Military Reefs (1/6) ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Military Reefs (1/6)

These are all reefs that have some connection to the military or Coast Guard, including DPC tugboats.

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AH Dumont YO-54

Type:: artificial reef, tanker
Built:: 1940, John H. Mathis, Camden NJ USA
Specs:: ( 247 x 38 ft )
Sponsor:: Spentonbush Red Star Company, Fisherman Magazine
Sunk:: Tuesday June 10, 1986 - Garden State North Artificial Reef
GPS:: 39°37.727' -74°01.079'
Depth:: 85 ft

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AJ McAllister YNT-12

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

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Alan Martin YO-31

Type:: artificial reef, tanker, US Navy, YO-20 class
Built:: 1918, Todd Shipyards, New York NY USA, as YO-31
Specs:: ( 161 x 25 ft ) 335 tons light, 911 tons full-load
Sponsor:: Crystal Oil Corporation, Marine Trades Assn. of NJ, Fisherman Magazine
Sunk:: Thursday September 10, 1987 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.440' -73°41.130'
Depth:: 125 ft

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APL-31

Type:: shipwreck, barge, barracks craft - personnel housing
Built:: 1944, Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding, Everett, WA. USA
Specs:: ( 261 x 49 ft ) 2,580 tons
Sponsor:: The Meyer Family
Sunk:: Monday July 23, 2001 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.600' -73°41.500'
Depth:: 125 ft

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Atlantic Mist PCE-880

Type:: artificial reef, purse seiner, formerly Navy patrol craft
Built:: 1943, Albina Engine & Machine Works, Portland OR USA
Specs:: ( 185 x 33 ft ) 850 tons
Sunk:: Saturday, Jan 16, 2010 - DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°31.063' -74°30.271'
Depth:: 100 ft

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Bay King YTB-175

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat
Built:: 1941, Gulfport Shipbuilding, Port Arthur, TX, as YTB-175 USS Chekilli
Specs:: ( 96 ft )
Sponsor:: Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club, Ann E Clark Foundation
Sunk:: Sunday January 9, 2005 - Axel Carlson Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°03.187' -73°59.283'
Depth:: 80 ft, top at 60 ft

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Beth Drydock No. 5

Type:: artificial reef, drydock (3 sections)
Built:: ?
Specs:: ( 133 x 96 x 54 ft )
Sunk:: May 20, 1985
GPS:: 38.515281 -74.525933
Depth:: 120 ft

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Boston Lightship WLV-189

Type:: artificial reef, lightship, USA
Name:: Named for the harbor that it served as marker for during its long active career.
Built:: 1946, Devoe Shipbuilding, Bay City MI USA
Specs:: ( 128 x 30 ft ) 630 tons
Sponsor:: Atlantic County, Trump Casino, Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Artificial Reef Association, Atlantic County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:: Friday January 28, 1994 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:: 39°15.444' -74°14.004'
Depth:: 85 ft

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Brooklyn DPC-15

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat
Built:: 1943, Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA USA as DPC-15, later Brooklyn
Specs:: ( 86 x 24 ft ) 146 GT, 9 crew
Sponsor:: Friends of the Norma K
Sunk:: Tuesday October 30, 2001 - Axel Carlson Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°03.390' -73°59.550'

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Cape Straight WPB-95308

Type:: artificial reef, cutter, US Coast Guard
Built:: 1953, US Coast Guard Yard, Baltimore MD USA
Specs:: ( 95 x 20 ft )
Sponsor:: USCG, New Jersey State Police
Sunk:: Thursday September 9, 1993 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°51.060' -74°42.125'
Depth:: 65 ft

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Military Reefs

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Here is an item that is useful in the tropics, but much less so around here. This is because the water here is not nearly as crystal clear as in the tropics, and the depths are often greater. Therefore it is unlikely you will be able to see anything interesting below from the surface.

On a boat dive, a snorkel is totally useless - leave it home. Chances are, the captain and crew will tell you to take it off anyway. The same is generally true for inlet diving where the entry is steep. A snorkel is just one extra thing to get tangled up, and you will probably have enough of that already. A snorkel might be useful in a surface swim from the beach out to a close-in dive site, if it is a good one with purge valve or a dry valve to keep the water out entirely. Even then, you are better off doing a backstroke out to the site, with your head out of the water so you can navigate by landmarks, or an underwater swim if the currents are favorable.

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