Grand Cayman Wreck Diving - Uss Kittiwake

By Author: John Whisner
Total Articles: 3
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This is the top wreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the best in the Caribbean. The USS Kittiwake which was sunk a little over one year and the shipwreck site is maturing very well. The shipwreck has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and around 50 feet high. The ship was built specifically for performing submarine rescues and was launched on July 10, 1945 and which was sunk in Grand Cayman in January 2011.This article provides an overview of the dive, some history and other data on the subject of the ship and an guide of what you will find on the wreck. You can see the complete photo gallery on the web site and see the blog article for the USS Kittiwake for more information on the wreck plus a history about the ship.The Dive site: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. To meet caymanian requirements for wrecks, a portion of the upper mast was removed. The are two bridges on the upper decks along with the radio and navigation room. The sonar has been removed. The Captain and XO's quarters are located on the upper decks On the main deck, from bow to stern, internally you will find a number of different rooms or work areas including the recompresson chambers, the rec room and toolshop. You will also see a large a-frame structure on the stern that supported submarines and hard hat divers, along with the diving bell that was used to bring back divers to the ship and then 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 large access holes both vertically and horizontally, every space on the ship was utilized when the boat was in service. Be sure to plan your dive adequately. One approach would be to begin at the stern prior to entering into the ship to take pictures near the "USS Kittiwake" logo on the the backof the ship and in addition get pictures by the propeller. For Divers that plan on entering the shipwreck, you can then make your way to the top of the ship and enter via the main funnel which is on on the Top Deck. Should you not plan on entering the wreck you should begin your exploration on the main deck just above the Screw.. The funnel entry can be a great location for underwater photography and I would suggest taking the photo looking up from the bottom of the funnel to the top of the funnel. I would 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 hold does not have any exterior exits and should only be entered by advanced divers. On the first platform you will be able to see the Engineering logo in the Motor Room section. This section can be accessed easily and can be the subject of a especially good underwater photo near the "Engineering Mural". The silt may be substantial in this location so you must move slowly to prevent clouding up the water. For advanced divers you may also check out shaft alley and the forward hold sections of the shipwreck. For other divers you may check out the various areas on the first platform and then start making your way up deck by deck until finally arriving at the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do your safety stop.Look at photographs of other shipwrecks on http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit his blog for reviews of other wrecks.