Final Duty SINKING OF BIBB & DUANE
This video is the documentary of the USCGC Bibb and Duane's final journey to become an artificial reef in the Florida Keys. Both of the ships were reefed November of 1987 off the coast of Key Largo. These ships were referred to as the Secretary or 327-foot class cutters and were all named after former Secretaries of the Treasury Department.
The USCGC Ingham which was a sister-ship was decommissioned in Portsmouth, VA May 27th 1988, and now serves as a public museum.
For more information regarding the museum go to: uscgcingham.org
For more information regarding the dive site go to:
divespots.com/scuba-diving-spots/florida/florida-keys/key-largo/spots/uscg-duane
Video Footage Credit:
CAPT CORKY OF KEY LARGO
USCG Cutter Bibb
USCG Cutter Bibb, Key Largo Florida
USCG Bibb
Advance open water with Pirate Island Divers in Key largo Florida
I do not own the rights to any of the songs played!!
Yanni - Prelude
Yanni - Voyage
Howard Shore - Evenstar
Duane Wreck | Key Largo Wreck SCUBA Diving
Duane Wreck | Key Largo Wreck SCUBA Diving
Visit the link below to learn more about scuba diving the Duane Wreck.
The Duane Wreck is one of the most popular wrecks in the Florida Keys. While it's not nearly as massive as the Spiegel Grove Wreck which rests 7 miles northeast, you can take an amazing visit on a single dive with 32% Nitrox. However, we recommend doing a double dip to really enjoy the beauty of the Duane Wreck.
History of the Duane Wreck:
The USCGC William J. Duane (WPG-33), better known as the Duane, was one of seven 327ft Coast Guard Cutters built between 1935-1936. This specific vessel's keel was laid on May 1, 1935 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was then launched on June 3, 1936 as a search/rescue and law enforcement vessel.
These seven vessels were known as the Treasury/Secretary Coast Guard cutters which were all named after former Secretaries of the Treasury Department. The Duane was named for William John Duane, who served as the Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson.
The Duane served the United States Coast Guard for 49 years and became one of the oldest warship in service. After servicing the United States for nearly half a century, her age began to show. Replacement parts were nearly nonexistent and the Coast Guard decided it would be more feasible to decommission the Duane than to keep putting money into this cutter.
The Duane was decommissioned on August 1, 1985 and was laid up in Boston for two years. On November 27, 1987 the Duane was deliberately sunk of the coast of Key Largo to create this amazing artificial reef we advance open water divers get to explore! Then On May 16, 2002 the Diane Wreck was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Diving the Duane Wreck:
The amazing Duane Wreck rests upright at a maximum depth of 128ft. Her deck is around 102ft. The crow’s nest is close to 54ft and make sure to visit it as there's a hawks bill sea turtle that calls it home!
Duane Wreck | Key Largo Wreck SCUBA Diving
Diving on the USCG Bibb
A dive on the USCGC Bibb off of Key Largo, FL. It is 134 fsw to the sand and an incredibly neat wreck.
USCG Bibb
US Coast Guard Bibb
Jan 02 2013
Rainbow Reef Crew
GoPro HD3
U.S.C.G.C. Duane Key Largo, FL
USCG Cutter BIBB W 31 Ocean Station Bravo North Atlantic
USCG Cutter BIBB W 31 Ocean Station Bravo North Atlantic: Super 8 movie taken from the ship on Ocean Station Bravo in the North Atlantic in March 1967. This was a weather patrol done before the days of satellite weather. A weather balloon was launched twice a day, deep water samples were taken, rescue of other ships or airplanes were in the mission. For additional information on this trip check out the photos at :
Link updated March 2017
Contact me through the above links.
USS Duane, Key largo, FL
Wreck dive
Scuba Diving The Treasury Class US Coast Guard Cutter, The Duane | Key Largo, Florida | June 2018
Scuba Diving The Treasury Class US Coast Guard Cutter, The Duane | Key Largo, Florida | June 2018
USCGC Duane spearfishing
Spearfishing in florida keys. The spot this morning is The USCGC Duane, it was a cutter in the United States Coast Guard. Her keel was laid on May 1, 1935 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was launched on June 3, 1936 as a search and rescue and law enforcement vessel.
Wreck Diving / USCG Bibb
The USS Bibb wreck is a former Coast Guard ship built in 1937. The Bibb served in patrols and as a convoy escort during World War II. She took part in the invasion of Okinawa and was in service in Vietnam. The 327-foot vessel had a beam of 41 feet and drew 13 feet of water. The ship is in pristine condition.
In 1987, the Bibb and another cutter, the Duane, were stripped and prepared for sinking. The doors above the main deck were removed, but the hull was sealed. The Bibb rests on her starboard side in 130 feet of water. The port railing can be reached at 95 feet. Penetration is not recommend as there are many possible entanglements and obstructions, and often extremely stong currents.
The Bibb is close enough to the Gulfstream to have incredible visibiility and some very large marine life. Sharks and Goliath Grouper are routinely spotted here, as are hordes of smaller fishes and barracudas.
For the advanced wreck diver, the Bibb is a dive not to be missed!
USCGC Bibb
4 of us did the Florida Keys Wreck Trek and the Bibb was our first dive. The ship 327' and is laying on its starboard side, in 130' of water and it was a great dive. The song doesn't really go with the dive, but it is called Isla Del Sol by Guido Luciani which seemed appropriate for the trip.
U.S.S. Duane - Key Largo, FL
Video of the inner passage of the USS Duane in John Pennykamp National Park, Key Largo, Florida Keys
Key Largo, Florida; Diving the USCGC Duane - Scuba Adventure
Diving the USCGC W. Duane at Key Largo Florida.
A bit of history: - Per Wikipedia: The USCGC Duane was a cutter in the United States Coast Guard;. built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was launched on June 3, 1936 as a search and rescue and law enforcement vessel. Her construction started: May 1, 1935. and launched in June 3, 1936.
Wreck Diving on the USCGC - Duane HD1080p - Key Largo Florida - GoPro Hero4 Black
My first dive in this wreck which is one of the prime ones in Key Largo area and the USA! The dive was done on the 24th of December, just before Christmas.
History:
The USCGC Duane is a 327-foot cutter that was decommissioned on August 1st, 1985, as the oldest active U.S. military vessel that served in many duties in the North Atlantic and Viet Nam. As a convoy escort duty in 1942, served as the flag ship for Major General John O’Daniel who headed Operation Dragoon during the D-Day invasion and assisted in the sinking of a German U-Boat. The Duane has a connection to the history of the State of Florida. She served escort duty during the Mariel Boat Lift which brought thousands of Cuban Refugees to the Florida Keys in 1980. Her proudest accomplishments were the hundreds of lives saved during her service.
The Duane was sunk in 1987 and quickly became the number one wreck dive in the United States of America. She sits upright in the sand at a maximum depth of 125ft. Her deck is at 100ft. and top of the crow's nest and mast become visible just 50-60 feet below the surface. Many decks and rooms were intentionally left open to allow divers room to explore the interior of the cutter. Bring a dive light if you plan to penetrate the interior. The hull structure is completely intact with the original rudders, screws, railings, ladders and ports. You can see most any of the varied reef fish that Key Largo offers. The really exciting part of diving on the Duane is the squadron of Great Barracuda that patrol the area and the pelagic species that just might swim by such as Bull Sharks, White Sharks and the occasional Whale Shark in the early spring.
This dive is an advanced level dive with a great visibility at around 100 feet. All dive operators require either and Advanced Dive Certification with recent diving experience or to be able to show two eighty foot or deeper dives in your log book within the last 12 months.
Thank you to my friend Dudu for the recommendation!
Scuba Diving the USCGC Bibb
Bibb saw service in World War II. The ship fought in the Battle of the Atlantic serving as a convoy escort. In February 1943, the convoy came under attack and the SS Henry R. Mallory was torpedoed. Capt. Raney ignored the order to leave the survivors and went back and rescued 202 men from the icy waters. In 1944 Bibb provided convoy escort between the United States and North Africa — mainly to Bizerte in Tunisia. In January 1945 Bibb left Charleston, South Carolina for service in the Pacific theater where, as an AGC, she served temporarily as the flagship for Commander, Mine Craft, Pacific Fleet. Bibb is credited with destroying one Japanese kamikaze aircraft in action at Karema Retto.
In peacetime the Bibb spent time on ocean station providing weather information and beacons to trans-Atlantic traffic. While on ocean station, the Bibb came to the rescue of the airliner, the Bermuda Sky Queen. In the Vietnam War, the Bibb transported John Kerry after he was shot on his Swift boat.
Bibb was decommissioned in 1985 and remained docked until it was transported to the Florida Keys for use as an artificial reef. The ship was sunk in November 1987 just outside the coral reef tract, about six miles (10 km) offshore of the island of Key Largo. It lies on its side at a depth of about 130 feet (40 m). Nearby, a second Treasury-Class ship, the USCGC Duane (WPG-33) was also sunk as an artificial reef.
The Bibb rests at 24°59.71′N 80°22.77′WCoordinates: 24°59.71′N 80°22.77′W.
USCGC George M. Bibb Wreck 8-30-17
USCGC George M. Bibb Wreck
Key Largo, Florida
N 24 59 42.600 ; W 80 22 46.200
Deep Dive
8/30/2017
Diver – David DePriest SSI 826805 – Advanced
Weather – Sunny 86 deg F
Gasses – Nitrox 32% O2
Dive Time – 27 min
Max Depth – 109.2
Min Water Temp – 84 deg F
Max Water Temp – 86 deg F
GoPro HERO5 Black – 1080p Wide – 120 fps
Polarpro Red Filter
Rainbow Reef Dive Center – Tropical Odyssey
Intro Music - Happy Bee by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
USS Duane Key Largo Florida Dive 1
USS Coast Guard Cutter Duane is 327Ft long built in 1936. Served in WWII and Vietnam. Sits in 120Ft of water to the sand. Pretty nice dive. Current is strong most of the dive until you get the the ship.
Key Largo - Shipwreck Diving 2018
Diving with Florida Keys Dive Center on the shipwrecks of the Duane and Spiegel Grove.