Shinnecock Artificial Reef (1/2)

Shinnecock Artificial Reef (historical)
( 40.80139, -72.47293 )

2.0 Nautical miles south of Shinnecock Inlet, 0.55 sq miles
Depth: 76 - 84 ft

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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.



100 ft steel barge ( on a much bigger barge )
Type:
artificial reef, barges
Depth:
79 - 84 ft
Name Description Sunk GPS
60 ft steel
dredge
1987 40°48.063'
-72°28.622
Caddell 157 ft wood
drydock
Wednesday
September 12, 1990
40°48.007'
-72°28.634'
Dump Scow
DS-106
100 ft steel Wednesday
June 20, 2018
40°48.179'
-72°28.461'
Shannon C 60 ft steel Friday
Nov 5, 2021
40°48.118'
-72°28.390'
Henri 130 ft steel 2025 40°47.984'
-72°28.486'





Type:
artificial reef, pleasure boat, USA
Built:
Specs:
( 50 ft )
Sunk:
1987 - Shinnecock Artificial Reef
Depth:
GPS:
40°48.171' -72°28.392'



Shinnecock Artificial Reef

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I have found no correlation between good visibility and anything else at all. Calm seas certainly don't hurt, but the worst visibility I have ever been in was with a 1-foot surf on the beach. There is however a very good correlation between bad visibility and storms, which is why a single hurricane can end the season.

Other factors which influence visibility are: algae blooms, spawning seasons of some invertebrates, which can fill the water with tiny swimmers, jellyfish ( yes, so many you can't see through them, luckily they don't sting, ) other divers churning up the bottom, and just plain gunk in the water. I don't know how to predict most of these, except to say that if you dive a lot, sooner or later you will see some good visibility. Sometimes in the ocean, the visibility will be different in different depth layers. I have seen the viz go from 3 ft on the way down the anchor line to 20 ft on the wreck.