Diving on the USS Kittiwake
This is a great shipwreck dive in grand cayman and one of the best in the caribbean The USS Kittiwake has been on the reef for a less than two years ago and the dive site is maturing well. The ship has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and approximately 50 feet high. The vessel was designated for performing submarine rescues and was launched on July 10, 1945 and which was sunk in Grand Cayman in January 2011.
The following is an overview of the dive, some history and other data concerning the shipwreck and an synopsis of what you will find on the shipwreck. Review the whole photo gallery on the web site and/or see the blog article for the USS Kittiwake for more data on the shipwreck and a history of the ship.
The Dive:
The boat was sunk January 5, 2011 off the west side of the island at the end of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. There are five decks on the USS Kittiwake. Externally, the crow's nest, mast and large stern a-frame have been cut down and remounted to make her height suitable for Cayman waters. The are two bridges on the upper decks (both an external and internal bridge to allow operations in heavy seas) along with the navigation and radio rooms. The sonar was also removed from the ship. The Captain and XO's quarters are located on the upper decks On the main deck, from bow to stern, internally you will find the mess hall, toolshop, recompression chambers and rec room. You will note the large a-frame structure on the stern which supported submarines and hard hat divers, along with the diving bell that was used to retun divers to the ship and to then move to the recompression chambers The crews quarters, the engine room and medical facilities are located below the main deck along with , air bank storage and compressors, in addition to ammunition lockers, cold storage, barber shop and other areas. While the USS Kittiwake has been opened up with big access holes both vertically and horizontally, all of the space on the boat was used when the boat was in service. Be sure to chart your dive well. One approach would be to begin at the stern prior to entering into the shipwreck to take photos near the "USS Kittiwake" logo on the the backof the ship and in addition get pictures by the screw (propeller) and rudder. For Divers that plan on penetrating the wreck, you can then make your way to the top of the ship then enter via the funnel that is on on the Bridge Deck. Should you not plan on entering the wreck you should start your exploration on the main deck just above the Propeller. The main funnel entry can be a great location for underwater photography . try silhouetting your dive partner in the shaft diving down into the wreck. You can exit into the ship on several of the decks including the first platform or in the cargo hold. Note the hold deck does not have any exterior exit points and is not recommended for divers that do not have an advanced certification and prior wreck experience. When you exit to the first platform you can see the Engineering logo in the Motor Room section. This area is easily accessible and can be the subject of a extremely interesting underwater photo close to the "Engineering Mural". The sediment may be heavy in this location so you must move gradually to avoid stirring up the sediment. For advanced wreck divers you should also check out shaft alley as well as the forward hold sections of the ship. For others you may view a variety of areas on the first platform and after that start making your way up deck by deck and then finally arriving at the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do you safety stop as it is at about 5 to 6 meters or 15 to 18 feet.
Look at photos of additional shipwrecks on http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit his blog for reviews of other shipwrecks.
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