Scuba Dive – Vandenberg Wreck

The Vandenberg

• Wreck lies approximately seven miles south of Key West and sits in 140’ of water, the main deck is at 95’. The wreck sits upright and is 522’ long and 71’ wide. Prior to being sunk to create an artificial reef on May 27, 2009, the Vandenberg served in World War II as an allied military troop transport ship.
• This wreck was rated as the number 1 wreck in the world by the readers of Scuba Diving Magazine. She’s the second largest artificial reef in the world and bucket-list dive for many experienced divers! The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg has become famous as “the best artificial reef dive site for recreational divers worldwide!” The 500-foot Vandenberg served as a troop transport ship and missile-tracking ship.
• The Vandenberg is located approximately 6 miles SSE of Key West in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). She sits in 140 feet of water, though the superstructure of the wreck reaches to within about 40 feet of the surface. The artificial reef presents a variety of challenges to divers of all experience levels, so a professional guide is required for all dives. Please read the important terms and conditions of diving on the Vandenberg (below) before booking this dive trip.

Cayman Salvage Master The Cayman Salvage Master is a 187’ long steel hulled bouy tender. The vessel was built for the United States Coast Guard in 1937. She currently lies upright in 90’ of water approximately seven miles off Key West. She initially sat on her side but was later righted by Hurricane Kate in 1985. The Cayman is home to large marine life such as Goliath groupers, moray eels and jacks.  

What to Expect & What To Bring

We provide ice water and a large cooler filled with ice. So please feel free to bring your favorite drinks and snacks. The boat has two fresh water showers for rinsing yourself off, a camera bucket for photo/ video gear and a rinse bucket for masks. In addition to snacks and drinks, we suggest that you bring a towel, sun screen, and a change of clothes.

Dive Boat

• Sea Eagle is a Newton 46’ Dive Special - roomy & comfortable
• 2 levels, enjoy plenty of sunshine or stay in the shade
• Amenities include a camera table & rinse bins, two large dive ladders, swim platform, enclosed marine head (bathroom), fresh water showers, spacious bow, and state of the art electronics
• Twin Cummins engines which supply over 800hp - custom dive boat with every amenity a diver needs

Important Medical Information You are responsible to make sure you are medically qualified to participate in this activity. No refunds will be given to those deemed medically unqualified. This is for your safety. A medical history form must be completed by all divers prior to participating in this activity.    

Vandenberg Dive Trip Terms and Conditions

The dive tour operator has initiated protocol that will determine the level of experience of each diver. This will help them monitor safety while placing each diver in a group with similar experience and not penalizing divers who may be more qualified.

An accurate and working log book gives the tour operator a much better idea about a diver’s level of experience and the date of their last dive. A current diver is one who has dived within the past year. For your safety, the dive tour operator reserves the right to evaluate each diver and place them in the proper group. Certification cards and log books are required to show your experience level.

Safety is everyone’s primary concern. Because of the scale and complexity of this wreck the tour operator will be taking all the necessary precautions. Not all divers will be allowed to penetrate the wreck. The Vandenberg has pre-designed and pre-constructed swim-throughs. The protocol for these areas will be specified in the tour operator’s site briefing. Many times conditions will determine the difficulty of the dive therefore the crew also reserves the right to reevaluate each diver’s skill level as well as the guided diver ratios while at the dive site.

A Guided Diver: A current open water diver within the recreational limits. This level will be under direct supervision of a professional guide. This will allow the group to explore the navigation-bridge deck, radar deck, the 2 satellite dishes, and most of the superstructure. Because of the extra crew, there will be an additional guide fee of $30 per diver. Programs are set up for divers at this level who demonstrate proficiency to qualify as a Vandenberg approved diver.

A Qualified Diver: Advanced diver or above with documented experience, with the proper functioning equipment, and within the recreational limits. The dive profile for this level can range from 40-120 feet, and because of the diversity of depth and time allowed, each diver will be required to have a dive computer. Exploring the wreck will be at your discretion, yet keep in mind there is too much to see in one dive!

A Technical Diver: The deep, technical, mixed gas, or rebreather diver. Divers at this level will be accommodated on a private charter basis. The size of your group will determine the crew, the boat, the equipment required, and the cost. A broad range of dive profiles including wreck penetration exist within this group, most outside the range of recreational diving. For this reason it will be difficult to set a standard for this level. The dive tour operator has the staff to accompany, supervise, or teach at this level. Please contact ToursKeyWest to discuss your needs.