire a guide to show you a great time while keeping you safe. Visibility around smith shoal is not always the best, which is one reason that it is not as popular a dive site as many others. Dec 11, 20 information for diving on the vandenberg from key west, florida. The intentional sinking of the vandenberg and how to dive the wreck. The ship settled upright on her keel in 1 minute 44 seconds, exactly as predicted by the many model tests performed to design the sink pl. Vandenberg has a long and varied history of ownership.
Florida keys diving dive shops, dive resorts, scuba dive lesson. Quite often, decommissioned ships are used to create artificial reefs andndash. The uss vandenberg trips do not receive the 10% on line booking discount at this time. Spiegel grove, uscg duane, uscg bibb, wreck of the eagle, thunderbolt, adolphus busch sr. I need a stronger light to be able to show the inside of the ship but it was awesome. The uss vandenberg sits in over 150 of water making exploring the bottom of the wreck too deep for typical open water diving. Florida uss vandenberg tank patch france tank patch our price. The two unmissable shipwrecks are the uss vandenberg and the uss spiegel grove, which you can penetrate if you have experience with advanced wreck diving. The ship is over 522 feet in length and sits in 140feet of water offering some of the best wreck diving for advanced divers. Bathed by the clear, warm waters of the gulf stream the florida keys is unquestionably one of the worlds best shipwreck diving destinations. Sep 29, 2016 diving in the uss vandenberg, key west, florida. All eight played important roles in the past 25 years carrying troops, dependents, refugees and war brides between europe, the us and the far east.
The uss oriskany located south of pensacola is also a sight to see, being the largest artificial reef in the world. The vandenberg is part of the florida keys shipwreck trail, a group of intentionally sunk vessels. Vandenberg off the coast of key west has become a main attraction for divers from all over the world. Uss vandenberg on the final stages to be artificial reef. The challenge highlights nine of the keys many wreck dive sites. Gulf side for snorkeling smaller patch reefs and exploring the mangroves with kayaks. Start you collection of scuba patches from your favorite destinations. The most popular and famous wreck dive in the keys is the uss vandenberg, about six miles off the coast of key west. Scuba dive the vandenberg wreck in key west, florida.
Its not every day you can scuba dive a cold warera ship. Learn about the vandenberg and other great dive locations in key west. Dec 11, 20 one of the great places for diving around the u. The tower is located in 20 feet of water and is identical to those located in the marquesas keys, dry tortugas, and the tennessee reef. In 1950 the ship was returned to service in the navy with a usns designation until it was. Though the vandenberg will be a safe, enjoyable dive for all experience levels of certified divers, those trained and experienced in lightwreck penetration can expect to explore the ships many cargo holds, stair towers, elevator shafts and hallways.
Squierclass transport ship in the united states navy in world war ii named in honor of u. The uss vandenberg has become one of the best artificial reef dive sites for recreational divers worldwide. Feb 16, 2012 uss general alexander m patch, troop ship that took me to bremerhaven, germany from brooklyn army depot, new york. The vandenberg served on missle ranges as a telemetry ship and worked the space program shots up until the apollo missions. The ship then briefly had the usat designation serving as a us army transport ship. Key largo is called the scuba dive capital and all of the keys offer great dive.
Vandenberg is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located at 6 miles west of, key west, fl 33040. Vandenberg, florida keys, usa 6 miles off the coast of key west, florida, the uss vandenberg can be found 140 feet deep. Usns vandenberg is an awesome wreck dive sport diver. Vandenberg agm 10, exmc 702, ap 145 is on the final stages to become an artificial reef in the florida keys national marine.
Meticulously cleaned and prepared, the vessel will become a habitat and breeding site for countless marine species. In 2009, a few miles offshore of key west, the uss vandenberg was sunk creating the worlds second largest artificial reef. The worlds second largest wreck is about to be sunk for scuba divers and marine life any day now. Florida uss vandenberg embroidered tank patch size is 3 x 1.
The ship is the second largest vessel to be sunk purposely to become an artificial reef. For advanced divers, the wreck of the uss vandenberg is a must dive. She served for a time as army transport usat general harry taylor, and was. A former military troop transport and former missiletracking ship sunk in 140 feet of. Scuba diving the vandenberg florida keys tourism council. Sad news about the vandenberg dive site key west forum. At 100plus feet, holes cut along the outside of the hull to help sink the ship provide swim. Warm water almost yearround, tropical conditions, and the vacationresort atmosphere of key west combine to make the vandenberg a most desirable destination. The uss vandenberg originally uss general harry taylor launched in 1943 as a transport ship and later was turned into a mris, missile range instrumentation ship. Two dive trips are available each day and depart from old town. In addition, their afternoon trip 1pm 6 pm will go to the vandenberg as requested. Can anyone give me detailed depths corresponding to mooring lines. Vandenberg wreck diving, key westlost reef adventures, key.
Vandenberg is super, but serious wreck dive for advanced scuba divers only, as currents can be severe. Divers should be especially careful on this dive site, as the size and layout of the wreck increase the potential risks associated with any dive. Captains corner dive center key west, florida 704 views. Staghorn and elkhorn corals, and you can even spot small amounts of pillar coral in patches. Jul 21, 2009 in early may i wrote about plans to scuttle the uss gen. Vandenberg, a wwii troop carrier and cold war era spy ship, seven miles off the coast of key west in order to create the worlds second largest artificial reef for divers. The military sea transportation service has announced that eight of its troopships including the rose, patch, darby and buckner are being inactivated by the end of june 1970. Learn about the features and facts, and book your dive trip with local dive shops at uss vandenberg today via chat on deepblu. Come dive on the liveaboard dive vessel rv kate with the gang at blue iguana charters in the florida keys. Due to hurricane irmas impact the ship now sits at its deepest in 165 of water. The ship was originally the uss general harry taylor, and served as a us navy transport ship during world war ii. Dive the vandenberg in 2009 the uss hoyt vandenberg found its permanent home port resting in the waters 7 miles offshore of key west after several years of being commissioned into the us navy and air force as a war ship, a transport ship and lastly, a missile tracking ship. Diving the uss vandenberg on august 14, 2015 with southpoint divers in key west, florida.
Reefs adventure sport miami divers paradise of key biscayne. A new playground for divers laid to rest on the bottom of the atlantic within the florida keys national marine sanctuary in may of 2009, the vessel has drawn thousands of divers to key west and increased floridas exposure as a dive destination among the global scuba community. Im sure the dive operator will have this info but i would like to get an overview of this wreck and its features. If you have original content to submit for the website, please contact us. Dive uss vandenberg in floridas key west scuba schedules. The vandenberg project converted an old world war ii and missile tracking ship into an artificial reef in key west florida. The most interesting features of the dive, like the huge satellite dishes, are found in less than 100 of water. Its prized artificial reef grows from the usns vandenberg, a missile tracking ship. Due to its distance from miami beach we will be offering overnight trips twice a month all summer long. Live aboard dive boat in the florida keys blue iguana charters. The uss vandenberg is the most outstanding artificial reef dive location in the us. Usns vandenberg wreck is the best dive in the keys, bar none. Diving the vandenberg from key west key west dive center. An interesting characteristic of this wreck are the large parabolic dish antennas.
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