By Mike Ange

Plunging into the clear, warm, sub-tropical waters and descending through a cloud of bubbles we were thrilled to see the signature satellite dishes tilted at odd angles along the top of this pristine shipwreck.  The date was 27 May 2009 and the USNS Vandenberg had just been scuttled by the detonation of 42 high explosives charges only 15 minutes before our descent.  As a part of the clearance dive teams, I was fortunate to be on the first 3-man dive team to ever see the wreck of the USNS Vandenberg after she slipped beneath the surface.  Over 2 ½ years later, the wreck, laying in 45 m of sea water (150 fsw), holds even more allure and interest for divers of every level now than it did then.

With king post ascending to within 50 feet of the surface and significant superstructure in only 60 feet, this, the world’s second largest artificial reef, literally holds something for everyone. The wreck is bathed in the sub-tropical waters of the southern Florida Keys with temps ranging from the low 70s in winter to the high 80s in the summer. Vis averages between 50 and 100 plus feet depending on conditions.  Currents on the site are variable and can make the dive a much more advanced endeavor, but there are days when there is virtually no current at all.  Open water and less experienced divers can complete a fantastic dive on this wreck without ever exceeding 60 feet. The mooring buoy attached just above the pilot house will deposit divers on a part of the superstructure equipped with a series of cut out plagues representing many of the donors who helped to sink the ship.  Swimming toward the stern, the ship has a lot of relief harboring a vast collection of marine life. 

Barracuda, of course, swarm to this wreck as they do to all tropical wrecks, but you will also find a collection of reef fish owing to the close proximity of the wreck to the warm water reefs surrounding Key West. Angel fish, butterflies and yellow tail snapper are in vast supply. Large parrots and even, unfortunately, the occasional lion fish may also be seen on this wreck.  If there is no current, it is a fairly simple swim past the ship’s signature satellite dishes aft, to the gaping hole of the balloon hanger.  This massive room once launched weather balloons transporting sensor technology for the ship’s primary mission during its life as an Air Force ship doing missile tracking.  Now, it is filled with thick schools of tropical fish who seek the shelter of its wide open spaces.  If there is a current, you may have to slip slightly below 70 feet to stay along the ship’s structure and reach this part of the vessel. 

For the advanced diver, the first main deck can be reached at about 85 feet and this is the depth where the vast majority of the exterior of the ship can be seen.  Just below this deck, there is a covered companion way on both sides of the ship stretching for about 70% of its length.  At this level, you can circumnavigate the entire length of the 518 foot ship, providing you have the stamina and the gas supply.   The ship has been significantly opened up to allow both marine life and divers to see inside, but it is still a shipwreck and many of the added openings are at or near the maximum recreational limit so trained divers must be extremely careful entering this ship and the untrained simply shouldn’t go.  However, peering inside will reveal an even larger abundance of marine life and also some interesting structures.  Perched atop the main deck is a square box like room nearly amid ship with a false floor.  The decking is all but gone now and what remains is the support grid positioned to allow hundreds of heavy computer cables to be run to the various devices used to track missile launches, NASA’s first space shots, and other atmospheric wonders.  On a bright sunny day with good vis, take the time to peer up from this position and see the light filtering through the satellite dishes which from below frequently look like giant bowls filled with schooling fish. 

In spite of the numerous cut and blown holes that were necessary for the ships sink plan, the wreck still has great potential for training limited and full penetration divers as well as great allure for those already certified.  In only 105 feet of water, there are two companion ways to each side but inside the ship which provide a straight linear nearly 470 feet of penetration with a few exits along the way.  This is the technical wreck instructor’s dream training location as the entire passageway creates a minor restriction and passes some of the key focal points to see in this wreck.  Extending nearly 70 feet from top to bottom, the AMR space contains scaffolding, ladders and grids that seem to attract marine life like a magnet and that is just the beginning of where you can go inside the ship. 

There are several dive operators running nearly daily trips to the Vandenberg.  Most will require a dive guide for divers that do not hold advanced certification.  The guides are available on nearly every run at usually a very small cost which makes this dive still well worth the price.  It is difficult to get support for technical diving in Key West, although this is rapidly changing.  SubTropic Dive Center on Roosevelt has been purchased by new owners and will offer technical gases, technical charters, and full support for technical and CCR divers when it reopens in January as SEAduction of Key West. ■