The Independence was originally scheduled to head offshore on Sunday but the wind forced us to delay our departure and divert someplace closer so we headed to the Oil Wreck. Surface visibility was pretty murky with heavy plankton but mid water from ~50-110 feet was very clear and since we were tied into about the middle of the bow section it was possible to see both forward masts of the wreck rising up out of the gloom below (they come up to 75 feet) from the anchor line which was very cool. Not many places off New Jersey to see this and based on the condition of the wreck it probably will not be for much longer. Visibility on the wreck was 10-15 feet and less in places depending on where you went and was affected by several factors the biggest was the large numbers of flat fish kicking up clouds of that fine Mud Hole silt wherever you went. Mostly winter flounder but there were some good sized fluke in the mix as well and they were everywhere on the main deck of the wreck (145 fsw). I didn’t travel to the bottom (170 fsw) but heard vis was 2-3 feet which was expected. For my dive I headed to one of my favorite digging rooms and got a small ornate brass light shade/fixture and a couple small bottles. The continued deterioration of the wreck was evident as there were several new entry/egress points from the room I was working, from bulk heads and rust holes collapsing. A few lobsters and a couple other artifacts were brought to the surface by other divers including a couple nice wine bottles. Temperature on the wreck was in the high 40s, but deco was pleasant with temperature in the 70s from 50 feet to the surface.
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