A vivid sense of delight takes hold of one, when for the first time one penetrates the surface. After thousands of years of fear and effort Man has at last succeeded in getting beneath the top layer of the sea, winning a long battle against asphyxia and terror. A palace untouched by human hand, with its gardens of rock and water where living creatures play the part of flowers, is the goal of all our striving.
Philippe Diole ~ The Undersea Adventure. 1953.
I don’t know where to begin. A lot went into this dive. How sweet is it to drive 10 blocks and be on a boat? And how sweet is it when you don’t have to get up at the crack a** of dawn to do it? I could get used to this.
A late afternoon charter on the Blue Fathoms, on a warm sunny day, right around the corner, and we hit 2 wrecks on my list to boot.
After loading all my gear on board we are talking about gear and the ladder. I am not truly fond of the Blue Fathoms ladder. It is a little steep and I can never pull my fins through the top of it, it is a bit of a nemesis for me. Mate Justin swears he can get me through it and is so confident on the subject that I make a quick run home and get my doubles. If I am going to do this…… I am going to do it the hard way.
I have not taken my doubles out for a spin since coming back and now is as good a time as any. I am now loaded on board with a set of double 100’s and two single steel 100’s just in case and all the gear, wings, retractors and doodads that go along with them. I look like a traveling garage sale.
We head out of the inlet with clear sunny skies and a little bit of chop in the water. Fall on the Jersey coast. Our destination is the Pinta. I have wanted to dive the Pinta for 2 years and have never gotten on it. Woo Hoo …… another thing off my diving list.
The Pinta is a 194 foot freighter that sunk on a sunny afternoon on May 8, 1963 in 85 feet of water. Guys…I don’t care what she told
you…..size does matter. When a 7547 ton freighter (the City of Perth) hits a 500 ton freighter (Pinta), the little one looses …. and sinks …. in less than an hour. There was no loss of life as the crew of the Pinta, 11 in all including one woman, the navigators wife, abandoned ship and was taken aboard the City of Perth and brought back to port. A defect in the steering mechanism on the larger vessel the cause of the accident.
I have been told so much about this wreck and how intact it was and how interesting. I was also told that she is quickly deteriorating, with the winter storms taking their toll on her. I wanted to see it before it was too far gone, and now I was getting the chance.
We arrived at the sight and conditions couldn’t be better. The water was looking clear and the little bit of chop we had coming out was gone. Al G., Mr. October himself, was to be my partner this dive and he geared up with all the play toys for lobstering as I geared up with index finger extended and ready for fish poking and over the side we went. There was no current on the surface and a Carolina line was not even put out. We finned to the anchor line and went on down.
As we descended the water was a little cooler than I expected, checking in at 59F as the jellyfish floated around us and at about 30 feet the wreck came into view. We were tied in at the mast and as you followed the mast back the ship came into view, lying on its side with parts of the hull still intact, while other parts have fallen in. We went down to the sand and visibility was in the 20 foot range and there was a lot to see. We saw no lobster but an abundance of blackfish and sea bass, and nice size ones to boot. And a lone….large….out of season flat fish. Just off the tie in on the bottom was a strange looking fish and I went down for a closer look. It turned out to be and unfortunate sea bass that after meeting his demise became dinner for a dozen small hungry starfish, making for an unusual sight. While Al was disappointed coming up empty handed, I had plenty to entertain me. Peeking in holes, pulling up boards, nudging fish….my kind of dive.
As we headed up the line I just hung for a few minutes taking in the outline of the wreck and imagining it as it was just a short time ago. I will be back to this one.
The surface current was nil and I hung at the stern of the boat, just floating on my wing like a large pool toy, waiting for Al to make his way up the ladder. OK, this was it, my turn on the ladder, the steep ladder, with the top part I can never get my fins through, and doubles on my back……..what the hell was I thinking……
I grabbed hold of the ladder and placed my fins on the rungs and took a step up….good…so far good…then another step…..and then………ut oh…..my reel was caught on the rung and I wasn’t going anywhere. I unclipped it and handed it up and slowly made my way up the rest of the way. At the top Captain Tony pulled my fin through and then my other and I stepped on down. Mission accomplished……Justin was right.
As we collected everyone on board, the sun was making its way west, sinking ever lower in the sky and we were heading for the Dykes and a night dive. I like the Dykes at night, it is fun, and on my list of dives to do.
On the trip over to the Dykes it was discovered that there was a banana on board. Hmmm….. I explained the reasoning behind the “no bananas on the boat” rule and it was quickly tossed overboard. No worry…..with the tootsie rolls, pretzels rods and box of Dunkin doughnuts, we were not going to miss it.
The Dykes was a 306 ft schooner barge sunk by the State of NJ as an artificial reef in 1983. Interestingly, this predates our current official artificial reef program. The Dykes was originally built as a 5 masted schooner to carry Bauxite, but was soon sold to carry coal and eventually turned into an unrigged sludge barge for New York City. While
not the most interesting of dives during the day, at night the lines of low lying ribs and debris make for a fun and interesting dive.
It was still light when we hit the water, a little lighter than I would have liked, but I won’t complain. Still no surface current and we made our way down the line as the light around us began to fade. Thanks to the tossing of the banana, our luck with visibility held out and the water was noticeably warmer. We turned on our lights and swam out. The way the wreck has deteriorated it forms two lines of twisted metal and hull plates with a sandy bottom between them and you swim along lighting up the nooks and crannies and spotlighting the local wild life. It is impressive to shine your light as you come up on a towering piece of the ship and you can peek in the holes like windows into a large fish house. Again, plenty of fish but no lobsters about. While night was upon us, the water was still clear and you could easily make out everyone’s light as they swam up and down the wreckage. I was hoping for mussels but they were scarce and not looking too clean so I moved on. Empty mussel shells littered the bottom and starfish abounded. I again came across the odd 4 legged starfish I have been seeing a lot of lately. I will have to look it up.
The water temps here were 63F and made for a comfortable hang despite my suit still leaking at the arm. I enjoy the time on the anchor line at night. Everything is dark and quiet and you can see the little glowing specks of sea life all around you like twinkling stars and the beams of everyone’s lights in the distance playing about as they make their way up the line too.
Upon breaking the surface Captain Tony was standing on the bow welcoming us back and with the spotlights on, the stern was well lit and a welcoming sight from the blackness of the nights water. I again leaned back and floated, waiting my turn on the not so demon ladder. Handing up the reel first, I make my way up and with help pulling my fins through I am onboard in no time.
The ride in was a little cooler and sweatshirts were called for, but I really enjoy watching the shores lights and night sky on these trips. You pick out land marks from the lights as you get closer and even closer in you easily make out the gap in lights and the inlet, our road home.
A most enjoyable trip. Now I remember what I was thinking….. A late afternoon charter on the Blue Fathoms, on a warm sunny day, right around the corner, and we hit 2 wrecks on my list to boot.
Philippe Diole ~ The Undersea Adventure. 1953.
I don’t know where to begin. A lot went into this dive. How sweet is it to drive 10 blocks and be on a boat? And how sweet is it when you don’t have to get up at the crack a** of dawn to do it? I could get used to this.
A late afternoon charter on the Blue Fathoms, on a warm sunny day, right around the corner, and we hit 2 wrecks on my list to boot.
After loading all my gear on board we are talking about gear and the ladder. I am not truly fond of the Blue Fathoms ladder. It is a little steep and I can never pull my fins through the top of it, it is a bit of a nemesis for me. Mate Justin swears he can get me through it and is so confident on the subject that I make a quick run home and get my doubles. If I am going to do this…… I am going to do it the hard way.
I have not taken my doubles out for a spin since coming back and now is as good a time as any. I am now loaded on board with a set of double 100’s and two single steel 100’s just in case and all the gear, wings, retractors and doodads that go along with them. I look like a traveling garage sale.
We head out of the inlet with clear sunny skies and a little bit of chop in the water. Fall on the Jersey coast. Our destination is the Pinta. I have wanted to dive the Pinta for 2 years and have never gotten on it. Woo Hoo …… another thing off my diving list.
The Pinta is a 194 foot freighter that sunk on a sunny afternoon on May 8, 1963 in 85 feet of water. Guys…I don’t care what she told
you…..size does matter. When a 7547 ton freighter (the City of Perth) hits a 500 ton freighter (Pinta), the little one looses …. and sinks …. in less than an hour. There was no loss of life as the crew of the Pinta, 11 in all including one woman, the navigators wife, abandoned ship and was taken aboard the City of Perth and brought back to port. A defect in the steering mechanism on the larger vessel the cause of the accident.I have been told so much about this wreck and how intact it was and how interesting. I was also told that she is quickly deteriorating, with the winter storms taking their toll on her. I wanted to see it before it was too far gone, and now I was getting the chance.
We arrived at the sight and conditions couldn’t be better. The water was looking clear and the little bit of chop we had coming out was gone. Al G., Mr. October himself, was to be my partner this dive and he geared up with all the play toys for lobstering as I geared up with index finger extended and ready for fish poking and over the side we went. There was no current on the surface and a Carolina line was not even put out. We finned to the anchor line and went on down.
As we descended the water was a little cooler than I expected, checking in at 59F as the jellyfish floated around us and at about 30 feet the wreck came into view. We were tied in at the mast and as you followed the mast back the ship came into view, lying on its side with parts of the hull still intact, while other parts have fallen in. We went down to the sand and visibility was in the 20 foot range and there was a lot to see. We saw no lobster but an abundance of blackfish and sea bass, and nice size ones to boot. And a lone….large….out of season flat fish. Just off the tie in on the bottom was a strange looking fish and I went down for a closer look. It turned out to be and unfortunate sea bass that after meeting his demise became dinner for a dozen small hungry starfish, making for an unusual sight. While Al was disappointed coming up empty handed, I had plenty to entertain me. Peeking in holes, pulling up boards, nudging fish….my kind of dive.
As we headed up the line I just hung for a few minutes taking in the outline of the wreck and imagining it as it was just a short time ago. I will be back to this one.
The surface current was nil and I hung at the stern of the boat, just floating on my wing like a large pool toy, waiting for Al to make his way up the ladder. OK, this was it, my turn on the ladder, the steep ladder, with the top part I can never get my fins through, and doubles on my back……..what the hell was I thinking……
I grabbed hold of the ladder and placed my fins on the rungs and took a step up….good…so far good…then another step…..and then………ut oh…..my reel was caught on the rung and I wasn’t going anywhere. I unclipped it and handed it up and slowly made my way up the rest of the way. At the top Captain Tony pulled my fin through and then my other and I stepped on down. Mission accomplished……Justin was right.
As we collected everyone on board, the sun was making its way west, sinking ever lower in the sky and we were heading for the Dykes and a night dive. I like the Dykes at night, it is fun, and on my list of dives to do.
On the trip over to the Dykes it was discovered that there was a banana on board. Hmmm….. I explained the reasoning behind the “no bananas on the boat” rule and it was quickly tossed overboard. No worry…..with the tootsie rolls, pretzels rods and box of Dunkin doughnuts, we were not going to miss it.
The Dykes was a 306 ft schooner barge sunk by the State of NJ as an artificial reef in 1983. Interestingly, this predates our current official artificial reef program. The Dykes was originally built as a 5 masted schooner to carry Bauxite, but was soon sold to carry coal and eventually turned into an unrigged sludge barge for New York City. While
not the most interesting of dives during the day, at night the lines of low lying ribs and debris make for a fun and interesting dive.It was still light when we hit the water, a little lighter than I would have liked, but I won’t complain. Still no surface current and we made our way down the line as the light around us began to fade. Thanks to the tossing of the banana, our luck with visibility held out and the water was noticeably warmer. We turned on our lights and swam out. The way the wreck has deteriorated it forms two lines of twisted metal and hull plates with a sandy bottom between them and you swim along lighting up the nooks and crannies and spotlighting the local wild life. It is impressive to shine your light as you come up on a towering piece of the ship and you can peek in the holes like windows into a large fish house. Again, plenty of fish but no lobsters about. While night was upon us, the water was still clear and you could easily make out everyone’s light as they swam up and down the wreckage. I was hoping for mussels but they were scarce and not looking too clean so I moved on. Empty mussel shells littered the bottom and starfish abounded. I again came across the odd 4 legged starfish I have been seeing a lot of lately. I will have to look it up.
The water temps here were 63F and made for a comfortable hang despite my suit still leaking at the arm. I enjoy the time on the anchor line at night. Everything is dark and quiet and you can see the little glowing specks of sea life all around you like twinkling stars and the beams of everyone’s lights in the distance playing about as they make their way up the line too.
Upon breaking the surface Captain Tony was standing on the bow welcoming us back and with the spotlights on, the stern was well lit and a welcoming sight from the blackness of the nights water. I again leaned back and floated, waiting my turn on the not so demon ladder. Handing up the reel first, I make my way up and with help pulling my fins through I am onboard in no time.
The ride in was a little cooler and sweatshirts were called for, but I really enjoy watching the shores lights and night sky on these trips. You pick out land marks from the lights as you get closer and even closer in you easily make out the gap in lights and the inlet, our road home.
A most enjoyable trip. Now I remember what I was thinking….. A late afternoon charter on the Blue Fathoms, on a warm sunny day, right around the corner, and we hit 2 wrecks on my list to boot.
