Wreck diving Grand Cayman - USS Kittiwak

This is a great wreck dive in grand cayman and one of the best in the caribbean The USS Kittiwake was reefed a little over one year and the site is maturing very well.  The ship has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and approximately 50 feet high.  The ship was built for performing submarine rescues and was launched on July 10, 1945 and she was reefed in Grand Cayman on  January 5, 2011.

This article provides an overview of the dive,  a little history about the ship and other information concerning the vessel and an synopsis of what you will see on the shipwreck.  Review the entire [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery/Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/ photo gallery]  on the website and/or see the blog entry for the [http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/dive-site-reviews-and-listings/dive-sites/scuba-diving-grand-cayman-uss-kittiwake-shipwreck/  USS Kittiwake] for more data on the shipwreck along with a history about the ship.

The Dive site:

The ship was  reefed In january 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]. Externally, the crow's nest, mast and large stern a-frame have been cut down and remounted to make her height suitable for Cayman waters. The are two bridges on the upper decks along with the navigation and radio rooms. The has also 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 rescue divers, along with the diving bell that was used to retun divers to the ship and then to the recompression chambers

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 large[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000evHtkg3GaYQ  access holes] in the sides of the ship, all of the space on the vessel was used when the boat was in service.

Make sure to chart your dive adequately. I would recommend heading to the stern before entry into the shipwreck to get pictures around the[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000MlfKl.47lgI  "USS Kittiwake" logo] on the the backof the ship and in addition get pictures by the propeller.  For Scuba Divers that plan on entering the wreck, after you leave the stern make your way to the top of the ship and go into  the main funnel which is on on the Bridge Deck.  If you do not intend on entering the wreck you can begin your exploration on the deck just above the Screw..

The main [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000ndu7PcxF.bM funnel entry can be a great location for underwater photography] .  try silhouetting your dive partner in the shaft  diving down into the shipwreck.  You can exit into the ship on several of the decks including the first platform or in the hold.  The cargo hold should only be entered by experienced advanced divers.  On the first platform you will be able to see the Engineering emblem in the Motor Room section.  This section can be accessed easily  and makes for a extremely interesting underwater photo near the "[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000Y0UeUwX5JJc Engineering Mural]".  The silt may be heavy here so you should move slowly to prevent clouding up the water.  For experienced divers you should also look at shaft alley as well as the forward hold regions of the ship.  For other divers you may explore a variety of compartments on the first platform and after that begin going  up deck by deck 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.

Review images of other [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 other shipwrecks.