Deepwater Artificial Reef

23.6 Nautical Miles off Ocean City
Depth: 90-125 ft
Admiral DuPont Divers Abyss   AJ McAllister  Vincet Tibbetts Mantank        caisson

Shipwreck Admiral Dupont
Type:
shipwreck, steamer, USA
Built:
1847, England, as Anglia
Specs:
( 195 x 28 ft ) 750 gross tons, 50 passengers & crew
Sunk:
Thursday June 8, 1865
collision with ship Stadacona - 17 casualties
Depth:
150 ft

Ann E Clark reef
Type:
artificial reef, tugboat
Built:
1939, Slidell LA as Rowen Card
Specs:
( 106 x 26 ft ) 263 tons
Sponsor:
Ann E Clark Foundation
Dedication:
Ann E Clark
Sunk:
Thursday Sept 25, 2003 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°58.004' -74°10.721'

Type:
artificial reef, drydock gate
Specs:
( 150 ft )
Sunk:
Friday June 8, 2020 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°58.300' -74°10.900'
Depth:
125 ft


Mantank reef
Type:
artificial reef, barge
Built:
1950, Wilmington, DE USA
Specs:
( 224 x 38 ft )
Sponsor:
BassBarn.com, Ann E Clark Foundation, PSE&G Habitat Restoration Fund
Sunk:
Thursday Sept 5, 2002 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°58.688' -74°11.410'
Depth:
120 ft

Redbird Subway Car - in service
Type:
250 "Redbird" subway cars - NYC Subway system - steel bodies / frames
Built:
1959-1960 - American Car & Foundry - Model R26 # 7750-7859
1960-1961 - American Car & Foundry - Model R28 # 7860-7959
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R29 # 8570-8805
1962-1963 - St. Louis Car - Model R33 # 8806-9345
1963-1964 - St. Louis Car - Model R36 # 9346-9769
Specs:
( 51 x 9 ft ) 15,000 to 18,000 pounds (body)
Sunk:
50 cars - Cape May Reef on July 3, 2003
50 cars - Deepwater Reef on July 16, 2003
50 cars - Atlantic City Reef on July 25, 2003
50 cars - Garden State North Reef on Sept 3, 2003
50 cars - Shark River Reef on Oct 14, 2003
619 cars - Delaware Reef 11 from Aug 2001 to Nov 2003
Sponsor:
New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
anti-
Sponsor:
Environmental group Clean Ocean Action lobbied aggressively and almost successfully to prevent the use of these subway cars as artificial reefs in New Jersey, resulting in most of the cars going to other states.
GPS:
too many to list, and all gone anyway
Depth:
Depths vary by location between 80 ft and 130 ft.

Vincent Tibbetts reef
Type:
artificial reef, T1-M-A2 tanker, gasoline
Built:
1944 Bayonne NJ USA as USS Ochlockonee AOG-33
Specs:
( 244 x 37 ft ) tonnage unknown after lengthening
Sponsor:
Cape May County Party & Charter Boat Association, PSE&G Habitat Restoration Fund, friends of Walt Hendee, Ann E. Clark Foundation
Dedication:
Walt Hendee
Sunk:
Thursday Sept 5, 2002 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°58.385' -74°11.429'
Depth:
135 ft

There are on the market today portable underwater direction-finding units that home in on each other by sound. These provide similar functionality to a strobe light, but with ( theoretically ) longer range, and are ( theoretically ) unaffected by water conditions and visibility. They are also very expensive, and prone to failure when a large object or wall gets between the two units. A number of times I have seen people get lost because they counted on one of these gadgets, and it didn't work.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about these devices is that their users seem to be mostly beginners who place unfounded faith in them, probably because they paid so much for it at the dive shop. They seem to hit the water in "brain-off" mode, counting on their expensive gadgets to get them home, and making little or no effort at other forms of navigation. Unfortunately, these people are probably the least able to cope with the emergency situation that arises when they find out just how reliable their little sonar toy isn't. Learn to use a wreck reel instead.

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