Scuba Diving Grand Cayman - Uss Kittiwake

This is an interesting wreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the best in the caribbean The USS Kittiwake was reefed a little over one year and the site is aging very well. The ship has five decks, is a little over 76 meters in length amd 12 meters in beam and about 50 feet high. The ship was designated specifically for performing submarine rescues and was christened on July 10, 1945 and was sunk in Grand Cayman on January 5, 2011.

The following is an overview of what to expect on the dive some history and other data regarding the shipwreck and an synopsis of what you will find on the shipwreck. You can see the complete photo gallery on the web site and/or see the internet blogsite article for the USS Kittiwake for supplementary data on the wreck and a history about the ship.

What you will find on the Dive:

The boat was sunk In january 2011 off the north end of Grand Cayman's famous seven mile beach.

There are 5 decks on the 47 foot tall the ship. To meet Caymanian law regarding reefed ships, a portionof the upper mast was cut away. The upper decks includethe 2 bridges along with the navigation and radio rooms. The sonar has been 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 note the large a-frame structure on the stern that supported submarines and hard hat divers, as well as the diving bell where diverswould go intoto returnto the ship and then be placed in the chambers for decompression.

Below the main deck, 2 decks exist that containthe 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 the USS Kittiwake has been opened up with large access holes both vertically and horizontally, every space on the boat was utilized when the boat was in service.

Make it a point to chart your dive adequately. One approach would be to begin at the stern before entry into the shipwreck to take photographs near the "USS Kittiwake" logo on the the backof the ship and in addition get photos by the propeller. For Scuba Divers that intend on entering the shipwreck, you can then make your way to the top of the ship and go into the funnel that is on on the Top Deck. Should you not plan on penetrating the wreck you should begin your exploration on the deckjust abovethe Propeller.

The main funnel entry can be a greatlocation 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 wreck. You can exit into the ship on several of the decks including the first platform or in the cargo 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 section. This area is easily accessible and can be a greatlocation for a especially good underwater photo near the Engineering Mural. The sediment can be heavy at this point so you should move slowly to prevent clouding up the water. For experienced divers you can also check out shaft alley and the forward hold regions of the ship. For others you may check out the various compartments on the first platform and after that 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.

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