Shark River Artificial Reef (1/2) ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Shark River Artificial Reef (1/2)

Shark River Artificial Reef

15.6 Nautical Miles off Manasquan, 0.83 sq miles
Depth: 120-140 ft [download]

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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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Billy D ST-842

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat, US Army
Built:: 1945, American Machinery Company, Orlando CA USA, as ST-842, R.J. Wales
Specs:: ( 80 x 23 ft )
Sponsor:: Artificial Reef Association
Sunk:: Sunday July 27, 1997 - Shark River Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.320' -73°41.855'
Depth:: 125 ft

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Captain Bart YOG-58

Type:: artificial reef, tanker, US Navy
Built:: 1944, RTC Shipbuilding, Camden NJ USA, as YOG-58
Specs:: ( 174 x 33 ft ) 1390 displacement tons (full)
Sponsor:: GPPCBA, Crown Beer Distributors, Budweiser
Sunk:: Friday June 9, 2000 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.103' -73°41.479'
Depth:: 130 ft

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Coney Island

Type:: artificial reef, tanker, sludge
Built:: 1938, Bethlehem Staten Island, Staten Island NY USA
Specs:: ( 250 x 40 ft )
Sponsor:: Crystal Oil Corporation, Marine Trades Assn. of NJ, Fisherman Magazine
Sunk:: Thursday September 10, 1987 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.285' -73°41.365'
Depth:: 125 ft, starts at 80 ft

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Mako Mania YW-127

Type:: artificial reef, tanker, US Navy YW-83 class
Built:: 1945, Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, USA, as YW-127
Specs:: ( 174 x 33 ft )
Sponsor:: GPPCBA, Budweiser
Sunk:: Thursday July 16, 1998 - Shark River Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.419' -73°41.460'
Depth:: 125 ft

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New England Coast

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat, Dann Marine, USA
Built:: 1966 - Main Iron Works, Houma LA, as New England Sun
Specs:: ( 105 x 30 ft ) 184 gross tons
Sunk:: Friday July 7, 2023 - Shark River Artificial Reef
GPS:: NJDEP Private Fishing Hole
Depth:: 125 ft

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Redbird Subway Cars

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.

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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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Rock Ridges

This site on the Shark River Artificial Reef consists of two long ridges of seven huge rock piles each, with one long valley east-west between them. Between piles, there are smaller valleys. Each ridge contains approximately two million tons ( or one million cubic yards ) of granite, blasted and dredged from the bottom of New York harbor between September 2002 and September 2003. Peak depths range from 85 to 105 ft, bottom depth is 130 ft. In addition, 15 Redbird subway cars were deposited on or near one of the piles. A similar rockpile is located in shallower water on the Axel Carlson Reef.

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Shark River Artificial Reef

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Dive Sites References

There is actually a wealth of books on the subject of diving the New Jersey / New York area. A great deal more information, including loran numbers and/or directions, much more detailed histories and descriptions, and historical photos, can be found in these references, and I highly recommend all of them. You can find these at your local dive shop, or order all of them directly from the links on this page.

Many out-of-print titles are still available from used book dealers and can be found by searching online.

Update 2020:

Unfortunately, most of these are out of print now, but you can search out used copies.

Latest

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Undiminished Violence by Thomas G Clark
Where Divers Dare The Hunt for the Last U-boat by Randall Peffer
Hidden History of Maritime New Jersey by Steve Nagiewicz