Diving on the USS Kittiwake

This is the top shipwreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the top ten in the Caribbean. The USS Kittiwake has been on the reef for a little over one year and the site is aging well. The ship has five decks, is a little over76 meters in length amd 12 meters in beam and approximately 50 feet high. The vessel was designated specifically for performing submarine rescues and was launched on July 10, 1945 and was sunk in Grand Cayman in January 2011.

This article provides an overview of what to expect on the dive some history about the ship and other information on the subject of the vessel and an guide of what you will see on the shipwreck. Plese see the entire photo gallery on the web site and/or see the blog entry for the USS Kittiwake for supplementary information on the wreck along with a history of the ship.

The Dive site:

The boat was reefed January 5, 2011 off the north end of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. There are 5 decks on the 47 foot tall USS Kittiwake. A portion of the upper part of the ship was removed to meet cayman requirements The upper decks accommodate the 2 bridges along with the radio and navigation room. The sonar was also removed from the ship. The Captain and executive officer's quarters are located 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, along with the diving bell where divers would enter to return to the ship from the ocean and then be placed in the chambers for decompression. Below the main deck, 2 decks exist that include the crews quarter, medic/hospital station, engine and propulsion rooms,air bank storage and compressors, as well as the steering gear, shaft, gyro, ammunition lockers, cold storage and barber shop to name a few areas. While the USS Kittiwake has been opened up with bigaccess holes in the sides of the ship, every space on the vessel was used when she was in service. Make sure to lay out your dive well. One approach would be to begin at the stern prior to entering into the shipwreck to get pictures around the"USS Kittiwake" logo on the stern and also get pictures by the propeller. For Scuba Divers that intend on entering the shipwreck, after you leave the stern make your way to the top of the ship then go into the funnel which is located on the Bridge Deck. Should you not plan on penetrating the wreck you may begin your investigation of the ship on the main deck just above the Propeller. The main funnel entry can be a great location for underwater photography. try silhouetting your dive partner in the shaft 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. Note the hold deck does not have any exterior exit points and is not recommended for divers that do not have an advanced certification and prior wreck experience. On the first platform you will be able to see the Engineering logo in the Motor Room section. This area is easily accessible and can be a good location for a extremely interesting underwater photograph close to the "Engineering Mural". The silt may be substantial in this location so you must move slowly to avoid clouding up the water. For experienced divers you can also look at shaft alley and the forward hold regions of the ship. For others you may explore the assorted areas on the first platform and then begin making your way up one deck at a time and then finally arriving at the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do your safety stop.

Look at images of additional shipwrecks on http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit  his blog for evaluations of specific wrecks.