Dive the
USS ORISKANY
The USS Oriskany (CV/CVA 34) was a US Navy Essex-class aircraft carrier purposefully sank about 25 miles Southeast of Pensacola Pass.
At 888 ft long, 148ft wide and 129ft tall, it´s difficult to appreciate the size of the USS Oriskany until you actually dive it. The Island, in it´s current state, consists of eight decks stretching from the Flight Deck at 146ft to the 011 Tower Deck at 84ft. Recreational scuba divers can do dozens of dives shallower than 130ft, and still make new discoveries on each successive dive.
Scuba divers aboard the Niuhi are provided with a detailed briefing of the dive site prior to arrival. Our divemasters use detailed maps and diagrams to point out places of interest and will share important tips that will help you get the most out of your Oriskany diving experience.
Recreational divers are expected to return to the boat with no less than 500psi remaining in their tanks, and are not allowed to conduct decompression dives.
Technical Diving on the
Oriskany Wreck
Technical divers can explore the lower tower decks, the flight deck, and the hull, which, on the exterior at least, extends to the sand at 212ft of water. Technical divers are expected to provide a written dive plan to the Captain, which includes planned travel routes, decompression schedule, and total dive run times. Rebreather divers will need to spend a few minutes with the captain or divemaster explaining their individual rigs. Divers are required to produce proof of certification for the level they plan to dive (i.e. Advanced Trimix Certification for a dive to the Oriskany screws).
Please contact Captain Andy in advance if you have any questions about conducting technical dives aboard the Niuhi. Captain Andy has completed technical dives on the Oriskany, and may be able to provide you with detailed information that could help you with planning.
USS Oriskany Dive Depths
Listed below are the current, approximate depths of the USS Oriskany. There is a slight list, which causes one side to be a bit shallower than the other. Please note that these depths are subject to change due to storm activity, and should not be relied upon for dive planning purposes without personal verification.
- Top of Oriskany: 84ft (26m)
- Primary Flight Bridge: 105ft (32m)
- Navigation Bridge: 124ft (38m)
- Flag Bridge: 134ft (41m)
- Flight Deck: 146ft (45m)
- Hangar Bay: 175ft (53m)
Additional Pensacola Wreck Dives
Brass Wreck
The Brass Wreck is a 250ft long vessel believed to be a 19th Century wooden schooner. It got its name from the thousands of brass pins sticking out of its iron ribs. The wreck has never been positively identified, and it's unknown how it found its way to the bottom in...
Avocet
The Avocet is a 247ft long, 40ft wide, 2,640-ton clamshell dredge built in 1943. The Avocet was intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef site #20 in May of 1991. The Avocet has a breach spanning it's beam, and separating the hull into two sections about seven...
Antares
Located approximately 21 miles ESE of Pensacola Pass, This is a great dive with structure at 90 to 130 feet deep. The M/S Antares is a 387ft freighter intentionally sank on September 27, 1995. At the time of sinking, the Antares was the largest artificial reef in...