Dive Review of The Dive Shack's Wet Dream in
The Continental USA/Pensacola, Fl

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The Dive Shack's Wet Dream, Jul, 2006, by Robert Cecil, SC, USA ( 2 reports). Report 2591.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Undercurrent News Letter The USS Oriskany, Pensacola, Florida The Dive Shack’s Wet Dream: July , 29-30 2006 Robert Cecil, Pauline, SC 50-100 dives. Departed Greenville, South Carolina for Pensacola Florida with 20 other local dive shop members. Arrived after 7 hour drive to Days Inn, Pensacola. Accommodations were budget travel. Adequate but less than average. !970’s needing remodeling, with little money to do so, based on the lack of quality of sheets on the bed. You could watch TV through them and felt like sand paper. Hotel rooms were assigned by the Dive Shack’s Wet Dream. I was not aware of the full name of the dive shop until I actually arrived in Pensacola, and it left me feeling a little concerned about their professional business like aptitude. We arrived at the dive shop at 5:45am.We all brought our own tanks, gear and food, so little or no preparations were required by The Dive Shack’s Wet Dream. They required everyone sign a waiver releasing us of any right to sue and that we were on our own as far as any damages, regardless of the cause on their boating and professional business trip. They required everyone to show their C card, as well as rent or wear a safety sausage. Gene Ferguson was our Captain, and he gave us a brief after all the gear was loaded. He told us about the reputation of this new wreck dive, that it was considered dangerous by the non diving press, but assured us that it was safe. He briefed us on the use of the last chance line, and that we would descend the anchor line to the air craft carrier. There were to be three Dive Masters to join us, and that our max depth would be around 120-130 feet on the first dive. It was to be a three tank dive. They offered a video of the dive for an extra fee. The briefing went on to discuss the rubber chicken and rubber cow hanging from the bridge of the 42(?) ft boat. They were hung as reminders to crew that no “Whining” was allowed, and by whining, he meant, “its hot, its cold, are we there yet, “ So, it was my impression that he was not the type for idle conversation and general matter of fact discussions. Prior to the briefing, I over heard one passenger ask how long he had owned to boat. His reply was that he had owned it for 22 years, but that it had been in the shop or 25 years. The wreck is located 20 miles off shore, and we were told that it would take about 2:20 to arrive. Thus we began or departure out of the marina. Our 10 knot headway became tiresome with boats passing us left and right. After forty minutes , we made open water, but the speed remained the same. At this point I realized that it was going to really take the full 2:30 hours to reach the ship wreck site 20 miles off shore, after we reached open water, not from the marina. About ten minutes into open water, the boat stopped and the Captain said that something was wrong with the boat. He said that he felt something shimmering up top, and sent a diver down to look at the propeller. To keep a long story short, the problem was never resolved and he made the wise decision to return to the boat marina. Although it cannot be known when a mechanical malfunction will occur, it appeared to me that this dive shop was running on a thin dime. It was apparent that he knew his boat was not in top working order, and that we are flying (or diving) on a wing and a prayer. He did not seem overly apologetic, and that this some how seemed to be par for the coarse, another cancelled dive trip. He did not have a back up plan, so the dive was aborted and we packed up our gear and departed. A refund was given. We stopped buy Vortex Springs for a nice dive prior to 7 hour return home through driving rain through Atlanta. Pensacola has not been a major dive destination until the placement of the USS Oriskany. It is apparent that the dive community in this area has not gotten itself up to speed with the requirements of cattle boat diving. I cannot speak on the behalf of other dive shops in the area, as I have not used them, but I give Captain Ferguson and his screwed up Wet Dream two thumbs down.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	51-100 dives
Where else diving	Carribean, Hawaii, Bahama's,
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	cloudy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	75-95°F / 24-35°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	0-0 Ft/ 0-0 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	135 ft
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	A wash bucket

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Dive Review of The Dive Shack's Wet Dream in The Continental USA/Pensacola, Fl

The Dive Shack's Wet Dream, Jul, 2006,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of The Dive Shack's Wet Dream in
The Continental USA/Pensacola, Fl