We just got back from this dive today. I live in Tappahannock, VA so this was almost a local dive for me.

We drove over to a Dennis’ river house at (near Coles Point, Virginia) he took his boat out to site. We were supposed to meet another guy at the site who had experience diving this sub. We had no problem finding the site and mooring to the mooring buoy (Blue and White and clearly labeled). We were there at 11:30am in time to dive at the recommended High, Slack Tide. Our contact never showed?

Conditions were PERFECT. Very smooth water, warm, clear day. It hadn’t rained in days. There was no appreciable surface current! There were 3 of us (John, myself and Dennis). We wanted to leave someone on the surface so John and I made 1st dive. Visibility was a bit better that I had psyched myself up for (maybe 8 feet?)

We all had HID lights (I would NOT make this dive without HID). Our prep experience was several trips to Cooper River, SC doing shark tooth dives. We were as comfortable as to be expected with zero viz diving.

We surface swam over to small orange ball that was ascent/descent line connected to the Conning tower. You are NOT to moor to this line! Be mindful of jelly fish and fishing lures around the down line (We all wore full wetsuits – I wore 7/5 mm hood and gloves) Water temp was very comfortable 79 degrees F.

As I reached 60 feet I still could not see any signs of wreck. It was only at 66 feet before I saw Stainless Steel base that down line was tied off to. We were amazed by the surviving wooden slates lining inside of Conning tower area. This has been submerged for some 57 years! As this was our 1st time here, we stayed pretty near conning tower and didn’t venture too far fore and aft but did descend to 79 feet to get a look at the HEAVY silt! It brought a new full appreciation of how bad silt could be! I did manage to locate the missing OMS Wreck Reel we were told about and recovered it. The owner promised to buy drinks for whoever recovered it?

We ascended and after almost an hour Surface Interval then Dennis and I made the next dive leaving John to mind the boat. Again we saw Jelly fish on descent line and managed to stay clear of them. We again circled the conning tower but didn’t go far forward or aft but it seemed most of the actual deck disappeared into the silt quickly.

All in all it was not near as difficult as much of the available literature made it out to be BUT it is a very poor viz dive and you can not bring too much light! We did have GREAT Conditions and I imagine it doesn’t get much better.

I am sure that it would be far more difficult if current was stronger!

I wouldn’t want to do that type diving every day (we just got back from a week and 24 dives in Bonaire!) but it was a great day trip!

If you have any Questions about the U-1105 feel free to email me!

Mark H. Easter
PADI OWSI
Northern Neck Scuba

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

A shipwreck is a haven of wonderful discoveries for the scuba diver. It is a historical relic filled with secrets carefully concealed by the ocean. Over the years, it has also been the home of various sea creatures and plants. Wreck diving is a rare opportunity for scuba divers to hone their diving skills, discover a significant heritage in history and be a part of an important archaeological find. This great opportunity however entails responsibility on the part of the diver. So here are a few guidelines to take note of before pursuing the dive:

Precautionary Measures while Diving

• Remember that a shipwreck has been underwater for quite some time and the superior find have been submerged for decades, or even centuries. Many sections of a sunken ship may be fragile and would disintegrate without notice, so bear in mind to keep those fin movements steady and slow. The possibility of encountering marine animal and plant species inhabiting the wreckage is highly likely, so exercise extra care so as not to disrupt their habitat.
• There is also the risk of entanglement with fishing nets or ropes, so bring along an emergency tool such as a Tech Dive Knife in hand.
• Keep extra lights handy just in case primary sources of light run out.
• A guideline may also be utilized to ensure the exit route of the wreck diver.
• Never overestimate the capacity of your cylinder tank. It is best to be safe than sorry. The rule of the thumb is to allocate 2/3 of the air reserve for use upon exit. As much as possible, carry a second tank or bring along a pony bottle.

A Different Type of Training RequiredThere are wreck program organizations that require scuba divers to take a PADI specialty course in wreck diving before they can join excursions. The course will orient the scuba diver on the advanced skills and scuba equipment necessary to maneuver in and out of wrecks. More importantly, the scuba diver will be able to learn the proper management of air reserves in the course of diving. Deep diving is a specialization required in the conduct of wreck diving trips; thus the wreck diver must be knowledgeable on the use of dive tables as well. Dive tables reveal what depths (at certain times) are safe to cruise without decompression. An Aeris XR-2 Wrist Dive Computer [http://www.scubasuppliers.com/site/1408308/product/10.2610] is a convenient gadget that will come in handy to alert the diver of safety parameters.