Great Wreck Dive In Grand Cayman

This is an interesting shipwreck dive in Grand Cayman and among the best in the caribbean The USS Kittiwake has been on the reef for a about 18 months ago and the site is maturing very well. The ship has 5 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 christened on July 10, 1945 and she was reefed in Grand Cayman in January 2011.

The following is an overview of the dive, some history about the ship and other information regarding the ship and an guide of what you will see on the wreck. Review the entire gallery on the web site and/or see the internet blogsite article for the USS Kittiwake for more data on the wreck and a history about the ship.

The Dive:

The vessel was reefed In january 2011 off the west side of the island at the end of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.

There are 5 decks on the 47 foot tall USS Kittiwake. To meet Caymanian law regarding reefed ships, a partof the upper mast was removed. The are two bridges on the upper decks along with the radio and navigation room. The sonar was also removed. The Captain and XO's quarters are also 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 see an a-frame structure on the stern that rescue divers, as well as the diving bell where scuba diverswould enterto come backto the ship and then go into the chambers for decompression.

The two decks below the main deck includethe crews quarter, medic/hospital station, engine and propulsion rooms, air bank storage, in addition to ammunition lockers, cold storage, barber shop and other areas. While there are now a number of large access holes in the sides of the ship, all of the space on the vessel was used while in service.

Make sure to plan your dive well. The best approach would be to begin at the stern before entry into the shipwreck to get pictures near the "USS Kittiwake" logo on the the backof the ship and also get pictures by the propeller. For Scuba Divers that plan on penetrating the wreck, you can then make your way to the top of the ship then go into the main funnel which is located on the Top Deck. Should you not intend on penetrating the shipwreck you should begin your exploration on the main deckabovethe Propeller.

The main entry through the funnel can be a excellentlocation for underwater photography andYou can get a goodshot looking up from the bottom of the funnel to the opening at the top . I suggest silhouetting one of your dive buddies diving down into the wreck. You can then exitthe shaft on the first platform or in the hold. The cargo hold should only be entered by experienced advanced divers. When you exit to the first platform you can see the Engineering emblem in the Motor room. This section can be accessed easily and can be the subject of a extremely interesting underwater photograph close to the Engineering Mural. The sediment can be heavy here so you must move gradually to prevent clouding up the water. For experienced divers you should also explore shaft alley as well as the forward hold regions of the ship. For others you may view the assorted areas on the first platform and then begin going up one deck at a time and then finally coming to the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do your safety stop as it is at about 5 to 6 meters or 15 to 18 feet.

Look at photographs of the USS Kittiwake and other shipwrecks on http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit his blog for evaluations of specific shipwrecks.