Vandenberg Artificial Reef/Wreck - Dive Site Map of Florida & Bahamas from www.ScubaLessonsInc.com (sitios de interés)

Descripción del sitio

GPS Coordinates: 24° 27' N, 81° 44' W

Depth Ranges: Top at 40ft. ship from 140' to 150'

On May 27, 2009 at 10:21 AM Vandenberg was sunk to become the largest artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and the second largest in the world. 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 plan. Marine life began colonizing immediately and the ship is now home to pelagic and reef fish, and many other species of marine plants and animals.

Artificial Reefs of the Keys

ARK was incorporated as a 501c(3) in 1999 with a mission to Sink The Vandenberg as an artificial reef in Key West waters. We had no idea it would take more than 10 years to accomplish! Perseverance pays, and with the help of dedicated volunteers and sponsors we created what may be the most exciting wreck dive in the world.
ARK is ready to move to the future with a new mission of promtiing and supporting artificial reefs in the Florida Keys. We will maintain this website with information about the Vandenberg and other artificial reefs. We will continue to preserve the history of the Vandenberg, and will keep up with the latest information about the development of the reef. We will keep you informed about news items and relevant new products and hope to promote future events.

Click Here for deck plans and profile.

Key West Scuba Charters:

Bonsai Diving (305) 294-2921	Subtropic Dive Center (305) 296-9914
Divercity Inc. (305) 879-2955	Florida Straits Diving (305) 587-4018
Keys Maritime Charters 305-304-7170	Captains Corner 305-296-8865
Southpoint Divers (305) 292-9778	Sea-clusive Charters ( 305) 872-3940
Lost Reef Adventures (305) 296-9737	Dive Key West (305) 296-3823

Divers Preferred Lodging Directory - Inns, B&B, Hotels - Click Here

The USS Vandenberg is the most outstanding artificial reef dive location in the US. 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. This is not intended to be dive training, nor a complete list of all risks which may be encountered while diving, but it points out some of the most significant precautions divers can take to eliminate hazards. Getting maximum enjoyment from a dive on the USS Vandenberg starts with not having an incident during your dive.

Preparation. Go over gear and review the dive plan the night before your scheduled dive. Many accidents start with a simple oversight such as forgetting a piece of gear, or rushing to assemble your dive kit. A dive on the USS Vandenberg should get a little extra attention to detail, so that everything has been checked more than once.

Get a good dive briefing. Your dive charter operator will provide details in your dive briefing which can help keep you safe and more thoroughly enjoy the dive. Information such as currents, site conditions, safety information, and special procedures used by that operator are important.

Note your entry location. The USS Vandenberg is a big boat. There will likely be only 6 mooring buoys for over 500 feet of wreck length. Be aware of where the buoy is for your boat, and its number. As you descend, note the location of the downline where it is attached to the wreck, and nearby features. The line itself may be difficult to see when you are looking for it to ascend from your dive, but familiar large structures on the ship can help you find it. As you leave the line to explore the wreck, look BACK towards the line to see what the structures look like from that direction.

Watch your depth. The ocean floor at the dive site is actually deeper than recreational diving depths. Most of the interesting features of the wreck are shallower than 100’, but in the event that you wish to explore deeper, be aware that you can suddenly find yourself in 150 feet of water fast. Narcosis can kick in anytime, and make you even less aware of your situation. Also, at greater depths, your gas consumption will increase greatly. Watch your buoyancy and location to stay where you want to be. Also, nitrox divers should be aware that the ocean floor at the site is well beyond the depth where 32% oxygen becomes toxic.

Turn pressure. Unlike an up-and-down dive, or drift dive, on the Vandenberg you may need to travel back to the ascent line before you begin moving to the surface. If you have explored a lot of the wreck, you may have covered a lot of ground, and may be several hundred feet down the ship, away from your ascent line. It will take some time to make your way back, which will require available gas for breathing. Waiting until you have used ½ of your tank will not work. Your trip back to the line may take more gas than the outbound trip, if there is a current, or other unforeseen circumstances. Using a typical 3000 psi start pressure, turning your dive at 1500 could put you in a bad situation. Be sure to use at least the “Rule of Thirds”, or even a more conservative turn pressure on the Vandenberg, due to its large size. Ascending in open water would put you at risk or being swept away without your dive boat seeing you. In 10 minutes, a 1 knot current can pull you 1/4 mile away. Don’t rush to try and see the whole ship on one dive. The Vandenberg will still be there tomorrow. Make sure you are too.

Wreck penetration. There are numerous features to enjoy on the Vandenberg which do not require any entry into the ship. However, the lure of open doors, hatches, and passages can be strong. Gliding into an interior compartment “just to take a look” can seem like an innocent decision, but a single fin kick can silt out an entire room, obscuring the view of the door and daylight. If the thought of being in the dark, seemingly trapped underwater does not motivate you to stay out of the wrecks interior, read this account of a real-world experience of exactly that scenario.
Wreck penetration of a ship as complex as the USS Vandenberg is much like a cave dive; think of the Vandenberg as a big steel cave system. Cave divers undergo extensive training before entering an overhead environment, and follow advanced procedures with specific gear configurations, (high intensity lighting with triple backup, completely redundant regulator systems, guidelines and reels, etc.).