Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef

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Fran S        75-barge      80-barge      100-barge     140-barge     85-barge      150-barge     150-wood-barge

Depth: 55 - 64 ft

Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef

There is a continuous wall between points 11 and 12 that someone apparently didn't think was important enough to draw in. See the side-scan below.

Not Shown:

  • automobile & truck bodies, long gone
  • 10,000 tire units
side-scan sonar image of Atlantic Beach Reef, click to enlarge

M60 tanks reef
M60 tanks undergo a thorough cleaning before use as reefs

The Artificial Reef Program used four types of obsolete Army armored vehicles as artificial reef materials off the New Jersey coast. These were cleaned at local military bases, loaded onto barges for transport, and pushed off at their final destination. Once the Army had disposed of its excess inventory, the program ceased, around 1999. The Artificial Reef Program has sunk almost 400 tanks altogether, far too many to list them here in this website.


Fran S reef
Type:
artificial reef, tugboat
Built:
1899
Specs:
( 84 ft )
Sunk:
early 1970s - Atlantic Beach Reef
Depth:
80 ft
GPS:
40°31.711' -73°43.438'

sank during dredging operations

later raised, moved, and re-sunk as part of reef

intact, upright


80 ft steel barge
Type:
artificial reef, barges
Depth:
55 - 64 ft
Name Description Sunk GPS
80 ft steel 40°31.884'
-73°43.297'
85 ft steel 40°31.942'
-73°42.894'
100 ft steel 40°31.631'
-73°43.029'
140 ft steel 40°31.736'
-73°42.736'
150 ft steel 40°31.903'
-73°43.166'
150 ft wood 40°31.762'
-73°43.306'
75 ft steel Thursday
Nov 14, 2019
40°31.604'
-73°43.611'

rock reef
A hopper barge full of rock

All manner of concrete, steel, and stone rubble from dredging, demolition projects, and other construction is used as artificial reef materials. This material is generally available at very low cost or free from construction companies who are more than happy to get rid of it. Transportation costs determine where this material is used by the Reef Program.


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colors

You might not think that color matters much, but I prefer light, bright colors for any accessory that I might drop or set down. This includes knives, lights, bags, weights, and many other things. Yellow is my favorite color for this.

Despite the fact that black is really the only cool color for tech divers, I prefer Coast Guard orange uppers on my drysuits. These make you easier to spot, whether in the murk of the quarry, or drifting away on the surface of the Atlantic.

DIR

All equipment must be black. Ha ha - just kidding. You guys can take a joke, right?

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