Scuba Diving Grand Cayman - USS Kittiwake

This is the top wreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the best in the Caribbean. The USS Kittiwake has been on the reef for a less than two years ago and the shipwreck site is maturing well.  The ship has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and around 50 feet high.  The ship was designated for performing submarine rescues and was launched on July 10, 1945 and which was sunk in Grand Cayman on  January 5, 2011.

The following is a description of the dive, some history and other information about the shipwreck and an synopsis of what you will see on the shipwreck.  You can see the complete [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery/Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/ photo gallery]  on the web site and see the blog article for the [http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/dive-site-reviews-and-listings/dive-sites/scuba-diving-grand-cayman-uss-kittiwake-shipwreck/  USS Kittiwake] for more information on the wreck along with a history of the ship.

The Dive:

The vessel was  reefed January 5, 2011 off the west side of the island at the end of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.

There are five decks on the [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000Wcb0w0RopvI USS Kittiwake]. A portion of the upper part of the ship was removed to meet cayman requirements The are two bridges on the upper decks along with the navigation and radio rooms. The sonar has been removed from the ship. The Captain and executive officer's quarters are located on the upper decks

On the main deck, from bow to stern, internally you will find the mess hall, toolshop, recompression chambers and rec room. You will see an  [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000nrOSPnFJRtU a-frame structure] on the stern which supported submarines and hard hat divers, along with the diving bell where divers would enter to return to the ship from the ocean and then be placed in the chambers for decompression.

The crews quarters, the engine room and medical facilities are located below the main deck along with ,[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000QmV9jUuDJyQ  air bank storage] and compressors, as well as ammunition lockers, cold storage, barber shop and other areas. While the USS Kittiwake has been opened up with big[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000evHtkg3GaYQ  access holes] both vertically and horizontally, all of the space on the boat was used when the boat was in service.

Make sure to chart your dive adequately. One approach would be to begin at the stern before entry into the ship to get pictures near the[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000MlfKl.47lgI  "USS Kittiwake" logo] on the stern and in addition get photographs by the propeller.  For Divers that intend on penetrating the wreck, you can then make your way to the top of the ship and enter via the main funnel which is located on the Top Deck.  Should you not intend on penetrating the wreck you may start your investigation of the ship on the deck just above the Screw..

The main [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000ndu7PcxF.bM entry through the funnel makes an excellent underwater photograph] and I would suggest taking the photo looking up from the bottom of the funnel to the top of the funnel.  I would suggest silhouetting one of your dive buddies diving down into the shipwreck.  You can exit into the ship on several of the decks including the first platform or in the hold.  Note the hold deck does not have any exterior exit points and is not recommended for divers that do not have an advanced certification and prior wreck experience.  When you exit to the first platform you will see the Engineering logo in the Motor Room section.  This section can be accessed easily and makes for a very interesting underwater photograph near the "[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000Y0UeUwX5JJc Engineering Mural]".  The silt may be heavy at this point so you should move gradually to prevent stirring up the sediment.  For advanced divers you may also look at shaft alley and the front hold sections of the shipwreck.  For other divers you can view the assorted compartments on the first platform and after that start going  up one deck at a time and then finally arriving at the Bridge (Pilot House) where you can do you safety stop as it is at about 5 to 6 meters or 15 to 18 feet.

Check out photographs of additional [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery/Shipwrecks/G0000OtMyTETA74I/ shipwrecks] on  http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com or visit  his [http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/dive-site-reviews-and-listings/dive-sites/scuba-diving-grand-cayman-uss-kittiwake-shipwreck/ blog] for critiques of specific shipwrecks.