Great Wreck Dive in Grand Cayman

This is an amazing shipwreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the best in the caribbean The USS Kittiwake was sunk a little over one year and the shipwreck site is maturing very well. The ship has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and about 50 feet high. The vessel was designated for submarine rescue and was christened on July 10, 1945 and which was sunk in Grand Cayman on January 5, 2011.

The following is a description of the dive, a little history and other data on the subject of the ship and an guide of what you will see on the shipwreck. Review the whole photo gallery on the website and see the internet blogsite article for the USS Kittiwake</a> for additional data on the shipwreck plus a history of the ship.

The Dive site:

The vessel was reefed 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 removed and remounted to make the ship's height suitable for Cayman waters. The upper decks includethe 2 bridges (both an external and internal bridge to allow operations in heavy seas) along with the radio and navigation room. The sonar has been removed. The Captain and executive officer's quarters are also on the upper decks. The main deck contains the rec room, mess hall, ironing room, small tool workshop and recompression chambers.. You will also see a large a-frame structure on the stern that supported submarines and hard hat divers, as well as the diving bell where diverswould go intoto come backto the ship and then go into the chambers for decompression. The crews quarters, the engine room and medical facilities are located below the main deck along with , air bank storage, in addition to the steering gear, shaft, gyro, ammunition lockers, cold storage and barber shop to name a few areas. While there are now a number of large access holes both vertically and horizontally, every space on the vessel was utilized when she was in service. Be sure to plan your dive adequately. I would recommendheadingto the stern before entry into the ship to get photos around the "USS Kittiwake" logo on the stern and also 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 and enter via the main funnel which is located on the Bridge Deck. Should you not plan on entering the wreck you can begin your exploration on the main deckjust abovethe Screw.. The entry through the funnel can be a goodlocation for underwater photography andI would suggest taking the photo looking up from the bottom of the funnel to the top of the funnel. I suggest silhouetting one of your dive buddies diving down into the shipwreck. You can exit into the ship on several of the decks including the first platform or in the cargo hold. The lower deck has no direct external exits and should not be entered by anyone that does not have an advanced diving certificate. On the first platform you will see the Engineering emblem in the Motor Room section. This section can be easily accessed and can be the subject of a extremely good underwater photograph close to the Engineering Mural. The silt may be heavy at this point so you need to move slowly to avoid clouding up the water. For experienced wreck divers you may also look at shaft alley and the front hold regions of the shipwreck. For others you may view the various compartments on the first platform and then start making your way up one deck at a time and then finally coming to the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do your safety stop.

Check out images of the USS Kittiwake and additional shipwrecks on http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit his blog for reviews of other shipwrecks.

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