Wreck diving Grand Cayman - USS Kittiwak

This is the top shipwreck dive in Grand Cayman and one of the top ten in the Caribbean.  The USS Kittiwake has been on the reef for a little over one year and the shipwreck site is maturing well.  The shipwreck has five decks, is 251.6 ft (76.7 m) in length, 42ft (12.8 m) in beam and around 50 feet high.  The vessel was designated for submarine rescue and was launched on July 10, 1945 and was sunk in Grand Cayman on  January 5, 2011.

The following is a description of what to expect on the dive  some history about the ship and other data regarding the shipwreck and an guide of what you can find on the wreck.  You can see the complete [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery/Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/ photo gallery]  on the web site and/or see the internet blogsite 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 wreck along with a history of the ship.

The Dive site:

The vessel 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]. A portion of the upper part of the ship was removed to meet cayman requirements The are two bridges on the upper decks (both an external and internal bridge to allow operations in heavy seas) along with the navigation and radio rooms. The sonar was also removed. The Captain and executive officer's quarters are also on the upper decks.

On the main deck, from bow to stern, internally you will find a number of different rooms or work areas including the recompresson chambers, the rec room and toolshop. You will also see a large [http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000nrOSPnFJRtU a-frame structure] on the stern that rescue divers, as well as the diving bell which 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 the steering gear, shaft, gyro, ammunition lockers, cold storage and barber shop to name a few areas. While there are now a number of  large[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000evHtkg3GaYQ  access holes] both vertically and horizontally, all of the space on the ship was used when the boat was in service.

Be sure to chart your dive adequately. I would recommend heading to the stern prior to entering into the ship to take 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 photographs by the screw (propeller) and rudder.  For Scuba Divers that plan on penetrating the shipwreck, after you leave the stern make your way to the top of the ship and enter via the funnel which is located on the Bridge Deck.  Should you not plan on entering the wreck you should begin your exploration on the deck just above the Screw..

The [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 then exit the shaft on the first platform or in the cargo hold.  The cargo hold should only be entered by experienced advanced divers.  When you exit to the first platform you will be able to see the Engineering logo in the Motor Room section.  This section can be accessed easily  and makes for a extremely interesting underwater photograph close to the "[http://stevenwsmeltzer.com/gallery-image/USS-Kittiwake-Grand-Cayman/G0000JtpXOPWAQac/I0000Y0UeUwX5JJc Engineering Mural]".  The silt may be heavy in this location so you need to move gradually to prevent clouding up the water.  For experienced divers you can also explore shaft alley as well as the front hold sections of the shipwreck.  For other divers you may explore a variety of areas on the first platform and after that begin going  up deck by deck until 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 photos 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 evaluations of specific shipwrecks.