Project Yukon » artificial reefs

Wreck Diving – Discovery the Mysteries of the Deep

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:20:11 +0000

As long as people have been building boats and ships they have been sinking. And as long as people have been able to dive under the water they have been going down to look at these sunken ships. There is a magical and mysterious lure to that part of our history resting undiscovered on the bottom of the ocean. Scuba divers dive on wrecks for several reasons. Some seek treasure and profit. Some are professional or hobby archaeologists and are interested in historical information. And other divers just enjoy the excitement and adventure of visiting a ship wreck.

Safety is the biggest concern for all scuba divers but even more so for wreck divers. There is a risk of becoming trapped or lost in a wreck. Special training is available to scuba divers where they learn how to use special equipment. Reels of line are used to lay down a safe path through the maze of a ship wreck. Extra tanks of air are slung from the diver. Powerful underwater lights are required to light up the darkness. Wreck divers learn how to plan their dives so that they use one third of their air to reach the wreck, one third of their air to enjoy the wreck and return to the surface and hold the last third in reserve in case of emergency. Wreck divers have to especially cautious of hazards such as sharp and jagged metal.

Many recreational divers enjoy diving on artificial reefs. These are ships that have prepared and sunk on purpose in especially designated spots. Divers can practise their skills in the relative safety of a ship wreck that is well-mapped and sitting a safe depth. These ship wrecks are called artificial reefs because they soon become the habitat for corals, anemones and creatures of all kinds. Some artificial reefs will host up to four times their own mass in living creatures.

Most divers adhere to a policy of “non-disturbance” This means they do not interfere with the wreck or carry anything away. It is only fair to leave the ship wreck untouched so that other divers can enjoy it. But the environment soon starts to change the wreck. Breakers pound the metal or bust up the wood. Down deeper, currents carry away loose pieces and scatter them across the ocean floor. Even the creatures that make the wreck their home slowly start to break it down.

There is a compelling beauty to a sunken ship and great sense of adventure and challenge to learn the skills and become a wreck diver.

Rocky Boschman is a marine biologist and founder of Scuble.com. (http://scuble.com/) He has been actively promoting conservation for many years. Scuble.com is an online community and a great resource for information about the oceans. Join now, its free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rocky_Boschman

Diving Artificial Reefs

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:47:35 +0000

Last year I managed to get a trip out to Florida to do some diving, Being quite an experienced PADI Diver I decided to go and have a look at the Oriskany reef. The Oriskany Reef is an artificial reef made from and old air craft carrier – it’s quite a huge “wreck.” I use the term loosely as it was deliberately sunk to produce a new reef environment.

The Oriskany reef lies off the coast of Florida and is not recommended for novice divers as by US Marine Law it has to be a minimum of 55 feet navigational clearance from the surface to allow shipping to pass comfortably over it.

Having said that it is that far down you do not have to go down very far to get a good view of it. The massive air craft carrier is very awe inspiring site under water and although it had only been there for a short time in relative terms a lot of fish and reef organisms have made it there home.

Although I’m an experienced Wreck Diver I did not plan to go into this wreck merely to observe from the safest outside distance was enough for me. This was a really strange feeling to just above the top of the island of the flight deck.

These artificial reefs are going to transform the diving industry and also do a lot for the oceans ECO system, we need to see more developments in this field as more and more of the reefs that are current around the world do get damaged by inconsiderate divers.

By replenishing and conservation of existing reefs we may enjoy the spectacular array of life that manages to exist within the depths. I must admit I would quite like to do a wreck dive and penetrate the vessel just to see the varieties of fish that have made it there home. Not a deep penetration as this is highly not recommended but more of just inside to see a hanger deck.

This would require technical diving skills and a lot of good experts to get advice from before tackling this proposition I hope to be able to come back to this wreck within the next two years as a to have a more intense experience with this wreck.

The Oriskany when it was reefed landed in the upright position as this is an air craft carrier and the top of the ship is broader than the base it was not known if it was going to do this. It’s good that it did because it’s more familiar shape that seeing a wreck on its side.

I have dive many wrecks some of the best ones can be found at Scapa Flow in Shetland Islands. After the war a lot of German ships were scuttled there and remain as wrecks they are very popular with divers but it’s a hell of a long way to go to get there. You sometimes think about flying but that cuts down the amount of diving you can do, as most of the Scapa Flow ships are deep dives too.

I hope to find some more artificial reefs to explore and take more photos and keep a good record to see how these artificial grow in diving popularity.

Andy Bolton 41 Liverpool UK England

Accident Claims | Compensation | No Win No Fee

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Bolton

Artificial Reefs – Fish Love ‘em and Scuba Divers Love ‘em

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:44:31 +0000

As long as humans have been building rafts, boats, ships or any kind of water craft, we been sinking them (the vast majority unintentionally). For most of our history on the oceans, our technology has been no match for the power and force that can be mustered against it by the seven seas. Even our biggest ventures – like the Titanic – are not invulnerable to ice bergs or missiles.

And as long as humans have ventured under the oceans, we’ve been trying to get down to these sunken ships to take a look.

In recent history, we’ve been intentionally sinking unused and outdated vessels and calling them “artificial reefs”. There is a measured benefit to both marine life and local economies when “artificial reef societies” intentionally put a ship on the bottom of the ocean. In Nanaimo, BC, Canada, the local Chamber of Commerce reports that the two artificial reefs, the HMCS Saskatchwan and HMCS Cape Breton, located in the Nanaimo harbour, have produced a four million dollar a year increase in tourism since 2001.

The HMCS Yukon contributes more than five million dollars annually to the San Diego, CA region.

Scuba diving on artificial reefs require special care, training and sometimes equipment. Local dive shops provide training and certification for “wreck diving” and provide the special equipment required to safely dive around artificial reefs.

On May 17, 2006, the retired aircraft carrier Oriskany became the largest vessel ever to be “reefed”. At 910 feet in length and with visibility averaging between 60 and 100+ feet, the “Mighty O” is an impressive site to divers. Her flight deck is sitting at 145 feet – considered a technical dive – but her island can be approached at 78 feet.

Overtime, an artificial reef will re-create its own biomass underwater becoming a home to countless species of fish and plants and an attraction and destination to scuba divers.

Rocky Boschman is a marine biologist and founder of Scuble.com. http://scuble.com/

He has been actively promoting conservation for many years. Scuble.com is an online community and a great resource for information about the oceans. Join now, its free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rocky_Boschman