Spiegel Grove, Key Largo
Florida Keys
Spiegel Grove - Key Largo, FL
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.
Diving the Spiegel Grove Key Largo August 2016
Diving with Horizon Divers August 24, 2016
Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, FL
USS Spiegel Grove, Key Largo, FL: Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States. Sunk intentionally in 2002 as part of the artificial reef program.
Wreck Dive - Spiegel Grove - Key Largo Florida
The Spiegel Grove is a 510' Navy Dock Landing Ship with an 85' beam that was sunk of of Key Largo in 2002. It is in 130' of water and the deck is at 85'. This is the most popular wreck dive in the Florida Keys due to it' size and complexity that includes a helipad deck and multiple cranes as well as swim throughs in the bridge and superstructure that can be entered by recreational divers. It is serviced by most dive operators in Key Largo and requires an Advanced Certification. The wreck is a 20 minute boat ride south of Key Largo
USS SPIEGEL GROVE WRECK DIVE- KEY LARGO
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy.The ex-Spiegel Grove is located on Dixie Shoal, 6 miles (10 km) off the Florida Keys in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Her exact location is 25°04′00.2″N 80°18′00.7″W Coordinates: 25°04′00.2″N 80°18′00.7″W. For a scuba diver, this ship is a whopping 510 feet long and 84 feet wide; it is said that one can dive this wreck 100 times and still never see the entire thing. Her top deck is about 60 feet below the water's surface. The vessel's hull, which is a labyrinth inside, is as much as 135 feet under water, and silt can get kicked up and reduce visibility inside to almost zero, which can cause disorientation. The depth of the wreck requires that divers have an advanced diving certification.
How to Do Florida: Diving the Spiegel Grove Wreck, Key Largo
The Spiegel Grove, named for the Ohio estate of President Rutherford B. Hayes, was commissioned in 1956 and served for more than 30 years before joining the nation’s Mothball Fleet.
In its heyday, the Spiegel Beagle ferried troops and landing craft throughout the world during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The ship evacuated U.S. nationals from Beirut and assisted with the splashdown of Apollo 14.
But before the Spiegel Grove could become one of the most popular shipwreck dives in the U.S., workers had to make sure that its presence would not have an adverse impact on the fragile coral reefs of the Florida Keys.
So an industrial demolition and recycling company removed 400,000 linear feet of cable and flushed 110 fuel tanks in order to get the necessary environmental permits for sinking. They also welded doors and hatches shut, then scored another 83 holes to give diverse access throughout the super structure.
After nearly a decade of work, the ship arrived in Key Largo in the spring of 2002. But as the demolition crew prepared to sink the Spiegel, the ship flooded prematurely, flipped and when straight to the bottom.
Salvage crews righted the ship and laid it on its side, but the decks were much deeper than planned. The ship also ended up perpendicular to the current, making it more difficult for divers. But where man failed, Mother Nature prevailed. A summer storm came through and pushed the ship into an upright position.
Today, the upper decks can be reached at a depth of about 50 feet. The superstructure is teeming with tropical fish, another reason why this wreck is so popular with underwater photographers.
And while you are in the neighborhood, check out the former Coast Guard cutters Bibb and Duane, widely considered two of the best shipwreck dives in Florida. So, under ideal conditions, a diver can visit all three wrecks in two days.
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USS Spiegel Grove Dive in Key Largo, FL
Scuba diving on the USS Spiegel Grove, sunk in 2002 off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
Filmed on a GoPro Hero3+ with red filters and a stability rig.
Video and all exclusive rights are property of crackerjackstorybox
Spiegel Grove Key Largo, FL
Spiegel Grove video and Christ of the Abyss video, Key Largo with Oceandivers
Diving Key Largo in Florida, the Spiegel Grove and the Christ of the Abyss.
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) - Key Largo
My 1st wreck dive and my 1st Nitrox dive. What a cool time. Sorry for the abrupt ending when it was time to head back to the mooring line we came down on. The Spiegel Grove sits in 130 feet of water off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.
A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) is an amphibious warfare ship with a well dock to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles.
U.S.S Spiegel Grove
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) was a Thomaston-class of dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.
Diving the USCG Spiegel Grove - USA Flag at Key Largo, Florida
Diving the USCG Spiegel Grove at Key Largo, Florida; while greeted by the on-board Grouper.
Spiegel Grove Scuba Dive Key Largo, Florida July 2014
Scott and Lynda scuba diving the Spiegel Grove, artificial reef wreck, July 2014 in Key Largo, Florida. We were diving from a Boston Whaler Montauk 190.
Key Largo: Spiegel Grove
The beauty of this dive destination is its easy access to island living and 70 underwater sites. As the dive capital of the world, Key Largo has an abundance of colorful reefs and is a wreck mecca for divers of all levels. Watch the video to learn more about Key Largo's flagship wreck, the U.S.S. Spiegel Grove.
SPIEGEL GROVE Wreck Diving- Key Largo FL
Spiegel Grove wreck diving video at Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo, FL
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Penetration scuba dive on the USS Spiegel Grove in Key Largo Florida
Swimming down a hallway of the USS Spiegel Grove in Key Largo, Fl.
USS Spiegel Grove - Key Largo - 08-07-2014
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32) - Key Largo, FL - Diving with Ocean Divers
DIVING in KEY LARGO !! LIVING OUR BEST LIFE / SHARKS !!!
This week we decided to head down to Key Largo and work our way through the Keys this year. It was amazing, the water was so clear and beautiful. It was exactly what a post card would look like. I now have a new found respect and desire to dive in open waters and will be focusing on getting my own equipment.
Captain Slate was who we dove with along with his daughter Sky. I highly recommend working with them.
Here is a little about Key Largo.
Key Largo is the first of the fabulous Florida Keys and is the self-proclaimed Dive Capital of the World. It is home to the world's largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the African Queen. Everglades National Park is just a short trip away from Key Largo.
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City Of Washington shipwreck, Elbow Reef, Key Largo