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>The fact is that there are many wrecks out there which have over the
>years completely disintegrated and are now buried under tons of sand.
The voice of sanity in an insane world ( um . . list ).
I love to dive wrecks, and do so about once a week.
I dive the Dominator off Palos Verdes, CA on a regular basis. Ran hard
aground in the 1960's, she is a big Victory class freighter, one of
thousands rotting away all over the world. Hardcore dive in heavy surf, very
shallow dive, 25 feet or less, it looks kinda like a junkyard filled with
sharp metal, and the surge is insane. Very few wreck divers would ever want
to dive this wreck, recreational divers never would try it. I dig up and
recover a four inch brass valve, take it home, clean it and it's now a
beautiful lamp. It is a prized posession and a memory of one of my favorite
dive sites.
Educate me please, where is the harm in this ?
I dive many small wrecks, sailboats and powerboats that have sunk over the
last twenty years in the Southern California area. These Macgregors and
Baylinders and Searays litter the ocean flor all over the world. Cheap
production line fiberglass boats. These are wrecks that no one dives because
I and my dive buds are the ones that found them. I find and recover
everything from winches, masts and anchors, which I sell, to things like
cylinders, dive lights and Trader Joes' Mango Chutney Salsa and Calloway
Chardonnay. These thing I keep for myself. I make a little money, and now
have more dive lights that the Pelican factory. I have more craftsman tools
recovered from these wreck that all the mechanics at the Indy 500. I love
this stuff.
Educate me please, where is the harm in this ?
I dive the wreck of the Diosa Del Mar off Shiprock, Catalina Island. Way
down deep I recover the 180 pound rudder and rudder shaft. Deeper than most
divers care to dive. After five dives I extract it from the reef's nook and
cranny that it was wedged in and lift it. I restored it and it's now a booth
display when I do the trade shows, like SCUBA '98. I am so proud of that
piece, and what a great way to show divers and non-divers how precious our
maritime history is, even with just this piece of junk.
Educate me please, where is the harm in this ?
Big 18th century anchor, found in the middle of no where in a bay of sand,
now my mailbox.
Big welding cylinder from the Valiant, found inside the engine room, now an
umbrella stand.
Four feet of 2" brass steam pipe from the destroyer escort Butler, from deep
inside her, now a beautiful coat rack.
I could go on, and on. But you all get the picture. These are all wrecks of
ZERO archeological value, all that very few people dive ( except for the
Valiant ), and all the items I recover I have put to my own use, HOWEVER I
SEE FIT. And everything recovered would never have been found, or was in the
process of rotting away in the acidic bath of the oceans that we love to
dive in.
PS to Clay B. and Steve H. and Steve V., got a fix on an old fishing boat
turned into a barge off Redondo Beach - blend this Saturday and RAPE this
Sunday ??
Educate me please, where is the harm in this ?
Kevin
"Don't forget your history,
Know your destiny,
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty."
Robert Nesta Marley
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Kevin Rottner
Southern California SCUBA
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