19 replies to this topic

[Bubble2Bubble]

This thread is open to anybody that would like to post there diving experience on the Mighty O.
If you are a recreational diver or a tec diver, I would like to hear your story about diving the O.

I had the opportunity to dive her once and I did a touch and go off the flight deck at 130ft and then spent the rest of my diving in the Bridge area.

What did you do? anybody out there hit the sand at 260ft or in between?

Would you like SD to offer this trip in the future ?


Mike

[diverdeb]

Hey Mike, I don't know how many dives I have on the O now, over 100 I'm sure. Most of my dives have been on the tower, I feel like I know it almost as well as my own house now. It's still a cool dive though and I still see new stuff all the time.

I don't usually go to the flight deck, but did weekend before last because I had a friend visiting and diving her for the 1st time. My computer read 140'. It's usually between 135' and 138' depending on where on the deck you land. The sand is only 212' but it can be a little deeper in spots. Someone I know got 220' not long ago. I haven't been to the sand. My deepest dive was 175' - and that was very cool, but it was a tech dive with doubles and deco bottles. We did see the biggest AJ I've ever seen on that dive - it was as big as me!! We have some interesting hangar deck dives planned for the next couple of months.

I've watched the changes over the past 2 years and it's cool to see it change from a bright white ship that was just sunk to a barnacle encrusted wreck with more and more sea life each week. There is usually a resident octopus or two hanging out in one of the pipes near the top. I saw someone get some pretty big AJ's and a big grouper there last week. There are usually a few barracuda hanging out around the top as well.

My most memorable moment was last summer and it was on the surface. During a surface interval a huge pod of dolphin came in right next to the boat. We got in a snorkeled with them, there must have been 50 or more! I put my face in the water and counted 16 within 20 feet of me. It was truly amazing!!

One of my buddies saw a stingray and a manta ray last summer on the same dive - of course I didn't see either!

I think the best thing about the O for me has been all the new friends I've made and the new divers I have met because of her. So many new people come here to dive now and I have made many, many new friends and met some of the nicest people over the past 2 years. We always had great people on our boat, but there are so many more now. So come back down and do another dive! Can't you hear her calling your name???????

Edited by diverdeb, 15 July 2008 - 09:13 PM.

[deeper thoughts]

Hey Mike, I don't know how many dives I have on the O now, over 100 I'm sure. Most of my dives have been on the tower, I feel like I know it almost as well as my own house now. It's still a cool dive though and I still see new stuff all the time.

I don't usually go to the flight deck, but did weekend before last because I had a friend visiting and diving her for the 1st time. My computer read 140'. It's usually between 135' and 138' depending on where on the deck you land. The sand is only 212' but it can be a little deeper in spots. Someone I know got 220' not long ago. I haven't been to the sand. My deepest dive was 175' - and that was very cool, but it was a tech dive with doubles and deco bottles. We did see the biggest AJ I've ever seen on that dive - it was as big as me!! We have some interesting hangar deck dives planned for the next couple of months.

I've watched the changes over the past 2 years and it's cool to see it change from a bright white ship that was just sunk to a barnacle encrusted wreck with more and more sea life each week. There is usually a resident octopus or two hanging out in one of the pipes near the top. I saw someone get some pretty big AJ's and a big grouper there last week. There are usually a few barracuda hanging out around the top as well.

My most memorable moment was last summer and it was on the surface. During a surface interval a huge pod of dolphin came in right next to the boat. We got in a snorkeled with them, there must have been 50 or more! I put my face in the water and counted 16 within 20 feet of me. It was truly amazing!!

One of my buddies saw a stingray and a manta ray last summer on the same dive - of course I didn't see either!

I think the best thing about the O for me has been all the new friends I've made and the new divers I have met because of her. So many new people come here to dive now and I have made many, many new friends and met some of the nicest people over the past 2 years. We always had great people on our boat, but there are so many more now. So come back down and do another dive! Can't you hear her calling your name???????

Your dives make me think about heading North sometime.

[kevininpo]

what shop are you out of Deb?

[Bubble2Bubble]

Deb

Can't you hear her calling your name???????

Yep SHE called three times while I was on the six pack boat with the bean bag seats on our way back to shore...No.. not the X calling but the O.

Calls from the O
1. You missed exploring my inner staircase (click)
2. When you grow up, maybe you can spend more time touching me (click)
3. O Ya when you become a Big Boy diver, come back and get some photo ops of my propellers (click)

I hope that someday I will have the training and the equipment to do some tec diving on Her.
In the meantime I am planning to come back each year at least once for a two or three day Trip. I'm guessing the O would be the perfect place to use CCR and Tri-mix etc ?

Bubs

[diverdeb]

what shop are you out of Deb?

I'm with Scuba Shack. We have a big 50' dive boat that can take big groups and we have a great 6-pack that books with us that is great because it's huge for a 6-pack. It has tons of deck space and can handle 6 tech divers, no problem. It's the Tech/Rec.

Come dive with us!

[diverdeb]

Deb

Can't you hear her calling your name???????

Yep SHE called three times while I was on the six pack boat with the bean bag seats on our way back to shore...No.. not the X calling but the O.

Calls from the O
1. You missed exploring my inner staircase (click)
2. When you grow up, maybe you can spend more time touching me (click)
3. O Ya when you become a Big Boy diver, come back and get some photo ops of my propellers (click)

I hope that someday I will have the training and the equipment to do some tec diving on Her.
In the meantime I am planning to come back each year at least once for a two or three day Trip. I'm guessing the O would be the perfect place to use CCR and Tri-mix etc ?

Bubs

When's your next trip? You need to dive with us next time!!! We'll feed you homemade ice cream.

Yes, I think CCR and trimix would be big pluses on the O. I keep trying to find a CCR-sponsor, but no one is really taking me up on it. Did you not get to swim up the staircases at all? You can do that on the tower. Sounds like you need a personal tour. Once you get AN/DP we can swim up the escalator. That's pretty cool. You have to go to about 160' to get to the that. SOMEDAY I'll get to go to the props - it's my goal too.

[Bubble2Bubble]

Deb
Nope.. Nada.. no staircase diving/exploring that trip!
Here is a snip and a pic from my Dec 2006 Dive Report on SD.

everyone ok.. OK, OK, OK ok lets go diving. I felt so much better once we submerged even tho I was getting alittle quaking sound from my reg ? But I was in Heaven!. I could see the top of the ship and the first thing that came to mind was how clean She was, there hasn't been enough time sense Her sinking to form any coral or growths of any kind but there was alot of cuda and other fish calling Her home. We came down her starboard side to about 90 ft then swam around the front of the tower. On the port side we swam thru an opening and went into the Bridge area and checked it out for a bit. We exited on the port side and I descended down to the flight deck to 132 ft the flight deck was at 137 ft. the water temp was

I dont have a date set yet on my calender for the O, I'm hoping maybe we can have a SD trip thang

Bubs

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[diverdeb]

If you'd like to see how she's changed over the past 2 years, got to cancelmophoto.com and click on Gallery, then FL Panhandle. Jesse has shots from all three summers and it's cool to see the growth. There will be a drive and dive article in Scuba Diving magazine in the next couple of months that features this area and some of our best dive sites, including the O, of course.

You should also check out Jesse's new book "Texas Coral Reefs." GREAT Flower Garden pics - and a great book!

[pmarie]

It has now been one year since I went to P-Cola and did the Mighty "O." It is one of my most memorable dive trips and I had a blast! I want to do this dive again, but I really feel no love for that drive. I think about going, and then I think about how much I really do not like that stretch of interstate. Sad Huh??? Maybe one day the carpool wagon will make it that way for a long weekend and I can sleep the whole way....

[techintime]

The Oriskany is about as cool as it gets east of Truk. I have four dives on this wreck including my Decompression procedures training. I haven't been to the sand or the props, but have done a swim through of the hanger deck maxing out at 174'. I also met Deb on one of the SIs. We were shouting back and forth between different boats just like old friends.
BTW, Deb, Im coming back down to P-cola in two weeks, primarily a beach trip, but I want to take my scuba-ranger 10 yr old on some very shallow shore dives. Besides the old pier at Pensacola beach, can you point me to any other low-threat shore dives? What about that archaeology site you mentioned once?

[Bubble2Bubble]

Deb,
Have you seen or been involved with any Tec Diving or heard about any? and if so how is the Health of Tec diving on the O. Is there any shops in Pen that offer Tri -Mix and is there any support for CCR equipment down there?

Curious Bubs

Edited by Bubble2Bubble, 20 July 2008 - 07:07 PM.

[Racer184]

NY Times today has a really good video of the Oriskany

[clearvis]

I've made four dives on the Oriskany, two to the flight deck and have met the octopus that lives in the pipe near the top.

The first two dives were in August the first summer that she had been sunk. It was a story book dive. The seas were calm and the visibilty was in the 80' plus range. To cool off between dives we took turns jumping off various parts of the boat, including the flying bridge. The boat was the Wet Dream from Scuba Shack where diverdeb works, the ice cream was good.

The last dives were in May of this year and conditions weren't as good. The seas were pretty sporty and the visibility was in the 40' range. However, in addition to the ice cream for the trip back the crew of the Wet Dream cooked and served hot dogs during the surface interval between dives. Needless to say the Wet Dream is the boat to ride if you dive the Mighty "O"

Can't wait to do it again

[PerroneFord]

Is there any shops in Pen that offer Tri -Mix and is there any support for CCR equipment down there?

Curious Bubs

Yes, there is mix available, and some CCR support. One of my friends is on the rescue/recovery team for the O, and is a Meg diver.