By Rick Stratton
Publisher, Dive News Network

Howe Sound, located just North of the City of Vancouver British Columbia offer some of the best access to scuba diving on the BC mainland. Once devastated by the industrial base of logging, pulp mills and mining, combined with the loss of fish stocks, the area has had an incredible rebound in recent years.  

For divers needing adventure, Howe Sound is your spot. The Sound stretches along mainland Vancouver’s northwestern shore, to the foothills of the Coastal Mountains. Howe Sound is triangular in shape and is a network of fjords. There are several islands in the sound and three are large and mountainous.

While out in the Sound on boat dives you will discover sea life and terrain you just can’t find anywhere else in the world. This is where underwater photographers will find wolf eels, octopus, cabezon and lingcod all waiting for their turn in front of the camera. Orange and white swimming anemones, small crabs, hydroids and frosted nudibranchs welcome divers to the area. This is a dive destination that will call you back over and over again.

Dive boat operators pick up their divers in Horseshoe Bay for 2-tank charters. One such charter is Sea Dragon Charters which is based in Vancouver, BC but operates two boats, one out of both Howe Sound and one out of Nanaimo. Owner Kevin Breckman has been captaining these waters for over 12 years and he knows where all the good dive sites are. “Howe Sound is a fjord so the water is deep,” says Breckman. “We have exquisite sea mounts and pinnacles.” Breckman adds that although the water is often a mix of salt water and fresh water run off the viz is still good. “It often makes a difference if there is a lot of run off,” Breckman says. “However the diving in Howe Sound is not much different than most ocean diving. There are times when there is a cloud layer on top of the water but you can dive 20 ft. and come out into crystal clear viz.”

Breckman says that the sea life in Howe Sound is marching back and it makes for some pretty amazing diving these days. “We have huge fields of cloud sponges as well as wolf eels and everything else you can expect to find in the waters off British Columbia. The truly amazing thing is the color, which BC is known for; Howe Sound has that incredible array of colors too making it a great place to take underwater photos.” Locations good for close-up photography are Bird Islet, where you can find yellow sea pens, small sculpins and brittle stars. Cowan Point is equally good for zoanthids, hairy-spined crabs and crimson anemones and groups of sea lions are fun to dive with during winter months, creating great video.

There are approximate 30 dive sites that the Sea Dragon crew will take divers to. Breckman mentions the “Dragon’s Den”. “We just discovered this dive site,” Breckman says. “It is a steep, sheer wall that is more for the experienced diver but what a great place it is to dive. At 65 ft. you come across deep caverns and sea anemones that are actually growing upside down giving the dive a cave-like feel. There are an incredible number of war bonnets in this area.” Breckman also mentions the “Stairway to Heaven” dive site. “We also just discovered this dive site and it is also a wall dive,” Breckman says. “There are a large number of rockfish here, and I do mean large…and some very large lingcod who snack on them.

There are a number of other dive sites in Howe Sound that bear mentioning. Porteau Cove Provincial Marine Park is a popular spot for weekend divers. Porteau Cove was set up just for divers with a series of tire chains, concrete blocks and steel ‘H’ Beams that were sunk as an artificial reef. This site attracts a wide variety of marine life, including octopus, plumose anemones, lingcod, and shrimp. There are also 3 small wrecks, The Granthall a 28m, steel-hulled CPR tugboat, the Centennial III, an 11 meter steel dredge tender, and a 15 meter sailboat hull. The Nayaka, a 125 ft. minesweeper is also in this area however it is for more experienced divers. Another popular dive site is Pam Rocks. This is a boat dive and is a mix of rocky outcrops and sandy slopes, descending to depths of around 30 ft. The area is known for the colony of seals that play here as well as a group of tube-dwelling anemones, sea firs, short-spined stars, and clams.

There are a number of dive sites around Gambier Island. Halkett Wall is a steep wall to over 100 ft.  Gambier Island East Wall is a deep wall and a shallow wall, with a sloped sand ledge between.  Ekins Point offer a gentle slope with some rolling hills and a max depth around 33 ft.   There are plenty of other sites not included in this summary, just a short list includes Hutt wall, Hutt Rock, Worlecombe Island, Christie Islett, Passage Island,  Seymore Wall, Reefmaster, Salmon Rock, Keats Island Wall, Dorman Bay, Royse Rock, and many more. 

Breckman says that all of these sites as well as some 25 others offer divers a unique look into the marine life off the shores of British Columbia. “The dive sites are so different in different areas that a diver could spend weeks here and never dive the same site twice,” Breckman says. “We have walls, pinnacles, sea mounts, wrecks, easy dives, advanced dives…to be honest,  no matter what level of diver you are, Howe Sound can accommodate you.” Breckman adds that his charter service crew doesn’t have a problem doing some traveling to get to the dive site you want either. “Our primary vessel is a big, fast boat,” says Breckman. “We have traveled as much as 30 nautical miles in a day to accommodate divers. We are not afraid to do a little traveling.”

According to Jan Breckman –co-owner of the Sea Dragon, one of the key benefits to coming to Howe Sound is that the area can be easily be explored without having to get on an expensive and time consuming ferry. “ There is a nice hotel right in Horseshoe Bay in walking distance of the boat, restaurants, pubs, etc.  The Sea Dragon has an on-board compressor for diver’s convenience and is a wide, roomy, diver-friendly vessel, fully protected from the elements for winter diving in Howe Sound.” said Breckman.

If you haven’t considered heading to Howe Sound for diving; this might be a good time to change your mind. The diving offers sea life that is both plentiful and colourful and the dive charters are ready and willing to take you where you want to go. So pack up that gear and head north…it appears to be where all the fun is. ■

Special Thanks To:
The Breckmans
Sea Dragon Charters

Roy Mulder
President
Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of British Columbia

Michael Meagher
Michael Meagher Productions

By Mike Hughes
Writer, Dive News Network

During WWII German U-boats infiltrated the waters off the coast of North Carolina on many long-range missions. Most were sent to seek out and destroy ships and interrupt the supply line to Europe, while others were sent over for more clandestine operations. It was a secretive and dangerous time. Today the North Carolina coastal waters still hold those secrets of old but divers now have the pleasure of diving back in time to visit these stealthy war machines.

Out of the nine U-boats mentioned in this article, three remain diveable off the coastline. Of those remaining, one was lost off the coast and presumed to be in deep waters or buried under sand, three inflicted casualties along the coastline, but were then sunk elsewhere, and at least two survived the onslaught of the war, but were scuttled elsewhere rather than surrender the military vessels to the Allies after the death of Hitler and defeat of Germany. The rest inflicted carnage in local waters and then sunk to become popular N.C. wreck dive sites and with seventy years of underwater activity, some of these sites have become popular not only as submerged vessels, but as thriving isolated sea gardens filled with tons of fish and invertebrate life.

U-352
The U-352 is probably the most well known submarine sunk off the coast. The hull is in relatively good shape and the plethora of sea life makes a great backdrop for underwater photos. It rests at 90-110 ft. in waters ranging in temp from 75 to 80 in the summertime. Commander KL Rathke fired 4 torpedoes from this sub at one ship that never hit or detonated. A few days later he fired two more torpedoes with the same effect on what turned out to be the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus.  After five depth charges, the U-352 surfaced to abandon ship and Rathke gave orders to scuttle the already damaged vessel in May of 1942. Dale A Hansen, a diver from Discovery Diving in Beaufort has made a CD with pictures of the U-352, the prisoners taken, video clips of the wreck, and photos and names of many tropical species of fish inhabiting the wreck now. He also has a book at the dive shop about some of the major wrecks in the area including what they looked like, and what the wrecks look like now from a diver’s perspective. Several charter operations frequently run dedicated trips to this site.

U-85
The U-85 near Nags Head and the Bodie Island Lighthouse can have warm water at the surface but can cool down to the 50’s at 100-110 ft. This submarine has had more items removed from it than the U-352. A hatch from the U-85 is displayed at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse museum in Buxton. Two oak boxes with enigma code machine parts were recovered from inside the wreck in 1997. It’s the only VIIB class sub in American waters. It sank three ships before a USS Roper depth charge destroyed it April 14, 1942. The R/V Go Between makes two runs a week out here when weather is favorable.

U-701
The U-701 sank nine ships before a Lockheed Hudson A-29 dropped three depth charges and sank the U-boat July 7, 1942. Commander KL Degen sank the small-armed trawler YP-389 with his 88mm deck gun before it sank. The trawler rests at 300 ft. off North Carolina.  Degen also sank the tanker SS William Rockefeller. The U-701 remained hidden under shifting sands north of Diamond Shoals until discovered in 1989 by Uwe Lovas. His crew kept the site a secret for 15 years. By 2004 the site coordinates became public and looters soon took a heavy toll on the structure. As many as 17 crewmembers escaped the abandoned vessel, but the coast guard picked up only seven, including Degen. The conning tower, the stern, and deck gun have been exposed above the sand for quite some time. The vessel lists on its side by 45 degrees. Amber Jacks and Sand Tiger sharks frequent the wreck. Strong currents may make it impossible to dive this site at certain times; make sure to check the charts before heading out.

U-576
The U-576 fired four torpedoes sinking the motor merchant Bluefields in deep water and damaging two other vessels off the N.C. coastline, before it was depth charged by a US Kingfisher aircraft. It was lost near Cape Hatteras July 15, 1942. The U-576 has never been publicly seen or heard of again although divers still search for it today.

U-158
The U-158 sank a total of 17 ships before being sunk itself near Bermuda by a PBM Mariner June 30, 1942. Among its victims were the Caribe Sea, sunk March 11, 1942, the tanker John D. Gill sunk 25 miles off Cape Fear March 3, 1942 and the Ario sunk near Cape Lookout March 15, 1942. There were many other vessels badly damaged by the U-158 as well.

U-124
The U-124 had an impressive record with 11 patrols and 46 ships sunk. The U-124 was responsible for sinking the W.E. Hutton, the Casandra Louloudis, the tanker E.M. Clark all March 18, 1942 followed by the SS Papoose March 19, 1942 and the SS Naeco March 23, 1942. She was also credited with damaging other ships such as the Acme.

U-402
The U-402 sank in the middle of the Atlantic Oct. 13, 1943. To its credit the U-402 sank the 412 ft. long Russian tanker Ashkhabad April 29, 1942 off Cape Lookout. The tanker came to rest in 55 ft. of water, but had to be blown apart as it was a navigational hazard. Boilers and parts of the bow section remain for divers to explore.

U-552
The U-552 was scuttled May 2, 1945. It added many a ship to the N.C. coastline such as the 435 ft. long American steamer Tamaulipas April 2, 1942, the Bryon D. Benson April 5, 1942, the motor tanker British Splendor April 7, 1942, and the 446 ft. long Atlas April 9, 1942.

U-71
The U-71 was scuttled May 2, 1945. The U-71 sank the 485 ft. long Dixie Arrow near the outer banks May 26, 1942. As you can surmise, 1942 was a deadly year for Allied ships near North Carolina. By the end of 1942, Axis U-boats were more likely to be destroyed by planes than by ships, and because of this fact, U-boat deck guns were no longer installed on newer models; from then on the primary defense of U-boats was to dive and hide. Torpedoes were just as likely to miss or run wild, as they were to detonate as planned. Minefields laid off the N.C coast by U-boats were almost as deadly as the torpedoes themselves. Many ships went down during the war years, and many lives on both sides were lost. The vessel remnants offer divers a chance to see history through the wrecks as well as see the final resting place for many a crew. The prey ships and predator

U-boats have now become reefs for millions of fish and invertebrates.  Knowing the background behind these dive sites makes diving them much more interesting, more thought provoking, and above all, a more personal underwater experience.

Alabama is home to 77,000 navigable miles of water which makes it second only to Alaska when it comes to looking for a site wet enough to dive in. If that isn't enough, Alabama has 35miles of white sand beaches and while the water may dip to 55 degrees in the winter, it rises in the summer up in the 80’s. Finally, Alabama was one of the first states to start an artificial reef program as early as 1953. From the 250 automobiles then to the 100 M60 battle tanks in 1987, to the recent sinking of culverts, demolished bridge rubble, and liberty ships, there is a plethora of dive sites to explore.

Rick Stratton and I asked some of the locals what their favorite sites were, and here are some of the answers we got:

Forrest Phillips from Southern Skin Divers Supply in Birmingham, which started in 1953, said that it wasn’t so much his favorite sites, but his favorite types of diving. On the one hand he enjoys artifact diving and to him, he doesn't care how murky the river gets, he is more interested in what the water holds. Forrest and his dive buddies have found 6inch Megalodon shark teeth, Cobb spear points, coins, ceramic pot, jugs, and vintage bottles. The public waterways of Alabama are rich in history and host Civil War artifacts.

On the other hand, Forrest is a big spearfishing enthusiast. Red snapper are huge in Alabama waters. It’s common to catch 15 to 25lbs fish. Forrest once speared (not caught) a 29 and a 23 pounder in less than a minute on a dive. The limit is two fish, and that's almost 53lbs of fish total for just that one dive. A spear like this is not surprising considering all the local artificial reefs. Statistically, 30 to 40% of all recreational red snapper are caught off Alabama, and Alabama comprises only 5% of the northern Gulf of Mexico waters.

Lawren McCaghren of Gulf Coast Divers in Mobile, which has been in business since 1972, also enjoys spearfishing, especially around the gas and oil rigs. Gulf Coast Divers also has 6 pack charter boats that routinely go out around Dolphin Island and Perdido Pass where you can dive pier pilings on the east side, and the jetty on the west side. One of Lawren's favorite dives it to hunt for lobster in a large natural limestone reef area named Trysler Grounds. It's about 20miles south of Perdido Bay. You'll find lots of soft corals here as well as spotted moray eels and lionfish. Dutch Banks is another local natural reef, but much smaller in size.

Gary Emerson of Gary’s Gulf Divers in Orange Beach goes out to the Trysler Grounds on a 6 pack 30’ Hydrocat. Two other popular sites that he goes to include the Oriskany which is an aircraft carrier sunk in 2006, that is 911ft long, 150ft wide, and 150ft tall sunk in Florida’s waters, but You can get there from Orange Beach by boat in about 1 ½ hours or less. Along the way don’t be surprised to see turtles including leatherbacks leisurely floating on the surface. It’s 80ft to the smoke stacks of the Oriskany, 120ft to the bridge, and 145ft to the flight deck. If you are a tech diver, the hangar bay is at 175ft. If you are truly lucky, you may even see a whale shark while on this dive.

The other popular dive is the Navy Tug. It’s only 85ft deep and 80-100ft long. The top of it was blown off during a hurricane, but with vis running 40-50ft even when other sites are having a bad day of vis, this site still has lots of critters to view. Some suspects include grouper, amberjacks, angelfish, and more.

Jim Mahan an instructor at Down Under Dive Shop in Gulf Shores has been diving since 1973. He says that there are over 300 local dive sites, and it only takes two to three weeks after something is sunk before it is full life. He and the folks from Down Under Dive Shop have a 46’ Newton Dive Special that you can charter out to the local dive sites. The boat can take a max of 20 divers, can hold 72tanks, and has two camera tables as well as two dive ladders, just to name a few of the amenities.

Some of the wrecks and artificial sites that I won’t have room to mention include:  Diving around the Tensaw River Bridge, the I-10 Black River Bridge Rubble, The Hopper Barge, the 387ft long wreck of the Antares, the Hugh Swingle General Permit Area and Don Kelly North General Permit Area where most of the battle tanks are located. There is also the 105 tug, the 151 tug, the Mobil Oil Platform, the buffalo barges, the dry dock, UNOCAL #254, and last but not least there are three 441.6ft long and 57ft wide liberty ships nearby; the Allen, the Sparkman, and the Wallace. Did I name them all? Not even close.

Before I forget, Gary Emerson also wanted me to mention one of the best shore dives and that would be the Alabama Point Jetties. The area is only 15-35ft deep, but if you go on a high tide to hold off the fresh river water, you can see 5ft stingrays, Octos in the rocks, and mantis shrimp. On a night dive expect to find plenty of flounder resting on the sand and rock substratum. The Whiskey Wreck is 150yards off shore in front of Bahama Bobs Restaurant on west beach in Gulf Shores. The wreck is 200ft long and scattered in 300 square feet. Alabama Point Bridge and the Alabama Point Sea Wall are two other well-known shore dive locations.

Lastly, there are a few lakes and water filled quarries that locals like to frequent and hang out with trout, sunfish, bluegill, carp, bass, and turtles. Quarries run seasonal hours so check availability and current fees before you go. The Madison Quarry is 55ft deep max on 7acres of water and contains a mock up wing from Skylab, a F4 Phantom jet, a Minuteman Missile, a Titan Missile Nose Cone, a fire truck, boats, etc. If all this isn’t enough, Britt Clark tells me that they have a Greek Restaurant run by Demetrius Dedes that brings non-divers up here just for the food; typically open from May to September. Alabama Blue Water Adventures has a max depth of 150ft and a 26acre water field. Below water you’ll find a school bus, two 1940’s fire trucks, steel boxes, cars, and boats. Dive Land Park is a picturesque quarry that dips down to 150ft of depth and offers a navigation course and buoyancy rings. Lake Martin offers dime size jellyfish in the summer and 80lb catfish, but most of all, after the parties and concerts near Kowaliga Marina, divers go out in search of keys, rings, and cell phones . . .and I’ve run out of space.
As for a sumptuous summery summary, just read the article over a couple of more times, then the first chance you get go enjoy some sweet home Alabama diving. Great Dives! ■

Special thanks to:

Forrest Phillips from Southern Skin· Divers Supply in Birmingham, AL
Lawren McCaghren of Gulf Coast Divers in Mobile, AL
Gary Emerson of Gary’s Gulf Divers in Orange Beach, AL
Jim Mahan, an instructor at Down Under Dive Shop in Gulf Shores, AL

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. ■