Oriskany Reef Dive Safety Considerations

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages all scuba divers wishing to dive the Oriskany artificial reef to establish a plan for a safe and enjoyable dive experience. We have compiled this page to help acquaint divers with some specific issues related to the Oriskany artificial reef and to remind divers of some basic scuba safety protocols that should be applied for a safe dive. Due to its depth, distance from shore, and potential currents, all divers should gain appropriate training, equipment and experience before diving the Oriskany. At all times divers should follow the guidelines and safe diving practices provided during their training.

The Oriskany Reef was deployed on the morning of May 17, 2006 at a depth of 212 feet, located approximately 22.5 nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass. This position and water depth was selected in order to maintain the 55-foot vertical navigational clearance required by US Army Corps of Engineers permit. Because the ship is wider than it is tall, and there was no guarantee that the ship would not land on her side, the ship's 157-foot beam was used to determine the necessary 212 ft. seafloor depth. The Oriskany is located at the exact planned coordinates, sitting perfectly upright on the seafloor in a north-south orientation with the bow facing due south.

The depth gauge measurements on the Oriskany recorded by FWC divers on May 18, 2006 (the day after the ship was deployed) were as follows, and as illustrated in the diagram below:

Flight deck at mid-island = 135 feet
Top of forward bridge = 106 feet
Tip of aft gun platform = 97 feet
Top of forward gun platform = 95 feet
Top deck level on island = 71 feet
Highest part of structure = 68 feet

Please use these depths as reference points to plan your dive based on your level of scuba training, experience, proficiency and equipment. Since all dives are to be done as a buddy team, maximum depths should be planned based on the buddy with the lowest level of training, experience, proficiency and equipment.

The FWC would like to remind scuba divers of several basic safety issues that are consistent with all scuba training:

Never dive beyond your training level. Going to the deck of the Oriskany (135 feet) or beyond requires technical training.
Divers should have advance training to go beyond 100 feet (however there is plenty to see above 100 feet).
Divers should have advanced wreck (or cave) training to penetrate the ship in an overhead environment. No modifications have been made to the ship to accommodate penetration dives.
Dive your deepest part of the dive first (whatever depth you plan to do), stay a very short time, the rest of the dive will be decompression and can be done safely.
Plan your dive and dive your plan.
Plan on a very slow accent.
Plan on doing a longer safety stop, perhaps 5 minutes at 15 feet (normally 3 minutes).
Always stay hydrated.
Always us the buddy system and know your buddy's gear.
Always have someone at the surface and never leave your boat unattended while diving.
Always carry a visual signal device such as an inflatable ‘safety sausage' to signal your location in the event you and/or your team become separated from your anchor line and surface away from your boat.
Always check the marine forecast and use safe boating practices while traveling to and from the Oriskany (http://myfwc.com/boating/safety/)

Because the Oriskany is in deep water and can be affected by strong water currents, divers are strongly encouraged to use extreme caution when diving this reef. Always begin the dive into the current so you can go downstream with the current in the later part of the dive. Stay on the lee side of the island, away from the current for most of the dive, particularly the deeper part of the dive.

Due to the complex nature of the ship's interior and the unknown extent of structural damages caused by the reefing process, the FWC recommends that divers should not enter the ship under any circumstances. Divers should not remove any items from the ship (it is against the law). All recyclable materials of value have been previously removed. There is nothing inside the ship worth dying for! Be safe.

The uppermost structure of the Oriskany is located at:
Latitude 30 degrees 2 minutes 33.3 seconds north (Lat 30^o 2.555' N)
Longitude 87 degrees 0 minutes 23.8 seconds west. (Lon 87^o 0.397'W)

Safe Diving,
The FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management, Artificial Reef Program