Dirtbag Wreck pics and video

[aue-mike]

Hi guys-
Checked out an unidentified wreck in 260fsw off Key Largo Sunday. Nice conditions with beautiful blue water. I captured some pics from the video, as well as added a video clip on the AUE website.

Images:

http://www.mikey.net/aue/dirtbagpics.htm

Movie clip:

http://www.mikey.net/aue/theater.htm

I plan to add more movie clips as the year rolls on...

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Mike

[gulfdiver]

NICE!!!

[fernandezh]

Holy sweet Jesus,
260 fsw? could you describe the equipment you took down with you as well as the dive profile to include descent time, bottom time, where and how long you made your deco stops? What gas mix were you using?


Hector

[junior]

Very nice. What type of sea life do you typically see at these depths?

[aue-mike]

We use trimix - a helium based gas. We mix to obtain a 100' END and a 1.4 PO2, regardless of depth. Typically, you have doubles with backgas (trimix), and then two AL40s of decompression gas (standard 50/50 nitrox and 100% O2). For that dive I think my backgas was 15/55/30, as it was sitting in my garage, originally mixed for something else.
On that dive, we hit the bottom in about 60 seconds as we have scooters; as soon as we splash we are pointing straight down and dropping the hammer on the trigger. I was on the wreck and shooting video while my bottom timer clicked off 2 minutes. Those kind of descents are pretty cool, and the scooters take all the work out of it.
We only did about 20 minutes on that dive as there really was not too much to see. Run time depends on depth and bottom time (naturally), but we tend to keep our in-water exposure to about 90 minutes max.

You see some crazy stuff - check out the FU Wreck clips. Lots of nice fish on that. However, the deep wrecks in the Gulf are insane. You would not believe me if I told you about the size of the carbos, or the massive schools of monster AJs NW of the Tortugas.

On one dive on the USS Kendrick (320fsw) off Key West, the whole bottom was covered in a carpet of brittle stars. It freaked my shit out when you would see the bottom move.

Cheers,
Mike

[greyface]

Radical, to say the least!:cool: Looks like a massive grouper inside the hull in the beginning of the video. Titanium scrotums, you guys!

[fishhunta]

i think i came in my pants when i saw the video of the giant warsaw grouper on the pan something wreck. id be down there in a second if i could afford trimix training and fills, but for now, what do you think the best wrewck for hunting(carbos, warsaws, gags, ect...) in less than 220ft is. that is the max i would do on air. i saw your video of the hydro, that is my favorite dive in the world. i dive it once a week and have shot some pretty nicew fish off it.

[richhermes]

That is awesome aue-mike!
I spent the better part of last night looking at every wreck on the aue website. You need to take a speargun down there and get some pics. That would be awesome to get a pic of a shooter at 320+fsw.

Very nice!

[aue-mike]

I would highly recommend getting trimix training if you plan on doing the deeper wrecks. It is expensive, but there is nothing like being at 300 feet and feeling like you are at 80 feet due to the helium. You would be amazed at the difference when you remove the impairment that deep air presents. Well, enough of that disclaimer....
If you are going to do it anyway, I would go farther north on the EC. South Florida has been hammered hard, and there is way too much effort from way too many boats. I have seen what is like down there, and if I was hunting I would not waste my time with bringing a gun there (with a few notable exceptions).
If you want phat gags, dive the Muliphen off Stuart/Ft. Pierce. The deck is around 130-140fsw, and the sand is around 190fsw or so. Big wreck! It can have a good current on it, but man there are a lot of nice fish on it! I really wish I had my gun for that dive. We are doing it again in a month or two, and I will try and get some good video. The fish are pretty fast on that wreck though. You will find them hanging out around the bow, and along the sides of the hull.
Cheers,
Mike

[IyaDiver]

NICE PHOTOS !!!!!!!!!!

I am guessing the viz is about 70-80 feet Mike, was that the case ?

260 feet, no way I am going down, too deep for me and the discipline of tri-mix is just to "discpline" for me. I will not shoot anything in deeper than 140' now aways. 90-120' is about my comfort zone. The last time I used to hunt at 170', I finaly needed chamber time......ah ah ah....no more deep dive for me...:D

With my lousy ear, I can never use a scooter, my right ear has been the slow equalizer, too slow most of the time.

Great stuff man...thanks.