Mixed-up Wrecks

According to Gary Gentile in his book Shipwrecks of New Jersey - South, the following three vessels and four known wrecks may be related as suggested here. Or it could be something else entirely.

Mixed-up Wrecks


Type:
shipwreck
Depth:
80 ft

a small steel wreck, greatly decomposed

Possibly the remains of the Oklahoma.


Glory Wreck
Side-scan courtesy of Stockton University
Type:
shipwreck
Depth:
70 ft

The "Glory Wreck" is a twisted mass of hull plates and steel spread over a wide area on a sandy bottom. Artifacts are occasionally found: portholes and brass. She is usually a good lobster wreck.


Shipwreck Kennebec
Type:
shipwreck, freighter, USA
Name:
Kennebec is a county and a major river in the state of Maine.
Built:
1901, Jenks Shipbuilding, Port Huron MI USA
Specs:
( 243 x 43 ft ) 2183 gross tons, 29 crew
Sunk:
Saturday June 18, 1921
sprung a leak - no casualties


Shipwreck Oklahoma
Type:
shipwreck, tanker, USA
Built:
1908, New York Shipbuilding, Camden NJ USA
Specs:
( 419 x 55 ft ) 5853 gross tons, 38 crew
Sunk:
Sunday January 4, 1914
broke in half in storm - 25 casualties

Type:
shipwreck
Depth:
120 ft

A small steel wreck, greatly decomposed.

Possibly the remains of the Oklahoma.



regulator

First stages come in several forms. Your main options are generally:

  • balanced or unbalanced
  • piston or diaphragm
  • sealed or unsealed

Manufacturers will try to make a big deal out of these and various other features. Here's what I think:

  • balanced or unbalanced - Today only the very cheapest regs are unbalanced designs. Breathing performance will suffer, and any reg that cheap will likely be deficient in other areas. There is no reason to buy an unbalanced first stage.
  • piston or diaphragm - This doesn't much matter, there are good designs that use both systems - worry about other things.
  • sealed or unsealed - This refers to whether or not water can enter the first stage. If water can enter, then so can sand and grit, which will inevitably cause a malfunction, probably while you are in the water. Also, for cold-water diving ( not ice diving, just cold water, say 45°F ), the water inside the first stage could actually freeze, with the same result. Do not buy an unsealed regulator for use around here. In fact, don't buy one, period. Sealed designs are generally more expensive to buy and maintain, but it is worth the extra cost. Some regulators ( Genesis, Sherwood ) accomplish the same effect without technically being sealed. This is just as good, maybe better, because the design is simpler.

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