Coleman I

Coleman I reef
Type:
artificial reef, barge
Specs:
( 45 x 20 ft )
Sponsor:
Coleman Construction Company
Sunk:
Tuesday June 27, 1989 - Sandy Hook Artificial Reef
GPS:
40°21.060' -73°56.125'
Depth:
50 ft

The Coleman is a rather small rectangular steel barge. The decking plates were removed prior to sinking, leaving a skeleton framework that is very interesting to explore. A large pile of concrete rubble lies next to and partially on the barge, to the northwest. It is perhaps 150 ft across and rises up 10 ft off the bottom. This rubble has some very colorful encrustations, as well as many small fishes, and is shallow enough to be cheerfully lit by the sun, unusual in this vicinity.

As usual in this reef, I saw practically no lobsters, even in the likeliest holes. The old-timers tell me they're there, but you can't prove it by me. The barge, however, was inhabited by a great many big fat Blackfish. The bottom is clean sand.

Coleman I reef
Coleman I reef
Coleman I reef
The Coleman barge was sunk by simply pushing it under with the accompanying tugboat.

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The North Atlantic is extremely changeable. The aspect that most governs where and when you will ( or even can ) dive is the wave height or the surf. If the surf is pounding on the shore, then it is a good bet the inlet will not be a good dive, let alone the beach. A big surf will even ruin conditions way up the river, say at the Railroad Bridge.

The wave heights on the open ocean will dictate your boat diving. In 1-3 foot seas, the boats can go just about anywhere, all the way out to even the farthest wrecks. In 3-5 foot seas, some boats will do that anyway, but don't count on it. Instead, a closer-in site will be your most likely destination, although perhaps as far as the Pinta or the Mohawk. In 5-6 foot seas you are going to the Delaware, and you'll wish you'd stayed home. Bigger waves than that, and you shouldn't even leave port, although some captains will try. While this may seem like admirable determination on their part ( more like irresponsible greed in some cases! ) you're better off just not going.

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