Sea
Sabres Scuba Diving club, Southern California, Fullerton
Sea Sabres
Wreak diving the Ruby
Facts about dive:
Ruby
"E", a 51m long Coast Guard Cutter sunk as part of the reef in July
1989 in 25m of water. She sits upright on the bottom and is intact and
penetrable. All the
hatches
have been made larger and each room has an exit to the outside. Most of the
wreck is covered with growth, such as Strawberry Anenomes and a small Kelp Bed
on top of the wheelhouse. Great penetration dive for those interested in wreck
diving or learning wreck diving.
Sitting
on a flat sandy bottom the Ruby E is a great dive. Sunk as an artificial reef
and made safe for divers, it provides great interior access as well as access
to the superstructure. Most everything was stripped from the wreck prior to
sinking including all hatches, windows, and some bulkheads in order to make it
safe. The engines are still there with the heads removed exposing the massive
cylinders, which have now become home to many marine inhabitants.
Since the sinking in 1989,
the growth has not become overly prolific so it remains in great condition. It
is covered in a blanket of pink, red, and lavender anemones. The interior areas
are heavy with silt and very dark. Lights are a must if diving the interior.
Caution is advised when penetrating the inner areas, as silt is quickly kicked
up leaving your buddy in a silt out.
Areas
of the wreck accessible to divers are the superstructure, bridge, engine room,
and several internal corridors. Pretty much the whole ship is open to divers,
but the inner areas are for experienced wreck divers with the proper equipment.
Conditions
vary day to day so check local conditions before going. Surface swells and
strong surge on the bottom can limit visibility to just a few feet, or
obliterate it all together. One of our prior attempts to dive this resulted in
us returning to the harbor without ever getting wet because conditions were so
bad.
Access
to the dive: The Ruby E is well marked with a buoy on the surface and it is
only a 10-minute ride out of the harbor on most of the dive boats. Suit up in
the harbor and enjoy a quick ride out.
Experience
grade: Everyone
Average
visibility : 25 Ft.
Average
water temperature : 54 F.
Average
depth : 50 Ft.
Maximum
depth : 75 Ft.
Dive
name: Ruby E
Location:
Position: N 32.46.14 W117.16.18 Wreck Alley San Diego.
The
ship is marked with a bouy.
Back
to Dive Spots & Dive Boats
Updated September 23, 2003
(Home) (Boat Dives) (Buddy List) (Campouts) (Diving Links) (Dive Spots & Dive Boats) (Diving Time Line) (Email) (Meetings) (Membership) (Recipes) (Safety & Education) (News Letters AKA Snorkel Talk) (Non Sequitur) (Updates)